Cooking kitchen in the chicken

Sometimes it's reassuring to know that it's not just me who struggles with languages.  We were recently with a Rwandese friend who was praying and gave thanks for those cooking in the chicken.  Experiencing a different culture can be challenging at times - like being asked if you are a boy or a girl, why you're not married at 27, and curious people touching your arm in the street to see if your skin is real.  We often get followed or surrounded in our van, which can be both funny and intimidating. I now know what animals in the zoo must feel like!

Our time in Kigeme has been pretty mixed.  I've survived 3 mornings of teaching in the local high school and a morning of teaching in a nursery school.  I have a new found respect for all teachers and am even more convinced that I will never be a teacher.  On Saturday we went to 'Super Star' - the Rwandan version of X Factor, minus Simon Cowell.  The music definitely wasn't to my taste, but it was great for people watching and good fun to be out and about.  The 10 acts tour round the country and people vote by text, with the winner announced in August.  We also took part in another umuganda/ community day where we helped to collect and move bricks for building a church.  I only just managed to carry my 4 bricks back up the hill, puffing and wheezing behind a lady carrying 17 bricks... on her head!  Even the small children could carry more than me.  Another humbling experience!  We've also visited a hydroelectricity place (taking the shortcut down a very steep hill to get there - I definitely don't have my dad's genes as my legs were like jelly by the time I got to the bottom), played basketball with some high shool kids (who took it far too seriously!) and have taken Sunday School with about 2 mintues notice.

Yesterday we visited a 68 year old lady who has been helped by RDIS.  She lives with 3 of her 9 children, and 1 grandchild in a small mud and wood built house.  They have almost nothing - a hoe, 1 mattress, a mat for the floor, a bench and a few jerry cans and that's about it.  She doesn't have a kitchen so cooks down in the valley by her old house and then brings the food back up the hill to eat.  She earns a little bit of moeny by digging in the fields for other people, but is unable to send her bright, 3rd youngest child to boarding school for a better education and can't afford health insurance for the 5 of them.  This costs around 3pounds each per year.  She is old and doesn't have good health, with possible high blood pressure/ heart problems.  It's unlikely that she will receive much more help from the church or community as there are so many others in similar or worse situations.  I felt really upset while we were there and after leaving. It's so unfair that we could just get into our van and drive off, leaving this lady stuck there living in poverty.  Where is the fairness in your place of birth having such an impact of your life?  I feel overwhelmed by the need that we saw there and the knowledge that there are so many others like her.  And I'm not sure how to respond.  Ok, there's the instant reaction of feeling sad, upset and angry but where do I go from there?  How do I remember to pray for the people I've met?  How can I practically make a difference - like with the money I fundraised?  What can I do when I get home to continue to support RDIS and Rwanda, and relate to others what I've seen here?  How can I use this expereince to change me attitudes towards life, spending, career choices, priorities etc?  And to change my day to day living?

On a lighter note, we return to Cyakabiri tomorrow and are all looking forward to seeing familiar people and places.  This month of travelling has been a really mixed experience, but it has been great to see more of Rwanda and do different things.  Hard to believe this is our lst month here!

Prayer requests:

- for the lady we met and all those living in similar situations

- thanks for my foot getting better

- that we have a great last month in Rwanda

Kigeme

So we arrived safely in Kigeme on Sunday after another epic journey through Nyongwe forest. 

During the rest of our time in Cyangugu...
- we visited some local schools where we did praise and worship with the kids (I say kids, one of the schools was 250 teenage boys).  We did a short play on the prodigal son, some singing (still no where near as good as they are!) and joined in with the dancing.  All a bit scary, but good fun.
- Worked in e tree nursery
- Sat by the river and looked across to the Congo on the other side.  Lake Kivu is beautiful and it was so nice to be beside water again.
- Visited a lady supported by RDIS.  She prayed for a roof for her house and had her prayers answered when the church decided to support her and help put a roof on her house.  Certainly challenged me over what I pray for - God can answer big and small prayers.
- I bought some more fabric from the market - the fabric here is amazing, so colourful!
- I felt challenged over my attitudes towards difficult people and how I deal with others.  I want to be a kind and gentle person and instead feel like I'm too cynical and serious.
- We took part in umuganda (the Saturday community day) - it's amazing to see a community come together for the morning.  We were moving stones/ rocks to be used for the foundation for a new church building as their existing building has been condemned.  All those hours spent moving delivery boxes in the shop have finally paid off!  It was good to get involved and show that white girls can work hard!
- We stayed in a lovely house with sofas, which I definitely appreciated.

