Sunday Morning Sermon

Dorian, our priest, had asked us to deliver the sermon on the Sunday after we returned from our trip. The Gospel message was about feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, so very appropriate to our mission. In preparation for the sermon, the five of us read the passage (in London Heathrow airport), agreed to each aim for 4 minutes of material, and decided the order in which we would speak. We then went off on our separate ways to compose the content. Come Sunday morning, I think we were all curious about how our segments would fit together. Thanks again to the Holy Spirit, it came together beautifully.

One of our parishioners is a poet and a professor at ASU. She inspired me to try my hand at writing some poems about Rwanda (Thanks Sally!). This is one of three poems I read for my segment of the sermon this morning.

Rwanda
Land of a thousand hills
Verdant beauty
It should be paradise

Fallen people
Atrocities unimaginable
Yet, a spark of hope
Living God's grace

Striving to heal, to be whole
One language
One history
One country
One people
We will, with God's help

Don't Mess with the Mossad

Catching up on blogs, after having been home two days.

Did we mention that our hotel in Nairobi, the Fairview Hotel, is across the street from the Israeli Embassy? That street is known as the safest street in Nairobi due to the heavy security for the embassy--armed guards, cameras, etc. I learned that the hard way when I decided to take a couple pictures of the barriers in the street, to show everyone back home how safe it was. I just took a couple of shots looking out the windshield of the van. As we were about to turn into the Fairview driveway, we were pulled over by a couple of Kenyan gentleman in uniform, who asked me for my camera and passport. When they learned that we were staying at the Fairview, they had us pull into the Fairview parking lot. I jumped out of the van and the first thing they said was, No problems, Madame, you just aren't allowed to take pictures in this area for security purposes. You just need to erase the pictures. However, as they were reassuring me that there was no problem, they were taking down all my passport information in a notebook! My first thought was great, they'll see that I've been to Russia and then I'll really be in trouble! I ended up showing them that I erased the pictures, and they handed me back my passport as I profusely apologized. I'm fairly certain that my name is now in a security database somewhere. I have visions of trying to get into Israel and being denied admittance. Not too smart.

Rain Means Food

I think everyone we met in Rwanda and Kenya kept telling us that we should come back in the rainy season, it's so much better then. Being sun-worshipping Arizonans, we were puzzled by that, and asked why it was better during the rainy season. We got answers like, oh it's prettier then, it's greener then. However, the answer that one of our drivers in Nairobi gave us was the best, and probably underlies all the other answers. When we asked why he liked the rainy season better than the dry season, he paused and replied, "Rain means food".

Giraffes and Rhinos and Elephants, Oh My

Yesterday was a day so different from the rest. We visited a baby elephant orphanage in Nairobi that was truly amazing. The staff rescues elephant orphans, nurses them to good health and reintroduces them back into their native settings. The whole process can take over ten years. This park was featured on 60 Minutes not too long ago so I knew a little beforehand of their operation, but to see it in person was amazing. The Kenyans are very concerned about the environment and go about preserving it in a very holistic way.

They also had a baby rhino that played like a dog... a very substantial dog. From there we went to see the giraffe farm where they bred Rothschild giraffes, a species that only numbers about 500 globally. We fed the giraffes, and three of us were kissed by one. No, I'm not going to tell you who the three of us were... that's up to you to find out.

Today is our last day in Africa... for now. Having seen Africa and meeting the most incredible people, I can't imagine ever having a last trip.

See Video of Takwe Children Dancing!

I have a separate blog going, and with unreliable internet connection here, sometimes it's hard to post video on both blogs. Check out http://sarakyler.blogspot.com to see an awesome video of the children in Takwe dancing as we arrived!

