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
Good to get an update Katie.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing more down these days; at long last I've started a journal for Ishbel, and all the things she's doing.. she is an excellent climber and can get in to her high chair on her own. She's been waltzing along the window sill in the lounge on her own for a few months. Her language is coming along too; her first phrase was "si-wee Da-da" (for Silly Dad).
We've been reminding Isbhel of you with photos - she can now remember and recognise people in photos, but it will be lovely for all of us to see you when you get back.
Until then
Andy, Gill, Ishbel & Bump (33 weeks)
Greetings Katie,
ReplyDeleteWith Andy's big 30 birthday last Monday, I've been remembering the last few months before he was born and remembering bringing him home from hospital. You know that Dad discovered dry rot while he was rewiring the entire house. The rot was extensive, in the core of the house and affected 5 rooms. Everything from upstairs was moved into the front bedroom (except the bath which we upended and propped against a wall) while almost everything from downstairs was moved into the lounge. The cooker stayed in the kitchen and the loo remained in the loo. The workmen stripped plaster off the walls and lifted so many floorboards that the house resembled a giant game of hopscotch. The men wouldn't let me through the kitchen claiming they were worried the shock of seeing what they were up to would start me off in labour while the Health Visitor was very doubtful about the wisdom of even considering bringing a new baby 'to live in this slum.' It was hugely disruptive, messy, filthy and took a lot of time, effort and money to rectify.
Yet while this caused stress and anxiety, we knew we could do something about it. We weren't helpless. I thought of some of the people you've met recently. How precarious their lives are by comparison. People who are at the mercy of the bad effects of weather, illness, the consequences of the death of a breadwinner etc. I am grateful for what we have. For you, try not to be overwhelmed by the enormity of need. I think of the non sponsored children watching the Compassion children being fed while they went hungry, also the housing stories in this blogpost. You can't do everything. You can do something...and you're doing it.Don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed into non action.
Don't despair. Keep wanting to make a difference.
much love, Mum.
Great to read your blog. Sounds like a life-changing experience. More extreme than my 6 months in Germany before university! You are making a difference.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you - the welsh Smiths!!
Hi Katie
ReplyDeleteSounds as if you are having a good time. An infestation of spiders does not sound good to me but sounds as if you have coped very well!!
Not washing your hair for 7 days is awesome too! Don't think I would cope very well with that one either but I guess over there having perfect hair doesn't really rank on their radar when they struggle for the basics.
Shane Claiborne's book is very challenging, isn't it? A wee while since I've read it though. I think doing things for others and feeling good about it is fine. 2 fold reward really. Helping build that house for the woman and her 4 children will sure have a long lasting effect on them giving them shelter for a long time to come, as well as the effect it has on you. You're putting your faith into action. Not just giving money, or praying but BEING there and therefore giving you a much bigger understanding of the plight of others less fortunate than us. It's making a difference little by little and that's all we can do (unless you billionaire like Zuckerberg is now!!!)
Be kind to yourself! You are doing great and am sure will be a different person in some way when you get home.
Look after yourself and enjoy it all. much love Barbaraxxx
Hi Katie, Found your last 2 blogs really interesting. When you are home and telling folk about goats sleeping in with the family, about builDing a house from grass and mud and all the while the lady has malaria, you will have the pictures of these things in your mind because you've really been there not like your listeners for whom it will be words only. Your memories will persist with you for ever. Glad you've managed to be ina church and Bible study where English is spoken. We have had many holidays in France and always try to visit French Mission trust churchs there. Our French is OK for everyday things but not for "spiritual" language but the the folk are so pleased to see us, we swell the often very small congregations and can often sing somgs in English since the tune is the same we use. They will reach for our Bible, find the correct book, chapter and verse and hand it back, and if the pastor has any English he may sometimes give us a summary in English.
ReplyDeleteIt's Introductions lunch tomorrow which Beth Dodds and I do. Your Mum is making soup and I'm doing sandwiches, salad things and flapjack. It's a good way for new fok to become more a past of the church. When we moved here 7 years ago we went to a lunch and subsequently became really good friends with the couple who were doing the luch then.
You will find a real difference in the weather when you get home...it's still been really cold this week. We had a few days away in the caravan near St Andrews....a lovely place, I'm very keen on gardens and the botanic garden there was super...especially the rockery.
I've been in our garden most of the day and am aching now. Will be watching Chealsea flower show on TV this week. We went to Hampton court show once and enjoyed it very much.
Every second spent with Andrew, Jan and the children is very precious now as they leave for Hamburg early in July. But we are grateful for the 7 lovely years we have had with them here and trust them to God's loving care.
I think you are doing really well, much love Jennifer M