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.