We're staying in Nyamagabe in Kigeme Diocese.  It's certainly colder than Cyangugu (although today is very hot).  The guesthouse isn't as nice, but is still fine - we are always looked after and welcomed wherever we go.  So far we've looked round some projects, including a really inspiring community who grow crops together and split the profits/ food.  I feel challenged to do more work in the community when I get home.  This morning we were teaching in a local high school (a lesson on conjunctions, hope you're proud mum!) and will be teaching again tomorrow and Friday.  I was feeling sick with nerves beforehand but thankfully we weren't teaching on our own, which made a massive difference.  We also had a rat in the dining room of the guesthouse the other night, which was both horrible and very entertaining!

Prayer points would be:
- For a good time in Kigeme.  We're here till the 7th June, then go back to Cyakabiri for the last month.
- I have a swollen foot - possibly an infection or allergic reaction to an insect bite. Either way it's not very pleasant and would be good if it went back to normal.
- I've been thinking more about my character and who I want to be (or rather who God wants me to be).  I feel I need to change but am not sure how to.
- On a similar note, I'd like to be better at choosing to make myself heard and seen.  But also looking for those who also feel unseen and unheard.


Thanks again to those who read the blog - I really appreciate it!  If you were thinking of writing to me, I'd say best not to post anything after this week as it takes about a month for me to get anything, and I only have just over 5 weeks left here.  Hope all is well at home - I hear it's been hot! xx

Muraho Cyangugu!

So we arrived safely in Cyangugu on Friday.  In the morning we went for a last walk round the university campus and saw some monkeys.  Can't imagine going to a uni where monkeys just roam around the campus!  Being around students and young people all week made me realise how much I miss that community and fellowship you have as a student.  Life can pretty lonely in Stirling, and that's one thing I'm not looking forward to when I get home.  It's also so good to spend time with the girls on the team - I'm so grateful that we get on as well as we do.

On the journey to Cyangugu we travelled through Nyunwe forest - a very twisty road and I spent most of the journey through the forest with my head out of the window - a lot of fun!  We saw another monkey there too.  It's not as rural here in Cyangugu as I thought it would be, but still quite a different feel from Butare and Cyakabiri/ Muhanga.  We can see across Lake Kivu to the DRC and on Saturday went to the border.  (don't worry parents, we didn't go in!)  We also saw the hills of Burundi and visited a hot spring.

Cyangugu isn't without it's challenges.  I feel very insecure here, more so than the other places we've stayed and feel very judged for being a quiet person.  I can't sing, dance or play sport.  I'm not good at talking to people I don't know and I'm not good at speaking up in conversations.  I know I need to put these worries aside and focus on the things I'm good at/ can do (....what are they again?!...) but it's hard.

Thanks to Dianne Y and Gill F for the post - lovely to hear from home.

Farewell Butare

In my previous blog post I mentioned being challenged by some of the things I've seen here in Rwanda.  A couple of weeks ago we visited a lady helped by the Transform team from 2011.  She lives in a fairly basic house, built from wood, mud, stones and cement with 3 of her children.  She cooks inside the house using eucalyptus leaves as she can't afford charcoal, but has to keep a close eye on the fire as the leaves are very flammable.  During the day her 3 goats live outside, but at night they are kept in the 'kitchen' in order to keep them safe.  Understandably this makes the house smell.  She was very grateful to God for providing for her, and thanked us for taking the time to visit her.

This week in Butare we have been helping another woman and her 4 children with building a new home for them.  They used to live in a grass house but this was destroyed making them homeless, so for the past 7 months they have been living in the local church.  A plot of land was found for them and they built the frame of the house using branches and bits of wood.  The walls were then filled in with mud and we've been helping by putting another layer of mud both inside and outside.  This bit was good fun actually - throwing mud against a wall is quite therapeutic!  Tin sheets have been put on as a roof and wooden doors and windows.  I think the exterior walls will also be cemented, depending on money, which would make them more able to withstand the rain.  The woman has malaria at the moment, and didn't look at all well.  Again she was thankful to God, and thanked us for our help.

