Ministry Partners,

Travel to and my first full day in Rwanda, by Toni Anderson - 

Going to the airport at 5 am and  David weighed my bag about 10 times to get it down from 67 lbs.!  The land of a thousand hills and a thousand smiles is so true.  Everyone has been extremely kind to us.

 

 Arlene is her usual detailed self, handling hundreds of decisions every day.   

The Portland to Dulles to Brussels to Kigali plane rides were brutal and we tried not to sleep for over 24 hours. We took turns taking naps on the floor in the Brussels terminal.  We heard every language as we waited.  Many were going on to Nairobi or Israel or Asia.   

Our accommodations are good and beds comfortable.  The guest house looks out over a valley where a slum was recently demolished.  There is a high contrast of the haves and have nots, modern buildings and bare existence.  We have a large deck to look out over the scenery. Today was the last Saturday of the month when no one can be on the road from 8 am to noon. 

 It is national cleanup day.  If you’re outside your home and not cleaning up your property, you can be arrested and forced to do cleanup elsewhere but you can be out walking with a tool box to do volunteer work elsewhere.  No driving is allowed and sometimes tacks will be put on the road.  There are dogs that some of the owners in the guest house compound keep and they were barking when we went to bed and barking when I woke at dawn.  Made me feel right at home and comforted.   

Our rooms are right next to each other and the five of us share two bathrooms so it’s easy.  There are two water tanks out back that supply the house.  We sat outside on the patio after a breakfast prepared by the cook of French toast and eggs.  Our discussion ran in 10 different directions and was such a blessing as found many common threads, angels and more. Prayers for each other are sweet and full of love.  

 

Our Toyota van today was a NOAH model! Visiting the open market brought many delightful sights, men carrying banana bunches that must have weighed as much as they did and women carrying platters of vegetables on their heads, babies on their backs or front.  One man had 5 cases of water balanced on his head and a vendor will pull a live chicken out of a box and butcher and pluck it for you.  I’ll have pictures to show you of all of this.   

The narrow aisles between vendor tables are about the width of an airplane aisle, NOT BIG, no passing.  Some Mom’s had their babies under their tables, even some were inside a cupboard sleeping.  Our exchange rate was 660 francs per dollar. 

Arlene helped us pick out a few people to each give out ties and scarves to people in the market.  We got some lovely smiles and were allowed to take photos.  They also received an explanation of how to know Jesus.

Toni