God Is Good: Birds Aplenty

[mostly written late Monday, Jan 25] God is good…ALL the time. I’ve reminded myself of this a couple of times today, with some effort, while at other times, needing no reminding. Shall I expound?

The day [Monday] began with Mo’s body rejecting her morning milk…while lying in bed, cuddling with daddy. Not exactly anyone’s idea of a fine way to greet the morning. She, however, seemed to bounce back quickly and ate some banana, so our plans to visit Rugezi Marsh, with new friends Heather and Manasseh (and their friend in town from the UK), for a boat ride and bird watching, went forward as scheduled!

All seemed well, until about the midpoint of our bumpy car ride through the Rwandan countryside. At this point Mo “re-processed” her banana into my lap. Yes, friends, God is good, even when wearing someone else’s breakfast. I chose to ignore the “off” banana smell (that I would wear for the next few hours) and the un-compassionate onlookers starring into the car, pointing and laughing while murmuring (or shouting), “Muzungu”. And I chose, with some effort, to remember: God is good…all the time.

All cleaned-ish up [read: wiped up with a pile of thin paper napkins and some baby wipes, and still rather damp through two layers], we trekked toward the marsh once again.  Picture large green mountains with miles of tea plants running the length of the valleys…yes, there is no doubt, God is Good!

Rows and rows of tea plants

As I’m sure you can imagine, I wasn’t keen to pull out my camera following the re-processing event just in case a repeat performance was near at hand, thus I didn’t get a shot of the tea laden valley. The picture above gives a general idea, though it was taken on Sunday on the trip home from Rukizi (tea laden valleys are a dime a dozen here).

  

Pink-backed Pelican greeting us upon arrival

We arrived at the remote marsh/lake, with not a sole on it, save a handful of local boys fishing along the banks. We stepped into the large row boat, with a puke container in hand (see, now we are ready!), and shoved off across this serene, picturesque piece of God’s creation, green, crop-filled hills all around. 

Mommy, let go please, I got this. 

[The lack of life vests was a concern for a split second, but given it was a man-powered boat, on a calm day, with no other water traffic at all, I decided to hang on tight to the munchkins and enjoy the ride.

The boat belonged to a local man who uses it as a way to support himself. It’s a water taxi of sorts, sometimes carrying bird watchers, other times transporting local villagers across the water to their homes on the distant, marshy banks. We were the former.

Over the course of our time on this amazing lake we saw upwards of 20 different kinds of birds, some especially rare ones, too - you know, like the ones you see in those National Geographic books or possibly at the zoo but never in their natural setting because their natural setting happens to be in, say, Africa. And, thanks to our trusty Birds of East Africa book (thanks Maillys, we miss you), we were able to identify most all of them!

Great Egret

Hadada Ibis (wings were emerald green!)

Long-toed Lapwing (red eyes and legs)

This Malachite Kingfisher was the most colorful bird that
we saw, but also the smallest and quickest. It is in the
grass to the right - orange, yellow, blue, and red!

 

Sacred Ibis

Grey Crowned Cranes

Seeing these was the crowning moment of our
excursion for Beebs!

God IS good! But, anyone sitting in an old wooden row boat, on a beautiful, quiet marsh, in the-middle-of-nowhere, Rwanda, observing the amazing variety of feathered friends around her could tell you that (no matter how she might smell!).

While having someone get sick all over me, on the way to a remote Rwandan marsh, where quick access to running water and cleaning supplies is not a thing, was not exactly how I foresaw the day progressing (I’m weird like that, I know), it was a good day overall. Talk about an incredible home school field trip! We spent uninterrupted time observing God’s amazing handiwork, and we were off the grid for a half day. Yep, God is good, all the time!

[Oh, and in case you were concerned, Mo did not get sick again, either on the boat or later. She seems to be back to full health. We repeatedly tell her not to put things in her mouth, including her hands, but She. Is. One. We are betting on a stronger immune system when she leaves here!]

  

Coram Deo – The Mrs Dr

A meal, in three parts!

p.s. For those who have wondered: though cooking full meals on a single electric eye with no microwave or refrigeration continues to stretch me, we have moved up from just rice (some days, just barely!). We’ve even had some non-bean/rice triumphs (penne mac and cheese Monday night was a winner). It’s a work in progress that you are likely to hear more about in the coming weeks!

A Sunday Blessing: Worshiping at Rukizi

Monday was quite a day! We experienced highs and lows, that I will share very soon (hopefully).

But, because we had an amazing Sunday worshiping with our Rwandan brothers and sisters who live about 500 meters from the Ugandan border, Monday's experiences (and Saturday's for that matter) will need to wait. You must hear about, and see, our Sunday!

We traveled with Bishop Emanuel to the Rukizi parish for a confirmation service. The Rev Dr preached, the girls and boys marching/drum brigade from Byumba played, multiple choirs sang, the Bishop confirmed many faithful believers, and…my sweet friend (yep, The Rev Dr) danced!

White man can...umm, uhhh, try to dance?

