I might not be the most outgoing or gregarious person, and I definitely need my space, but those who know me well know that friendships and relationships are pretty near the top of my priority list. I have some amazing friends in Canada, many of whom have supported me emotionally, spiritually and financially and made my time here in Rwanda possible. And now that I've been in Rwanda for over 2 months, I've made some wonderful friends here, as well. We work together, eat together, dance together and laugh together.Last week, I had the opportunity to bring 2 groups of my friends together. A visit from some Vancouver YFC staff and friends meant a whole week of Rwandan/North American craziness!
It was super busy - exam week at the school meant the teachers and myself were giving and grading tests, and the partnership between Vancouver YFC and Rwanda YFC meant many meetings about summer camp planning, play park building, young leader training, and multiple other things - but in the midst of it all were the wonderful relationships that we've been building. Lunch together in the training centre, dinners overlooking the Kigali city lights, hanging out with the teachers and students during extra curricular time, and a dance party at our house - where the photo of Jen, a friend who lives in Vancouver, with Judith and Immaculate, two of my friends who live here in Kigali, was taken - were all very special times for me.
It may seem to some like I am focusing on the "free time" we had together, but it is really those times when we are able to just be friends that have such a huge impact on the work we are doing together, both in Rwanda and in Canada. Stronger friendships mean more effective work. We know better how to channel resources; what works and what doesn't; what to pray for; when things go wrong we can respond together; and when things go well we can celebrate with each other.
During the visit there was great progress made on planning the summer camp that the team from Vancouver is arranging, including how to work more seamlessly with the young leaders here in Rwanda; materials were resourced, costs figured and tools found for the amazing play park that will be built during the the summer trip; plans were set in place to work more closely with a village that Rwanda YFC already has connections with in ways that could be transformative for those who live there; and a video was filmed that will be able to communicate much more to supporters about the work that goes on here than any newsletter could!
All these things are practical steps forward in the working partnership that Vancouver and Rwanda YFC have, but none of them would be possible without the friendships that we are building.
Check out the new photos of my time in Rwanda in the photo link on the top left!
Speaking of Friends
One of my favourite things about my job here is working with my friend Claude. The first time I met Claude was when I was here in the summer of 2008 and he took me shopping for all the art supplies we would need for camp. This time, I get to work very closely with Claude again as he is the Upper Primary Arts teacher. Claude is the kind of coworker that everyone likes working with; the kind of teacher that all the children love and respect; and the kind of person that I am blessed to be able to call my friend.
At 29 years old, he and his wife have an ADORABLE daughter and also support their two sisters to go to secondary school (in Rwanda, often older siblings, especially brothers, take in younger siblings and pay for their education when the parents are not around or are unable to).
Both him and his wife feel a strong calling to help those who are less fortunate, and they both do it with such amazing grace - and big smiles, too! Pray for Claude and his wife as they pursue their calling to help those around them.First Term Celebration
One term down and two more to go for the 2010 school year at Kigali Christian School. We ended the term with a celebration - the top five students in each class were recognized with prizes and there was lots of cheering by parents, teachers and classmates. The whole celebration was fun, but what was especially great for me was to see two of the Extra Curricular Clubs perform what they had been learning all term. The Traditional Dance Club was organized by a teacher and the Drama Club was led by one of the Student Leaders I've been working with. It was great for the students to be recognized for their academic achievements, and also to have the opportunity to showcase some of the things they've been doing at school besides studying!
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Prayer Points
- The friendships that are integral to the GVYFC/RYFC partnership
- The beginning of the second term
- Claude and his family
- All of the planning that is going into the GVYFC visit in July
- For more sponsors for the children who can't afford their tuition at KCS
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