Lake Bunyonyi, part 2

the second day of our stay in Uganda was just as beautiful as the first.

we went over to the island with the rope swing and had a bit of a swim

we then headed to the island where we had met the locals the day before, as they had invited us to come watch their high school football/soccer match.. Lake Bunyonyi vs. Central High School. we watched as they ran around a completely NOT flat field, some with sneakers, some without shoes on, some with one shoe.. and then the RAIN came. and i don't mean a cute little sun shower.. this was a monsoon! the game stopped and we took shelter in one of their buildings, until of course, Jon and Ty decided they'd play their own game. all the Africans watched on as two crazy muzungus played football together in the rain ;)

once the rain let up, we decided we should head back to our island before another storm came. but another storm came. canoeing through the "waves" on the lake with the wind blowing while we sang pirate songs was slightly stressful, but mostly just a heck of a lot of fun. the rest of the night included playing cards, relaxing and reading, and just some good conversation about an array of topics as we got to know each other a bit more.

i am now back in Kigali, about to start another week helping out at YWAM. even though i was only gone for a few days, the hustle and bustle is overwhelming already! but, i am so thankful for this weekend - both to the people i got to spend time with, and also to God for creating such a beautiful place for us to enjoy.

if you ever have the opportunity to go to Uganda, i recommend Lake Bunyonyi - you will NOT regret it!

-Bronte.

follow this link for some photos from the weekend :)

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2477861661168.135908.1091280021&type=1&l=7fdad63fa2

a weekend away in Uganda

Ah, Uganda. I don’t even know where to start to explain this weekend!

As I write, I am staring at the beauty of Lake Binyonyi. I don’t know how big it is, but it’s big enough that there are a series of small islands – some are used as accommodation, like the one I am on, but some are the homes of the locals, where they farm crops. They have schools and churches also. Although there are many signs of human activity here, it still screams of the beauty of God’s creation.

We got to our island by canoe, and by canoe, I mean a hollowed out log. Very Pocahontas-y ;) It was about 45 minutes to our island from the mainland. We are staying in what are called “geo domes” (photo at the bottom). I also have some lizards as roommates ;) After settling in, I spent about an hour and a half literally just sitting in the sun looking out, praying, thinking, and just being alone. It is nice to be removed from the distractions of internet and phone service, etc. and the hustle and bustle of Kigali. Ty, Jon and I decided we’d take a canoe over to the island where there is a rope swing and go for a swim. Unfortunately, we discovered, that steering and paddling a hollowed out log is harder than it looks.. we spent some time going in circles, but eventually got it figured out, only to see a rain storm heading our way. The rainy season of Africa strikes again.. we saw the big dark clouds, felt the wind, and on the top of the water, we could see the spray from the water drops landing – it was a pretty phenomenal sight. Especially when we looked to the opposite side and saw blue skies and the sun shining. We decided we should find some shelter because the water was getting a bit rough because of the wind, so we paddled to the nearest island. It rained (heavily) for about 1 minute and then stopped.. all in all, it was a hilarious situation, but also completely beautiful.

As we made our way towards the island, a local man on another island got our attention and held up a football/soccer ball. We decided to skip the rope swing, and accept his invitation. We figured out we were on the island that housed one of the schools. We played some soccer, and spent some time with the kids there. Ugandan kids know more English than Rwandan kids do, so it was nice to have at least a little bit of communication. We took photos, taught each other dances, and they sang to me. It was moments like that where I just reflected and was thinking, ‘Wow, I’m in Africa..” and in those moments, I felt absolutely blessed to have this opportunity. These are things I will hold onto for years and years to come. The canoe trip back to our island was breathtaking all over again, as the sun was beginning to set, and the water was now completely still. We reflected as we paddled back that things like that just don’t happen in Kigali – being that it’s a city, there’s not such a strong, yet open, sense of community. It was refreshing to engage in some light-hearted friendly interactions.

Nighttime brought a fun time of playing cards and just chatting. It’s nice to get away from the busyness of Kigali and just be in complete darkness and stillness. The night sky looked unreal. I don’t think that I have ever seen so many stars in the sky at one time, not ever. It’s a shame how much of God’s creation we miss out on living in city and suburban areas.