The Journey Continues

Reminded by the Holy Spirit, I soon learned to curb my natural impatience and jocularity (hard to believe, huh?), realizing that I am here to wait and watch, listen and learn. The day in Takwe was amazing and heartwarming. However, I felt closest to God at the Genocide Museum here in Kigali. It was difficult to see the horrors but impossible to turn away. Every human being shares responsibility for genocide anywhere, and only by uniting to prevent it will we overcome our sinful natures and truly love one another. The tour ended on just such a hopeful, uniting message. This message was repeated in our prayer service today and is constantly reinforced in many small and large ways. After we left the museum, we stopped at the Bank of Kigali to get more money (and we hadn't even gone shopping yet!), where I read a local newspaper article about their legislature debating a bill that would require all government officials to speak of their involvement in the genocide and ask forgiveness of the people.

The government arising out of the ashes of destruction is an interesting mix of capitalism and socialism. All people are encouraged to work hard and get ahead, for the sake of their families and all of Rwanda. Victims of the genocide and children who were forced to participate in the killing are given counseling and support, every person is allotted a plot of land (to work, rent out or sell), and both education and health insurance are subsidized by the government but requires a 50% financial contribution by each family. Many people cannot afford their portion, and a few nongovermental organizations (NGOs) from other countries are negotiating with the Rwandan government to provide assistance for them.

On a personal note, the standard greeting here is "Hello, how are you?" (not just "Hi"), and telling each other our story comes before we engage in business. Driving is more aggressive than any other place I have seen, yet there is an unhurried atmosphere of civility that provides a real sense of dignity for everyone. Thinking that this is one way to constantly remind myself of the importance of community, I pray that I can make this a priority in my life as well. The benefits and beauty of Rwanda notwithstanding, I am anxious to return to loved ones and see how it works.

Peace and Grace to You,
Barbara

With a clean heart, everything is new

These are the words the pastor used in the service we attended this morning in Kigali. He used it in the context of many circumstances, including the experience that Rwandans have had over the past fifteen years. He asked how they could see one government order the killing of other Rwandans, then another government imprison those who were responsible, then later release them to live in the community. He said it was "too much." The only way to understand it was to absorb Ezekiel's words that God would give us a clean heart, and with a clean heart, everything is new.

Yesterday we had the "hard" privilege of experiencing the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. It is, as you might imagine, a very personal experience, and one which I will not try to convey in this blog. But the same theme emerged from the memorial. Unlike many other museums, it is very "holistic" for want of a better term. It includes the history of the intentional acts leading up the genocide, and the consequences, both physical, psychological and economic, of the 100 days in 1994 and the time leading up to it. Then it takes a different tack. It gives a history of all the genocides that have occurred - limited only to those that have taken place in the 20th Century. It is an attempt to educate about the intentional nature of genocide, so that perhaps what occurred in Armenia, Namibia, Germany and Poland, Cambodia, Kosovo, and Rwanda, will not be repeated. Indeed, there are elephant pots outside holding flowers, as a symbol of remembering the past.

Finally, There was the theme of reconcilation, both in the gardens so beautifully constructed outside - including the garden of reconciliation, and inside, with a reconcilation room with videos of the tribunals seeking both justice for the victims and some sense of putting it behind them so they can go forward and live together. I couldn't help thinking of this when I listened to the pastor talk about " a new heart" for the country of Rwanda. If such a thing is possible for people who have been through so much more than we can ever imagine, how can we do less?

The Hospitality of Rwanda

Today we worshipped at an Episcopal Church (the sign actually said that!) named Cathedrale St. Etienne. We sang praise and worship music, followed by a baptism and a beautifully crafted sermon based on the book of Ezekiel. The theme was to accept reality and come to terms with who we are. God will clean us and put a new spirit in us. I can't stop thinking that if we Americans had ever experienced such a thing as genocide as Rwandans have just fifteen years ago, would we be able to hear these words with such gladness as our fellow worshippers did.

Afterwards we went to brunch at a gorgeous outdoor restaurant appropriately named Heaven. But the day took a most unexpected turn when our driver, Oliver, who had eaten brunch with us asked if he could take us to meet his fiancee at her place of work. We were thrilled to meet a very shy Muslim girl whom he plans to marry next year. Then Oliver took us to see where he lived. We sat in the living room of his neighbors, one of whom was just finishing his prayers in the corner of the room. They did not know we were coming yet were extremely hospitable and welcoming. We also met Oliver's sister who is completing her last year at a university studying chemistry.

