From Todd -- This is a photo of Ben having his lunch outside our kitchen with Alfred, our guard that lives with us during the week.  Alfred is really good with our kids, and he is so helpful and a joy to have around.  Ben loves going outside to eat lunch with Alfred. It remains awkward to have help like Alfred, but he could not be happier with his new adopted family.  Alfred’s friend, Steven, is at our home on the weekends when Alfred gets time off.  Steven is an orphan that has finished secondary school and is trying to make enough money to go to University. At first we didn’t think he spoke much English until I read some of his study materials -- complex economic principals hand-written in English.

 

House help, along with many other peculiarities, make living in Rwanda such a dramatic shift from living in America. Jessica and I, along with the kids, have all struggled with adjusting to the pace of life here.  It is so much slower and there is no such thing as instant gratification. What takes 20 minutes at home takes at least 2 hours here--if you’re lucky or know someone.  Another major adjustment is the language barrier.  I did not understand the magnitude of this challenge until I experienced it first hand.  I’m never quite sure if I understand what someone is telling me, and I’m sure that don’t really understand what I’m trying to say.

 

Last Friday I traveled to Kibuye, Rwanda (find that on a map) which is on Lake Kivu on the western border of Rwanda with the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Lake Kivu is a large, volcanic lake that is breathtakingly beautiful.  I visited Bethanie Guest House which is owned by the Presbyterian Church and it was such a tranquil and relaxing place.  The setting was similar to an expensive resort on the Mediterranean, but this place is so remote that it gets very little tourist traffic. It is roughly 50 miles from Kigali, but it takes almost 3 hours to get there due to winding roads that luckily are in excellent shape.  (The Chinese built the road.)

 

We’re having our emotional ups and downs, but overall we’re settling in well.  God is teaching us patience with the culture; gentleness with each other and our children; and forbearance towards others unlike ourselves.