While Living in Africa, I Went to Africa

This past week I went on an incredible adventure. God called me to Kenya and so I went. I met up with a small team from America that came over to work in Kibera, a large slum in Nairobi, for one week.


I left Kigali on Saturday morning (Nov 10) and flew to Nairobi. (I enjoyed flying alone, probably a little bit more than I should have.) A driver was waiting for me at the airport, holding a sign with my name on it, making me feel rather dignified. I made it to the guest house, without any complications and I met up with the rest of the team. Throughout the week I met a lot people (some who quickly became good friends), I compared and contrasted Rwanda and Kenya, I learned many new Swahili phrases, I ministered to kids at 
Trinity primary school, and I learned more of God’s calling for my life.

Nairobi is very different from Kigali. In fact, it’s so different that I’m not even sure where to begin. I continuously felt like I was in America. (The American team found this a bit odd.) Nairobi is very developed and crowded with buildings and cars. The traffic is intense. The driving happens on the opposite side of the road (comparing it to America and Rwanda) but it’s not disorderly. It’s just really backed up. Personally I think the driving is crazier in Kigali, just with fewer cars. I guess, to give those in America a bit of a perspective, comparing Nairobi to Kigali is a bit like comparing New York City to High Point. There are numerous malls with food courts, there’s a KFC, there’s a Feeneys (Planet Yogurt), and nice paved highways, large buildings, and lots and lots of cars.


This trip was a perfect opportunity for me for numerous reasons. First, I needed a break from my normal life in Rwanda. Second, I have had a desire (and still do) to do more ministry projects, and that is exactly what this trip was all about. Third, God strengthened and challenged my faith in Him and taught me how to sacrifice seemingly important things for Him, my academic grades being the primary example. Fourth, this trip was my first experience with following God’s calling on my own – it was my first adventure, with many more to come.


During the week we (from now on when I refer to “we” I mean “the American team and I”) worked in a small compound, called Trinity, on the edge of Kibera. Some of us taught in the elementary school, some ran a soccer camp for kids, some worked in the medical clinic, and some offered counseling and the good news of Jesus. Together we made a great team. I worked with a class of 4-6 year olds during the week, teaching Bible stories, playing games, and sharing the love of Jesus with them. Our days followed a similar pattern with the exception of Wednesday, which I will address specifically in a minute.


Daily Routine:
6:15am wake up and make breakfast for the team with my roommate
7:30 board the bus and travel to Trinity
8:15 arrive at Trinity (It wasn’t that far of a drive, it just took a while to get there because of traffic)
8:30 brief devotion and prep time for the day
9:00 begin teaching and playing with the kids
1:00 (sometimes after 1:00) lunch
4:30 leave Trinity and stop at a store on the way home to buy supplies to make PB&J’s for the kids at Trinity
6:30 eat dinner
7:30 debriefing time with the team/preparing lessons/making 225 sandwiches for the next day

Please note: All these times are susceptible to change. We operated on a very relaxed schedule, without much awareness to the time of day – a very African lifestyle. Our pastor at church once said, “You in America have the watches, but we in Africa have the time.”


Wednesday was a very special day, my favorite day of the week. In the morning we went to Trinity for a couple hours and then we went further into the slum to visit a school and church called Emmanuel. (This is the place where my mom was when she went to Kenya in 2009.) Emmanuel completely defines Africa. The smells were beautiful, the people were beautiful, the sights were beautiful - everything about it was just perfect. I wish I could effectively explain to you what Kibera is like. The only thing I can say is; while living in Africa, I went to Africa. I experienced a real Africa. It was incredible. Those few hours I spent in the depths of Kibera were some of the best hours of my life. The children were so respectful and sweet.  It costs just under $4 a semester to attend school at Emmanuel and most families cannot afford it.  The children that have the privilege of going to school take their education very seriously. After being at Emmanuel for a couple hours we went to the women’s prison.  That was another incredible experience. When we arrived at the prison the women were in the middle of their church service. Some of the women were worshiping and praising God in a very sincere way while others stood along the wall with their arms crossed.  Two of the ladies on our team shared their testimony and several women accepted Christ for the first time in their life.  After the service we handed out small bags containing toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, and a tract.  It was amazing to be around all of those women who had committed crimes – it’s not the first place I would have chosen, but it’s definitely were Jesus would have been, ministering to the criminals and the poor in spirit.


I am sure there are many details of my week that I’m failing to mention.  It’s hard to explain what I experienced to those who have never been to Africa before. It’s a little bit like trying to explain augmented chords to someone who has never heard of music before.  If God ever calls you to Africa, do not hesitate. It will change your life.


My life didn’t change when I went to Kenya. That’s probably because I had already been living in Rwanda, and so it wasn’t that big of a cultural adjustment. My life has been changing ever since August 2011 so going to Kenya was just another step in the changing process. What did change was my perspective of life – walking the streets of Kibera and experiencing that “Africa” – is what changed me.


God has been teaching me so much. I could fill blogs only about what God has been and is currently teaching me.


One thing I learned prior to my trip to Kenya was what it really means to have faith. I have been watching my parents step out in faith for many years, but I this trip to Kenya was my first opportunity to step out in faith by myself. If you step out in faith God will provide. Another thing I am learning is that stepping out in faith is not all about God providing, sometimes it’s about you making sacrifices. And God always “works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)


It’s amazing how hard and how easy things can get when you turn your life over to the Lord. Yes, you will face challenges and trials. We, as Christians, are called to a life of hardships, that’s just a part of it. But, if God is in control things somehow get easier too. I don’t have to worry, because He’s got it all figured out. God has big things in store for the rest of my life.  I got a little taste of those plans this past week. I’ve sensed God calling me far away from the “American lifestyle” for some time now, and this week it became even clearer that I am not meant to be in a place where the people already know about God and they have electricity, and running water, and all the other necessities.  I am called to be in a poor, poverty-stricken area that does not have the general necessities and does not know about the greatness of our Lord. I am called to put everything on the line for Him. I long to live among the ugly-beautiful, to embrace them, love on them, help them, and comfort them.  But more than that, I long to serve the Lord for the rest of my life. Wherever He leads me, I will follow.

Dear Faithful Readers

I apologize for the long pause. I did not intend for so many days to go in between posts. I live a very busy life over here in ravishing Rwanda. I’m overextended and attempting to accomplish more things than a person probably should. I won’t bore you with the details of what I do in a week’s time; I’ll just lead you to believe that it’s quite a lot. 

That being said, I have decided to sit down and inform you of a few things going on in my life... 

First things first, on October 6th, after taking the SAT for 4 hours, I came home and sat for another 10 and a half hours while I got my hair braided....

Yes, it hurt very badly, and it itches off and on but I do like the finished product a lot. 

Secondly, if you've read my other blogs from this school year (Aug 2012-Oct 2012) you know that I've been struggling with homesickness. You’ll be happy to hear that my homesickness has subsided. While I do have a day here and there where I miss home more than anything, I would not classify myself as being homesick. Part of that might have to do with how busy I am, and if that’s the case, then I’m thankful for being busy. 

One thing that has helped me overcome my homesickness is a quote I stumbled upon by my favorite missionary, Jim Elliot.

 “Wherever you are, be all there."