Rwanda is such a mix of the old and new...there we were, sitting in a small living room with three Muslim men, two in long prayer gowns, a young woman (who is Christian) on her way to becoming a chemist and motorcycle races and a Borat commercial for his new movie on the television. Did I mention that Rwanda is nothing like I expected....?

Blog Update!

Now you can see we have a live stream to our online Picasa web album (thumbnail pictures on the right sidebar). Click on any of the pictures to see more or visit the album at http://picasaweb.google.com/Sara.Kyler/StAnthonyInAfrica02#.

It takes awhile to upload pictures and video, but we're trying to add as many as possible! Sometimes it's easier (and faster!) for us to upload the pictures here!

A Trip Back in Time

As we traveled from Kigali to Takwe the other day and observed the differences between the city and the country, it occurred to me that it was as if we were traveling back in time. I even felt like I was traveling back in my own ancestral history, to my great grandparent's and grandparent's lives. The first clue was seeing little boys running down the road after rolling wheel rims. I hope someone got a picture of that--I've only seen that in old-time picture books before. The people in Takwe and most of the rural areas are subsistence farmers, much the same as my great grandparents when they emigrated to the US in the 1890's. Farming families in Rwanda are facing some of the same issues that my German ancestors faced as they continued to divide their land between their many children, generation after generation. Eventually, there's not enough to divide any more. That caused the six oldest children in one branch of my family to leave Germany for America, leaving the six youngest children behind. In Rwanda, the government has a goal to create jobs in rural areas in order to reduce the number of people doing agricultural work by 50%.

I met the two children I sponsor through Food for the Hungry, Catheline and Eric, and their families. It's hard to describe those visits. They were so happy to see us, probably even moreso the adults. One adult said that it was wonderful to have us visiting them and it was because of their children that we were there. I think that helps them attribute more value to their children, in a culture where that isn't always common. Their homes are extremely basic, but so very clean. (The whole country is very clean; we learned that on the last Saturday of the month, EVERYONE over the age of 10 takes the day to clean their home or a common area. This is one of the government's initiatives to promote unity among all people.) The homes are built around a courtyard, with the living space on one side, a kitchen on the other and animal stalls on the other. Catheline's family had a cow and a pig, which is really significant. We learned that it only takes a couple of years after getting a cow before the family is able to get ahead a little bit, either by selling milk or calves. Also, the cow manure adds fertilizer to their fields and increases the crop yield. Then they're able to put some money aside for the future instead of literally living hand to mouth. Both families raise sweet potatoes, beans, bananas and cassava. Eric's grandfather told me that it was hard to farm there because it was either too hot or not enough rain or too much rain. Because I told him that my grandfather was a farmer, he asked me if conditions were better in the US, and I had to chuckle and tell him that it was exactly the same in the US--you have to have a lot of faith to be a farmer :-)

You are most welcome

This is the phrase that we heard often after introducing ourselves to people here. To say that the people of Rwanda are hospitable doesn't begin to describe it. We have met with many groups over the past few days. To the person, everyone was so generous with their time, information, and presence.

Thursday we traveled to Takwe to meet with our sponsored children, to visit their homes and meet their families, and to finally experience what we had imagined the community looked and felt like. We could not have imagined how beautiful a place it is. As we drove up to a hill next to the school, all the children greeted us with song and dance. I met Venuste, the child that David and I sponsor, and he took me to his home to meet his mother. After introducing myself, she said that when she heard that the mzungu (white people) were here, she was afraid, but now that she had met me, she felt safe. We prayed, and when I was walking hand in hand with Venuste up the hill, we hugged and Erneste from FH said Venuste did not want me to leave. I told him I would write and send pictures of my family. It will take some time for me to fully grasp what we experienced.

Today we are going to the Kigali Memorial.

