I have to make this quick since I need to go to bed early as I wake up at 5:30 a.m for work every day! I am surprised at how quickly time is flying by before I get to go home for Christmas break. I am getting very busy trying to juggle my three different positions here in Rwanda, but I am trying to guard my personal time to allow myself to soak in my surroundings and rest.
If you can remember, PLEASE pray for me as I prepare my very first grant proposal for Prison Fellowship Rwanda. It is due Nov. 30th. We are submitting a grant to the Hovde Foundation to build a home for a population of street children that PFR serves, equipped with educational/vocational training and also counseling services. I am a little anxious about this since PFR is putting all their eggs in this one proposal basket with me leading the ship.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, I am already starting to be jealous of my American friends/family as this is my favorite holiday. My housemates and I are going to celebrate (even the Brit) and we are deciding what to do about the meat ... We can pay 20 bucks to go outside of the city and buy a live turkey and then slaughter it, pluck it, and all of that at my house. Our house boy, Damascene would obviously help us but we're trying to decide if it's worth it since all the birds here are not injected with outrageous growth hormones (Ahem USA) and the downsides of this, while healthier w/o hormones, is a very bony, not very juicy, bird. Also, I just don't know if I can deal with carrying a live turkey home with me carrying it by its legs, knowing I'm about to have it slaughtered.... Kind of sad. I tried to do it in Kenya once when I bought my family a chicken but I named it "Jasmine" and then made my Kenyan family promise not to kill it until after I left b/c I didn't want to kill it since I bought it for my family. I don't think my roommates here would very much appreciate a pet turkey if I refused to kill it.... I'll keep you posted. We just might do a goat roast and buy meat already dead.
I'm really started to become accustomed to life in Kigali. The bus systems aren't as intimidating anymore, my Kinyarwanda is coming along much better, and I'm starting to make real friendships with Rwandans... these people are hard to crack! Much more so than Kenyans, who I have found to be so much more welcoming and open than Rwandans.
I'm growing so much spiritually as I am over here. I am finding that amidst my bouts of loneliness and frustrations with cultural divides, it is causing me to seek truth and satisfaction in my faith. Even though I know that challenges will continue to come my way until I hit June (the biggest one being missing John!), I am confident that this is a refining time for my soul through growth in my faith.
Thanks to all my friends and family for your love and support. I miss everyone so much!
Rachel
P.S. This is me at my desk at the PFR office. Water bottle, cell phone, and planner are at my side, as usual. Plus my rosebud salve is in my bag at my feet. Never forget my staple life items :)
Hey Rach I will pray for you and send you so much love which hopefully you will feel so that it crushes all (well most of those lonely feelings). You are going to see John soo soon (at Xmas right?)
RépondreSupprimerOK in regards to the turkey how exciting. I ordered a turkey from a farm and it was slaughtered last Wednesday, so yes I did not do it myself (although I helped with a dear two weekends ago) I know what you are thinking about. You are dealing with the responsibility almost no American faces anymore which is the real process of life and death that it takes to put food on the table. If you cannot kill it maybe a friend could and then you could gut it etc... I would not just get any old meat in a capital city haha (it's better to know where it came form etc). We miss you too for TG, but we will see you soon. AND I have done Thanksgivings abroad and they can be so much fun. Don't worry hang in there. Love you xoxooxo