Blog Voice, where are you?

Bah! I've been desperately trying to write a poignant, super deep and thoughtful reflection on my prison experiences so you all could have your jaws dropped. Nope, can't do it, it's not happening and my writer's block it seems.... will NEVER LEAVE ME ALONE! Which is rather unfortunate, because while it's not a big deal that I can't express my reflections on Rwanda prisons on my personal blog, I have a "reflection article" to write about them for the PFR newsletter and I need to be finished with it TOMORROW! Please, writer's block, go away.

I don't know when the reflection about the prison is going to come on this blog, however. Basically the experience of the prison drew out of me a pride at what Prison Fellowship International is doing all over the world. Prisoners are so unbelievably neglected... People don't want to think about them anymore, people who are wounded by them are thankful they are tucked away, out of sight and out of mind... a natural reaction of course. But how unbelievable is it that there is a worldwide movement that is trying to reach the most forgotten, those believed to be hopeless, the destitute and most disrespected people in society? Pretty awesome.

However, this is me and Jean De Dieu (he changed his name to Jean of God). He is the guard at Prison Fellowship and a genocide offender. He killed many, many, many people during the 1994 genocide and spent many years in prison. His poor heart was hardened by these treacherous crimes he committed and he wasted away in prison for a long, long time until Pastor Deo came to the prisons to preach about the freedom in repenting of one's sins. His heart unfolded and Jean De Dieu came to know God and completely repented of his crimes. He never tries to justify, always points to God's grace. He is the loudest singer and clapper during our staff praise and worship. Every day when I see him, the first words out of his mouth are "Mwaramutse Rachel! Murakoze Imana" (Morning Rachel! Praise God!). He was excited to take a photo with me b/c we have matching colored shirts :) I will miss this lovely man.

On another note....... Yesterday was the final basketball camp for the street kids. Good lord. What a DAY. Kate rented a bus (street kids never been on a bus before, can you imagine the chaos of 85 untrained completely crazy kids trying to cram on a bus? imagine lots of tears and nobody caring)

Well... the older kids certainly enjoyed the use of the Kigali Stadium, but look at the kids that I was blessed to be in charge of... Oof.

If they look confused, it's because THEY WERE! It took me all of 20 minutes to get these kids in a straight line. I was about to do um.... dribbling and passing exercises with these miniature monkeys. Bahaha. Confusion persists. For four hours. Until they are finally freed and allowed to go back to the office to eat (which is pretty much why these little tots came anyway!).

Oh man. Still...amidst the pure chaos. It was a joy and a blessing. And ... may I add. I was COVERED in urine. NOT my own. But many of the children who didn't know how to ask for a toilet, so they peed themselves. Brilliant. And then they all came to sit on my lap, shoulders, play with my hair... coming to me crying because someone spilled water on them. Yup, just called me Dirt Bag, as such my nickname inherited from this camp.

When did I become a little kids manager? I was always the counselor for the big kids at camp!

Well, God uses me in different ways. Another way to purify me and test me and challenge me to be kind, loving, gentle and compassionate when I do not always want to be!

Ho hum.

Love everyone.

Rachel