My body is here but I feel very detached. Thanking God for safe flights, happy family, hot showers and ice in my coffee. My thoughts about the trip are random and disconnected, so bare with me. Probably will be for some time. Rwanda seems to do this to people. This photo was taken at the Bethsaida HIV/Aids cooperative where infected people create Rwandan baskets like the one I photo'd for the blog last month. They also sell other things they make, and it pays for their meds, food, and ministry. I was just crazy-blessed to sit with them, pray with them, and sing and dance with them too! Yeah, no photos of that...you're welcome.
There is so much to say, and lots of it was said on our group blog, http://manchesteronthemove.wordpress.com/ , which contains entries from most of us about what we saw and did in Kilgale, Kibuye, Kirinda, and Mugonero. I don't wish to be repetitive here for those who followed the updates from that blog - but I do want to give my friends a bit more as time goes on.
So, Lynne, How was your trip? Because John Cassetto has been there and back twice, he gave us a week's notice that it might be a good idea to start imagining that this will be a question asked of us as soon as we get home, and finding answers will take time. We began to wonder and talk about it in the days that followed, and learned from each other that it's not wrong to have many answers, answers that make no sense, and no answers at all. We saw people who have nothing, but will give you their hearts just because you came; we saw them, loved them, trained them, prayed with them, or just touched them. We learned together with church leaders and pastors what a connected community church looks like. We made new friends, forever friends, and learned to trust each other in almost super-human ways. And of course, we learned some great Kinyarwanda phrases. My faves are; Itorero Wrimwe (One Church), Segugande (Its not about me), and Inshuti wanjye ehene mfite nt'amafaranga (my friend goat has no money). Karen, correct that grammar for me, will you? :)
How was my trip? Wild, fun, soul-wrenching, life-changing, hilarious, scary, awesome, globally significant, and full of tiny insights that will add up in my mind someday to something God will use. But today, it's just over too soon. My main question in Rwanda about returning to the US was, How will I ever go back to doing things that make no difference? Today I started getting answers. We are all created with purpose and purpose takes many many shapes. I got to have the chance to listen to stories of survival which are far more real to me than words on a page. But today, I got to enjoy the embrace of my family - and that matters too.
Yesterday I found a list I wrote last year. It was on a yellow pad that was just laying open and anyone in my house in the last month walked by it in my den. I must have written it after I'd read Crazy Love by Francis Chen. The top reads: If I really loved God with a consuming passion, I would:
As I read the items that went on for 3 pages, I came across these feelings;
There is so much to say, and lots of it was said on our group blog, http://manchesteronthemove.wordpress.com/ , which contains entries from most of us about what we saw and did in Kilgale, Kibuye, Kirinda, and Mugonero. I don't wish to be repetitive here for those who followed the updates from that blog - but I do want to give my friends a bit more as time goes on.
So, Lynne, How was your trip? Because John Cassetto has been there and back twice, he gave us a week's notice that it might be a good idea to start imagining that this will be a question asked of us as soon as we get home, and finding answers will take time. We began to wonder and talk about it in the days that followed, and learned from each other that it's not wrong to have many answers, answers that make no sense, and no answers at all. We saw people who have nothing, but will give you their hearts just because you came; we saw them, loved them, trained them, prayed with them, or just touched them. We learned together with church leaders and pastors what a connected community church looks like. We made new friends, forever friends, and learned to trust each other in almost super-human ways. And of course, we learned some great Kinyarwanda phrases. My faves are; Itorero Wrimwe (One Church), Segugande (Its not about me), and Inshuti wanjye ehene mfite nt'amafaranga (my friend goat has no money). Karen, correct that grammar for me, will you? :)
How was my trip? Wild, fun, soul-wrenching, life-changing, hilarious, scary, awesome, globally significant, and full of tiny insights that will add up in my mind someday to something God will use. But today, it's just over too soon. My main question in Rwanda about returning to the US was, How will I ever go back to doing things that make no difference? Today I started getting answers. We are all created with purpose and purpose takes many many shapes. I got to have the chance to listen to stories of survival which are far more real to me than words on a page. But today, I got to enjoy the embrace of my family - and that matters too.
Yesterday I found a list I wrote last year. It was on a yellow pad that was just laying open and anyone in my house in the last month walked by it in my den. I must have written it after I'd read Crazy Love by Francis Chen. The top reads: If I really loved God with a consuming passion, I would:
As I read the items that went on for 3 pages, I came across these feelings;
- Rip off the armor that keeps me from feeling the pain of others
- Pray more and write less
- Be the people I admire. Do what they do. Ask more of myself.
- Start saving for Africa
That last one just filled me with JOY, and I need some lately because my heart is broken that I'm not still in Rwanda. Look what you did, God. Wow.
I'll keep letting this unfold here, for anyone who is interested. If you are reading this, then you are open. So thank you!
2 comments:
First, Ndagukunda, inshuti yanjye!! You are my precious sister, and I could not have done this trip without you by my side!
The line in your blog, "We saw people who have nothing, but will give you their hearts just because you came" was the first thing that's made me cry since we got home. It just undid me, because it captures what overwhelms me about the people we met. I'll be plagerizing your sentence the next time someone asks me, "How was your trip?"
And, just for the record, "Inshuti ihene yanjye afite nt'amafaranga"
Love you! Love you!
-K love
Glad you got to cry K, because you have some catching up to do! I have cried my lifetime quota this week, and I'm starting to use up yours....
love you love you
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