After reading it, I immediately felt convicted and realized that I was not being all here. I was trying to live my life in North Carolina while living in Rwanda…it wasn't working. At first I wasn't sure how to let go of my NC life, but God has helped me. He has blessed me with so many wonderful friends in North Carolina who I've been able to stay in contact with and He has also given me a sense of peace about being so far away from home. 

A third update relating to my life: I've been struggling with God’s silence. I talk to Him every single day. I tell Him things, I thank Him for things, I ask Him for things, but I haven’t been getting a response. In reading My Utmost for His Highest I came to realize that “His silence is the sign that He is bringing [me] into an even more wonderful understanding of Himself.”  

Psalm 27:14 says “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

And just a few chapters later...

Psalm 31:24 says, “Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!”

For God, time is nothing.  Humans (Americans, especially) are so time-oriented and driven by plans that we get easily frustrated with God when doesn't reveal the plan or the answers when we think we need them. God knows exactly what we need, He knows the best time to reveal His will, and He is always, always in control, even in His silence. 

Fourthly, I have a very of exciting opportunity to go to Nairobi, Kenya on a short-term mission trip. Greenstreet Baptist Church in High Point, NC goes to Kenya every year to work in Kibera, one of the world’s largest slums. I feel God calling me on this trip, but I face two problems: (1) I would be missing five days of school…five days of unexcused absences, meaning that my grades would be severely affected. However, I am going to ask my teachers if I can work ahead and turn my assignments in before I leave. (2) Money. Money is always an issue. I ask you to pray with me and for me. Pray that my teachers will show grace and be willing to work with me and pray that God will provide the money I need to go on this trip.  The wonderful thing is that these “problems” are not problems at all in God’s eyes. He has already orchestrated everything and if He wants me in Kenya from November 10-16 then He will make it happen. 

Thank you, dear faithful readers, for reading my blog. I aim to update it more regularly and hopefully with exciting stories of my life in Africa. I don’t know what’s in store for the rest of this year but I invite you to join with me as I wait in anticipation for God to speak to me and reveal His plan to me. 

One Day at a Time

The weather is much too beautiful to spend the day inside. It’s like a perfect spring day. I’m currently sitting outside on my front porch on this lovely Sunday afternoon. A warm breeze is sweeping across the city and causing the wisps of hair around my face and neck to stick out more than normal. The rains are coming. We’ve had a thunderstorm every few days and so the air and the view are beginning to clear up. I have a pretty clear view across the valley today of the various dirt roads and houses. Kigali is a truly beautiful place. 

The view from our front porch

It’s hard to believe that we’ve already completed our first month. Only nine months remaining.  Only nine more months of high school. Only nine more months of my life in Rwanda. Only nine more months with my family until I embark on my own journey. 


Life stays pretty consistent here: school every day, homework every night, church every Sunday. And so the routine goes. Last year when we first arrived I had loads of things to blog about because everything was new and different. This time, everything is familiar and normal. Walking by people with several large pieces of lumber stacked on their head or having a man pass you on a bicycle with a hundred dozen eggs strapped on the back is no longer a strange sight. 

Jeremy came to visit us this afternoon. Some of you may remember Jeremy from our video this summer. Jeremy is a Rwandan man who lost his leg in a moto accident three years ago. He walks around on crutches. He loves Jesus and he loves to play the guitar and sing about Jesus. He is slowly learning English just like we are slowly learning Kinyarwanda. He and I sat and talked for a while this afternoon. Sometimes we talked in Kinyarwanda and other times in English. He shared several Bible verses in Kinyarwanda and I read them in English and he sang/played the guitar for us. We had not seen him since May so it was good to catch up. At the end of our time today he prayed for us in Kinyarwanda. (Isn't it interesting how God is fluent in all languages? He hears every prayer - English, Kinyarwanda, Portuguese...whatever it may be, because He knows our hearts. What an awesome God we have!) We look forward to many more times with Jeremy. 

I’ve continued to walk the fifty minute (or so) walk to church every Sunday. Each week I have a new person with me. I went alone the first week, then my mother joined me, last week Adam and I walked together, and today my whole family came along. Sometimes I walk because I have to. Today, for example, we all had to walk to church because we don’t have a car. (Yes, we are still looking and praying for a car.) Other times I walk for pleasure. Like yesterday I wandered around on dirt roads for an hour. (Believe it or not, it’s really hard to get lost on dirt roads- they all sort of lead to each other.) For me, walking is the time I feel closest to God. It’s the time that I talk to Him about absolutely everything and more times than not, it’s the time that I hear back from Him. Walking has become a very important part of my routine. 

My heart longs for North Carolina. I’m having a hard time letting go of my life in North Carolina and fully embracing my life in Rwanda. I do love living here, especially on days like today when everything is positively gorgeous, but, I can’t help but think about my family and friends and my life that I’m not living in North Carolina. If I’m not careful it can overtake me and I can spend hours only thinking of what I’m missing. Like last week for example, I cried off and on all day for three days in a row. I just couldn’t seem to get a hold of myself. Yes, I’m homesick. That does not give me a reason to be constantly sad though. I need the Lord to give me joy. It is possible for me to be homesick and joyful at the same time. I choose to be joyful.  With the help of the Lord, and hopefully some faithful prayer partners, I will overcome this homesickness. I’ve been reading Amy Carmichael’s biography. She was an English missionary who went to Japan, Sri Lanka, and ultimately, India. She battled fevers and various ailments and homesickness but she was joyful because she was serving the Lord. She shared His love with the people and nothing made her more delighted. 

Natalie, my spiritual mentor and dear friend has been positively wonderful to me. She referred to herself as my big sister the other day, which of course brought a smile to my face because I’ve always wanted a sister. As most of you will remember, we memorized the book of Colossians last semester. We’ve decided to memorize James this semester. I’m so thankful for her as a friend/sister and a spiritual accountability partner. 
I wouldn’t be able to make it through this year without her. 

The other week I posted a picture on facebook of some baskets I had purchased at the market. My dad suggested that people may be curious about what the rest of my room looks like…

Standing in the doorway- my desk, with the market baskets above, my wardrobe with numerous Bible verses and daisies, and my left curtain that was purchased here at a fabric market.

Standing in front of my desk – my bed with my bedspread from Target and my right curtain (see how nicely it matches my bedspread?) Notice the wall décor - also from Target and the I Love Lucy picture from a dear friend.

Standing in front of my wardrobe- Jane Austin quotes on the wall and my bookshelf. Favorite people in frames on the top shelf and favorite books on the second shelf. 

That’s my room. Full of color and all my favorite things. I’m so thankful for my room because I have my own personal space. At our other house we were very crowded and although I had my own room I didn’t really feel like I had my own “space.” Now I have space and I am very grateful. 

If I think about the year as a whole or if I think about missing home I get overwhelmed. I just need to take things one day at a time. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:25 & 33-34) I don’t need to have everything all figured out, in fact, I don’t have it all figured out. God knows. He’s in control. He knows what the rest of this year will look like, He knows the desires of my heart, and He knows the plans for the future. As long as I take things one day at a time and keep relying on Him I’ll make it. 

Seniority

I have officially entered into the world of being a senior and I’m milking it for all it’s worth. The bell rings for class to start, “Oh, was that the bell? Do seniors have to go to class right when the bell rings?” As if being a senior entitles me to something greater than the other students. I’ve only been a senior for two days…I think I need to get a grip.

