Fall in Kigali

An absolutely beautiful day in Kigali, Rwanda... Funny that it's Halloween in the States.

In case you haven't heard, Rwanda is called "Land of a Thousand Hills," and it really is. I love the rainy seasons, officially. I love to wake up to pouring rain on my tin roof (except when it leaks on my pillow!), and I love the cool air it brings with it after the rain fall. Rwanda is so incredibly lush and green right now, and even in my garden the flowers are blooming and the birds that come around our house garden are beautiful! I could watch them all day.

My first month here I made the mistake of creating expectations for my time here in Rwanda. Based on my unique experience in Kenya, I was expecting full on cultural immersion and turned my nose up at creating an ex-pat community. My thought process was -- I'm in Rwanda, shouldn't I just make friends with the Rwandese? It did not take me long to experience the dissatisfaction with the way I was putting my "Rwanda experience" in a box. God is humbling me big time and showing me not to put my own labels, expectations in my life, in general. I'm experiencing a much greater freedom here shedding my pre-conceived notions of relationships. The relationships I am building in Prison Fellowship Rwanda are some of the richest relationshisp I am building here and I am so thankful for the amazing people in that office. Also, I found a really great church that's an English service and it's Anglican and I have never found a church with this great of a connection back in the States, so it is one of the highlights certainly from my time here in Kigali.

Although tomorrow I may go to the "Healing Center...." with the girl who cooks for us (yes, we have a cook -- everyone does here...), and that's her church... it will be a five hour church service. So I'm bracing myself. :)

Please know that you are all in my prayers from Kigali. Please send me emails to update me on your life! It is hard for me to send out individual emails to all of you on a regular basis (hence the blog), but please email me I'd love to hear more details about you whether you're in NYC, TN, TX or... wherever!

Love,

Rachel