Back in PA safely.

After a long trip, 27 hours traveling, we made it back at 12:45 PM yesterday. I will now start uploading some photos, but if you would like to see all and hear our stories, come out to Christ Church McKeansburg for a covered dish meal while my team and I talk about our trip. It starts at 5:30 PM this Sunday, the 28th. Feel free to come!

Departure.

Well today is our last day in Rwanda. I am struggling through it as best I can. For the past three days I have been dreading this day and now it is here. Last night we celebrated everyone's birthday in August, September and October for those going back to school. The babies had cake and Fanta. The older kids had a huge dance party/ fashion show which the muzungos participated in. We were dressed in our traditional Rwandan clothing. Though I wish I could have changed, because these people know how to dance! Everyone was break dancing and I felt like I was at a high school dance party multiplied by 5. We also got a treat of sambosa and Fanta. The party started around 7:30 PM and went to 10:30-ish. Normal bed time is 9:00. I had so much fun. I also was involved in a battle of who is the better dancer, between myself and Diesco, a guy my age . It got intense. Finally we both agreed we were equal in our respective types of dance. He can really break dance! Though he did surrender eventually, but I know that I could never be equal in his style. I am soon going off to worship and will be performing a dance to say goodbye. Keep us in your prayers; today is going to be a very, very hard day for the group. See you soon. SM

Terror in the night.

I don't think I mentioned this, but we are sharing the house with a guy from the UK. His name is Sam. Apparently he has a bird issue. Tonight when we got back from worship, he had a terrifying tale to tell. He wanted to know if we had seen the bird of death. We had not, but the bird of death was waiting on the porch when we came out to blog. When we opened the door, the bird of death attacked Sam again as he fled from the room. It landed on the coffee table right in front of Pastor Sunny, who tried to pick up the tiny little finch, so that Sam would not die. Good news... Sam and the finch both survived. The finch isn't even the size of the palm of my hand, so Sam must have issues with birds. On a less humorous note, we got the house! Right now the back part of the house is available for repair though Mama wants to wait till he moves completely out to have work done. I got to see it and it will be awesome. The kids at Urukundo will also benefit from this purchase in safety, because the former owner repaired motorcycles which constantly speed up the drive way between Mama's house and the rest of Urukundo. Mama would also like to use the front house as a prenatal clinic, because one of the children here lost his mother due to the fact she had no money for post delivery care. My day was filled with babies, fiesta (grape Fanta), and beans. Tomorrow will be filled with gas. I can't imagine how any guy would make it here or should I say how any of us would tolerate a guy gassed up on beans. On a better note, my head, back, and dupa are feeling much better. I tried a new look today and John-Paul said I looked beautiful and Sam, the farmer, not the bird fanatic, said I looked more like a native. I have to agree. It was the consensus, but as you know, SM, is the most likely to be mistaken for a Rwandan. I'm not a muzungo (a white person). I'm like Michael Jackson in reverse and I got his good moves too. Back to my day, I took Claude on a walk, played some volleyball, choreographed some dances, and took an afternoon nap. I had a hard time sleeping with my new look. It really itches and is irritating. OH! Pastor Sunny just reminded me that we bought awesome Rwandan clothes yesterday. Apparently muzungos shopping for clothing draws a crowd in Gitarama. Wonder why? I just got bug guts all over my computer screen. Eww. I guess its better than bird poop. Uh brain blast! We got a new little girl here. Her young mother is being educated at King David Academy, and would be sponsored by the Belgians if Mama would take Nellie, the little girl. Andy is now Nellie's sponsor. She is 4 years old, closer to 5. She is adjusting nicely, but there are some kinks we need to smooth out. The older students returned for the weekend from King David Academy. They arrived just in time for the birthday celebration which is going to be held tomorrow. This is made complete with sombosa and Fanta. Birthday cakes here aren't what you would expect so I agree with the kids decision to have sambosa instead. The little babies however do get a small birthday cake purchased from a German bakery in Kigali. They even know how to sing happy birthday in English. I for one am looking forward to tomorrow with apprehension.  It is our last full day here in Rwanda. I wish I was able to stay longer; two weeks is just not enough time. You are barely situated and then its time to leave again. Belize was very sad today when I told her I was leaving on Sunday. I told her I would try to come back as soon as possible, Christmas at the soonest or hopefully next summer. She told me I wasn't allowed to go that she would miss me too much. Claude though he doesn't say it in as many words will miss Andy terribly as well. Its a cruel thing, time. It goes by so fast and yet so slow. I guess thats just how it was made. I just pray that God will allow me to come back again. I'll miss this place terribly.

Cry me a river.

