1. I never thought I would grow a passion for gardening and my weekly highlights include picking ripe tomatoes from my porch tomato plants (although I wonder how bored I would get of this practice were I to have a much larger garden that required MUCH more of my time down the road).
2. I never thought I would learn to speak Kinyarwanda pretty (relative) well (after being told by everyone who lived in Rwanda that the language is so stinkin' hard) but it's only because my PFR staff members never stop talking to me in Kinyarwanda that it was high time I started memorizing words and phrases.
3. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE PLANNING A WEDDING FROM RWANDA! John, the little trickster, had me going that it would be a WHILE before we talked seriously about a wedding. Surprise!
4. That I would learn SO MUCH about myself. Two big things about myself: 1) I am a people pleaser in many ways.... erm... 2)But I still don't care what people think about me, largely (yippee) 3) How confusing is THAT? But both of them are true! Yeah, try to unpack that with me. Got a ways to go.
5. I never would think I'd be able to see the mountain gorillas, but sure enough my mom and I are going to see them on Monday!
6. I never thought that I'd be in charge of 35 4-6 year olds (with the help of one other person who speaks Kinyarwanda) for a BASKETBALL CAMP for street kids every Saturday. My friend/co-worker Kate started it (www.ubumwebasketballcamp.blogspot.com)
7. I never thought I would really really love little kids and have patience for them. I always thought I was a teenager-kind of gal who could knock around with ones closer to my age. Surprisingly, I can hang with the little ones and they don't make me pull my hair out like I thought I would (someone point me back to this blog years from now when I have little tots of my own)
8. I never thought I would eat so much RAMEN (John, don't cringe! It's a vice and I will BREAK it by the time we're married and we'll eat healthy, healthy foods and be that married couple that works out all the time together and eats spinach every day..... quote me on this in a few years! heh.).
9. I never thought I'd find my ideal church community here - St. Etienne Anglican Church, equipped with my first non-camp Bible study with church members. Love community!
10. I never thought I'd make such amazing and supportive non-Rwandan friends and be able to live with them and that we'd be supporting each other in constant prayer. (Well there is a Rwandan in this photo but I had a lot of previous assumptions that my friends would be ONLY Rwandans. I am blessed with MANY Rwandan friends here who feed my soul with their love and fun! But emphasis on the surprise with non-Rwandan friends) (Another note: the brunette gal is AUSTRALIAN! So I'll be hanging with her when I move to Oz).
11. I never thought I'd be able to get back on an intense exercise regime after being force-fed SO MANY POTATOES here in Rwanda that it was hard for me to move! Thank goodness Kate my roomie is a professional basketball player, so we are now work-out buddies. Getting in wedding shape. And honeymoon shape woohoo!
12. I never thought I'd crave an uber simple life. Never thought I'd be disenchanted with the world's view of "Success," but it's starting to happen, and I'm grateful.
13. I never thought I'd actually miss my fiance this much. As much as I know there is significant purpose for my time in Rwanda, I really, really can hardly wait to be married to John and start a new life with him.
14. I never thought SHEILA WEBER, MOMMA WEBS, would be coming to Rwanda (tonight!). Will let you all know how my attempts on getting her on a moto taxi will go.
15. I never thought I'd wrestle so much with thoughts on Christian living, poverty, and my personal mission as much as I'm dealing, but still living in surprising clarity.
16. Oh, yes. I never thought I'd be a DRIVING MACHINE here in Rwanda. For those who know me, you know I really have a distaste and lack of confidence in my driving skills. No longer! I cruise around Kigali, in our organization's minivan, with my hand perpetually blaring the horn telling people to WATCH OUT when I come whizzing down the unpaved streets. Oh yeah baby, watch out for me!
Well here are some disorganized reflections as I'm living my life in Rwanda. It's a strange life, it's definitely hard to relay to my peeps back in the States. A life where my social situation is constantly changing - from Rwandan hipster crowds, to the traditional Rwandese culture at the PFR office, to the hoighty toighty (is that how you spell it?) ex-pat crowd, to the super humble and awesome ex-pat crowd, to the poor street kids of Kigali, to the luxurious resort in lake town Gisenyi... My mind is constantly on over-load sifting through this crazy juxtaposition of experiences on a daily basis and how I should involve myself. But some clarity exists.
Keep up with me people! I love you all.
Rach
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