Today will be full of more fun and beauty, I am sure. Thanks for reading!

-Bronte.

follow this link for some photos from the weekend :)

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2477861661168.135908.1091280021&type=1&l=7fdad63fa2

blessings amidst the struggles

i just need to vent. ha. and in more than just a facebook status or tweet!

i have been so overwhelmingly blessed throughout this whole experience. in 3 days, it will be one month since i left america (woah, time flies!) and as i look back at it, and as i stand here today, i have such an overwhelming sense of God's peace, love, grace, mercy, faithfulness..i could go on forever. even through just listening to worship songs that i've heard 100 times, the aspects of God's character are seeming more real than usual. although i have really struggled with understanding Him, and at times even became frustrated with Him, His immense goodness has showed through. if nothing else happens in my time here in Rwanda, i will leave getting to say that i was reminded of who my God is. this is something that i feel completely honoured to have been able to learn. the fact that God would allow me, little old me, to feel His character in such a real way, is purely fantastic. He has completely surrounded me and brought strength to me that i can take no credit for. He has reminded me of His power in the little things. God is capable of doing huge things, but in the past month, He has showed me how attentive He is to the little things too. which is exactly what I needed. and perhaps He will go on to show me through some big things too, but if not, i am completely in love with Him for what He has already done.

He is beautiful and huge and strong and gentle all at the same time. i hope that you all are able to feel these same things from Him in your life wherever you are right now.

i love you all.

thanks, as always, for reading.

-Bronte.

quickuku

It has been a relaxing weekend. Friday night my housemate Jamie and I went over to a friend’s house for dinner – a young family from church. It’s always nice to have some social time with people over here. I cannot express just how much of a blessing it has been to find the community that I have. I don’t think I would have made it this far without having such a great group of people to be around. I’m not particularly close to anyone, and I still haven’t completely broken out of my shell to reveal the crazy Bronte that some of you may know ;) but it’s nice just to be in the company of other people (who speak English!)

On Saturday, Jamie and I went to a Rwandan craft fair held at the US embassy, which was also a fun social time.

Today I went to the same church I had written about earlier in my blog – I am within walking distance, and all of the people I have gotten to meet are a part of this church. After church, a group of the younger people usually go out to eat for lunch, so I went along and met a few new people, which was great.

After church, I managed to say hello to a guy who is living over here with his wife and kids, who is from Australia. The first time we’d met, he’d told me about his work, and I expressed how interesting it sounded, and also that I was looking for some group/s to get plugged into. He told me today that the director of the organisation he works for has recently returned to Rwanda. He has offered to talk to the director about me possibly coming to do some intern type work with them. I usually don’t like to share possible projects and stuff before they are actually set in stone and going to happen – but this one, I am telling you about because I would really appreciate your prayer! I know I have already been asking for your prayers concerning finding some work here, so now I’m just making it a little more specific! If you could pray that 1: the director would say that I can come work with them, and 2: that the work they do would be something I am really able to pour my heart into, and be helpful as well as passionate.

Thank you for reading, and if you would be so kind as to pray, I appreciate that too!

-Bronte

muddy season!

Things are good here in Rwanda. Things are RAINY here in Rwanda, but good. The wet season has started. And let me tell you, it is appropriately named, although “muddy season” would also be quite fitting..

I am happily moved into my new house. And I love it here. The house is comfortable – I mean I was actually beginning to really like my bucket showers, and not that I actually ENJOYED the action of having to pour buckets of water over myself, but it just made me reflect on how much water we waste even showering in the Western World.. when trust me, it could be done with just a couple of small buckets! (ok I probably maybe wasn’t quite as clean… but you get my point..) I still don’t have a “shower” per se, but a bath tub and warm running water..running water! The idea of flushing a toilet had become so foreign to me! And having a mirror.. it was strange to see myself again after two weeks! It’s funny how we always think about things like TVs and phones and electronics as the luxuries that we have, and other people do not, when really it’s simple things like running water and bright electricity and mirrors that now seem so luxurious to me! Oh how spoiled we are in the Western World..