Workin with the Holy Spirit

Greetings from Rwanda! The people here are beautiful, so warm and welcoming. During our interview with Phil Smith of World Relief, there was a heartfelt connection between sisters and brothers in Christ working together to be in relationship, to empower the most vulnerable, and to transform the world in His name. The Holy Spirit continues to move us in amazing ways, assuring that we are on the right path. For instance, just before I closed my suitcase back in Mesa (it seems so long ago!), I ran across a prayer and tossed it into my suitcase. Last night I shared it with the team, and it was so much more appropriate than any I would have consciously chosen. I hope it conveys to you, our loved ones, our prayers for you and a glimpse of our experience to date:

We give thanks unto you, Heavenly Father, for graciously protecting us this day. We ask you to forgive us all our sins, and any wrong we may have done, and by your great mercy, keep us this night, O Lord, from all works of darkness whether we wake or sleep. Give us faith to see beyond today, to sow the seed and cultivate the soil, then wait serenely, trusting in your power. Let our thoughts and deeds be in accordance with you holy will. Preserve us from all dangers and terrors of the night, from restless watching and sorrowful thoughts, from unnecessary or fretful care and imaginary fears. When we put our heads on our pillows and pull up the covers (a.k.a. mosquito nets), give us your good gift of sleep and keep us safe ‘til morning light. Let us awake tomorrow renewed in strength and cheerful of spirit with holy thoughts as we go forth to live in your honor, to the service of our fellow people and the comfort and joy of our households. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit keep us and give us peace, now and evermore. Amen

Shalom,
Barbara

What $41.38 Gets You in Nairobi

I’m catching up on blogging as this post is about an experience I had in Nairobi. On Sunday, we went to a church service, which was really wonderful (except the muzungu (white) preacher from Texas who was just so absolute in his views). We felt very welcome as visitors—they even asked all the visitors to join the pastors in the receiving line at the end of the service, so we got to shake everyone’s hand. After church, we went to lunch at a restaurant called Carnivore (the ostrich meatballs were scrumptious!) I had fruit sorbet for dessert, not sure if it was mango or passion fruit. As we were preparing to go to the Giraffe Park, I started feeling funny, my palms starting itching, and I realized that I was having an allergic reaction. So we drove back directly to the hotel, where luckily I had an Epi-Pen, so was able to inject myself with epinephrine before the reaction had progressed too far. Then on to the emergency room at the Nairobi Hospital, which again, luckily, was only about a mile away. I had had an allergic reaction to a fruit smoothie about 10 years ago, and went into anaphylactic (sp) shock, so pretty much knew what to expect. I got into the ER right away, and they took good care of me. As I lay there, I was wondering how much the bill would come to and how much of it would be covered by my insurance. I thought it might come to around $700 and my friend guessed $250. The total bill, including an EKG, ER doc, medication and a prescription, came to $41.38. All I know is, no more tropical fruit for me!

My First Blog 'In Country"

I'm amazed at the difference between the two countries: Kenya and Rwanda ("Wanda"). Nairobi was much more "big city." The official language is English; they are taught the language in school. We saw well-dressed, cosmopolitan people walking to church on Sunday and to work on Monday. There was a chance for much "small talk" with everyone we met. In Rwanda, the people speak French, English, Swahili and Kinyarwanda. It is much more rural, and Kigali is the main marketplace for all the people in Rwanda. Driving through the city to exchange money and get bottled water (I posted the invoice), it was definitely an"up close and personal" experience! Driving through the marketplace we were often within inches of the people walking in the marketplace. What an adventure we are having: the Covent Garden Hotel is a universe away from the Hotel Gorillas! Stay tuned.

Good Morning, Rwanda!