Someone we met this week asked if we'd transformed any lives yet, given we're called the Transform Team.  It made me wonder if I'm really helping anyone or am I doing something in order to make myself feel good?  Who is really being transformed here?  A book I was reading the other week (Shane Claiborne - The Irresistible Revolution) talked about putting faces to problems such as poverty and how this breaks down the walls of separation between 'us' and 'them'.  I would hope that the work I'm involved with here is doing some good, but I'm also realistic about it - I'm pretty sure the longer term impact will be on my life.  I'm becoming increasingly aware that my time here in Rwanda is running out (about 7 weeks left) and I want to make the most of it.  There's a lot I still want to work on in my own life as well as enjoying being here in Rwanda and finding ways to help the people we meet.

Tomorrow we leave for Cyangugu and then move onto Kigeme on the 27th May before going back to Cyakabiri on the 8th June for our last month.  Overall I've enjoyed being in Butare.  Ok, so the water being off for the majority of our time here, the mosque with loud 5am prayer calls nearby, the spider infestation in my room and more insect bites haven't been ideal...  But the friendly welcome, increased independence, ice cream shop, washing our own clothes, a visit to the national museum, meeting students from the university, an english speaking church service and joining an english speaking Bible study group have been great!  People joked with us that we would all get stalkers here in Butare - the only thing attracted to me here seems to be fleas, not boys, but that's ok!  I managed not to wash my hair for 7 days - a big achievement for me (I wash, blow dry and straighten my hair everyday at home)!  My hair felt horrible and greasy but I've surprised myself by not feeling too bothered about it.  Wondering how else I could challenge and push myself, such as talking more to people rather than writing about how I feel.

As always I'm grateful for the comments and for people who ask mum and dad how I'm getting on.  Felt quite homesick last weekend, but I'm doing ok now.

Prayer points would be:
- confidence in myself and being able to talk more to others
-safety in travel, especially round Cyangugu where the roads are meant to be quite bad in places
-more opportunities to serve and help others

Eating my words

Well, after writing on my last blog post that I would like to learn how to live a more uncomfortable life, we have come to Butare where there is no running water and I have been getting more bites again!  I think it's probably good for me.  Trying to see how long I can last for without washing my hair (a big thing for me).  The contrasts of life here in Rwanda seems more apparent in Butare, which is a university town.  It only takes a short drive from the centre of Butare to find families living in mud made houses, or living in a church because they have been made homeless.  It makes me appreciate the life I have at home - as well as frustrated and challenged over the unfairness of life. 

Last weekend we were at a wedding - an interesting experience.  There were no cows unfortunately - just someone dressed to represent the cow.  We've also celebrated Sarah's birthday and started our month of travelling.  It's good to see new places.

Just a short post today, hope to write more soon.  Thanks for post, comments and continued prayers. x

Comfortably uncomfortable

As I think I’ve said before, in theory I love the idea of travelling.  But the reality of power cuts, water cuts, bugs, bites, language barriers, lack of space and freedom does sometimes get to me!  (Although we are taken care of and looked after so well, so don't feel too sorry for me!)  I don’t like feeling uncomfortable and I miss the ease and familiarity of life at home.  But didn’t I come here because I wanted to challenge myself and step out of that comfort zone?  Life at home had become uncomfortably comfortable – it was easy just to float along in life.  Instead, I would like to get to the point where I feel comfortably uncomfortable.  As in actively choosing a lifestyle that doesn’t follow the easy and straightforward path.  Being able to embrace different and difficult situations.  I think there’s a lot more I could be doing to push myself further out of my comfort zones.  Easier said than done!

Someone took me aside the other week and asked me if I was ok, as I was so quiet – was there something wrong?  As kind as it was for them to have noticed me and asked, I did feel a bit upset about it.  I hate being quiet and shy, and don’t like that people often assume something must be wrong.  People are different in the way they show their emotions.  I know it’s another thing I could be working on.  I worry that many of my bad qualities are coming out while here (eg. my lack of tolerance, insecurities, a bit uptight, quick to get frustrated etc).  Where is the balance between changing things about your personality and learning to accept yourself?  I often feel inadequate and still wonder why I’m here in Rwanda and part of this team.

