Today, May 1st, is a very significant day for
two reasons:
1.) We
arrived in Kigali, Rwanda exactly nine months ago…on August 1st.
2.)This is the first day of our
last month in Kigali before the summer…we depart this country on May 30th.
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.
