I am taking a short break from fashion and new deals to show you a little more about me and my love of Africa. I was in Rwanda and Kenya this summer and wrote journal entries each day of the trip. I want to share them with everyone, so you will get a little glimpse of what God is doing in Rwanda.
Enjoy!
Fashionably Yours,
Thrifty Stylista
June 13, 2015
We have arrived in Africa! Last night we spent the night at the Eka Hotel, which was super awesome! The hotel had a restaurant with amazing food including chicken and roast meat with rice. There was also a security system to get into the hotel, and everyone was really nice. The Eka is the nicest hotel I’ve been in, complete with European décor.
Now we are on the plane from Nairobi, Kenya to Kigali, Rwanda. Today we will be working with children at a church. We are splitting into two groups to interact and play with the kids. I’m really excited to see what God is going to do here, but I’ll be honest, I’m a little scared as well! I know that God is calling me here for a reason, so I can’t wait to see how everything unfolds during the trip.
In the airport, Haley H. and I met a Kenyan man who worked in a gift shop. He was talking to us about the USA, and he thought we were Russian. That’s the second time in two days I have been mistaken for being from another country! In Paris they asked me if I spoke French at the airport. When I said no, they patted me down to go through security. Awkward!
So far the trip has been pretty adventurous with a total of 22 hours of traveling from Dallas to Paris and Paris to Nairobi. Unfortunately, I have been coughing the entire time despite all of the medicine I’ve taken in the last couple of days. One of the coolest things so far was being able to see the Eiffel Tower from the plane while passing over Paris!
June 14, 2015
Today our team split up into 6 different groups, and each group went to a different church for worship. I was in a group with Randy and Roger. At the church, the service lasted 3 hours! They were singing short choruses over and over along with dancing and jumping. We sat on the front row of the church, and the church leaders presented us with water bottles. We had translators sitting next to us, who were interpreting the songs and message. They were all members of the church who spoke multiple languages.
Randy preached the Great Commission, and Roger and I both gave our testimonies. It was a little nerve wracking, but God took my fears away. I’m not exactly sure what I said, but I do remember specifically saying, “God is not finished with me yet. He keeps teaching me how to follow him and more about himself.” The congregation amened several times during my testimony, so I know that the Holy Spirit was there giving me the words to say and the boldness to say them.
After the service, we got many hugs and thank yous from the members of the church, who called us their brothers and sister. I talked with a little girl and her brother, and then we took pictures with them and the church leaders. We sat down with the preachers and talked with them over sodas. They got our names and e-mail addresses in order to keep in contact. They also asked us to pray for them and to tell people in the USA about the church and how they are trying to build one of their own. (Right now they rent the space to hold church services.)
Last night we went to a different church, and Adam preached the Gospel. One woman was saved! She was in tears when she came to the front of the church, and she handed her baby to one of the girls in the choir. (We thought that was pretty funny!) We sang and danced with the Africans. Literally! They pulled some of us up to the front with them, and we all danced and jumped. It was very interesting, haha! When in Africa…
Rwanda is such a beautiful place! The landscape is amazing with many hills. The curbs on the street are all painted black and white in a checkered pattern. The traffic lights count down how much time is left in seconds before the light turns red. There are also many speed bumps on the main streets in the city, and they have blue and red lights on them that you can see at night.
The beds in the hotel have mosquito nets tied up above them, and I actually had to use it tonight. There was only one mosquito in the room, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I am so excited to see what God continues to do here in Rwanda! One thing is for sure: The freedom of the Holy Spirit is evident in the Rwandan people!
June 15, 2015
Today was our first day in the medical clinic. People were lined up outside, and there were tons of them waiting for medical care! I was working the pharmacy area with Krystal, Haley, and Whitney. We had two medical students who served as translators and interpreted the doctors’ handwriting for us, so we knew how many of which drug to give each patient.