I had also been struggling with the fact that I had people serving me so well at the children’s home – and I know and accept that this is a huge cultural thing, but it was difficult for me to feel like a servant when I had people bringing me food, washing my clothes, making my bed, washing my clothes, etc.. Here at the house we do have a cleaning/laundry lady, but I feel that now that my “work” and home life are separated that I don’t feel so uncomfortable about it. And it was also explained to me that it’s almost expected of “well-off” people to have house help because it as seen as supporting the country because it provides employment. And my housemates have also been able to build a relationship with her – she even came with us this week to visit at an orphanage, which was really cool to get to experience with her. She was so amazing with the kids too, so it was definitely a great time to get to spend together.

My housemates are both so great too. It’s just really nice to have other people around, whereas before I was very lonely as I was the only English-speaker in the home. I feel much more at peace and much stronger being here. I’m extremely happy, and blessed is an understatement. God answered my very earnest prayers in such a loving way.

As far as “work”, I have begun working at YWAM’s (Youth With A Mission) base here in Kigali. They run a Christian school on their base for grades 1-6 for Rwandan kids, but school is taught in English. It’s really interesting how these young people can be so strong in two completely different languages! It’s impressive. They have their exam period coming up, so I am helping the teachers in typing up their exams. They do not have the same experience with typing/computers that I do, haven taken computer classes in school, and worked in various offices (as well as typing countless papers in my 4 years at Eastern..), so it takes much less time for me to do it. Also, the teachers are stretched very thinly: they all work insanely long hours, for very little pay. When I decided to come to Rwanda, I did not envision sitting in an office typing, however, many people at the base have told me that they had been praying heavily for someone to be able to help them with this busy period. So, I’m not doing anything that I’m terribly passionate about – I don’t have “a heart” for typing, but I asked God to allow me to help someone somehow, and that’s what I am doing, and so, I am happy. It is SUCH a huge honour for people to tell me that I am answer to prayers. I’m really happy that I’m able to relieve some stress for these dedicated and hard working people.

I also get to have yet another great group of people to spend time with at the base – I have morning tea and lunch with all of the YWAM staff – many are Rwandan, some Congolese, Ugandan, Dutch, Canadian, English, American.. it’s a really great sense of community. There’s a lot of humour – we all get to laugh together, which is a really great way to break down cultural barriers (most of them speak English well). I am really enjoying my time there. I have been so lucky to meet so many great people here in Rwanda. It makes it much easier to have people to enjoy life with.

I am still looking into learning about/helping out at a few other organisations, so hopefully that happens because there are some things I’m pretty excited about.

I can’t believe it was three weeks ago that I left America. It’s been a complete and total roller coaster, with more downs than ups, it seems. And I look back and wish that I could have been stronger (I had a LOT of weak moments that I wasn’t comfortable sharing on here..). I have so many people cheering me on back home, and who believe in me so strongly, and I only hope that I lived up to their opinions of me. Through all of this, I have had peace that God has not been disappointed in me, but I have been conscious of making everyone at home proud, and proving their opinions to be true. I know that there is no judgement or disappointment from those who love me, I only mean to say that I hope I have acted upon all the qualities they have seen in me and shared with me over the past few months. So I thank you all for your ongoing support and encouragement.

But trust me, God has been humbling me hugely here – I think He has taught me more about what I CANNOT do than what I can. Which is completely ok, because that has required me to look at what He can do. I have had to lean heavily upon his faithfulness and strength; and that’s never a bad thing.

I am also humbled by all the people I have met: people who have packed up completely and moved over here, some with families, some alone. Some who have dedicated a year, or two to some cause. Then there’s the women who work at the children’s home I visited this week. They have a group of pretty severely mentally and physically challenged children, and I know that I would probably lose it being there every day. The patience and hard work they bring to these kids is almost unhuman.. it was hard for me just to see for an hour or two – to see these kids who just never will be able to talk or walk or hear or play.. And not because of any fault of their own, but simply because that’s just how it is. It was really overwhelming to see, and brought up a lot of thoughts and questions, but amongst all of that, these women give hour upon hour to helping these kids be as well taken care of as possible. Don’t be proud of me! Give them all your support and compliments!

