Our last full day in Rwanda (Hetty)

Hello,all-- It is Tuesday afternoon, and we leave Rwanda for Tanzania tomorrow. The last week has been so full, with 12-14 hour days almost every day. As other bloggers have noted, we went to the town of Kibungo and the village of Kirehe to assist with some brick-building and community building. The pastor of the Lutheran church in Kirehe, Pastor Evalister,is a wonderful man of integrity and vision. I really enjoyed talking with him. We also visited an Anglican church where we observed a youth reconciliation workshop. We were introduced and welcomed, and we sang a song for them. As we were leaving, the whole place broke into dance and we joined it -- it was a wonderful experience of connection through song and dance! We then drove to a small village nestled among the banana trees to see the reconciliation project that the Anglican church is doing - -they are building a home for 3 orphans and their grandparents, and also a home for a genocidaire (a man who killed people in the genocide) and his family. Both of these families were from this village before the genocide, and now they are living together again. It was very powerful to meet the individuals and talk with them. That brought me to tears.

We have done so much, and I can't put it all down here. We also visited two churches which were the sites of large massacres during the genocide -- it was very raw and intense to see. Our driver, Welleris, told me that he doesn't like to come to the memorials because it makes him sad and angry all over again.

Some of us also went to an orphanage here in the city of Kigali for the children (teenagers now) of the genocide. This orphanage was just started a few months ago by a Texas-based organization called 'Hope for the Family.' The staff are all Latin American, and speak to the children in Spanish and English! Brian and I experienced so much love and positive growth in the children -- we are committing to staying connected to that orphanage somehow.

We also have been exposed to the work of the Lutheran World Federation in Rwanda -- including a fabulous sustainable agriculte farm and training center that is doing just wonderful work. We learned how to make a "kitchen garden" as a mound, and use kitchen scraps as the food for the soil!

The food in Rwanda is great -- today, a few of us had a wonderful lunch of fish brochettes (barbequed tilapia fish on skewers) that is a Rwandan specialty. That was a great treat for our last day here.

I am saturated with images and conversations and many, many thoughts about this wonderful country, the pain that its citizens have endured, and what to do personally from here. Tomorrow we leave for Tanzania -- to be honest, I am ready to go home and just have a few days to reflect and "re-enter" before having to get back to my life. But that is not to be; so I will enjoy the safari and spend some intentional reflection time there.

I have met many wonderful Rwandan people here whom I hope to stay in touch with - -the people are so hospitable and engaging. That has really touched me.

Okay, time to sign off. There may not be another time to get to a computer before we come back home to the US on this coming Sunday. I look forward to reconnecting with loved ones and friends soon.
Best to all -- Hetty