Sorry for the lull in posting here. I will get around to telling more about my trip and putting up my pictures, I promise. For now I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I only have to work at Zehrs for another month and a half!! I leave for Rwanda in two and a half months!! I am still not sure what all this means but it got a little clearer yesterday when I got the orientation package from World Vision. Still don't know where I'll be living in Rwanda but more info about expectations and logistics makes this all seem real. It is very exciting!!!!
Aside from freaking out about this - I am moving back to Africa hourah!! I have been working in my veggie garden which is sadly lacking in veggies as of yet despite the abundence of leafy greenery. I have also been picking, washing and pitting cherries until my hands are semi-permanently died purple. So now you are mostly caught up with the happenings of my life. Sadly no camping adventures yet, but I must go before the end of the summer - anyone who lives in Ontario who wants to go, let me know!!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Yahoo!!
I can hardly sit still enough to type this! I got a call about ten minutes ago from World Vision. I GOT THE INTERNSHIP!!!! I don't even know if I have posted about this yet. So here's the background. Before I left for Rwanda I had applied for an internship with World Vision. It is a research and capacity building position working with national staff in Rwanda. Since I was going there anyway, I thought it would be a great thing to apply for. Then while I was in Rwanda we stayed right across the street from the World Vision offices in Kigali. The week after I got home I had an interview in Mississauga and now today I got a call saying I GOT THE INTERNSHIP! So I get to go back to Rwanda in October for at least six months. Now I have to go get ready for work at Zehrs but who cares since I only have to work there another couple of months!!!!
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Finally - My Rwanda Trip - Part I
So, I have been putting this off because I don't really know where to start. Now I have been home for two weeks and it is silly that I haven't posted this yet. So here it goes.
My adventures started with an impossibly long trip - three planes and two days. We managed to have fun on this trip despite the lack of sleep, the rude awakenings at 1am for "supper", and spending several hours sleeping on the floor at the Frankfurt international airport. So after all this, we arrived in Rwanda.
I have never seen anything as beautiful as this country. South Africa is a stunning place and Canada is full of beautiful places but there is something about Rwanda that just made me fall in love. Kigali, the capital, is a crazy bustling city. So many people everywhere, and you can't dive straight. You are either going up or down at all times.
A view of Kigali from our guest house
The moon rising over Kigali
The church where we spent most of our time when we were in the city.
After a couple days of getting settled and planning we took off for Kibuye, which is a small city on the shores of Lake Kivu. Again, this place is the most beautiful place ever. We spent three days working in a refugee camp outside of the city, on the top of a mountain. While we were there we did leadership training with the Youth Workers in the camp.
Youth Ministry is a pretty new thing there so we talked alot about our experiences in Youth Ministry, what works, what doesn't, and the importance of having relationships with the youthe you work with. It was a really challenging but rewarding time. Three days was not long enough!
Somewhere around 18 000 people live in the camp. They are Congolese-Rwandan refugees who found themselves in the Congo when the Belgians drew the borders. Now they can see their home on a clear day, but they can't go there.
Lake Kivu is a volcanic lake so there are tons of inlets and islands making it great for scenic photos, but also for fish! We ate lots of fish and except for the times when the head was still attached, it was very yummy:)
Rwanda is known as the land of 1000 hills and it is not hard to guess why. Green lush mountains as far as the eye can see. We drove half an hour through the mountains everyday to get to the camp and
were treated to this magnificent scenary on the way.
I have to stop here for now, but the rest will follow soon.
My adventures started with an impossibly long trip - three planes and two days. We managed to have fun on this trip despite the lack of sleep, the rude awakenings at 1am for "supper", and spending several hours sleeping on the floor at the Frankfurt international airport. So after all this, we arrived in Rwanda.
I have never seen anything as beautiful as this country. South Africa is a stunning place and Canada is full of beautiful places but there is something about Rwanda that just made me fall in love. Kigali, the capital, is a crazy bustling city. So many people everywhere, and you can't dive straight. You are either going up or down at all times.
A view of Kigali from our guest house
The moon rising over Kigali
The church where we spent most of our time when we were in the city.
After a couple days of getting settled and planning we took off for Kibuye, which is a small city on the shores of Lake Kivu. Again, this place is the most beautiful place ever. We spent three days working in a refugee camp outside of the city, on the top of a mountain. While we were there we did leadership training with the Youth Workers in the camp.
Youth Ministry is a pretty new thing there so we talked alot about our experiences in Youth Ministry, what works, what doesn't, and the importance of having relationships with the youthe you work with. It was a really challenging but rewarding time. Three days was not long enough!
Somewhere around 18 000 people live in the camp. They are Congolese-Rwandan refugees who found themselves in the Congo when the Belgians drew the borders. Now they can see their home on a clear day, but they can't go there.
Lake Kivu is a volcanic lake so there are tons of inlets and islands making it great for scenic photos, but also for fish! We ate lots of fish and except for the times when the head was still attached, it was very yummy:)
Rwanda is known as the land of 1000 hills and it is not hard to guess why. Green lush mountains as far as the eye can see. We drove half an hour through the mountains everyday to get to the camp and
were treated to this magnificent scenary on the way.
I have to stop here for now, but the rest will follow soon.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Beam me home Scotty!
If only! I have decided that while I love to travel, I hate airplanes. Hate is a strong word, but it applies. I am not afraid to fly - in fact it is pretty cool. I just hate planes. It took us two days to get to Rwanda - three flights - and more than 20 hours to get home, also three flights but with less layovers, to get home. If only transporters like the ones in Star Trek really existed. Than I could go to Africa and back when ever I wanted!
Anyway, despite the neverending trip, I am home safe and sound. Rwanda was amazing. It is such a beautiful country with such amazing people. I loved being there and really I didn't want to come home. The trip was affirming, challenging, fun, sad, hard, comfortable. So many different conflicting but complimentary things. We saw and experienced so many things and I have only been home two hours so I don't think I can describe much of it yet. Pam already came over for a walk so we could chat more because we're both still processing. When I have things sorted out I will tell more, but for now I am home.
Anyway, despite the neverending trip, I am home safe and sound. Rwanda was amazing. It is such a beautiful country with such amazing people. I loved being there and really I didn't want to come home. The trip was affirming, challenging, fun, sad, hard, comfortable. So many different conflicting but complimentary things. We saw and experienced so many things and I have only been home two hours so I don't think I can describe much of it yet. Pam already came over for a walk so we could chat more because we're both still processing. When I have things sorted out I will tell more, but for now I am home.
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