On Sunday morning we visited another church, CLA (Christ Life Assembly). I really enjoyed the service. We sang for about thirty minutes, and the pastor preached for a little over an hour. It was so cool to look around the room (that was about the size of a gymnasium) at the sea of black, and occasionally see a few dots of white. We sat on long wooden benches that were, frankly, less than comfortable. The congregation moved around a lot during the singing, and it was evident that God was being glorified.
On Friday night, we ate dinner at a friend’s house. While at dinner, we learned that it considered rude to have food out in public. Even if you are just carrying an apple, it needs to be in a brown paper bag, or hidden in some way. My dad and I have been eating breakfast every morning on the way to school, and everyone that we pass, stares at us. We thought that they were staring at us because we are mzungus (white people) and we get stared at all the time. Little did we know, they were staring at us because we were being rude. We were eating in front of them. Last Friday was the last time I’ll ever eat breakfast on the way to school again.
I drove in for the very first time on Sunday evening! I only drove up to the school, but hey, I drove in a foreign country! In my book, that’s a big deal.
According to the Rwandan Nationals, the rainy season has officially started. It’s about 4 weeks early. This rainy season will go until December, and then we’ll have a second rainy season for several months in the first part of the year. When it rains here, it pours. The wind is crazy! If I leave my windows open in the morning, I need to plan on sleeping in a wet bed. I will be bringing a rain jack and/or a poncho with me from now on.
Funny Fact: Some American friends of ours have a dog that only responds to commands given in Kinyarwanda (the national language).
I believe that you have not fully experienced Africa until you have taken a cold shower. Last night the whole street (and possibly the whole neighborhood) was out of hot water. I was in need of a shower, so I went for it. Not only was the water unbearably cold, it was also trickling out of the shower head. It took me a long time to shower, but at least I got clean!
School is going well, but it's taking me a little while to get adjusted to the different teaching styles. For the past three years, I’ve read all of my assignments and done all of my work at my own pace. Now, I have to figure out eight different teaching styles, and try to keep up with the fast paced lectures. It’s a challenge. It’s also a little weird to spend eight hours in school, and then come home and spend another two to four hours on…school.
Miles has been waking up with bites on his face, neck, and arms each morning for the past week and a half. At first we thought they were mosquito bites, even though he has been sleeping with a mosquito net. He tried sleeping without the mosquito net for a couple of nights, and was still waking up with the bites, so we wondered if they were bed bug bites. We put his bed, and mattress, and bedding out in the sun and sprayed if with bug repellent. He continued to wake up with the bites. We looked a little more closely at the pattern of the bites, and came to the conclusion that the bites were in the shape of a hat…or a helmet. Miles rode a motto two Thursday ago. We think that he’s probably being bitten by a bug that was in the motto helmet. The only thing that throws the theory is that I have started getting bites on the lower part of my arms and hands. They are little red dots that itch so badly! We’re still not sure what it is, or what’s causing it, but we sure do hope it goes away soon!
Life is continuing here, in Kigali. It’s crazy to think that this coming Sunday will be our one month anniversary. A whole month! Life is fun, exciting, and it keeps you on your toes. From hot water to eating in public, there’s always something to learn and experience here in Kigali.
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