Yesterday we celebrated the birth of our Lord! Last week in school we talked about the Easter story over the four days of classes. Most of my students had heard it before, but I still loved their reactions. They were shocked that the disciples disobeyed Jesus when they fell asleep instead of praying at the Mount of Olives. They were shocked at how they took Jesus even though He did nothing wrong! Seeing the faith of my children really does help open my eyes.
Although God made the most influential sacrifice of all time, I still am challenged to make little daily sacrifices. Over the past 5 days or so, the water has mostly been out in our neighborhood. At first, I could go to a friend's to shower. However, before church yesterday it was too early to call anyone and I really felt like I should be clean for Easter service (especially since I was singing!). We had some water in our tank, but my only option was a cold shower. Now, if you know me well, you may know that one thing I love is hot showers. I knew I was completely capable of taking a cold shower. I took cold showers for two months when I lived in India, but I ran most mornings so that I would be nice and hot before immersing myself under the icy water. But, I still had to give myself a pep talk. "Kerry-- you live in AFRICA. You have water without any problem almost every day. Most people would love to be having this cold shower." When I got in, I hurried to wash my hair, rinse off, and jump out. I lived through it and was thankful that our house still had water, something I still take for granted even though I live in the fifteenth poorest country in the world.
In other news... my kids are still cute!
My students earned a pajama party and here they are! They all wore their precious pajamas and had the chance to curl up with their pillows and blankets to read. They were most excited, as you can imagine!
I'm sure you remember me writing about the baby we got to name-- Zuri (beautiful in Swahili). This baby belonged to Douglas' helper Emmanuel. On Good Friday we had no school so Douglas and I had the chance to visit their village called Ruhunda. After a crowded matatu (large van) ride and a dusty moto, we made it to his house. As we rode through the town on the back of the motorcycles, people pointed and shouted "Mzungu!!" Not many white people go to their village. It was a simple house, 4 rooms, made out of clay and cement. There was a cow in the front which Douglas and his roommates bought for his family last year. There was no electricity, so the light came from the two small windows in the front. The inside walls were made just of clay. The bedroom had a mattress on the floor, part of which blocked from opening the door all the way. They had a little living room with a few places to sit, and then two rooms which just had a little bit of food and kitchen supplies. The rest of the kitchen was out back around the fire, and there was a deep hole for the bathroom.
The main thing about our trip was the overwhelming hospitality we received from each person we came in contact with. As we walked down to the lake, we ran into this lady who was somehow related to Emmanuel. She was thrilled to see us and told us we must come back and she'd make us a big meal. Now, of course, this means most of the day preparing ingredients, cooking over a fire (weather permitting), and pouring all of her love into it. On top of all of this, she would undoubtedly be sacrificing other meals to be able to afford to have this feast for guests. Once again, she blew me away!
When we arrived at his house, there were many people there to meet us. There were many people there to welcome us excitedly. First we got to see Emmanuel's wife and baby Zuri, who didn't like to be away from her mama for too long. Then, he brought over his sisters (one of whom had her baby tied on her back) who were so happy to meet us! We brought some pictures we had printed of their family, and they shared past pictures with us. I think they had about 10 pictures, and they really wanted us to take one of them! We politely declined, as these were very precious to them. After socializing, we all went on a walk down to Lake Muhaze. It is amazing how there is a small village with no running water or electricity, and then after you walk down a hill you run into what would be multi-million dollar property in the States. It really was breathtaking.
We spent a bit of time in the backyard, playing with the children. A friend of Emmanuel's named Telesphore came with us. He teaches English in Kigali, but he's Rwandan so he helped us translate a bit with the kids. They were so cute, but a little intimidated by white people. Curious, but not wanting to get too close.
Below are some pictures of when Emmanuel, his wife, Miracle, and Zuri came to visit us!
Sorry, as always, for the long break between entries!
These last few weeks are going to be quite busy-- we leave exactly one month from today! Since I know we're coming back, it is much easier to be excited to leave. :)
Please pray for my students during these last few weeks as they're already starting to get antsy. Also, pray for KICS as we seek to fill open positions for next year.
Thanks, as always, for the love and support!
With love,
Kerry
PS... I do apologize because I've been trying to post this for awhile now, but the internet doesn't always cooperate here.