Activities-wise, things have been fairly quiet.  A couple of weeks ago we went to the genocide memorial in Kigali.  I really didn’t know what to expect from it, but it was informative, well laid out, respectful, thought provoking, shocking and deeply upsetting.  I’m glad we visited, but it was also very good when we left – I couldn’t take much more of it.  The next day we went on a trip to Kibuye, by Lake Kivu.  The drive there was incredible – amazing scenery!  We stopped off at an impressive waterfall, but the best bit had to be the first glimpses of Lake Kivu.  The sun was setting, the light was amazing and it was beautiful and exciting to see the water.  We stayed over at a place run by nuns, then on the Saturday took a boat trip out to Napoleon Island, which is home to several thousand fruit bats and a herd of cows (yes really!).  It was good to go out and about, but also nice to come back to Cyakabiri (where we live) – it feels very familiar now.  Next week we will be travelling to Butare, Cyangug & Kigeme for almost 5 weeks.  I’m looking forward to seeing more of Rwanda and learning more about the people.

Last Saturday we took part in ‘Umuganda’, which is where people do community work on the morning of the last Saturday of the month.  We dug holes for and planted passion fruit trees.  I’ve had the fabric I bought made into trousers!  I’ve worn them to church here but I think they might just be pyjamas when I get home – they’re pretty crazy and bright!  The woman who made them works at the ‘Youth At Risk’ project next door to us.  Watching her churn out clothes and make alterations actually made me want to use my sewing machine again – something I haven’t felt like doing for a long time!  Given how I usually feel about being creative, I take this as a good sign!  I also taught the other girls how to make origami birds and did some mending of clothes.  This was perhaps the first time I really felt I was contributing something to the group.  It would be so good if I could go home with a more positive attitude to my creative skills (did I just admit I have creative skills?!).  Yesterday we had 2 amazing treats - homemade pizza (first time I've had cheese since leaving home) and a lesson on how to make samosas (complicated, don't get your hopes up mum!)!

I didn’t get a place on the CAP internship program.  I’m disappointed and don’t have the means to get feedback, so am not sure why.  At the same time, there’s not a lot I can do about looking or applying for something else while here.  I’m pleasantly surprised by the fact that I’m not really stressed and worked up about it.  Obviously the thought of going home with no idea of what the future holds isn’t ideal, but it’s not a disaster.  I’ve been thinking of Proverbs 3: 5-6 ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths’.  Hoping my parents aren’t too worried that I will be living with them forever?!

Prayer points would be:

-          That I wouldn’t worry about the future, instead trusting that God has something else in store for me (career advice/ job offers are welcome!)

-          That I would stop getting insect bites.  I’ve had over 50 in the past couple of weeks.  It’s pretty unpleasant waking up at night knowing you’re getting bitten but not knowing what it is, not being able to see them and not knowing how to stop it.  I’m getting better at not scratching but it would be nice if I didn’t get many/any more bites for a while!  Other than that I’m keeping healthy.

-          That I would continue to challenge myself but also give myself a break – it’s unrealistic to expect to change overnight and I could do with learning to accept myself a bit more, warts and all.  Where is that balance?

-          For safety as we travel around Rwanda from 8^th May till 8^th June.

Thanks again for reading my blog and for those who have left comments.  It means a lot to me!  Sorry I've not been able to regularly update it. Thanks also for the promises of post.  I’ve received 3 cards so far, which is lovely – it’s so special to hear from home.  (Congrats to Lynsey Stewart for being the first, second prize goes to Jennifer Morris)  I’m not sure how much if any internet access I’ll have from next week.  Will try to update the blog, or get mum and dad to do it for me.

6 weeks already?!

So it's 6 weeks since I left Stirling - feels like longer in some ways, but the weeks are passing quickly too.  I'm over a third of the way through now!  Some of the team have received letter parcels, so if you would like to write to me (I've yet to receive anything, sob sob) my address is:
Katie Smith
Transform Team
RDIS
BP 142
Gitarama
Rwanda