Anyway,

I appreciate you reading, as always,

Your continued prayer for the details of my “work” and involvement here are appreciated. Thank you!

Much love,

-Bronte.

end of rwanda: chapter 1

today was my last (full) day with the kids. it was a really nice last night. the kids had a lot of great energy when i got there and we did some of their favourite song/dance/games. we practiced a little bit of english while we tried to communicate some things to each other, which took a lot of time, and i *think they got what i was saying, but either way it's good for them to try to communicate in english so they can continue to learn. it makes me sad to know i won't be seeing them every day anymore, but i have been in communication with those in charge about getting to visit every so often, which will be really nice. they're real gems, and i look forward to when i will see them again.

today i also went into town to sort out some errands in preparation for me moving into my new house tomorrow. it's crazy to think that two weeks ago today, i was a nauseated emotional wreck, and today i am able to get a moto, all by myself, into town, to get things done. i owe it to abby, who taught me everything i know, but it's really nice to not feel so lost and alone, and to feel i have the ability to do things for myself now too.

today also marked my first africa-sunburn. realised i forgot to bring sunscreen...whoops!

the wet season has officially started.. hurricane irene has some competition in the rain department.. the rain is intense. things can get pretty muddy around here. tonight was one of the clearest nights since i've been here (or at least the first night i actually thought to stop and look UP), Kigali is a pretty large city, but there's still so much less light pollution than in the States - I've never seen the moon so bright, and seeing the stars was really nice. i still haven't been able to locate the Southern Cross though.

anyway,

continued prayers for my "work" situation are appreciated.

thanks as always for reading

-Bronte.

big changes.

It is after much anxiety, many tears, many prayers, and much consideration, that I have decided that I will no longer be working with New Hope Homes here in Rwanda. It has been very confusing to try to understand why God would have allowed me to fly all the way to Rwanda only to feel that He is not calling me to work with this ministry, but I have full confidence that that is what He wants, and what is best.

At New Hope, the kids are provided for and so well taken care of, that I have realised that I am not truly being a servant – I have been treated so well that I function more as a guest, and an onlooker of other’s hard work, and that is not why I came to Rwanda. I came to offer something – to be helpful, and to be useful. The Aunties and Uncles work so very hard, that I see nothing left for me to do to serve in this ministry. It is hard to not feel guilty about leaving, but I have peace about the fact that God will bring me to a place where I can truly live out the things that made me want to come on this trip in the first place. And I have the peace of knowing that in my leaving, these kids will still be immensely loved and cared for. I am disappointed that this has happened, as it has been beautiful to get to meet these kids, but I also trust that I have to follow the paths where I see God being able to use me as much as possible. I have not yet found that path – I am still searching for work to do here in Rwanda, fully hoping that there is some group here that could truly use my help and where I can truly serve people.

So, as of Sunday, I will be moving into a house with two other women I met through the Bible Study I have been attending. This has been a huge answer to prayer. I have been praying constantly for God to somehow arrange things to work out to somehow let me know that I am in fact meant to be here in Rwanda (in all honesty it has been so tempting to just get on a flight out of here). Last night, I had been planning to go to Bible Study, but it looked like rain was coming, so I decided to set out an hour early and just wait at a friends house until it started. However, as I went to put on my shoes, the rainy season of Africa hit.. I was praying that God would please stop the rain (a petty request, but I had been looking forward to Bible Study all week). Half an hour before Bible Study was meant to start, I realised the rain had stoped – I rushed to get my stuff together and rushed out the door hoping to find a moto driver who would be willing to take me (the motos tend to stop when it rains). It took a while, but I eventually found one. I was already so thankful to God for stopping the rain. In Bible Study we shared some needs and problems we are currently going through, so I shared that I am struggling to find my purpose here in Rwanda. After Bible Study, the woman who runs it and hosts it, asked me what was going on exactly. By the time I got home, she had called me and offered me the spare room in their house. Funnily enough, our study last night was about trusting God’s promise of provision. I am in awe of how good He has been, not only to grant me somewhere to live, but to allow me to live with two really great people, to be surrounded by people I already know in the neighbourhood, and to answer my prayer so quickly (although it felt like an eternity waiting..).