There was a bench set up inside the pharmacy room that allowed people to sit there while waiting on their prescriptions. Many people were waiting in the room with their children. We read the doctors’ notes, wrote instructions for the medications on small plastic bags, counted the pills to go inside the bags, and then handed the medicine to the patients. When we gave them the filled prescription, we prayed over that family, asking God to heal and protect the family as well as praying that they would come to know Jesus if they didn’t already. It was a really neat experience, and one lady even asked the translator if I would pray for her! Several people refused prayer, saying they didn’t believe in it, but I prayed for them anyway on my own.
We worked out a lot of the kinks in our system for handing out the medicine and rethought each job to make it go faster from now on. We thought it would be a good idea to remove the waiting bench from inside the pharmacy room, so it wouldn’t be as crowded and hot inside the little room. We had a window, but it provided little air flow, and of course there was no AC.
One thing that really got to me was how desperate the looks were on the people’s faces because they were hurting, or their children were in pain. In addition to physical pain, you could just see the look of hurt and hopelessness in the eyes of the people all over the clinic. It broke my heart to see how thrilled they were to be receiving medical attention because we take going to the doctor and the store to get medication so lightly. It’s no big deal for us to go to pharmacy and pick up ibuprofen for a headache or cough syrup to stop a cough. These people do not have that luxury. In fact, they traveled a long way to come to the clinic, and it was very expensive for some of them to make that commute. The bad part about it is that there were so many people, there was no way they could all be seen by the doctors. I hope everyone in the crowd ends up getting the medical attention they need in order to be healthy!
We had to leave the clinic around 3:00 P.M., so we could make it to the genocide memorial site before it closed at 5:00. Because we left, the medical students stayed and handed out medicine to the people waiting for their prescriptions. We left enough of each medicine there, so they could continue to distribute it.
We drove about an hour to the genocide memorial, and we weren’t allowed to bring cameras or phones to take pictures out of respect. I’ll do the best I can to describe what I saw, but honestly, it’s difficult to put into words! When we arrived at the memorial site, we had a great tour guide who spoke English and told us about the history of the genocide including facts like they are still finding bodies to this day of people that were murdered. They bring the bodies back to the former church (where the memorial site is located) in order to be prepared and buried or even studied. They look at the skeletal remains of the victims and study them, so they can teach people about the genocide and to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.
Upon entering the church, there were still bullet holes in the tin roof where militia shot into the church. Broken glass was still in the window panes where grenades were thrown into the church. Also, other evidence from grenades was found in the craters on the concrete entry to the church. When we went inside, I immediately saw thousands upon thousands of clothes from the genocide victims lined on each church pew. Baby clothes, adult clothes, torn and worn, were a visual reminder of the tragedy that took place just twenty years ago!
There was a room downstairs that had been created later as a display for bones and a casket. A cellar type room outside had steep, ginormous stairs leading into a place completely lined with caskets and human skulls. The guide told us that over 10,000 skulls were located in this room, and it was really musty smelling! My stomach felt sick going down there, and part of me wished I never would have seen all of that.
I cannot even imagine people going to a church for refuge and then the church leaders (some of them) betraying them and letting such a terrible thing happen right within its gates! The tour guide also mentioned that women were raped as a means of torture, and many of them were killed after being gang raped by many soldiers. Others were purposely raped by men who were HIV positive and let go, so they would suffer a slow and painful death in years to come. Many reproductive parts were targeted because they didn’t want the Tutsis to have babies. The goal was to completely wipe out the Tutsi population out of hatred for them. Some of the people were heavily injured with grenades and other weapons, but they were not killed. In that case, the soldiers came into the church, grabbed a cross that was already in the church, and beat the people until they were dead.
The response of many Rwandans is to educate the upcoming generations, so history does not repeat itself. I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that over one million people were killed in a 100 day period. I can’t believe people can be so terrible toward one another. It really highlights the sin condition of humanity. The fact that without Jesus we are all hopeless, evil, completely lost people in search of something that will fulfill us. In this case, I think the people who were killing (the Hutu) were in search of equality and power amongst other things.
