Fired.

Yesterday I fired someone for the first time. I didn’t like it. It was a hard thing that needed doing, and now it’s over lots of tension we didn’t know was there is leaving our household.

Our house worker Emovine didn’t work out. We didn’t trust her, for some proven reasons, and she still wasn’t a very good cleaner two months in. Afterwards we used Google translator to explain in French to a confused Nepo (our gardener) what had happened, and he then offered information that further confirmed our decision, which was helpful emotionally. So now it’s done and we’re looking for a replacement. It feels like a breath of fresh air has wafted through the house.

Or is that the smell of the sourdough Tim has just baked? Mmmm….

We are very excited to be able to show you our new car! Tim went to Kigali this week and had it checked by a mechanic, then bought it and registered it in our name all in one day. Incredible, considering the trouble we had with the first car, which is still unregistered and yet to be resold many months later. We have a few people making solid offers at the moment so hopefully that one will be off our hands soon.

This weekend there is a special conference being held by the Butare Anglican Diocese, with lots of overseas visitors and excitement in the church community. The children and I attended the main session this morning and a lovely little Rwandan girl attached herself to us. I was quite chuffed that I managed to communicate with her a little about various things (she must be about 4 which helps – she chose simple words and topics). William wanted to bring her home. I said no but at one point thought she might end up coming with us anyway because we couldn’t find her mother. I was quite shocked (cross-cultural difference again!) when it was suggested by someone that I just take her home. Their plan was to tell the girl’s mother, who they didn’t know, that her daughter was at my house when she came looking. Imagine doing that in Australia! I suppose in Australia you wouldn’t leave your daughter with a stranger either. There’s a much more community oriented approach to parenting here! As was clear when I stood there waiting for her mother to return, and a couple of Rwandan mums offered to take her with them. They didn’t know her or the mother either, but off she went happily with them.

Tomorrow we have a farewell party for Simon, Nicole, Senna and Rowan, who are moving to the UK. The children are going to miss them terribly, as they play together a couple of times a week. William has been quite emotional about it all week, poor boy. We will miss their company.

On Sunday we are quite excited to be off on our first camping trip in Rwanda – a missionary’s conference near Lake Kivu. On the way we drive through a state forest teaming with different kinds of monkeys, which should be fun. The conference is supposed to be in a stunning location, so we will be posting pics I’m sure!

For now, here is the sunset from our front door (which looks over our back fence). Beautiful.