I still feel some anxiety about what I will actually be doing with my time here, but the same way He has proven faithful to provide me a great place to live, I hope He will also somehow show me what comes next.

Thank you for everyone who was praying for this situation, or just for me in general. God is faithful to hear you, that’s for sure. Please thank Him for that.

And I ask your continued prayer for provision of a place for me to serve here.

Much love,

-Bronte.

not quite bi-lingual..

Hi all,

As you know, I have had quite a difficult time with the language barrier here in Rwanda,
However, I thought it might be fun to share with you some of the things I HAVE learned. It’s a really cooolll looking language – hard to speak, but cool to look at ha!

So, here is the complete Bronte-Hughes-Kinyarwanda-Dictionary

Yes –yego
No – oya
Thank you - murakoze
Hello, how are you - amakuru
I’m good – ni meza
Good morning - mwaramutse
Good afternoon/evening - mwirewe
Rain - imvura
Wash - koga
I don’t know – simbizi
I don’t understand - simbyumva
Water - amazi
Come - ngwino
It’s ok/no problem – ntakibazo
Look - umva
Smile – seka

That’s it. The end. Ha!

☺ thanks for reading

Keep praying – things are quite uneasy here, but I’ll provide details when things calm down a bit.

-Bronte.

chickens and bagels.

I’m starting to get to know Rwanda a little better, while also getting plugged into a nice group of other young westerners (although I am discovering I think I must be the youngest person here!) to fend off any possible feelings of loneliness.

This Saturday I experienced my first Saturday morning at African Bagel Company (you can read more about them HERE). Saturday mornings are commonly known as “donuts” – “are you going to donuts tomorrow?” It is very popular for many westerners – young singles and families with kids. So it was nice to have a little bit of time to get to meet a few more people – oh and the bagel was pretty up to par too!

Sunday I went to Christ’s Church Rwanda. It is pastored by an American, so the service is in English, however I’d say 60some percent of the congregation were Rwandans, Ugandans, Kenyans, etc. It was nice to be in a service where I knew some of the songs, and I didn’t have to distract a poor Rwandan to translate for me! After that, I went out to “Mr. Chips” – another popular place for muzungus – with about 12-15 people, which was nice to get to meet even MORE people. Mr. Chips is from the States, and this restaurant is his attempt at bringing a burger joint to Africa.

Yesterday I was able to volunteer at the international school, and also got to connect briefly with an Australian family – I am hoping to maintain some contact with them as their work sounds really interesting.. and they are from Australia so obviously they’re great people ;)

Things are a bit slow at the children’s home with me not being able to communicate much with the kids, so I am looking into some other organisations and groups I can lend some of my time to. I would appreciate prayer in this – that I can find people to connect to and that I may actually be of service to them. I am not looking to be a guest, or to have “an experience” – I truly want to HELP people in some way.

Today, our live chicken was delivered……. I came outside and saw his little feet tied up as he laid helpless in the courtyard.. I then went on my way to free yoga class at the US embassy! It was strange to be in there, as everything looks just like America.. the lights, the door handles, the carpet – the little things that you don’t take notice of until you’re in another country. The yoga class was great – I definitely think I’ll be making it a regular activity. It’s definitely good for my physical health (gotta work off all these potatoes they keep feeding me!), but it’s also really good for my mental/emotional health – I came out feeling more relaxed and energetic. So I am grateful for that. I left the embassy, and was immediately re-surrounded by Africa – a trip back home on the moto. I am completely comfortable with this part of life in Rwanda now. I’m even down to “Look mum! No hands”-riding sometimes ;) I think I’m going to have to start saving up for a motorcycle when I get back to the States…

Alas, when I got home, Emmanuel (our guard) showed me where my chicken friend had gone – he was in the freezer, plucked and all.. He was pretty amused at my reaction to this, and I tried to explain to him that in America, our chicken is already DEAD when we bring it home ;) He continued to repeat something about “chicken DIE” in broken English..

Anyway, overall, I feel more comfortable with my surroundings now, it’s just a matter of figuring out my schedule and which things I can get involved with. All prayer is appreciated please! Please please please!

Thanks, as always,

-Bronte.