Since I last blogged we have:
- planted more trees  (avocados and papaya)
- labeled more pineapple juice and some passion fruit juice (yet to taste this, but I'm sure it's also great)
- helped carry more chairs
- celebrated Alice's 19th birthday with party games, jelly and a cake made from biscuits and nutella
- helped builf (well, moved mud and carried water) a kitchen for a family in Kagarama.  Their sense of community is incredible - where people work together to help someone in need, despite them all having a lot of needs themselves.  That afternoon the people who'd been working at that house were going off to help a man who'd lost his wife and children during the genocide and needed work done on his house.  What sense of community do I have back home?  What do I do to help others where I live?  Or do I just think about my own needs and wants...
- written a sermon together,which Alice gave at Zion church (our local) on Sunday.  I think it went down well.
- taught at Compassion on Saturday, which was both awful and great.  The teaching part was so hard.  We'd been asked to teach on 'preventing the mistreatment of those with HIV and AIDS', so decided to teach about stigma and acceptance etc.  It's just so difficult trying to come up with good, challenging lessons that will translate into another language and culture.  So much of my lesson fell completely flat and I just wanted the ground to open up. Afterwards we went back down the hill and helped cook and serve lunch to the kids.  There are about 200 of them, so it takes a bit of time to plate up everything, but it was great fun.  All the kids who go to Compassion are sponsored and some had received letters from their sponsors - people from all over eg Inverness, Colorado etc.  It was great to see the kids proudly show us the letters and photos that they'd been sent, but also strange to see child sponsorship from the other side.  As we left to go back for our own lunch, we saw a family of kids who we know sitting watching.  They are not sponsored so don't attend any of the Compassion activities.  As fantastic as it is to see so many kids being helped, there are always more out there who still need it.
- attended some of the genocide memorial week meetings last week.  Over 100 people from the local community were there each day and different topics were discussed, such as the definition of genocide,how to help people affected by the genocide, the effects it had on poverty and the economy, and how to deal with those who still deny that a genocide took place.  Hard to believe that some people still won't accept/ admit it.  There was also talk of the government's '2020 vision' to see evryone with accessto clean water, electricity, education etc by 2020.  Tomorrow we are going to a genocide memorial in Kigali, which I expect will be a very sobering experience.
- saw the president's car and large entourage drive past, at very high speed!!

On the whole, I feel I'm getting on better than when I last wrote.  I have happier days and some down days.  I sometimes find it hard not having my own space, but I also know I spent too much time on my own back home so it's good for me to be in the company of others a lot of the time.  We do get on well as a team, which is great.  We've had a couple of dvd nights where we pushed the beds together and made a 'den' from our African fabric and treated ourselves to biscuits and chocolate.  We've also been round to the house of one of our friends from RDIS for snacks and a quiz, which was fun.  I'm getting more used to 'African time' and the fat that sometimes things happen, sometimes they don't.  We're all keeping well too, which is an added bonus.

This Friday I have an interview for a place on the internship program with CAP.  Feeling nervous about it and really hope the phone line works ok, as it doesn't always when I'm speaking with my parents.  It's not an ideal situation for an interview, but I'm encouraged that they're going to effort to talk to me rather than wait till I get home.  Working for CAP would be a great experience and it would be great to know that I have something planned for when I come home other than a dentist appointment!  Hopefully I have something to offer CAP too!

In many ways I feel very comfortable here in Rwanda, so it would be good to continue to remember to challenge myself while I'm here rather than coast through the experience.  Hope all is well at home.  Thanks for the comments, emails, facebook messages.  I love to hear from people!! x

Happy Easter!  This morning we got up at 5am to go up to the top of the hill and watch the sunrise - it was pretty special, complete with some chocolate eggs that mum had given to me before I left.

Since I last blogged I have:
- met and held a brand new baby (less than 24hours old but back home) - very cute
- bought some lovely african fabric from the local market
- Have been learning more about 'Africa-time' and how things take longer than expected/ don't happen at all/ happen several days later.  It's frustrating but a good lesson to learn probably.
- Had my birthday - the trip to Kigali didn't exactly go to plan, but the girls went to a lot of effort to make it a nice day and gave me a special breakfast and a cake!
- Church this morning was 4 hourslong, which was erm hard going...
- I've been inspired this week by John Kirkby's book 'Nevertheless' and the story of CAP (Christians Against Poverty).  Despite many challenges and difficult circumstances he has maintained such a huge level of faith throughout.  That's not to say it's been easy, but he's managed to step out and onwards in faith despite the apparent bleakness of situations.  I would like to be more like this.
- I've been missing home comforts like a proper shower, hot water,my bed, being able to understand what people are saying, milk and cereal, sofas etc.  I feel a bit frustrated with myself for this, but I think it's probably fairly normal too.  The people here are so good to us, for example by giving us chips and ketchup (because they're 'western') and treats like samosas.  It is difficult though, as you don't want special treatment - like being taken to the front of a long queue in the bank just because you're white.  On the one hand I want to fit in and don't like being treated like a westerner/ muzungu.  But I also miss the easiness of being at home.

We're in rainyseason at the moment and have heavy downpours every day (although today has been lovely so far) sometimes with lots of thunder and lightening.  The rain is much needed for farmland, but can also be very destructive - altering the landscape and flooding houses (as we saw in Kigali this week).