Words could not adequately describe the experience. It was by turns incredible and overwhelming (there were LOTS of people, and, again, we tend to get attention…that whole white face thing), complete with “second breakfast”, an hours long service, and a large lunch afterward [those who have been here, with us or on other teams, are just nodding and smiling!].  But, in lieu of more words, just take in these images (and a video, at the end, for your viewing pleasure!!).

The Boys and Girls marching brigade 

Other pastors from around Rukizi parish and
Bishop Emanuel

Bishop blessing those being confirmed

 

The very hansom preacher boy (see his ladies?)

She needed daddy's comfort mid service

someone kindly shared their umbrella so these
young ladies would not burn to a crisp

You will want to view this video more than once. I promise! (it ends somewhat abruptly because I was compelled to also try dancing...which was conveniently not caught on video!)

He visited Mo in her home; She returned the
favor a year later!

We ended our Sunday with a wonderful visit to our brother’s house, where Mo was able to spend quality time with one of her favorite Rwandans and I got to hold a sweet bundle of God’s goodness (i.e. a sleeping baby!). A wonderful Sabbath, indeed!  Selah.

Coram Deo – The Mrs Dr

Byumba!

Much has happened since the last update. I won’t get it all in now, but I’ll try to give a quick nutshell version. Also, I will stop apologizing for long silences, as I really don’t have a good idea of how much I will update. Do know that no news is likely good news (love you mom!).

My body is having a rough go at fully adjusting to the time, thus I’m waking up (read: being woken up) in the wee hours (no thanks to a certain one year old!), and once awake I’m WIDE awake. So, I find I’m exhausted rather early and typing up an update feels daunting…especially when I still need to filter/boil water for the next day or hand wash our clothes or prep food or…

Good thing she is cute...

I digress.

We arrived in Byumba late in the afternoon on Sunday, after a wonderful few days in Kigali with the Hanlon family. While still in Kigali, my Friend met with Cedric, the Rwandan author he is working with, two (very fruitful) times. He is now more excited than ever to begin writing! I hope to have him “guest” post one of these days and give a fuller picture of his project and how the Lord is in the details.

Sunday AM, we worshipped with the Hanlon’s at the Kigali cathedral (English service) in the morning, packed up our load, said a sad goodbye, and headed up the mountain. 

The goodbye was sad not because we were not excited to make our way up to Byumba but because our families really hit it off. After 3+ days of living together, we felt like one big family. Their (almost) three-year-old son called our kids “my girls” and referred to the older two as “the big one” and “the little one”!

The pastors with their littles

Five kids all looking, even some with smiles.
A minor miracle!
This family, while new as friends, is a precious gift to us.

Upon our arrival in Byumba, we were greeted by Pastor Juvenel from the diocese, taken to our two bedroom house next to the diocesan offices, and began to settle in. Dinner and breakfast were at the Anglican guest house (conveniently next door), as we did not have time to make it to the market to get our own food and necessary supplies. A member of the church brought a big box of fruit over, too, which was a wonderful gift!

Bananas and mangos, always crowd pleasers.

Bright and early Monday morning, the work of setting up a home in Rwanda began. Things like sheets and TP, in addition to rice and beans needed to be gathered. Thanks to our friends Allia and Pacifique, we successfully found our way to (and through) the very busy market. We are currently the only (pasty) white and sleep deprived folks in Byumba, as the only other Mzungu (white person) who lives here is away in Kigali for work; thus, we tend to stick out. And the fact that we have three children toddling along, one strapped to my back, makes us quite the sight. With all the starring and whispers, sometimes I wonder if maybe there is something on my face or TP stuck to my foot…oh wait, no, it’s just my face!

Wow, this is getting long and I’m not even to Tuesday. Quickly: Rev Dr met with the Bishop and a few other pastor friends and is excited to have office space to write and a chance to minister while we are here. They see and value his need for rest and are so glad for us to be here.

The girls are adjusting to being a spectacle, though Beebs finds herself overwhelmed at times. As a highly sensitive person, the constant attention is draining for her. Lu is taking it in stride and is still not a great eater! Every day we have multiple children come to our home to play (or stare). The abundance of small friends is much loved by the girls.

Our living room with friends (Aser-Grace over Beebs' shoulder)

Mo is absolutely adored. She loves waving to everyone while on my back. She has really taken to our guard, Prudence, and will just walk over to his house (directly next to ours) and eat his food or watch soccer with him like they are old friends.

Seriously. She is like a toy for the kiddos.
And she Loves. Every. Minute.

With our neighbor boy walking to the Cathedral

There are so many fun details I could include – like our first home cooked dinner of, um, rice, unseasoned. Yep, Just. Rice. Plus a few almonds for good measure; [more was planned, but an hours long power outage derailed my brilliant plans].

Or our second dinner of beans (mostly cooked all the way, but I did throw in fresh tomato). We also had a few leftover pieces of homemade chapatti that I made for lunch (complete with Jempy – anyone? Joseph Miller?).

(a picture right here would be perfect...alas)

Or the fact that one of our close friends welcomed a new baby into his family TODAY! Seriously. They went to Kigali for the birth, so we have not seen the new little bundle just yet. Because I do not know what the custom is for announcing such things, I will refrain from further details for now, but we feel blessed to be here during this exciting time.