We watched our first sunrise in Rwanda - a bright red sun coming over the mountains. Kilgali is the capital city and the place where everyone in Rwanda comes to shop. The streets were packed with cars, motorcycle cabs (can you even imagine...) and people on foot. The dress is everything from business suits to NFL jerseys to traditional long dresses and head wraps. Houses and businesses are hanging off sides of hills. The Gorillas Hotel where we are staying is far (in so many ways) from the accommodations in Nairobi much much less London! The people speak French even though they don't really care for the French. Its much warmer here than Nairobi with lots of humidity. There is absolutely no need for moisturizer! Today we meet with our first relief organization to see what they are doing in the field. What an adventure!

Goodbye to Nairobi, for now

Sara and I were the first ones down for breakfast today. Still not entirely adjusted to the time change. We woke up two hours before the 6 a.m. wake-up call....planning two days in Nairobi before traveling on to Rwanda was a very good idea. We'll be picked up by our new friend David for our morning flight to Kigali, Rwanda. So far we've been on British Airways but today we'll be traveling on Kenya Airlines. We're all wondering just how small a plane we'll be on as we have several extra duffle bags filled with all kinds of stuff when we visit all of St. Anthony's sponsored children (around 30) in Takwe. Food for the Hungry-Rwanda is arranging for us to see all the children at once so we're making up little bags of tablets, pens, pencils, stickers and such to give them on Thursday. I am so excited about that. And about getting pictures of them.

The people here in Kenya are so welcoming and polite. Most speak hardly above a whisper so at times I have a bit of a problem hearing what is being said. I'm resisting the urge to just smile and nod my head like I understand when I don't. Rodney said that in this culture they don't really understand the concept of brainstorming so if you give any indication of a willingness to do something, they take it as a promise.

Today we leave Rodney in Kenya. It feels a little like leaving the nest, but its time for us to fly (literally and figuratively) and we're all excited about what we'll find in Rwanda. That's it for now.

Nairobi!

Jambo! (Which means 'hello!"... I'm nearly a native, now!)

So here we are in Nairobi, night 2. We got in fairly late last night, but while we were still on the plane waiting for a gate to open up, my mom and I fully embraced our new country experience by cranking up "Africa" by Toto on my iPod and dancing along. People next to us thought we were NUTS... but in all fairness, I guess we are. :) We decided that we need an "Africa Adventure" playlist- so far, we have decided on the Toto song, "In the Jungle", "Hakuna Matata" (Which people here ACTUALLY SAY!!), and "Circle of Life". Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

Here's a great video we found of "Africa"!




We're in another great hotel- although it has NOTHING on the Covent Garden, it's still very beautiful. It looks like a tropical paradise!


















We went to church Sunday morning with David, who has been graciously driving us around since we arrived. It was a fantastic service! The music was wonderful, the people were incredibly welcoming, and we were even hosted by a women's group for tea after the service. We even sung hymns in Swahili- and we were actually pretty good! Well, everyone that can carry a tune was very good- if you've ever heard my mom or I sing you know that no matter how easy the hymn was, we butchered it. But we had a GREAT time!



It seems like we're eating ALL of the time. After church, we had lunch at a fabulous restaurant called Carnivores- where they serve you all kinds of meat off skewers... sometimes using a VERY large knife!!














Here's a great shot of Barbara, Jill and Jeanne relaxing at our hotel before church! We're having a great time, and leave for Rwanda today. Keep watching and commenting!

Heathrow Airport

Heathrow is wonderful. With Rodney leading the way we buzzed through checkin and immigration. He's never met a person who doesn't become a friend! We're waiting now for the flight to Nairobi. It's 9:30 a.m. Saturday now, back home it's...no, wait, everyone has told me to stop doing that!! Can't wait to get on the plane so I can sleep!

Rodney's cousin Adam has been great to pick us up and drop us back off at the airport. Here's a shot of us leaving London and saying goodbye to Adam!

London!!!

So we’re here in London at the VERY che-che Covent Garden Hotel. So fancy that yesterday we were star struck at the sight of Maggie Gyllenhaal (from the Dark Knight), director Peter Sansgaard, and Emma Thompson on our way to get some fish and chips!! Yeah, it was awesome!

At the right, you can see us with our real London experience of fish and chips at the Rock and Sole Plaice!