I have a heavy-ish work load this year but I do like my schedule. I am taking a dual enrollment class online for history for first period. Second period is alternating between physical education and Bible every other day. Third period is AP literature. I’m a “band assistant” during fourth period and I have chemistry fifth period. After lunch I have French 2 and then advanced band. So like I said, it’s a little heavy but I do like the flow.

Yesterday was my mom’s mirongo ine na gantandatu birthday. (Her age in Kinyarwanda) It’s hard to celebrate birthdays in an American fashion in Rwanda but we do our best. My dad bought my mom twenty pink roses. The ladies who were selling the roses were asking the equivalent of $6.50 and my dad talked them down to just under $5. Imagine…twenty roses for five dollars! We were also able to surprise her with a cake. We brought a chocolate cake mix back with us from America. I baked it Wednesday morning while she was out of the house and took great care to open every window to get the delicious smell out of the house. After I got home from school yesterday I snuck frosting ingredients down to my room and made frosting from scratch. She had her favorite - chocolate cake with white icing - for her birthday and she was absolutely surprised. Happy Birthday Mom!!

Random power outages are becoming a regular part of my life again. The power was out for five and a half hours last Thursday and it was off for a good forty-five minutes yesterday. The power goes off without explanation and there is nothing you can do about it. It comes back on when it comes back on and you go on with your day.

It rained off and on last Thursday and Friday. Strange weather for supposedly the dry season but I don’t mind…I like the rain. The temperatures have been quite cool in the mornings, probably in the low sixties. By mid morning the air has warmed up and once the afternoon rolls around it’s just plain hot. It comes full circle in the evenings and everything gets nice and cool again.

I’m enjoying all the walking I’ve been doing. The other day I walked down the hill to the little grocery store to get a dozen eggs and passed easily twenty people on the five minute walk. When the cashier at the grocery store saw me he said, “Long time.” I told him it had been a long time and that I had been in America for the summer but I’m back now. He asked about my family and told me to come see him again soon.  I continued my walk back up the hill, this time with a bag of eggs, and passed two more familiar faces. We had a short conversation in Kinyarwanda and then went our separate ways. Exchanges like those are one of my favorite things about living here.  I walked to church on Sunday morning…it was just under an hour walk and I did not pass a single muzungu (white person) the entire time. Mind you I was walking on a main, heavily traveled road.  I walk to school, I walk to the grocery store, I walk for pleasure. I walk, walk, walk.

We had an electricity issue on Saturday night. Before I can share the story I have to explain Cash Power. Cash power is what our electricity is called. Every house has a cash power box outside of their house. You load units onto the box and then you have electricity to use freely. Our family uses roughly fifteen units of cash power a day between showers and lights and electronic devices. We were watching a movie (You’ve Got Mail) and we were about a third of the way into the movie when the entire room went black. Our first thought was that the power was out but after looking out the window we discovered that neighbors had power. My dad went outside to look at the cash power box and was greeted by a zero on the meter. He went down the hill to the grocery store to get more cash power. The way you load cash power is a little complicated to explain, I don’t even understand it, but you need your box number in order to purchase cash power. My dad tried to load the newly purchased cash power but soon discovered that he had given the old box number from our previous house. Back down the hill he went to give the correct box number. The time from when the power went off to the time we all sat down to resume the movie was about an hour and a half. That’s just part of living life in Africa.

Another part of living life in Africa is the bad internet. We went from a terrible internet connection to no internet at all. Our house is at a lower level on the hill so other houses and trees block our house from the internet tower, leaving us without the convenience. So we have to march up the hill to the school when we need to use the internet. There does appear to be a solution of a different internet source but the device is currently out of stock and there is no telling when the next shipment will arrive. So we are without internet at our house indefinitely. Is this what happens when you complain?

Tuesday was our first day of school. It was only a half day…just to give us a taste of what the year would be like. We didn’t have school on Wednesday because it was a national holiday. This was not poor planning on our part; the school didn’t find out about the holiday until Monday, leaving no time to make a change. So we’ve had a half day, a day off, and finally, today, a full day. Adam is loving being a part of high school now. He likes his schedule, he’s having a great time with his friends, and he’s doing well. Miles loves fourth grade. He picked up right where he left off with all his friends and he’s having a grand time being back in Rwanda. Both my parents are doing well. They are very busy with the demands of school but they love being here and serving at KICS.

I went to the market on Tuesday afternoon for the first time this year. I love the market. It’s truly a cultural experience….the language, the smells, the sights. It’s wonderful! I went to see Josephine, the lady who sells us fabric, (you may remember her from one of our videos that we showed this summer) to tell her that we were back from America. She was happy to see me and she said, “How is my mom? How is my dad? How is Miles? (Everyone loves Miles.) How is my brother? (meaning Adam).” Then she said to another couple in the fabric booth, “I am their second daughter. Actually, I am the first daughter because I’m older than her (meaning me).” Well Josephine, didn’t you just work your way right into our family. We do love her!  On my way to the market I discovered that streets signs (from my previous blog), in fact, do not make any sense. You may pass 316th street and the following street is likely to be labeled 118th street. I do not understand.

On Wednesday night I had the rare opportunity to go to a chamber music concert. Three musicians, a pianist, a cellist, and an oboist were in town from Berlin, Germany. They performed on Tuesday night and Wednesday night. There are only three grand pianos in the entire country… (Let’s take a minute and marvel at that. Three grand pianos in an entire country. Do you have any idea how many grand pianos Julliard owns? And that’s just ONE university in ONE country. Blows my mind.)… and grand pianos are not easy to transport so the pianist had to play on an electric keyboard. It’s sort of like playing on a wooden clarinet for years and then having to perform on a plastic clarinet….it’s doable, but it doesn’t sound the same, and it’s a disappointment for the musician. True to the African style the concert started thirty minutes late, but it was positively glorious. I have not had the privilege of attending a concert in over a year. I soaked up every minute of it. I felt every emotion known to man during the hour. The musicians did a marvelous job of conveying their feelings and I was able to understand the music on an emotional, if not intellectual, level. My year is just getting started but I know, without a doubt, that it will be a highlight of my year.

Yes, my year is just getting started. I have so many things still to learn and experience. I’ll be working hard to finish high school and graduate with the best grades I can pull off. I’ll be practicing my clarinet and giving lessons to younger clarinetists. I’ll be growing in Christ and preparing for college and the years to come. I’m living in AFRCIA! I want to jump at every opportunity I have to experience something new. I want this year to be the greatest one yet!

Back in Kigali

Well, here I am again, sitting at my computer in beautiful Rwanda doing my best to portray my life, experiences, thoughts, and feelings through a minuscule blog post.

The summer went by like a car on the interstate in America.  I was just leaving Kigali and starting my summer and now I’m back in Africa getting ready to start my 12th year of school. What happened? Where did the time go? I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my friends and family. I was able to reconnect with so many old friends and create new friendships. Not much had changed, thankfully, so I was able to jump back into the life I knew. I had a marvelous time shopping for new clothes and driving around in my car like a crazy teenager. I did enjoy Chick-fil-a and all of the other good places to eat, but American life is tiring…the constant need to acquire more things, the fattening food, the lack of exercising, the constant coming and going. It was nice for a while, but now that I’m back in Rwanda I feel like I can breathe again. 