Yes, many fun stories and experiences will have to wait for now. Indeed, the Lord is in the details, and I hope to share as much as I can in the coming weeks. 

Maybe I can write shorter, more frequent posts…hmmm.

We shall see. Now, off to filter and UV light one more half liter of water and then to bed. Hand washing the cloth diapers will have to wait, the morning comes early around here.

Coram Deo – The Mrs Dr

We have arrived!!

Friends! We arrived in Rwanda safely about a day and a half ago! I apologize for the radio silence, which for some has been worrisome given our connection through Istanbul, Turkey at a somewhat inopportune time.  Our trek here took slightly longer than originally expected. The short version is that we arrived a day later than planned and, miraculously, so did all of our luggage! If you care to know more detail, i.e. the long version, read on:

Our long flight from San Fran to Istanbul went very well, especially for our children. I highly recommend Turkish Airlines to anyone traveling abroad with small children. We were given a bulkhead seat, complete with a bassinet for the wee one. She LOVED the bassinet, as did I, because it not only gave her a place to lay down, it gave me a place to sit her (other than my lap) while I ate. 

Sweet angel asleep in the airplane bassinet; such a gift!

She slept like, well... a baby, for many hours. There were 4 babies with bassinets across our row and at least two more at the next set of bulkhead seats, so we were in good company on the flight! I was wishing I had a bassinet of my own, as sleeping on planes is not something I do well. My only complaint about the flight is that my in-flight entertainment system was not working. So, although a peacefully sleeping baby on the 13 hour flight gave plenty of opportunity to watch movies, I didn't watch a single thing.

Thanks to both a delayed departure and having to circle around a bit over Istanbul before landing, we missed our connecting flight in Turkey. Turkish Air put us up in a hotel close to the airport and booked us for a flight the next evening!  

Our room with a view...of the highway!

"Istanbul was Constantinople...why they changed it, I can't say. Guess they liked it better that way..." (Anyone? Please tell me I'm not the only one hearing this song!)

Anyway, initially we thought our unexpected day in Istanbul would be a fun chance to do some site seeing in a part of the world we had never had the chance to visit before, the Hagia Sofia in the old city being number one on the list. We were blissfully unaware of the events that had transpired in the old city earlier in the day. But, thanks to my dinner deciding to come back up the next morning (no worries, I feel all better now), I stayed back while my sweet friend took the girls to breakfast. When I flipped the tv on and learned of the suicide bombing that took place very close to where we wanted to go, I realized my feeling sick was possibly a blessing. We decided to stay away from crowded areas and not to trek out to the old city. Kind of a bummer, but it felt like the safer option!

Our next and last flight went smoothly, and we landed in Kigali around 1am with friends ready to greet us and pouring rain, complete with lighting and thunder! We thought we were coming during the dry season, and according to those who live here it IS supposed to be the dry season right now. The sheets of rain that woke me in the morning as they pounded on the metal roof could have fooled me!

the view from the Hanlon's porch

We are currently still in Kigali, staying with missionary friends, the Hanlons, who also have small children. 

fast friends, both one year old!

Fresh avocado from the tree in the
backyard anyone?  Yes, please!

Being with them has been such a blessing, and, though I'm excited to make our way to Byumba (likely tomorrow), it has been very nice to linger in Kigali, relearn some of the culture, and adjust-ish to the time (what? That's a word...or should be). Mo and I were up at 3am today, Beebs came in about 5am...so you can pray we get our internal clocks reset quickly! Right now, melatonin is our friend. 

Coram Deo - The Mrs Dr

And so it begins...

UPDATED with photos!

Well friends, we've done it. After a lovely time with our family in Portland, we left on a jet plane today, en route to Rwanda! 

On the drive to Portland, excited for the adventure ahead!

But do not fret, we know when we will be back again. And, in full disclosure, we've only made it as far as San Fransisco. 

With three checked bags (weighing in close to 150lbs), four roller carryon bags, three back packs, two brave big girls, one wee one in a stroller, and much help from above mentioned PDX family (love you guys!), we conquered our first airport, long security line and all. Things did get a little dicey (read: The Wee one screamed and cried real tears) when the TSA agent confiscated Paci and Yoey (the Fischer version of a lovey).

Mama Cow Yoey...very dearly loved but an
obvious security threat!

Such things must be scanned or x-rayed appropriately; never mind that my child was just sucking on it and/or gripping it like her life depended on it. Safety first, friends!

The next leg of our journey, San Fran to Istanbul, is the longest leg, at approximately 13 hours. I know, right?

Re-checking our bags in SanFran

Pease do pray for us, for The Wee one especially. That's a lot of plane time!

Our next layover is hardly an hour (maybe shorter if our Istanbul flight leaves late as is currently predicted), so connecting to our next flight is also a point for prayer. 

We miss our family, friends, and church already, but excitement for what lies ahead (minus the 13 hour plane ride) is the leading emotion at present. 

Cuoram Deo - The Mrs. Dr.