The truth is evident here: Harming others and killing do absolutely nothing except bring more heartache, suffering, and hopelessness to people who are already hurting. It simply creates more issues, such as epidemics of HIV and orphans, which is the sad reality of Rwanda as they continue to pick up the pieces and rebuild physically, emotionally, and economically. It’s easy to be angry at the situation and the perpetrators, but God can bring light out of the darkness. That’s exactly what is happening in Rwanda. I see it in the beautiful smiles of the children as their little eyes light up with happiness when I hold their hands or wave at them. I see it in the eyes of the women, babies strapped on their backs, who have received medical attention for themselves and their families. Through the hurt, through the destruction, through the sickness, Jesus is here, and he is working!
June 16, 2015
God, please use me for your glory! I don’t deserve all of the blessings you pour out on me like living in a developed country. Thank you for calling me to Africa. Thank you for entrusting a sinner like me to share your love for humanity. Let me be a little glimpse of light in the darkness here. Lead me, fill me with your Spirit and love today. Help me to know what to do next, Lord. I pray these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Today was our second day to do the medical clinic, and things in the pharmacy ran a lot smoother the second time around! We had about 5 medical students helping, and none of the people waiting on prescriptions were allowed inside the room with us. We were able to interpret the doctors’ writing much better, which sped up the process of filling medications. The day flew by, and we were able to get at least double if not triple the work done as yesterday!
After the clinic we went to a camp that holds refugees. Wow! I felt so terrible after seeing the conditions they were living in (roughly 59 tents for a couple thousand people). There were children everywhere, and they ran up to us, grabbed our hands, and walked with us throughout the camp. Poor babies had torn up shoes with little to no support if they were lucky enough to have any shoes at all. It made me so sad because I tend to take things like that for granted. I’ve never thought shoes were a big deal or gone without them. Also, the kids’ clothes were ill fitting, torn, and tattered. Amongst all of that, they were still smiling from ear to ear. It’s crazy to me that they were able to find happiness in a seemingly hopeless situation. Torn away from their families and homes with just the little they could carry on their backs and placed in a camp with thousands of other people in similar situations. I couldn’t help but think it must have looked similar to a concentration camp. At least here the people were provided with hot meals and somewhat adequate shelter. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in a place like that.
June 17, 2015
Today was our first day at a new village to do a medical clinic. We had new medical students helping us, and everything was more organized as far as the flow of the patients at the clinic. There weren’t as many patients as there were at the first clinic, but a news channel came out and videoed what was going on! That means tomorrow many more people will show up.
Some of the guys on our team started singing praise songs, and all of the people waiting in line were singing praises to God and raising their hands. It was incredible to witness! We were filling prescriptions with the medical students, and the patients were sitting down in a waiting area. We got to pray over them, and I never had a translator, so I prayed in English. I also learned the word for pray in Kilo Rwandan is “musinga,” so I was able to say that to the people and then pray in English.
Later in the day we visited the market to get souvenirs. There were many shops, and the owners were friendly. After the market, we went to Hotel des Mille Collines, which is the actual hotel from the movie Hotel Rwanda. We went inside the hotel, and they had a security system with metal detectors upon entering. The hotel was completely upscale with great amenities such as a huge swimming pool, a tiki hut bar area, and a massage center. Our team went out by the pool, took pictures, and then we left. The hotel staff was very welcoming and nice to let us come in to look around at everything.
Afterward, we went to a mall to get Rwandan coffee, and there were metal detectors there as well. We had to take off our backpacks and run them through in order to get inside. Our bus went into the parking garage, but it was too tall and got stuck! The roof popped out as we backed up ALL THE WAY back into the street. It took a good 15 minutes to back up. All of the people standing around were laughing and helping direct traffic. We finally got out!
The mall was similar to US malls with a coffee shop like Starbucks, cell phone stores, and clothing stores. I spotted Indian, European, and Rwandan people walking around while we were there. I almost forgot! We had to walk from our hotel to the top of the hill where our bus met us. We ended up traveling about half a mile on foot through the streets of Rwanda, and it was awesome!