We arrived on Friday night (Friday afternoon for all you East Coasters). The airport in Kigali is very small. You have to enter and exit the plane on moveable stairs because the airport doesn’t have gates. It reminds me of how the president or some other important person does when they arrive somewhere and the camera guy catches a pose as they’re walking down the stairs waving and smiling to their supporters. (Yes, I did glance up as I was walking down the steps expecting to see my posse…) Anyways, we walked down the stairs and across the runway to go inside. I took a deep breath and was welcomed with smell of Kigali -earthy and rich. I think Kigali has two main smells: body odor and exhaust. When we got to the door I wanted to hug the guard. I had no idea who he was but I was so happy to see him. I think I was just happy to be off the plane and overwhelmed with several emotions. I kept my dignity and did not hug him, but the feeling was there, nonetheless. We went through customs without any issues. All of our bags made it except for our two over-sized bins filled with instruments and most of my clothes.  We talked to one of the airport customer service people and they said that the bins would arrive from Nairobi, Kenya the following day. How did those bins get to Kenya? Beats me. Regardless of the route they took, we were able to retrieve our bins the next night and all of the instruments were there, unharmed. 

Speaking of instruments…we brought thirteen donated instruments back with us and several boxes of music! It’s a great addition to the growing bands! 

Speaking of instruments (again)…I’ve upgraded from an intermediate clarinet to a professional. A dear family friend graciously gave me a brand new clarinet in memory of her husband who just recently went to be with the Lord. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. The keys are so shiny. It’s wonderful! The tone is warm and rich and delicious.  I absolutely love it! With this instrument I’ll be able to go so much further than I would have gone with my previous clarinet. I’m so grateful!

Kigali is just like how we left it. The internet is still horribly slow. Actually, the internet speed has changed…it’s gotten worse. I’m positive it wasn’t this bad last year. The connection only works every now and then and when it is working it still takes way too long to load a page. It’s frustrating but there’s nothing I can do about it.  I was really happy this morning because I was able to respond to three facebook messages before the internet went out!  

Another new addition to the city is street signs. I haven’t been out in the city enough to figure it out but I think there is a logical order to them. Thankfully, it’s numbers and not names. For example: 179th avenue and 85th street. It will be much easier to give directions now!

We went to church on Sunday morning (the one we had been regularly attending last year). It was enjoyable to be back in the lively African worship style. Yes, the service is long and the benches are uncomfortable but it always leaves me feeling revived and ready for the week ahead. 

After church we met up with several other KICS teachers at Meze Fresh…Kigali’s first fast food restaurant! (New to the city while we were gone.) It’s essentially like a Qdoba. You walk down the line and tell them what you’d like in your burrito or taco. They don’t have as many options as Qdoba but it’s still really impressive. It’s painted lime green and blue and it has black and white accent decorations. It’s a really cool place. It’s quick, delicious, and filling. I’m looking forward to many more meals there in the future. 

Right now Rwanda is in the dry season so everything is very dusty and dry. I repeat: VERY dusty. The crops and plants are all brown and dead but before long, once the rain comes, it will be just as beautiful I remember it. Green, lush, pleasant, perfect. 

We all seem to be transitioning fairly well. My dad and Adam don’t seem to be dealing with jet lag at all. My mom, however, has forgotten how to sleep. Miles and I are somewhere in the middle, sleeping off and on throughout the night. Overall, it’s nice to be back. I’m looking forward to the start of school because it will give me something to do. I have a lot of time on my hands right now because my parents are up at the school everyday getting things ready along with the other teachers and there just isn’t a whole lot for me to do. I probably should be looking for scholarships and studying for the SAT and doing all that fun college stuff but something about that doesn’t sound very appealing…

I miss my family. I miss my friends. Unfortunately saying goodbye doesn’t get any easier. I feel caught between two worlds….two homes. Kigali feels very much like home. It’s very comfortable and familiar and I love it here, but oddly enough I feel homesick.  Might that be because North Carolina is my home? That’s where I’ve spent most of my life, that’s where my friends and family and memories are. It’s a little hard to understand. One thing I’ve been enjoying is the smell of my clothes. They all smell like the laundry detergent and the homes of the various people I stayed with during my last week in the States. It’s just a simple thing that makes me feel close to them and puts a smile on my face.

I know that this year will go by in a flash and before I know it I’ll be saying goodbye to my life here in Rwanda and embarking on the wonderful journey called college. I have an exciting year ahead of me. God has spectacular things planned for me and I can’t wait for it to all unfold and to discover His perfect plan. 

Unblocked Bloggers Block

Saying that this post is overdue would be an understatement. It's been far too long since I last sat down at my computer and typed my heart away. Why the long pause? Well, for one, I've been busy. Summer is supposed to be a time of relaxation. Wait. What? Summer is supposed to be a time of relaxation? That's odd because my summer has been a far cry from relaxing. Constantly jumping from one thing to the next, making sure we (my family) see everyone and accomplish everything before our plane takes off on August 2nd.


I've been trying to update my blog for about nine weeks. Nine weeks is a long time. Originally I was going to send out one last update before I left Kigali. My last few weeks of school flew by and before I knew it I was in Florida. I wanted to blog while I was down there and let people know how I was doing but, once again, the time just disappeared. I've been in North Carolina for the past five weeks and any thoughts I have given to my blog have been riddled with guilt.

Many people have asked when I plan to write my next post and I keep saying that I'm just taking a little break for the summer, but really it's just an excuse. I've been having a hard time putting my thoughts, emotions, and feelings into words. I have a lot to say and a lot to share but lately the words haven't been flowing like how they usually do. Generally, I just sit down and start typing and thirty minutes later I have my post in its completion. Not this time. No sir, I've been typing and deleting and typing and deleting and typing and...you get the picture.

I will be leaving convenient America in twelve days and heading back to lovely Rwanda. Once I get back to Kigali I’ll be updating my blog on a much more regular basis. I've had a good summer. It's been absolutely marvelous to see my dear friends and family, to eat at Chick-fil-a, to shop and drive again. It's been nice but I'm ready to go back. Rwanda is just as much home to me as America is. I grew up in America so it will always be home, but I live in Rwanda now. I'm anxious to get back to my room and my bed and my school and neighborhood. I'm ready to start my last year of high school. And most of all, I'm ready to see what the Lord has in store for me this next year.

More Than Conquerors

Today, May 1^st, is a very significant day for two reasons:

     1.)  We arrived in Kigali, Rwanda exactly nine months ago…on August 1^st.  

     2.)This is the first day of our last month in Kigali before the summer…we depart this country on May 30^th.

These past nine months have been wonderful, exciting, painful, necessary, important, impactful...so many different emotions and feelings. I would be lying to you if I told you this year was easy. Even though it has not been easy it has, however, been one of the greatest years of my life. There were times during this year when I just wanted to go limping back to North Carolina like a hurt puppy and lick my wounds and throw myself a pity-party surrounded by people who loved me.  But, I didn’t go back. I stayed strong. I overcame. Romans 8 talks about us being more than conquerors. “No, in all these things (“these things” referring to what was listed in the previous nine verses) we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37) That’s me! I’m more than a conqueror. I’m not just finishing the race (reference to previous blog where I compared this year to a race); I’m coming in first place!