Now its very disappointing that I spend hours slaving over this blog and I get no feedback. I, SM, am bringing you the best sort of humor and you, with perfectly good internet, are sitting on your sofa eating bon-bons, watching tv with a hot tub and a rubber ducky waiting, and a pizza on the way. So lets step up people. I will not write another blog unless someone comments. Oh well, starting now.

Never have to go back again.

Well, here goes nothing. The internet has been down for two days which was a blessing because we could put this off until now. Yesterday was a very hard day for the group. In the morning we made our way to Kigali to the Genocide Memorial with Vincent. Mama did not come along, because she is in the process of buying the house in between her house and the kids housing. In a word it was brutal,for me even the second time is still heartbreaking. It is an extremely hard thing to face and come out with your sanity in tact. It brings up so many questions about right and wrong and the world as Americans know it. To even imagine that 5,000 troops could have saved 1 million people but were not dispatched, but moved out of the country..is terrifying. If the USA can not represent what is good and right, who will? The Christians, where were we? Everyone above the age of 16 in Rwanda had to live the horror of genocide. 1 million people died for absolutely no reason, except they were the wrong tribe. The memories still haunt those who survived. When/If they talk about it to us, their eyes still fill up with tears. It makes me, personally feel like scum. The schools bring you up with such a loyalty and closed-door view of our lifestyle that when you find out the atrocities that we could have prevented, you feel personally responsible. This is pretty much yesterday's sentiments. Yes it was a good thing the internet was down. I don't know how civil I could have been yesterday. Do you notice that SM ( Super Megan, in case you forgot) isn't her normal jolly self? I just can't explain it to you until you have gotten to know the people of Rwanda and the tragedy of it all. Well I'm not quite sure how to tell you about today apart from happened yesterday so...page break. I woke up. Mama went to Kigali to get the house. They asked for the signature of her husband. She replied that he was either in Heaven of Hell and they could go get it if they wanted. Pastor Sunny thought that was rather clever. Helen and Pastor Sunny went shopping in Kigali with a list from the other members. Mom, I got your order of baskets along with some comedic comments about getting so many of them. While the two were shopping, the others including me went to see the babies. I spent a lot of time holding Johnny, Sarah, Rebecca, and Claude. I came back to the house after lunch and was working on the video for next Sunday night. We will be having a covered dish meal and speech about the trip, 8/28/11 at Christ Church McKeansburg. We will be serving some Rwandan food which you can eat. I'm stuffing my face with what you bring; I miss American food. A taco, cheeseburger, lasagna, and one McDonald's sweet tea would taste great right about now. Anyways, back at the ranch, the internet finally came on, so here I am blogging. I spent the rest of my day watching Dada get her hair braided with extensions. It looks amazing. I might try it some time haha. Wonder where you can get that done in New Ringgold. It takes 7 hours to do one person! I wonder how it would look if I got black extensions and got it braided, probably like a skunk. I also talked to Diesco, Deborah, and Liliane about the schools in America until dinner. The usual followed, food, worship, blog. Even though I have to note that our worship message was given to us by a 7 year old and it was excellent. Just saying. I'm heading to bed, so goodnight yal!

We are that inadequate to do our own wash.