June 18, 2015
Today was our last day at the medical clinic, and the final time in Rwanda. We waited for what seemed like forever before the doctors arrived to start seeing patients. Everyone was already in line waiting, and they started getting impatient. While people were waiting, Jayson started singing and getting the crowd to sing praise songs and dance. Even one of the med students, Claire, who acted as a translator for us, started jumping and dancing with the people in the crowd.
Later on, there weren’t as many people coming through to see the doctors, and we were slow in the pharmacy as well. I ended up taking a break from the pharmacy and going out into the village with the guys to share the Gospel using the Evangicube with the people we ran into on the streets. It was really cool to talk with all of the Rwandans. I noticed that a small crowd would gather around us because the Rwandans weren’t used to seeing white people (muzungo) in their village or at all. Slowly more people would walk by and join us to listen.
Before today I hadn’t had a chance to get out into the crowds and talk to them about Jesus, and I honestly hadn’t even brought my Evangicube in my backpack from day to day. I felt God telling me to pack it today, so I did! I felt convicted that I didn’t have an opportunity to share the Gospel yet, and I didn’t want to have any regrets from the trip later.
Lynne and Gary each shared, and they asked if Haley and I wanted to talk to the next people we saw. I said I would, so when we came across several guys on motorcycles, I was praying that God would help me know the words to say and to be bold when I spoke with them. He did just that! I shared the Gospel with them, and none of the guys said they wanted to accept Jesus. Gary restated that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father, and that they all had a choice to make whether they would spend eternity with God or separated from him. Four of the five men said they wanted to choose Jesus! Lynne led them in the sinner’s prayer, and we got their names to give to Ezekeius, the local pastor we were working beside.
I really loved sharing the Gospel. It felt so awesome to tell others the story of God’s love and plan to save them. Also, I think it’s really neat that we were connecting the new believers with a local church, so they can grow in their faith and be discipled by people in their own community. I believe this model will provide lasting benefits for all of those involved!
It was difficult to say goodbye to all of the great medical students we worked beside for the last two days! They were such kind, intelligent, and interesting people. Many of their stories included having family members killed in the genocide or being refugees due to political unrest in their countries of origin. Amidst all of that, each and every one of them wanted to help their people by providing them with medical care.
After the clinic, we took a trip to the large genocide memorial and museum. We watched videos about the genocide and walked through the museum, reading heartbreaking story after story and seeing many disturbing images. I discovered the only thing separating the Tutsi and the Hutu was their occupation. The Tutsi were people who had 10 or more cows, while the Hutu had 9 or less cows. Literally. That was the dividing factor that led people to become blood thirsty and create horrendous crimes against humanity. I can’t even fathom it!
Belgian troops came to Rwanda in the 1930s I believe. They favored the Tutsi because they thought the Tutsi looked more white than the Hutu. The Belgians showed favoritism to the Tutsi minority, and this created tension between the two groups for many years to come. In 1994, the Hutu majority along with the government of Rwanda started murdering the Tutsi in droves, no matter the age. I’m not sure what made them justify the killings and rape of Tutsi in their minds, but all it did was create so many issues among the Rwandans. Historically speaking, Rwandan citizens were all required to have identification cards, which told whether they were Tutsi or Hutu. During the genocide, the Hutu used those to their sick advantage in order to locate Tutsi to kill.
The effects of the genocide are still very present in Rwanda today. In fact, we met so many people that lost parents, were left as orphans, or had other members of their families killed. One of the older men that was treated in the last village we were at had been targeted in the genocide. He has bullet holes in his head and gunshot wounds that were still bleeding and infected even after all this time. His name was Christoff, and he used a cane to walk. He was slumped over, couldn’t put pressure on his injured leg, and was an alcoholic. He approached me, shook my hand, and said, “Thank you. God bless you.” It just about broke my heart because this evidence from the genocide cannot be denied, and he will forever have the scars to prove it.
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