I spoke in chapel roughly two months ago and at that time I was still a little bitter about what had happened in November, December, and January. Yes I had moved on and yes I had forgiven people but I certainly wasn’t glad that I had gone through that hard time and I definitely did not want to do it again.

About two weeks ago I was talking with Natalie (my “spiritual mentor”) and without even thinking the words came out of my mouth…

“I’m grateful for the hard time that I went through this year. I’m glad I experienced what I did in November, December, and January. It wasn’t fun, but I would do it all again if I was given the opportunity, because I like who I have become because of it. Sure, I liked who I was before, but I like who I am now even better.”

I couldn’t believe I had said those words. I spent several days evaluating myself and making sure I was sincere and after much contemplation decided that indeed I was.

I cannot even begin to explain how much I’ve changed this year. The fact that I’m sitting here right now thinking about Nov./Dec./Jan. with a smile on my face should give you a little hint. This year I have learned the difference between happiness and joyfulness. I’ve learned how to give thanks in ALL circumstances. I’ve learned how to pray and rely solely on the Lord. I’ve learned to forgive people who have wronged me. I’ve learned how to be grateful for trials, challenges, and struggles. I’ve learned how to encourage people. The list goes on and on.

God has worked in my life in ways I had never imagined. Before this year I didn’t really think I needed the Lord. Of course I believed in Him and I had a relationship with Him. It’s not like I was some horrible criminal…I’m a pretty good kid, I just like to do things my way. God has gotten a hold of me and taken control of my life and I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.

What else is going on here in Rwanda? Well, today is Labor Day and schools and banks and other such businesses are closed. This coming weekend is the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe play. Both Adam and I are in this play. He is playing Mr. Tumnus and I am playing the professor, Father Christmas, the Witch’s general, and Aslan’s general. We have two performances and we are both looking forward to it.

This past week my dad took 40 bands students in grades seven through twelve on a tour. The tour started with us playing in Chapel at school on Wednesday. On Thursday afternoon we went to a local Rwandan school and played for about a thousand students. We required a translator at this school, because they spoke in Kinyarwanda and knew limited to no English. Friday morning we went to Wellspring Christian Academy and performed for students in grades six through eight. We did not need a translator at this school. In the afternoon we left Kigali and drove about thirty minutes on bumpy dirt roads to a town called Busanza. We gave a concert to about three to four hundred students. Following our concerts we would play soccer or Frisbee or invent our own game and play with the kids. The children followed us around and watched our every move. I was kicking a trash-bag-ball back and forth with a little boy and all of the sudden I felt a tickling sensation on my arm. I turned around and there was an even younger boy standing there with a blade of grass in his hand and a mischievous smile on his face. I smiled at him and turned back around. Seconds later I felt him tickling my arm again. I whipped around and he squealed and ran back a few feet. It didn’t take long before other kids caught on and before I knew it I had about ten children tickling my arms with blades of grass. From then on I had about fifty kids (not an exaggeration) following me around doing whatever I did. They would all try to hold my hand or arm or shirt and they stood in a tight circle around me. I started clapping different rhythms and they copied me. We danced. We counted in Kinyarwanda together and I told them a little bit about myself. I kept trying to come up with things to do that didn’t require much communicating since language is an issue for both of us. Then, I got a bright idea to run as fast as I could across the field. That started a whole new game. They chased me and some of the faster kids would grab on to me so I couldn’t run any more. I would pause for a few minutes and then they would tell me to run again (in Kinyarwanda, of course). As if parting the Red Sea they would create a little pathway for me to leave the circle of children and I would run as fast as I could and they would cheer and laugh and chase me. This went on for a good hour and a half. Out of all these children one girl stood out to me more than the others. Her name was Clarisse. I think she was probably about nine years old, but she wouldn’t tell me her age. She was beautiful. She seemed to be a little spitfire even though she acted shy. I will never forget her. After spending the afternoon playing with the children we gave a second concert. We said our goodbyes and headed back to Kigali. The band tour was a huge success. We all enjoyed ourselves and we’re looking forward to next year’s tour.

As I begin the last month of my eleventh grade career I hope to finish with a bang. I’m anticipating what’s lying ahead at the end of this month while at the same time enjoying what I have now. I’m reflecting on what I have learned this year and wondering what else I may learn in these remaining days. I have the privilege of living in a beautiful country and meeting some pretty fantastic people while at the same time being able to go home to America to see my friends and family. It’s like I have two lives now. I hope to find the balance between the two and somehow combine them. I’m so glad that I am going home to America in a mere thirty days, but I’m also overjoyed that I will be returning home to Rwanda at the end of the summer.  

Off the Beaten Path

The month of April is Rwanda’s official remembrance month, although I’m sure not a day goes by where someone does not think of the horrific events that took place eighteen years ago. Saturday (April 7^th) was the main Remembrance Day and so everything was quiet and stores and other businesses were closed. On Monday many of the stores opened again even though the Genocide Memorial Week was still in progress.

Because of the memorial week we had the entire week off from school. My family and I left Kigali on Thursday morning around 6:15 to head to Gisenyi (Lake Kivu) for a mini-vacation. There is only one road to Gisenyi and it is one of the best in Rwanda...paved all the way. With that being said, we should have questioned a little further when the pavement stopped a mere hour and fifteen minutes later.  We stopped to ask a man walking along the side of the road if we were in fact on the road to Musanze. (Musanze is a town two hours outside of Kigali and one hour away from Gisenyi.) The man pointed in the direction we were headed, so we continued on. I’ve been to Gisenyi twice but this was the first time for the rest of my family. I knew that we were obviously going the wrong way because the road should be paved, not dirt. We stopped and asked a moto driver if we were indeed on the correct road. He raised his eyebrows in response. That’s all he did.

Now, you have to understand something about the people here…they can communicate entire sentences just by raising their eyebrows or making a low “mmm” sound. It’s quite fascinating really.

Because of the aforementioned fact, we did not think it too odd that the only response we got was a quick raising of the eyebrows…we assumed he meant “yes” because that’s typically what it means and so we pressed on down the winding, bumpy dirt road. We would stop periodically and confirm with people that we were going the right direction. We probably asked a dozen people and without fail they all told us we were going the right way.

Something else about the people here…they tell you what they think you want to hear. Anything is possible. They see that we want to go to Gisenyi… “Yeah, you could go this way, if you really want to…”

Somehow, some way, by God’s grace, we made it to Musanze after about three and a half hours of good ol’ African roads. We decided to stop for an early lunch and replenish ourselves after being cooped up in the car for so long.

Another detail…we were going to Gisenyi with the Jenkins Family (Caleb Jenkins is my boyfriend). They were planning to leave Kigali around 10:00am, so we weren’t going to travel together; we were just going to meet up once we got to Gisenyi. Well, the Jenkins caught up to us in Musanze. We made an executive decision to follow them the rest of the way to Gisenyi. After explaining to them which way we had come they told us that we were on the wrong rode to begin with. We should have gone straight at the bus station in Kigali but we turned to the right instead.

A trip that normally takes three hours ended up taking us five and a half hours. It wasn’t terrible though. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery and met lots of friendly and smiling people along the way.

