A Very Sad Goodbye

Jake and I are back in America...2 weeks earlier than expected. I have wanted to write about us leaving for a few days now, but honestly, it's been really hard. Maybe I'm still in denial we even left, I'm not sure. All I know is that my core has been rocked and I am still still dealing with the pain.

Up until the last hour we were there, we were still trying to work with the airlines to switch our departure date. Jake knows more details as to what exactly what went wrong; in the end, we couldn't stay. It went back and forth that last day on Tuesday....one second there was a chance of staying, then the next there was no chance...and it went like that the whole day. I wanted to vomit. It was like a roller coaster ride and it wasn't a fun one.

I wasn't mentally prepared to leave. We had prepared and packed for our 3 week stay way in advanced...so to have it feel like we were being pushed out, well, I was mad at God. Why? Honestly, what do you have for me back at home that could possibly be any better than in Rwanda? It seemed so unfair. Jake had lead the group for 1o days and that was is primary focus. We both just assumed we would have more time with Rwanda and our dear staff friends later. But that's not what God wanted.

The last hour was crazy. I was packing up our stuff while Jake ran to the airport with Ben to talk to SN Brussels one last time. Everyone was packed and taking pictures and saying some goodbyes. All I could think of was that I was running out of time to say goodbye. I was panicking even more.

Jake came back with the final no. So, we started loading up the 2 vans and were ready to go; Jake, Mary, and I weren't able to fit in the last of the vans to the airport..we would wait for them to come back to shuttle us for a second round.

We left the house and drove to the airport only to find that Cyprien and Vianney were already gone. Jake cried, so hard, it was hard to see him so sad. We were both unbelievably disappointed. This was how our trip was ending? It seemed unreal. If we were going to leave early, we at least wanted to say goodbye!

I'm not writing this to sound like "Debbie Downer", that's not it at all. But I really needed to wrap up our trip with my feelings and with some of the last couple day's pictures....the pictures, for me, really help me process through all that God has revealed to me. They make me smile, they help me to never forget the people of Rwanda. They continue to encourage me through rough times when I know that there exists such beautiful, contagiously happy people who have nothing materially and who have experienced and continue to experience hardships that I could not fathom. They teach me so much.

This was an amazing trip for me, because once again I saw the power of God and his Holy Spirit working through GFR and our team to touch the people of Rwanda and to move and change us! God was there HUGE time! All the glory and honor to Him!

Bits of our hearts are left in Rwanda when we leave. When God allows, we'll be back!

Thank you Cyprien, Vianney, Bosco, Travis and Astrid, Joseph, Isabelle, and Lorance for all of your love and hard work! You all are amazing. May God bless you!

Goodbye Rwanda!

View from our house 

June 20th

From left: Travis holding Jasmine, Jake, me holding Yaida, and Astrid. It was fun to be able to get to know them! They are wonderful people doing God's work. 

Saying goodbye

From left: Cyprien, Vianney, Jake, Bosco, and me! We love "too much"! 

Our last day

Cyp and me on the last day. I miss him so much! 

June 20 Our last day!

Jake, Cyprien, Claudette, and I in front of Cyprien's Embassy (his house!) His house is slowly getting finished and it is AMAZING inside! 

June 19

This is the secondary school we ran into to take cover from the rain! We interrupted their studies! 

June 19th

Bosco was teaching me how to chop up the dirt the right way! 

June 19th

And then it was Umaganda! Jake helps with digging! He was glad to help as at the last Umaganda he was sick...this was right before it started raining and we had to run to take cover! 

June 19th

Bosco was the translator as I prayed over this man who I guided through the interview/photo process 

June 19th

 

June 19. Interview day in Mutete

"How do you say neck?" Sponsored families lined up for their video interview. We each escorted a family through the whole process and prayed with them at the end. Here we were exchanging English and Kinyarwandan words for different parts of the body! We all had so much fun! Allen was a hit with his family....the father and Allen were both "Muzazis!" (or Crazies!!) 

