Rwanda is breathtakingly beautiful. Here are some recent photos taken from the hospital grounds where we live.
The photo above gives the impression that the hospital is small. It’s not. The buildings sprawl across a few hundred metres. This is the private clinic.
Here are some photos we took on a recent weekend up north. Tim really needed a break somewhere else so he could come back and face the busyness again. We went to Gisenyi.
In the lead up to Easter we read and acted out the story as a family.
We were very excited that another family with our organisation came from across the border to share Easter weekend with us. We set up a tent in the garden for the kids and Catherine, and had a great time together sharing stories about our experiences in Africa.
We continued studying the story of Easter, went on walks and visited the ice-cream shop. We spent Easter Sunday at church followed by lunch at a friends’ house that felt like a real party to celebrate the new life Jesus has made possible for us all.
The kids were excited that an American friend in Kigali had given them some real chocolate Easter eggs to have a hunt like they would in Australia. I must say our kids don’t remember Easter egg hunts or chocolate Easter eggs but the girls from the other family are older and certainly did. I’m pretty sure our kids will next year too.
Happy Easter everyone. He is risen!
Cath’s Mum, youngest sister and nephew came to spend some time with us and go on a few adventures together. We hadn’t seen them for a whole year. Beau especially had changed during that time: from a baby of 6 months into a little boy. After much chatting over Skype, it was so good to see them in person and be able to give them a hug.
They arrived at the end of February laden with huge amounts of luggage, most of which was for us (very kind and another excitement as they unpacked). Beau fitted in really well, soon teaming up with Hannah. By the end of the three and a half weeks the two of them would wake up in the morning asking for each other: very sweet.
We got up to a few adventures together. Tim came for some and stayed home to work during others. Here are a few highlights on which we remembered to take the camera.
Mama Jeremy’s New Tin Roof
Jeremy invited us to come and see his mother’s new tin roof. Only a few minutes drive from home, the town feels far away.
Visit to Nepo’s Family
Our gardener and night watchman Nepo welcomed our family to his home for chai. It’s a 45 minute drive from town. His wife and seven children can be found in the photo below, surrounded by lots of others from the village who came to say hello.
On Safari, then the exploring the capital city
We drove to the east of Rwanda to see wild animals in Akagera National Park. It was the longest day of driving I’ve ever done, off road too. But we saw lots of animals along the way. It was worth it. See some of them below!
At the end of the day the kids were excited to swim in a pool at the lodge with floating seats brought by ‘Oma’.
The next day we moved on to Kigali, where I showed Mum and Steph around the capital. At one point I went to a meeting, leaving them to explore a milling foreign market with three small white kids (who were bound to attract copious amounts of attention). I was very impressed that they not only coped, but ordered some handbags, caught a taxi and found their way back to the accommodation on their own.
We stayed an extra day in Kigali for me to have a potential skin cancer on my nose removed by a local plastic surgeon. I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the drama for what I thought was going to be a simple waiting-room-in-and-out-of-the-office procedure. As it turned out I had all day in hospital in a proper hospital bed, was wheeled to and from the surgery (where others were having hard core procedures done) and attended in surgery by six staff. I can certainly say I was looked after! I can also say some weeks later that the surgeon did an excellent job (you can hardly see the scar), and more importantly the results for cancer were negative.
Birthdays
We celebrated Hannah’s 2nd birthday with a party. We forgot to take photos, but as she wouldn’t keep her clothes on they probably wouldn’t have been appropriate! She seemed to enjoy herself running around with a pack of children eating party food. Here is a photo of her delightedly opening presents on her actual birthday, and me blowing out my candles a few days later.
Hanging Around
Mama Africa Incredible Playground
We had one last outing before dropping Mum, Steph and Beau off at the airport: lunch and play at Mama Africa in Kigali. What an incredible playground! William in particular has really missed playgrounds and gets excited about a single swing or slide. Imagine how excited he was when he saw this…
There were also trampolines, a merry-go-round, a little train on a track you can sit in for a ride, a ball pit, and places for parents to sit and have a drink. Incredible!
It was very sad to say goodbye at the airport knowing how long it will be until we see each other again. But what a wonderful time we had together! Lots of good memories to keep us going until next time.
Friends of my sister, hearing some of Clementine’s story, felt inspired to help her. An orphan from the genocide, she has no extended family to call upon. These friends pulled together to help her purchase a block of land on a hillside newly opened for development by the government. They hoped this would provide her with some security for times to come.
Clementine was ecstatic! She says she has family now, as these people looked after her as her own parents would have wanted to.
The story doesn’t end there. Clementine had enough money left to begin the foundations of a house. She hopes that as the years pass she will be able to add to the building. Three days after the paperwork was finalised, excited, she had a team of men digging in the garden to prepare the ground.
Unfortunately, on the second day work stopped abruptly and shock resounded when the workers discovered bones. Remains from the genocide. The police dealt with the remains efficiently, storing them for reburial at a service during the next Genocide Memorial Week.
Clementine was reeling. She couldn’t sleep for days kept awake by memories and threatened by bad dreams. What was she to do? The wonderful gift now was now tainted with a link to unthinkable times.
Clementine returned to the government office and asked if they would exchange the land for another block in the same area. They were happy to help, and exchanged it without additional fees.
Now Clementine has a new block, and intends to start work on it soon. When my mum visited recently she showed her the new land. It is further away from Butare’s prison, a little further from town, with a beautiful view. She is very happy. We hope the slightly bumpy beginning ends as intended in giving her some security in times to come. Clementine certainly feels it will. She feels loved by people who cared.
Hannah turned 2 on Monday. She loved getting presents, new clothes, a cake, and ESPECIALLY a new doll:
On Wednesday I ran my first half Marathon, together with 3 friends that I run with most weeks. Our wives provided a ‘drinks station’ about two-thirds of the way around the course. We started out running up Tumba hill in 25 degree heat (sweaty work!) and finished by doing the last half hour back into town in the dark, blinded by oncoming motorbikes and unable to see (or feel!) our feet. We met up in town for some food afterwards but I pity the other diners…
Thirty One. Female.
A month old infant sucks at her breast,
The wound of his removal lining her abdomen.
The blouse not hiding her swollen liver
Pressing through the much washed fabric.
A hepatitidy her malady.
Spread, untreatable,
Mere months to live.
The gun aimed at her silent;
The barrel spanning her life;
The shot now emerging
Spattered though her lung like duckshot.
Two more mouths await her at home-
Her belly bears the scars of their birth.
But no husband to share the burden;
No breadwinner, no bread.
The only treatment
Words and paindullers,
An aspirin for a gaping wound;
A social worker and some forms.
Where will you go,
O What will you do?
Bereft infant, O Motherless son,
Who shall shine on you?
What can I say?
What can I promise?
Only a God who watches,
Hears her wails and my cries,
And weeps,
For a Kingdom coming.