We arrived in Gisenyi around 2:00 in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day at the beach. Unfortunately there were heavy rains the night before which resulted in flooding. Because of this the lake water was not clean and we were not able to swim in it. We did swim in the pool at a nice hotel in Gisenyi. The town of Gisenyi actually has several guest houses and hotels. We enjoyed an afternoon of Ultimate Frisbee, soccer, and the swimming pool. Friday had a similar theme where we spent the day by the pool enjoying the company of friends, pleasant weather, and the beautiful scenery of vast open skies, white puffy clouds, and the Democratic Republic of Congo directly across the lake.

On Saturday we went for a long walk to some hot springs, passing people all along the way. People, people, people. Rwanda is overflowing with people. Cute, innocent children running, laughing, and playing. Mothers carrying their children that are too small to walk or toting water to their houses. Men sitting by the side of the road…always people. After our walk we went to a different guest house where we were able to get into the lake. Again the weather was pleasant and the lake was beautiful.

Sadly, it was time to head home on Saturday afternoon. Even though the trip back to Kigali was much less eventful than our trip there, it was a perfectly clear day and I was blown away by the blue skies and rolling hills. There are several volcanoes in Rwanda and one particular one in Gisenyi that is just magnificent. At night you can see the top glowing orange against the black star-lit sky. During the day it stands tall and proud and we had a great view of it for a good amount of the drive.  We made it home in the standard three hours and I drove the car for about an hour and a half of that time, which was quite enjoyable (and familiar…I don’t get to do a whole lot of driving over here.)

We took picture after picture during this vacation. In fact, I was so excited to download the pictures and share them with you all that I accidentally broke the memory card and now all of our pictures are gone. There is something ever so devastating about damaging a memory card full of memories. I’m hopeful that we will be able to retrieve the pictures while we are in the States this summer, but nonetheless, I’m sad that I’m not able to share these pictures with you at this time.

Not too much else has happened since I last updated my blog. We have six weeks left of school. Six more weeks of concentration and discipline until we board the plane for the U.S. of A. I can make it.

The Lord continues to be ever present in my life. I find myself consulting Him and talking to Him multiple times a day. I’m waiting in expectation for Him to tell me what the next step of this journey will be.

I find myself thinking about my blog readers quite often…praying for you and feeling grateful that you would take the time out of your day to read into my life. Thanks for reading and following my stories from this wonderful year. 

A Joyful Heart is Good Medicine

I was driving down “Golf Course Road” (not the actual name of the road) a few minutes ago and I felt an overwhelming sense of love.  Love for my family, love for my friends, love for my God, love for this beautiful country that I’m so privileged to live in. The rainy season appears to have started (although, it’s not raining at the minute…maybe it’s an April fool’s joke) and so things are really clearing up. I can see perfectly across the valley at the houses scattered along the hill opposite us.  The sky is clear, the birds are singing, the grass is green, the people are smiling, and my heart is overflowing with joy.

I can’t help but think back to a few months ago when I was in such a miserably low state. The contrast of how I was during the months of November, December, and January and how I am now is the contrast of Billy Graham and Ellen DeGeneres...hardly even comparable. In those months of confusion and desperation I was never able to recall a single thing that I was thankful for. I was only concerned with the negative aspects of my life. Now, I’m constantly thinking of things that I’m thankful for. I do have the occasional “bad day” but I usually end those days with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7

Last weekend I went to Gisenyi - a northern location on Lake Kivu. I went with 24 other students and 4 KICS teachers for a Young Life retreat. We left Kigali on Friday afternoon and arrived in Gisenyi a mere four hours later. It was a great weekend on multiple levels. First, it was a lot of fun to just hang out with kids my age…to play ultimate Frisbee, football (soccer), and other group “team-building” games. It was so nice to spend an afternoon at the beach swimming or talking or playing volleyball. Secondly, it was a great weekend spiritually.  We listened to talks, we read our Bibles, we prayed, we sang, and we had group discussions. Thirdly, it was a great weekend because I felt like I really bonded with a few of the girls. I feel like walls are coming down and I’m finally starting to build relationships. All in all, it was a fabulous weekend (with very little sleep.) It ended all too quickly and before we knew it we were back in Kigali on Sunday afternoon. 

Yes, I am building relationships. This past week has been exhausting because of the lack of sleep from last weekend and being at school every day and having a lot of homework in the evenings, but it has not been a bad week at all because I’ve had people to talk to throughout the week and keep me on the up and up. It’s so nice to finally have people that I can talk to and laugh with and consider my friends. This gives me hope for next year. I’m looking forward to being in Kigali and maintaining these new friendships and building others along the way.

Time for a confession: I have been spelling muzungu wrong for all these months. I have been spelling it “mzungu” instead of “muzungu”. It’s not that big of a deal, but for those of you that read my blogs in great depth, I thought you might appreciate knowing the slight discrepancy.

This year has been like a race. I have gone up and down hills, I’ve fallen and at times been in last place, but more recently I’ve been catching up and running with the pack. I’m now rounding the corner and beginning the final stretch. I can see the finish line off in the distance. I’ve almost made it to the end. I’m so ready to get home to my beloved friends and family. I’m ready to see people face to face and share stories with them of what Africa is like and of what the Lord has done in my life. I’m ready to eat marvelously delicious American food, and shop and wonderfully beautiful stores. I’m ready to drive my ever so reliable car around the streets of Greensboro and High Point. But, I only have two more months here in Kigali and so I am, by no means, wishing my time away. I am definitely enjoying each and every day the Lord has so graciously given me, but I’m also dreaming of what is lying in the near future. I’m serving the Lord and committing my thoughts, actions, talents, days, and life to Him, and waiting in expectation for the next part of my journey with Him. 

Krutchless in Kigali

I have a pretty decent amount to share…I really should get better at updating my blog right as things happen rather than waiting for the events to pile up, resulting in long posts.

The first thing I’d like to report is that I’m a free woman. I no longer walk with crutches. It’s a glorious feeling! Not only that, I also no longer have pain of any kind in my ankle. I’m able to walk and put full weight on my ankle. Praise be to the Lord! I do wear a brace on my ankle when I’m doing P.E. for extra protection because I am rather susceptible to re-injury.  Other than that, I’m completely back to normal.

More good news: second semester is, overall, much better than first semester. I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that I’ve made it through the long dark tunnel of culture shock and trials and testings of my faith. I made it…barely. I only made it with the Lord’s help; I could not have done it without Him. I now have this joy about me from a day to day basis. It’s not just happiness…it’s more than that. It’s joy.

How do I go about being joyful? It comes from the Lord. I have been committing multiple scriptures to memory and I have also been memorizing the book of Colossians with a teacher/friend of mine. I’ve discovered that when you have the Word of God in you, your actions and thoughts and countenance change. I’m positive, I have a different look on things, I’m joyful, I’m thankful, I’m in step with the Lord. It’s a wonderful place to be!

School in the academic sense is okay. I’ve been frustrated with my grades because I feel like I’m putting forth a lot of effort and not receiving the grades that match the effort. I’ve started meeting with one of the teachers at school once a week and she has been helping with study skills and test taking habits. I’ve learned that I’m actually an oral learner. Funny story: I’ve been trying to be a visual learner for most of my life…no wonder I wasn’t getting anywhere. I’m pleased with the progress that I’m making. I’m learning how to learn and my grades are getting better buhoro, buhoro (slowly by slowly).  

