February Letter

In Rwanda we attend church alternating between 4 branches.  We will soon have a 5th branch.  All are in the native language of Kinyarwanda.  They give us an ear set and a returned missionary who speaks English will interpret for us.  It is so sweet to feel the spirit of these sweet faithful members.  If someone speaks in English or French another person interprets. Into Kinyewanda.  All testimonies and talks go on like this for the entire meeting.  Attending these small branches takes my memory back to my childhood when our little branch was so small. Our faith so strong that the missionaries would be successful in their teaching so the branch could grow and become a ward.  Just in my life of 50 years there is now a Stake in Kingsland, GA.   It will come here also. The new mission will have a huge effect in moving the work forward quickly here in Rwanda. 

Rwanda is a small country but a fast developing country.  People are generally honest and respectful.  The country focus is on the education of the children.  The schools here are focused on teaching English and technology in all the government schools.  This little country will advance quickly now that the church is recognized by the government.  We notice how strong the families are in this country which was war torn just a few years ago.  Maybe that is a result of war.  I don’t know.  We read the dedication of the country by elder Jeffrey Holland.  He blessed the people of this land to forget the hatred and mistreatment they have experienced.  That has happened.  We meet people all the time who have lost one or both parents in the genocide in 2002.  Yet these people, now parents themselves, are strong and loving in raising their own families.  

Today is the first day of returning to Sunday classes for the branches.  Rwanda has been very strict fighting Covid.  Masks in public are still a strict mandate.  The 7 pm curfew in the country just lifted this week after a mandatory 3 day quarantine.   Last night was the first time we have experienced night life in Rwanda.  We went to a close eatery for a wrap for dinner.  It was amazingly delicious.  It is cheaper to eat out than fix.  $3 for a chicken wrap.  Yet groceries are outrageously expensive.  IF you find a can of vegetables or tomatoes you pay about $6.  No such thing as frozen veggies or frozen goods of any kind beyond fish except Ice cream which is $20 for a small container.  It sure tastes good though.  They have amazing gelato.  So, I am on a quest it find a few choices in eateries.  So far we found a sandwich shop, a pizza joint, two nicer restaurants and a hamburger spot.  We are careful of eating things not cooked but I ventured a wrap one night and so far I am good.  I would not be so brave in Uganda though.  Milk is only purchased in 1 liter boxes with a long shelf life of 4 months. Juices are available in boxes like the milk.  Apple being the most popular but you can get pineapple and mango too.

Our projects here in Rwanda are mostly schools where we are assisting in providing new classrooms and desks.  The culture here is to capture rain water in large tanks to be used in cleaning.  If for drinking they have a tank that is filtered.  Of course few schools have filtered tanks so the kids drink the rain water.  At least it is better than the ditch water in the rural areas.  We have a water filter at our kitchen sink and we drink only filtered, boiled or bottled water.  

The country of Rwanda is a lot cleaner.  Although the streets are still red dirt, the wind doesn’t blow so much and it rains more so the dust is controlled.  In Rwanda we mop weekly.  In Uganda we mop daily.  After being in the field inspecting, our truck in covered in mud.  Our gate guards also wash our truck for $5 and they scrub it inside and out with a small scrub brush and soap.  At first they washed it daily until we finally said to the boss they must only wash the truck on Saturday night.  Now they all want to work the Saturday night shift.  All five are members and returned missionaries except one who is preparing to go soon.  They are great young men.  They often accompany the missionaries to interpret for them.  No pay of course.  They spend every day out proclaiming the gospel and loving it.  We don’t know how they live.  Most of our meals are prepared for three, and sometimes 7 if the elders next door are home.  We eat a lot of pasta and rice and extremely little meat except fish.  Tilapia is harvested from the Nile and adjacent rivers so it is very plentiful and very delicious. 

The people in both countries are generally well kept and clean at church.  During the week they don’t bath quite as often which is a challenge if you need a repair man.  The more educated are definitely cleaner and well dressed.  The older generation bath over a small tub by splashing the water up onto them.  The rising generation have apartments with showers.  

Our living accommodations in both countries are very comfortable.  Like most of Africa they seldom put electricity in bathrooms.  But in Rwanda we do have a razor plug which is amazing.  We have all the comforts.  Hot showers, king bed, fans for cooling, a washing machine but no dryer.  Here in Rwanda we have a toaster, rice cooker, an insta-pot, a popcorn popper, and a waffle iron.  In Uganda we could find them all if we wanted to buy them at our own expense.  We feel ok with a toaster and a hand mixer.  

This has been a week of paper work.  We had one very important meeting with sector engineers and directors over a hill side water project we are hoping to embrace.  

 We visited two drug rehabilitation programs that are asking for machinery.  The rehab patients spend six to twelve months in a facility getting their addictions under control.  After that they are given the opportunity to enroll in a tailoring or carpentry training center where they learn a marketable skill.  This is where they are asking for assistance in needed tools. Some graduates choose to stay with the program for three years to earn a certificate and can then become mentors and teachers.  Many are street kids with no family and no homes to return to.  Living on the streets they eat anything they can find and if someone gives you anything you take it.  Easy to see how they get addicted.  

 One of our projects that was cleared for funding was Empower the Future.  You can look it up on line.  This organization takes street kids the police find and returns them back to their parents.  Parents send them away to the streets if they can’t feed them.  The organization provides training for the parents giving them a skill to earn money, provides professional counseling to the family, teaches money management, and aids the kids in their school studies.  The organization is funded by the items they make being sold. Of course we have purchased a few items from them like aprons and hot pads we needed.  Elder Bird will buy a tie when he sees one he likes.  They make other things like pin cushions, computer bags, children’s toys, and such.  The church will purchase 10 sewing machines and some carpentry tools for them.  We have partnered with The Sterling foundation on this project.  An amazing foundation from Provo who does so much good in the world.  It is an honor working along side of them. 

Our Elders next door got transferred so we now have two new sets.  They give us a little more privacy than the last set.  The past elders were in charge of the finances here in Rwanda (and still are).  Before we arrived they came and went from our flat at their pleasure because they used our office and our truck to do all the finance work.  Now they live across town and have to take the bus to our flat when they need to file paperwork.  They no longer have a key to our flat either so now they have to ask permission to come.  Before they just walked in any time.  I had to be very careful never to leave our bedroom until fully ready for the day. 

 

The last two days I helped a prospective missionary get his application ready for submission.  He has been trying to go on a mission for three years.  His brother has raised him and was quite upset when he joined the church which means he gave no support to his desire to serve.  Paul (the missionary applicant) finally moved out to live with some other member returned missionaries.  He has been working and saving then covid hit.  Now he is finally able to submit his application but is so worried he can’t go because he turns 26 the first of May.   Today we had another young man approach us at church in the same situation.  Too old now to apply because of the covid shut down.  We feel so badly for them.  We will speak to the mission president in hopes they can receive a call to serve locally like stake missionaries. 

 

Yesterday was the first day we quit work at 4 pm being all caught up on everything.  It felt so good after so many midnight bedtimes.  We made popcorn, relaxed and watched a movie last night. What a nice break. 

 

This is the beginning of the rainy season.  It rains every day and I am becoming a wuss.  I am wearing a windbreaker jacket in 80 degree weather because I am cold.  Can you believe that?  We even put a blanked on our bed.  We are going to have a hard time adjusting to the cold again when we return home.

 

“Urabeho” from the Rwandan  “Mazungoos”.