Precious Moments I

Here are some cute little moments and reasons why I love Rwanda sooo very much!  I have never (before here) met such a people who will embrace you and take you in as their own, knowing nothing more about you than the fact that you are from America.  It's little moments like these that make me feel right at home and so happy that the Lord (and Peace Corps) decided that Rwanda was the best country for me to serve in!

Wellness Check

Me and this not having a fridge thing is hardly working.  I do my best to cook just enough for two meals (lunch and dinner), but sometimes I have a little extra and seeing how I absolutely positively hate to waste food, after letting it sit out all day and/or all night, I end up eating the last little bit.  Well last night something certainly didn't agree.  I don't know if it was the leftover food or the pineapple that I had cut earlier in the day, but something definitely stirred up a rumbly in my tumbly.  I woke up this morning feeling a little under the weather, but I decided to go to work anyway (I spend too much time alone in this house as it is).  As the day progressed, my tummy ache progressed and I eventually told one of my coworkers that I didn't feel well and was going home.  I went home with the intent to nap and rest until I felt better, but just as I had fallen into a peaceful slumber, I heard two people knocking on my door and hollering out, "Keza!! Keza!!!"  When I didn't come to the front door, they went around to the front window and then to the back door to get me to open up.  I didn't feel much like being bothered since I wasn't feeling well, but I got up and went to open the door anyway.  And what did I see?? Two of the nurses from the health center coming to check on me to make sure I was feeling okay and didn't need anything.  In a broken English, one of them said, "We came to see the situation with you."  This warmed my heart.  These two women had no obligation to come and check on me, yet they came anyway, realizing that I am here all alone and have no one to take care of me, but me.  I really appreciate them and their care.  Before they left, one of the nurses said that she was going home to cook and would bring me some food (at least I think that's what she said, this was in Kinyarwanda). My final thoughts on this?? I heart Rwanda...and the people (:  I really do!

Safety and Security

A while back, one of my coworkers came to my house to sit out some poison for my little friends that live in my ceiling...and while he was here, he took it upon himself to evaluate the safety of my house.  He didn't quite approve of my back door (a flimsy piece of wood) so he said that we would get a steel one to replace it with; he didn't like the fact that chickens just wander into my backyard at their own leisure so we would finish the fence immediately; he didn't approve of the that fact that I don't have a water hookup so he said that we would put a tap in my front yard...the list goes on.  After his very thorough evaluation of the conditions of my house, he suggested that since there is so much that needs to be done, I could just move into the duplex that houses one of the nurses and serves as the police post.  That way, I'll live in a nice, brick house and I won't have to worry about thieves and village drunks coming to bother me.  He said to me, "The Lord brought you to us so we must keep you safe."  I couldn't help, but smile at this comment.  Here I am in this totally new place, feeling  like I'm putting people out of their way since there is so much that needs to be done.  I hate to be a burden on anyone, but when he said this to me I no longer felt like a burden.  They genuinely want me here and genuinely want me safe and happy during my stay.  And I genuinely appreciate that. 

Your Father is Beautiful

I've gotten in the habit of showing pictures of my family to just about everyone I meet here and each time I pull out the photo of my family at a Globetrotter's game, the first thing they say is, "Your father...he is beautiful!" Then after I smile proudly and say thank you, they ask, "Is he Rwandan?"  I tell them that he is America and then they proceed to tell me (not ask me) that someone from his family just has to have been born in Rwanda.  I just smile again and say, "Maybe."  Everyone here is so excited to meet my family.  Even though they already know that they aren't coming until next year, they still ask me every week, "When will your family come to greet us?  When will we meet them??"

Best Friends

I found a church that I really like so I've been doing my best to go there faithfully every week.  I missed a couple of Sundays due to my being out of the village and on the third week, the man who translates for me at the church showed up at my house.  When I opened the door, the first thing he said to me was, "You are lost."  I said, "Huh?"  He said, "You are lost."  I made this funky baffled face and said again, "Huh?? I don't understand."  And then the man said again, " You are lost."  Then added on, "You have not been to church so you are lost."  I chuckled at this.  I was a tid-bit offended as I am anything but lost in Christ, but I smiled anyway and told him that I had been out of town and would be at church the following Sunday.  And please believe, I was in church the following Sunday.  The last thing I want to be seen as in my village is lost and  Godless.

After church this past Sunday, this same man told me that he wanted me to greet his mother and take me to visit the Pastor's house.  I obliged and after church we went to greet his mother and father (he has a beautiful house btw).  Very nice.  And then we went along to the Pastor's house and sat with the First Lady for a while; the Pastor wasn't home.  On the way to walk me back to my house, the translator and I ran into one of the health center workers and the two of them began to speak in what I call Kinyarwenglish (a mixture of Kinyarwanda and English).  The translator didn't know that I knew this other man so he went ahead and introduced me, "This is my best friend Keza.  We are best friends." He smiled brightly and said this as if he had a golden nugget walking along next to him.  I couldn't help but smile too...this warmed my heart.  I just love how much pride the people here take in their friends...and even in me, as a stranger.  This certainly isn't something you see every day in America so it's nice to have it here...even if it is just for two years.

Love and Peace Corps,

Dametreea