It was dark and waterless when I awoke from my dream/ night terror. Dad, don’t you EVER tear down our house, or the mosquito net will get beat up again.  After I awoke the second time, it was 6:30 AM. Bri was already up reading. Apparently she hadn't heard me talking through the night, unlike all the other nights I've spent bunking with her. Sadly the water was still off when we got to Mama's house. I have been wearing dirty clothes for the past 4 days along with a lot of deodorant due to the lack of water. Well we prefer ripe fruit why not ripe people? Truly I'm over exaggerating (What me, over exaggerating, never!). Back to my daily doings, I drank tea on the porch, had porridge for breakfast, and then headed out to Hope house. However this not everyone's doings. Andy threw a tea mug across the kitchen floor. She says it was accidental, but we know what really happened. Just like the car window being busted sometime in the middle of the night. I wonder if Andy was awake. At Hope house,  I had soo much fun organizing the VHS's! (Me, not over exaggerating again) I went through every single tape to make sure it was in the right case. Meanwhile David, Claude, and Lucki were scattering the things we organized Saturday. After the dauting task was done; we found out that the box full of videos we had put on the shelves, were the VHS's that didn't work. Lovely. Then three visitors came with a box full of VHSs just ready to be put away. I shouldn't even try. I should just quit now, but I'm too stubborn to quit; its the Irish in me. But I digress life is never simple. Oswald, the lovely man he is, went out to the lake to get us some water. God bless him and those who helped, because WE DID WASH. Before the water came though, Andy ("Andrea"-Greg) took her laundry up to the laundry lady who is 8 months pregnant. The lady tried to take Andy's laundry from her and Andy said she would do it. The woman said "YOU" and went into a hysterical laughing attack along with the four other mamas who were sitting with her. She said "No I will do it." Back to me, the important person, I started to do my own laundry with Jane and Pastor Sunny. Well if I could leave it at that I would but no that is impossible. Here comes a shocker, I'm not perfect, but I found out I am closer to it than Jane and Pastor Sunny as far as laundry goes. We did such a poor job that two boys and the house-lady stepped in and re-washed what we had already done. Never thought that two guys would be better doing wash then me. Little Belize came down and saw six people doing wash and asked, "Why are so many people doing the wash?" Pastor Sunny replied, "Because we are Americans" as if that explains it. Once again the rest of the story will be told at a later date, probably in a sermon. You know how Pastor Sunny is.  Next I helped carry jerry cans full of water to our water tank at the home.  I am super strong! Pastor Sunny's new name for me is "SUPER MEGAN!!!!!" Andy says it stands for "simple minded." The unappreciated life of a striving artist, huh. Pity me. Jane says to pity us. Don't listen to her. Your reading my blog anyways. Peanut galleries only lead to allergies. Back on topic, we had sausage for lunch with maize and rice! Helen went to bed because she wasn't feeling well. She is doing better now. I, Super Megan, not simple minded, helped clean dishes from lunch. Yea! Take that group members. I did something productive, but that is how super Megan rolls. Meanwhile the slackers were taking a walk in the community to pretend like they can fit in. Too bad the venders found them and followed them along with beggars. Yea that is what happens to slackers. Although I have to give credit where needed. Jane and Pastor Sunny did round up escaped sheep earlier in the day.Note to Jane, sheep do not come when they are called. Too bad its not on video. When the slackers came back, we gave Julie a few facts about America. She said she had heard that in America everyone had machines in their homes to wash their clothes. From what I witnessed today I can understand her amazement at this fact. She was also quite appalled at the fact that almost all Americans have a pet in their home. Ewww! Papa Vincent seemed indifferent. Supper couldn't come soon enough. Time today dragged, but it did rain a lot!!!!!!! More water in the tank and more beans on my plate. Life is good, sort of. After dinner and worship, the slackers and SM, mwah, sat on the porch. I bring you to the current time. I'm eating chocolate; SM loves chocolate. Thank you to the boys who picked it up for me on the way to their soccer (futbool) practice. My group doesn't seem too happy about the whole chocolate frenzy that is taking over me. Oh sweet chocolate how I've missed you so. The baby chicks came tonight too. Not that it has anything to do with the chocolate. They aren't Cadbury chicks. Even though I think I'd prefer that. Huh chocolate. Well missing my Hershey Chocolate, This is SM from Africa, goodnight everyone!                                                       

She cost 800 cows?

Water well lets just not talk about that. The "game"-ness of the group is growing each day along with our sense of humor. Jane was blessed to meet part of Bosco's family today. Worship was AWESOME! No words can describe how they sing, so everyone get your batutay over here to experience it yourself. Pastor Sunny did the service, horrible as usual. Right now she is drunk on wine. She had the great fortune to go to a wedding this afternoon and get good food and water. Lets just say our whole group is looking forward to a nice juicy, greasy double Big Mac with fries. Can you say super-size? Well back on topic, the brides family settled on 800 cows as the dowry. Imagine Pastor Sunny's disappointment when she found out the cows weren't real. Plus she completely offended one of the locals...AGAIN. She refused to take a drink at the wedding which apparently is not done. Lets not talk about the other time. Poor John. Did we mention that dinner was beans, oh and it was served for lunch too. What a time to be without water? Or personal space with thick walls. Everyone thinks I've gone off the deep end. Maybe they're right...too many beans. Anyways, back at the ranch, we had an English visitor that sets up businesses for Rwandan people. His name is Tom. Well I saw a wrestling match between 3 boys. I was laughing hysterically. Megan, now I'm talking in third person, which is a sign of insanity by the way, wow I do sound crazy. (and that is a really long run-on sentence) Anyhow I'm doing fine, a little ripe but managing. Welp Andy is sitting on the porch with us, kind of ignoring what wwe are saying and she has just informed us that the bar next door has hamburgers!!!!!!! Score! Wow do I sound like Pastor Sunny; I've spent too much time with this woman. Helen on the other hand is still wondering why her husband hung up on her 3 times. Bri just turned in early. Must be all the beans. Poor beans; they get blamed for everything. Well its this point at night when I say stuff I shouldn't. The folks around me are only egging me on. Therefore it is my good sense of judgement to turn off the computer before I let it slip that Pastor Sunny.....