Not trying to be overly poetic/ cheesy but I feel like I'm going through my own rainy season at the moment.  I found this past week very hard and am facing the same old self-doubts, fears and worries.  I wish I had more confidence and was more easy going.  Why do I find it so difficult to talk to people?  The more I worry and retreat into my own space, the worse it gets - it's a hard cycle to get out of.  I know I need to make more effort, push myself to do things that I find hard and keep focusing on all the positive things that are happening here and now. I would hate to look back on my time here and have regrets.  As much as I want to change, I think I also need to learn how to accept myself too.

Read this verse this morning and felt it was really appropriate for today and for how I've been feeling this week.  Ephesians 2:10  'For we are God's masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.'  The God who created the masterpieces of sunrises and sunsets, also created me as his masterpiece too.  The slate has been wiped clean through Jesus' death and resurrection.  (Definitely feel this links to Jeremiah 29:11)

As mum mentioned previously, this week is a time or mourning and remembrance for Rwanda.  We're not sure what we'll be doing over the coming week or what to expect from it.  It will be a very difficult time for many.

If you pray, please keep praying for me and the team. It's been so good to read emails, comments and things on facebook when I got the chance.  Love to all. xx

Remembering

Listening to the news about a hosepipe ban which started in the south of England this week, I'm reminded that Katie and her Tearfund friends experience daily powercuts in addition to times when there is no water.   This is a challenge for girls used to showering whenever they want but is daily life and normal for residents of Giterama!

Katie's birthday meal on April 2nd was celebrated with the other Tearfund girls and RDIS staff and included speeches.  Earlier in the day the girls were taken to a western style supermarket in Kigali!

Tomorrow (April 7th) is the start of Rwanda's annual period of mourning and remembrance.  This is a time of remembering the Rwandan genocide of 1994 when over 800, 000 men, women and children were killed by fellow countrymen.  Each year people gather to remember and reflect on what took place.  They visit memorial and burial sites and try to support those still deeply hurt and traumatised by the events of 1994.
During this time of mourning, people usually work only in the mornings and daily life is focussed on recalling the past while trying to come to terms with the effects of the past on the present.  Katie and her friends will probably spend most of their time in the RDIS compound but may be invited to attend a memorial gathering.  Church tomorrow will be a solemn time of reflection.  It's important that the Team (some of whom were born in the year of the genocide) are sensitive about the deep feelings of Rwandan people.  The genocide is an event which none of the girls remember and which is completely beyond their experience.

Communication continues to be tricky.  Although the Team have occasional use of a laptop in the evenings, obviously they share their computer time and it's not easy to both check your messages and have time to email or blog.  That's if there's power!  Katie receives emails and facebook etc but the laptop's webrowser seems to be incompatible with hotmail, so she can't send emails.  Last week Katie was to have an interview with the organisation she hopes to work with in the autumn (CAP) on her mobile but for some reason it didn't happen.  It was frustrating as she was unable to contact the organisation  the UK.

The other communication problem is the lack of common language.  It's hard to get close to people when you can't speak to them.  Sometimes, even with the help of a translator, there is still a barrier to understanding.

Could you think about or pray about the following?  Katie would appreciate this.

• that the people of Rwanda would be comforted during the time of mourning and be able to begin to move forward.  This is still a raw, extremely painful time for many Rwandan citizens. 
• that the Kinrwandan lessons would go well.  Katie is finding the lessons very difficult and is frustrated knowing that the way to get to know people is to speak their language.
• that somehow the phone interview with CAP would go ahead smoothly and without hitches this week.
• that there would be meaningful, useful work or activities for the Tearfund Team to do.  The girls would love to make a positive difference to the lives of their Rwandan hosts.



Techie Stuff!

Hi from Katie's Mum again. 
Several people have told me they are having difficulty in leaving a comment on katie's blog but don't know how to.  Possibly I'm the least qualified person on the planet to help with this but...needs must!

As you're reading this, I'm assuming that you can read Katie's blog (although there are people having problems with that also.)  Click on the word comments, which appears beside 'Posted by Katie Smith' after the main body of post.  Type your comment or message in the box which should have appeared after any other comments.   Then click on Select Profile.  This brings up several choices. Choose anonymous as the simplest option but remember to include your name in the comment.  When you've finished, you can click on preview to see what it looks like and to edit what you've said, if you want to.  Click publish. Hey presto!