My time with Dr.Bill

We've been here for a week now...feels like maybe about 6. The days have been going by so fast, but a ton has been accomplished. Last year the crew processed about 50 sponsored families in about 4 days; we interviewed them asking the family how things have changed since their sponsorship. Responses were similar...we didn't have meat, now we eat meat...we were naked, now we are clothed...our children were not in school, now they attend primary and secondary school. This year with so many on board, we have been able to process about 100 families in 2 days! Not only are we interviewing and filming but we are giving them their gifts from their American families, we are photographing them and giving them their portrait framed on the spot (all possible because of our talented Ms. Christina...your ministry has been amazing!), we are praying with each family, and we are treating illness with Dr. Bill's help (he left yesterday though, and we miss him very much!).

I have been amazed by how much we have been able to do....the first interview day I helped with Dr. Bill....it was so interesting for me to witness his bed side manner with these people and his kind heart in treating even if we saw some pretty bad stuff. What was really sad to me was the fact we really didn't have the "right" meds with us...we ran into many cases of malaria, even itchy skin, fungal infections on the head, and possible worm infections...and we couldn't really treat these cases . You also just know many are so malnourished...so sad...anything we would give would not be sustaining, just short term. It was like putting a bandaid on a large wound. I felt truly helpless...the cases had me in tears. How would it feel if I was a mother or a father and could not provide the help that my babies needed? I learn about treatment and drug regimens everyday in school....but I have never learned how it would feel if there was a whole population so poor they couldn't even consider getting treated. Antibiotics? Something so simple, yet they don't have access to. My heart breaks. A hospital? Where is the nearest one from where you live? Can you get into a car and get there within maybe 20 minutes or less? I haven't seen a single hospital in any of these villages.

I didn't know Dr. Bill was bringing meds...he's an ER doctor and I guess he's been collecting as much as he could for a few months. Let me tell you, we had so many antibiotics and pain stuff, but not all that we needed. I was thankful for what we had though...and I was fortunate to work alongside him....a role I had no clue I would be a part of. He's gone now, and I can say we're missing him and his daughter Casey and Tim Wolfe a lot. They were part of the original crew and they added so much to the team. I learned from Dr. Bill though, he never flinched once while he worked with the people and he never stopped loving on the people and he never once had an ego on the trip...he had said he was going to check his ego at the gate once in one of our pre-trip meetings! I would never have imagined he even had an ego! Before he left, he said to Jake and me, "If you never accomplish anything else in your life, know you've already accomplished enough." Wow....thank you Dr. Bill.

So we had the day off today...we attended an English speaking church called Christian Life Assembly. It was amazing to worship and pray with the Rwandese...they are a beautiful people. We also hoped to do some shopping, but many stores were closed so we sort of toured Kigali and had lunch in a "fastfood restaurant"...wasn't "fast" at all! But it was good!

I'll end here for now...Jake and I traded our bedroom with another couple, Pam and Jeff...so I get to have a slumber party with the ladies downstairs tonight...I think there are 7 total down there! Should be fun!!! And Jake is sleeping out on the veranda with a couple of the other guys, mosquito nets and all! The stars are amazing here...dad, you'd be amazed by the constellations I see! So Jake will enjoy the stars tonight.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO BOTH OF OUR DADS! We love you!

Mary massages sore shoulders as families wait.

June 17th

Ready to escort to the next station

 

Updating Family profiles

June 17th
A family that has been waiting since the start of GFR recieved sponsorship today...they are very happy. 

The portait studio

June 17th 

Gift giving

June17th

Kendra handed gifts from American families! 

The video/interview crew

June 17th 

Working as a team

June 17th
As part of our trip we are updating family information, interviewing on video, giving gifts, and giving professional portraits to families. 

Angela found a friend

June 17th 

Zebras- just in case you didnt know

June 16 

Safari Day

June 16th. I just had to include some pictures of our safari from yesterday. 

Loving the Mukecuru!

June 15th. Mukecuru means older woman...she was the mother of the bunch. She traveled home by foot a long way to make it to see us for the next day! She was so sweet!

Sharing some water

June 15th. Jake had made some flavored water...when we got to the family's home, he shared some with them. They said it tasted like candy! It was fun to see their expressions! 

SInging us a song

June 15th. As I mentioned, the family sang us a song. 

My friend

June 15th. The girl I wrote about yesterday who was so excited about us being with her!