How’s the friend situation, Grace? It’s better. People talk to me, people smile at me. It’s a welcome change. I hung out with a small group of guys and girls a couple weeks ago. There is not a whole lot to do in Kigali as far as “hanging out” goes so we walked around town for a while. The good news is that Kigali is growing and expanding. There is actually a building in the center of town called Kigali Tower. It just recently opened and it’s supposed to be like a mall. There are only a few stores open so far, but once it’s finished it will be pretty cool. Anyway, there is one aspect to Kigali Tower where you can ride an elevator up eighteen stories and then walk up two more flights of stairs. After accomplishing this task you will find yourself on the roof of Kigali Tower. This part of Kigali Tower is not open yet, but we ran into a friend of ours who works for President Kagame. He pulled some strings and took us up to the top of Kigali Tower. It was awesome! The city was all lit up with street lights (because it was night) and we could see for miles and miles. It was definitely a “once in a lifetime” kind of experience.

This past Wednesday (3-7-12) I had the opportunity to speak in chapel. I encouraged the 7^th through 12^th graders at KICS to seek the Lord and follow His plan for their lives. I told them that it would not be easy, but I also told them that it would be worth it. I shared multiple verses with them that have been an encouragement to me: 1 Peter 4:19, James 1:2-3, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:8-9, and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, to name a few. I recognize that God has given me a talent in public speaking. I never get nervous in front of people, in fact I find speaking and performing to be so much fun. I wanted to tell people about the work that God has done in my life and bring glory to Him. I prayed for His blessing over my talk and He answered my prayers. The talk went very well and I believe that the students, in general, listened to me and heard what I had to say. I’m thankful to the Lord.

Last weekend I went to Mbarara, Uganda by myself. When I say “by myself” I really mean “without my family.” I was visiting three single girls (AIM missionaries). It was a great weekend and I enjoyed it thoroughly. One of the girls came down on Wednesday (2-29-11) to see KICS (because she is a teacher) and then we rode the bus back up to Mbarara together on Friday. The bus ride itself was easy and uneventful. It takes about four hours to get to Mbarara, not including the hour it takes to cross the border. That night, Friday night, the four of us went into town on boda-bodas (The equivalent to motos or motorcycle taxis.) As we approached the center of town my eyes started watering. I had this terrible taste my mouth and my nose and throat were burning like crazy. Tear gas! Yes, the police officers had just sprayed tear gas to break up a political riot that was going on in town. Our boda drivers quickly turned around and drove us back to the safety of the girl’s home.  It was quite an eventful night! By the next morning everything had settled down and it was safe for us to go into town again. The girls showed me around the small town of Mbarara. That night the girls invited their AIM team over for a game night. The power went out around 8:00 that night and stayed off for the next 21 (or so) hours. The cool thing about power outages in Africa is that it’s almost like the power is still on. Everyone keeps doing what needs to be done. You just learn how to function without power. We went to church on Sunday morning and then two of the three girls took me to the market. The Mbarara market is much smaller than the Kigali market. You can buy fruits and vegetables and meat and pretty much anything at that market, just like the one in Kigali. On Sunday night the four of us hung out at their house. We talked and laughed and had a great time with each other. It was great to just be a girl and talk about girl things. On Monday morning I boarded the bus for Kigali…by myself. That was exciting! Traveling from Uganda to Rwanda all by myself. I was the only mzungu (white person) on the bus. I didn’t feel weird about it at all. I got through the border without any complications. There is a law in Rwanda that makes plastic bags illegal and so once we got to the border everyone had to open their suitcases and take their plastic bags out…that took a while, but I found it humorous. Before I knew it I was back in wonderful Kigali. I always love leaving the city for a few days, but there is just something about coming back to Kigali that is ever so welcoming. All in all, it was a great weekend and I would love to do it again sometime.

Second semester is already half-way over! It’s amazing how fast this year is going. It’s so easy to start thinking about how close we are to summer and about all the great things that I’ll get to do and the things that await me in the States, such as family and friends and clothes and food and my car…I could go on for a while. I’m not counting down yet, because it’s still too far out and I don’t want to miss what’s right in front of me.

One final funny story to share: This morning at church the usher at the door said “Good morning!” to me. I didn’t know what to say in reply. I was about to respond in Kinyarwanda, but then I realized that he hadn’t said anything in Kinyarwanda so I switched over to French. He smiled at me, and as I walked away I realized that he had said “good morning” in English.  Oh, the life of a TCK (Third Culture Kid). Learning two foreign languages at the same time has its challenges.

I love Kigali and I love the experience and the opportunities I’m getting. Life is great. I’m intending to make the most of every opportunity and enjoy my last few months of 11^th grade for all they’re worth. I’ll be back home before I know it! 

Three Shirts, One Skirt, and a Marriage Proposal

I feel like I always begin my blog posts with an excuse as to why so much time has elapsed between this post and the last. There is really only one answer: school. I spend eight hours each day in school, I usually get home around 5:00 and then I begin my homework. This is the pattern of my life. This is why I don’t have time to blog. But nonetheless, I’m blogging now.

Speaking of school…some days are great and some days are not so great. I am much more stressed this semester with academics. Math continues to be a challenge and the homework load, in general, is a tad excessive, if you ask me. I am still a member of the student council and I’m still in jazz band. I’m also doing drama again and our play for this semester is “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” I wanted to audition for Susan, but we have a lack of guys in drama and my teacher asked me to play a male role. So, I am the professor, Father Christmas, and the witch’s general. It will be a challenge coming up with three different masculine voices, but I think I can do it. A new addition to my schedule this semester is a beginning clarinet sectional every other Monday. It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy teaching younger kids how to play the instrument I love. I am still a Young Life leader and that takes up a decent amount of my time as well. School, friend-wise, seems to be improving. It’s still not easy, but it’s definitely not as hard as last semester.

Now seems like an appropriate time to inform you of my “love interest.” (Most of you are probably aware of him already, but I want to go ahead and make an official announcement.)  Yes, I have a boyfriend. His name is Caleb Jenkins. We have been dating for five months now. He is very smart and makes excellent grades. He plays football (soccer) and also plays the trombone and guitar. He has lived in Africa for most of his life. He has been an outstanding friend to me, and has helped me a lot through these past couple of months. We a lot fun together and I’m very grateful for him.

Update on the ankle: I got my cast removed on January 24^th. I’ve been doing physical therapy since then and I have regained the range in my ankle. I am now able to start strengthening the muscles (which resemble a piece of rubber that has been railroaded by an 18-wheeler). I am using one crutch for balance/support and I’m wearing tape around my ankle. Long story short, I’m improving. I cannot even begin to express the joy of walking on two feet. I’m hoping to start P.E. again at the beginning of March.

When I wrote my last blog post I was at a pretty low state. Since then things have been looking up. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Grace Gaskill is going to make it out alive. I long to serve the Lord, to follow Him, and so Satan will gladly go out of his way to make my life as miserable as possible. He did a pretty good job of it, and if I’m not careful, he’ll bring me down again. I have been praying for God’s will in my life and I’m beginning to wonder, “What if I’m missing it?” I’ve come to the conclusion that God does not have only one will for my life, He has multiple ones. Right now His will for my life is to rely on Him, to trust, to learn patience, and endurance, to be joyful and give thanks in all circumstances, to talk to Him. As I grow older and get closer to Him, He will reveal the next part of “His will” He will lead me, direct me, and guide me.

