It’s my guess that a majority of you, readers, have seen the pictures that my brother, Adam, took. I hope that they give you a better idea of what it’s like here. I do my best to explain it here in my blog, but like they say “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
School is going well. The “newness” of it is beginning to wear off, but I still like it overall. I am struggling in few subjects. Sadly, French 1 is not any better the second time around. Foreign languages do not click in my head…but then again, not many things click in my head. Each class has its challenges and I must “keep my head in the game” if I wish to succeed.
Speaking of school, we did not have school yesterday (Tuesday) because it was a teacher workday. That’s okay with me; it was nice to have a little break. It’s not like I sat around and did nothing though. I worked on an instrument inventory list for my dad, and I studied for several tests and quizzes that will be coming later this week.
One of our guards at school has a very funny habit of saying “yes please”. His name is Ferdinand; he is one of the sweetest guys I know, and he has obviously worked very hard to perfect his English. I’ll often approach the gate and say “Hi Ferdinand! Can you open the gate for me?” And he’ll reply, “Yes please!” One day last week, he had fallen asleep in his chair and my mom walked up to him and gently called his name to wake him up. He abruptly stood up and said “Yes please!”
Most of the roads are paved, but there are also plenty of roads that are not. Some roads are just dirt roads that are easy to ride on, but then there are other roads that are just ridiculous. You can’t help but laugh as you go bumping down the road. There is one dirt road in particular that has speed bumps. Speed bumps on a bumpy dirt road. Absolutely hilarious!
We have found a house-helper! Her name is Margaret. She is very kind and she clearly knows what she’s doing. She cleans the house and does the laundry and ironing faster than anyone I know. She went to the Market for us on Monday. (Being a national means that she will be able to get a much better price for food compared to us, white Americans.) She bought some sugar cane upon Miles’ request. It’s quite interesting! You chew it and suck the “juice” and then you spit out the “fiber”. I’m not sure that I care for the taste; I’ll have to give it another try sometime.
I was told that after about a month of being here, I would begin to really miss “things”. And sure enough, 32 days later…I’m missing American food, and my car, and convenience, and all sorts of things that Americans take for granted. I know one thing for sure; I’m going to have a long list of places to go and food to eat next summer!
Several of my friends gave my very thoughtful letters to read on the long airplane ride. Of course I kept them all. They have been sitting in my Converse “keep-sake box”. Tonight I decided that I would like to go through my box and read all of those sweet letters plus look at pictures and old birthday cards. Unfortunately it wasn’t a “nice little walk down memory lane”. No, quite the opposite. I miss my friends and family so much. Living thousands of miles away has made me realize that I had begun to rely on the fact that they were always around. Now that I don’t get to see these people on a regular basis, I realize how important they really are to me. 10th grade was a significant year for me, and I think back to all of the people that were a part of my life this past year, and I thank God for each and every one of them. I can’t wait until next summer when I get to hug their necks and see their beautiful faces again!
I feel so incredibly blessed to be living in Kigali, Rwanda. How many 16 year olds get this opportunity? Sure I miss everyone like crazy, but I know, with confidence, that I will see them again one day; either here on earth or in our eternal home. I’m meeting people from all over the world, trying new things, learning new things, and experiencing life in a foreign country. God definitely wants me and my family in Rwanda right now, and I am all for following the Lord and doing His will, and so I can honestly say that I wouldn’t rather me anywhere else!
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