But really, this hotel is fantastically extravagant. We’ve spent most of our short time in the Drawing Room and Library. (Where breakfast was just served to us on a lovely breakfast tray!!). Everybody’s coming in, so here’s some pictures and more commentary to come soon!!

So we just boarded the plane.. 4 hours delayed, so they better have some awesome food! But woo! We're off!

Itinerary

July 9 Depart Phoenix
July 10 Arrive in London, stay overnight in London
July 11 Fly to Nairobi
July 13 Fly to Kigali
July 14-20 Meet with international organizations; day field trips to observe programs
July 21 Fly to Nairobi
July 23/24 Fly to London and Phoenix

More Background

How will we decide which projects or organizations to support?
We plan to gather information in Rwanda and then analyze and make recommendations to the vestry when we return to Phoenix. These are some of the criteria we will use to evaluate the programs:
Project must address one or more of the MDG’s. (Millenium Development Goals)
Effectiveness, accountability, and sustainability will be key criteria.
Fiscal accountability of the organization with annual reporting of project and
progress required.
We will look at how the proposed projects foster mutual exchange and companionship, including building of personal relationships, human investment and mutuality in goal setting, prayer and development.
MDG projects should nurture self-reliance, not dependence

What will we be doing in Rwanda?

We are going on an exploratory trip to meet with several international relief and development organizations who work in Rwanda. Our intention is to meet with representatives from the organization to find out what type of programs they have in Rwanda, in order to discern which group or groups may be the best fit with St. Anthony. We will also be spending a few days in Nairobi, in order to see programs that have a more urban focus. We have been blessed with the support of Rodney and Karin Rascona, from leveraging their network of contacts in the international relief community, to giving travel advice, to making hotel and ground transportation reservations for us in London, Nairobi and Kigali. We feel well informed and prepared for this trip--don't worry Mom!

What am I doing, I don't even camp!

This time next week I will be sleeping inside a mosquito net in a hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. If you had told me that a year ago, I would not have believed you. But here we are, two days from liftoff, and our living room is covered with still-unpacked (but highly organized)travel bags. Inside those bags will soon be an interesting assortment of items: a virtual mini-pharmacy, very haute couture mosquito-protected clothing, clif bars, nuts, fruit roll-ups, you name it.

This is truly the trip of a lifetime. Enjoy our journey with us!

Oh the spraying!

I just finished spraying the clothes that Sara and I are going to wear with permethrin ~ guaranteed to keep away those pesky malaria-carrying mosquitos. The box says "odorless." That must be a typo....


I'm getting very excited and overwhelmed with gratitude for being able to take this trip. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that "mission trips" for me would be anything other than the travels around the USA that I did with our church high school youth group. "Roughing it" on those trips meant cold showers, leaking air mattresses and running out of Fabreze and not having a Walmart within easy driving distance...

God's plans always seem so much bigger than the ones I've always come up with...

Blog Sweet Blog

This is my maiden blog posting, but I'm looking forward to many more. I'll be inviting a variety of people to follow us-- friends, family, co-workers, fellow parishioners--as will my co-bloggers. We're in the final stages of preparation now--that last trip to Walgreens for Immodium, etc. We leave Phoenix on July 9, arrive in London July 10 for an overnight stay. Then off to Nairobi July 11 for a couple of days, and on to Kigali on July 13.

Getting Ready to Go!!

About a year ago, a conversation started about St. Anthony Episcopal Church in Scottsdale, Arizona getting more involved with global outreach and looking beyond our borders to do ministry. Fast forward to now and (crazy enough) 5 women are leaving for Rwanda, Africa on Thursday.

This blog is to capture our adventure, our thoughts, our ridiculous antics (just wait until you get videos!!!), and our experience on the other side of the world as we meet, interview, and seek to partner with a ministry in Rwanda.

Tomorrow at the 10:00 am service at St. Anthony Episcopal Church the 5 of us will be commissioned to go forward as missionaries on behalf of our church community... and I think we'll need all the prayers we can get!

~ Sara