I’m currently in the middle of enjoying a three day weekend. This weekend has been, without a doubt, the best weekend of my eleventh grade career. Yesterday my family and I went swimming…in a pool. For those of you who aren’t able get a visual image of a swimming pool in Africa, allow to me to explain. Picture a swimming pool, any one you want. There. That’s it. Swimming in Africa is no different than swimming in America. I had so much fun being in the water. It was the first physical activity that I’ve done in two months! Today I went up to my history teacher’s house to hang out for a while and bake cookies. For those of you who think hanging out with a teacher on the weekend is weird…it’s not. I also drove a tin can today. One word comes to mind: EXCITEMENT. I got to drive!! The “tin can” is just an old red jeep that we’ve been borrowing for the past couple months. It has the most finicky stick/clutch, which makes changing gears an adventure.  I also went clothes shopping today. It was the first time I’ve been shopping since I left home six and a half months ago. Where did I find these clothes? The market. The market has everything…food, tools, shoes, clothes, fabric. I got three new shirts and a skirt. (This is where the title of the post comes from.) I’ve been taking Kinyarwanda (the national language) lessons and so I was able to practice my Kinyarwanda today at the market. It was fun to bargain with them and “show-off”.  Not only did I get three shirts and a skirt, but I also got a marriage proposal. This is the third time a guy has asked me to marry him. This guy kept referring to me as his wife and he wouldn’t let go of my hand. The first time it was flattering, now it’s just annoying.

What does the future hold? I ask myself this question on a regular basis. For many months I haven’t had any idea about what to do after high school. But that has recently changed. Doing this clarinet sectional on Monday afternoons has actually revived my desire to be a music teacher. I would love to also do something drama/theatre related and I’m open to missions or whatever else God might want me to do. I really love music, I love my clarinet, and I love teaching…what better thing to do than to be a music teacher. My math teacher and I were talking one day and he told me that people seeking God’s will for their life seems to be a theme. He said that God has given everyone gifts and talents and that the best thing to do is use those gifts and talents to bring glory to Him until He tells you to do otherwise. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m going to help those beginning clarinetists become wonderful clarinetists and I’m going to be the best professor/Father Christmas/witch’s general I can be, and I’m going to write/blog and hopefully bring glory to God. He has blessed me with multiple talents and abilities and I am going to worship Him through each of those gifts.

I guess that concludes this post. Life stays at a pretty continuous pace. I’m doing my best to maintain good grades and to learn what the teachers are teaching. I’m working on rebuilding my ankle and leg. I’m striving to follow the Lord. I think about my family and friends in America on a daily basis. I miss and pray for everyone. And I’ll try not to let so much time go between this post and my next one…

A Second Semester. A Second Chance.

I've just opened the window in my bedroom, set the iPod to Penguin Café Orchestra (shuffle), and sat down to write…a perfect way to finish my Christmas Break. Writing is the best way for me to communicate, with both myself and with others. I've been struggling to find the right words to say over the past couple weeks. I claim to be an honest person, and so if I’m going to be honest, I have to tell you that things have not been easy for me.

This Christmas break has been the furthest thing from enjoyable. For starters, my right leg is still in a cast. About two weeks ago we took the back-slab cast off because it was beginning to fall apart. I was still experiencing a considerable amount of pain and so we went to the doctor and she told me that I needed to go into a full cast…even though it’s not broken; it’s just a really bad sprain. The man that put the cast on told me that it needed to be on for a full month. I have about two weeks to go and then I can start physical therapy. This has been quiet a process. Being immobile is one factor in why I’ve been having such a hard time lately.

My seventeenth birthday and Christmas passed just like any other day. I wanted to get those two days done with as quickly as possible. Celebrating my birthday and enjoying the holidays away from my dear family and friends was much, much harder than I anticipated. Those were two very sad days for me. There is one particular message that has been ringing loud and clear ever since my birthday: I miss my family and friends and I want to go home.

First semester was hard for me on multiple levels. The last month (December) was exceptionally hard, things really escalated. I was stressed with trying to keep my grades up and finish the year out strong, I have been struggling socially all semester, and then I sprained my ankle…many things piling on top of each other until the volcano erupted. During this three-week Christmas break I have been doing a lot of sitting due to my immobility. I have lost motivation to do things…motivation to write, motivation to get out of bed, even motivation to eat. Am I depressed? I’m not sure. I have no idea what’s wrong with me. I was convinced that I did not want to go back to school second semester. One night last week I had a thought that reminded me that I do not give up. It takes a lot for me to actually give up on something, and I had basically given up in this area of my life. I had tried to be a leader, and make a change, but I was shot down. Moments after I had this thought I made switch: Yes, I’m definitely down, but I’m not out. The school year is similar to a boxing match. Round one was the equivalent to first semester. I made some good punches and at times I was winning, but ultimately I came out bloody and broken. I was down, pretty low. Round two is going to start tomorrow (Tuesday) whether I’m ready or not, so I may as well be ready. I’m armed with the Spirit and I have the Lord on my side and I’m ready to take whatever Satan dishes out.

My relationship with God is continuing to progress. I’m still being challenged with “Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.” I received a devotional book for Christmas from my grandparents and it has been a really big encouragement. I’ve been reading a lot about staying firm in my faith, making the most of every opportunity, and trusting in the Lord. One of the teachers at KICS (Kigali International Community School) has become my spiritual mentor. Together we are memorizing the book of Colossians. I’m still open to whatever the Lord has in store for me…for the rest of this year, for the rest of my life. His will is my way.

Last week my family and I went to Kibogora for Christmas vacation. Kibogora is a southern location on Lake Kivu about six hours outside of Kigali. We stayed at a guest-house for one week. Each day we drove fifteen minutes down a terribly bumpy dirt road to get to the lake. There were always lots of children scattered along the road yelling “Mzungu!” (white person) or “Agacupa!” (water bottle). Several adventurous boys would climb on the back of our car and get a ride down the road. During the day we did a lot of swimming. (Well, my family did a lot of swimming; I did a lot of watching.) There were several other families from KICS and Kigali at Kibogora so it was nice to fellowship with friends and meet new people. At the beginning of our stay, Adam had a 24-hour stomach bug. He was the only one to seemingly get it in our family, but a few other kids had something similar to it throughout the week. At the end of the week, (the day we were traveling home) I got the stomach bug. I woke up on Thursday morning feeling terrible and I said to God, “No. You wouldn’t. I’m already dealing with enough, aren’t I?” He sure does have a sense of humor. Driving through the winding hills is bad enough even if you are in perfect health…it was a long ride back to Kigali.

Well, I guess that’s about it. I still love Rwanda very much. I love the people and the experience I’m getting. Yes, I’d be thrilled to come home, but if I were to run to the love and comfort of family and friends I wouldn't be learning anything now, would I? School starts tomorrow. Things will pick up pace again. I’ll have school every day from 8:00 to 3:00 and then after school activities and homework. I’m going to enjoy returning to a steady flow of things to do, but it’s not going to be easy. I could sure use your prayers. I want to be able to pull out of this and come out on top. I have the Lord on my side, and so I know with confidence that I can conquer anything.