A (poorly) pieced together panaramic shot of a river (I think Kagera) outside of Kigali. Despite the current fore-casted rain, hopefully I will see many sunshiny days like this while I am in Rwanda!I am sitting here, on a blustery Vancouver afternoon, comparing the five-day forecasts for here and Kigali. Both predict rain for the next week, but Kigali's temperature is consistently hovering around 25°C compared to Vancouver's predicted high of 10°C. For someone who is persistently cold, that Kigali forecast looks mighty appealing - one more reason for my growing excitment as I head into the fall/winter season that usually means chilled bones for at least the next six months: This year, I will be thawing early as I head to Rwanda on January 13th!
With only a little over two months to go, the details are falling in to place. The flight is booked, travel insurance is being sorted, passport is being renewed, university courses arranged, fund raisers planned and packing lists written. Yet with every detail that I nail down it seems one or two more pop up in its place! "Where will I store my things? Do I need to get more shots? I should probably visit the dentist. WHO'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF MY CAT?!?" This is a common stream of thought for me as I countdown the time before I leave. Lots to think about, but despite the stress, I continue to get more and more excited.
FUNDING UPDATE
I am quite happy to say that over half of my funds have already come in, and I would like to say a big THANK YOU to those of you who have already given - what an encouragement! Despite this, the amount that remains is still quite significant. I have two fund raising events that have been planned by friends here in Vancouver, and I am hoping to do one in Alberta before I leave as well. Please be thinking of me as I continue to pursue my fund raising target.
If you are interested in partnering with me financially, please visit youthunlimited.com for online giving, or contact me for more information.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE ONLINE
On Love
My friend Kellie, involved in the Rwanda-Vancouver partnership from the beginning, travelled to Rwanda this August. Here is what she wrote when she returned.
"On my recent trip to Rwanda, I was deeply moved by a simple conversation with one of the young teachers at the school. She was teasing me about how often I use the word love. She said, 'You westerners are always talking about how you love a type of food, or book, or some object and it sounds so strange.' She explained that in her culture, the word love is reserved only to express how you feel towards your family, friends or God. This statement broke my heart. We as a culture have overused the word love and the true meaning is lost.
This year I want to study, pray and practice God’s intent for love in all areas of my life. I want to find out what it means to receive fully the love God offers us, and take seriously His call to love here, and across the globe. This love is not just warm thoughts or feelings about others, but a love that transforms through the messiness of life."
Grace
Earlier this year, Brad and Kiki Burnfield (YFC missionaries in Rwanda) heard about little baby Grace. Grace was born May 17th (or 16th) near Cyangugu (about 5 hrs drive SW of Kigali). She was found at 4:30 pm on the 17th by a shepherd who took her to the police who in turn took her to a local health clinic. She was covered with insect bites, had a dangerously low body temperature, was at a strong risk of infection from the umbilical cord, and presumably hadn't eaten yet. She was then transferred to a big nearby hospital for further care. After being in the hospital for approximately two weeks, she was released into the care of a Rwandese midwife and British missionary that work at the hospital. The missionary tried to find a family for the baby so that she wouldn't have to go to an orphanage, but was unsuccessful on several attempts.
So... after much deliberation, prayer, and back and forth with authorities Brad and Kiki took Grace in. It has been an up and down process for the Burnfields as they have tried to discern what the best course of action is for Grace. After taking care of her for over three months, she has become a lovely addition to their family, and they are pursuing a formal adoption with the governments of Rwanda and the United States.
What an unexpected and exciting development for these friends of mine - I look forward to meeting the newest Burnfield!
Prayer Points
- Grace, the Burnfield's newly adopted daughter
- The Rwanda YFC staff who have been hit hard by the financial crisis, often working without pay
- Continue to pray for Marina, the Rwanda YFC's Executive Director's wife, who is receiving cancer treatments
- The remainder of my fund raising goal
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