A Difficult Journey
Hi all! I typed this up last night at the guest house, and am now posting it here. It's long, and I apologize... but there is just so much to say, and this barely covers everything that has happened... Read at your leisure... :)
9-Jun-06 09:26
Hmm.. Okay, the last post I made referred to my frustrations and illness. I am pleased to say that life has been more productive and I have healed to the utmost degree possible, which is terrific. I’ve got energy and I am excited to experience Rwanda in all of its glory.
Today, Thursday, was a good day. We have officially been in Rwanda for a week now, and have only three weeks left…. The ladies and I headed over to Paul’s church after breakfast in order to spend time with the sewing group. I do not believe I have mentioned this group yet. This group is made up of widows and young women, orphans. Paul has purchased some sewing machines and hopes that through the use of some teachers and resources, he can teach the widows and orphans a trade that they can then use to support themselves later down the road. We met this group on Monday. Pastor Paul was there to act as our translator. The women were shy at first, but opened up to us and explained their situation to us. Most of them have no family. Most of them have no home. They have no money to pay to feed themselves. Four of the women have a few children each… Each day is a struggle for them in the most basic sense. We asked about current aid that is in place in Rwanda. The aid programs are here… SO many organizations are here. Yet the aid is not enough. It does not reach everyone. None of the women we spoke with have received assistance from the organizations. It appears the only aid they have received has been through Pastor Paul and his sewing machines.
The team I traveled here with has decided to help this sewing group in any way we can. We are to teach them how to make quilts, so that they may sell them and make money. We purchased a bundle of fabric to donate to their group so that they may make new clothes for themselves. The scraps left over will be used to make a quilt. Today, we showed them a small sample of a quilt and how to make one, as well as handed over the donated fabric. One of my fellow travelers took many pictures, which I hope to obtain sometime soon.
After time at the church, Pastor Paul took us to a meeting with a Minister of Labor to discuss capacity building. Our meeting was called short because the Minister needed to attend a last-minute meeting with the President’s cabinet. (I’m not sure President Kagame is back in town yet, he may be – he was in the US just this past week – did anyone notice?) Our meeting was rescheduled for Saturday evening, and we will go to the Minister’s home for tea and discussion. I am looking forward to this time.
Then, after the meeting, Paul and his driver (and my new friend) Fred drove us girls around New Kigali – the new area of town built after the genocide. We drove around the neighborhoods, past the new beautiful golf course, and stopped at the Tennis Club to get a drink and talk. Pastor Paul is an amazing man. He has such compassion. He is so genuine. He has given most of his time and provided his car and driver for us every day since we have been here. His generosity humbles me. I hope that I will be able to give back to him in a way that is meaningful.
So, a recap of the past few days… They have been a whirlwind. Sunday was spent at church, and the service lasted until about 2 – this was due to the translations, I believe. Long service due to us Americans. Go us. Anyway… Pastor Paul was actually in Uganda this past weekend, so there was a guest pastor named Joseph. He was amazing. The whole service was amazing. A small group of women sang, a youth group sang (which I found out most of the youths were street kids and/or orphans… *sigh*), a girl about my age gave testimony… Anyway, it was beautiful. And the kids. There are about 200 children that attend Pastor Paul’s church. 2 girls attached themselves to me during the service. It was very special, even if we could not speak to each other…
Monday as I said we spent with the women’s sewing group. Tuesday Pastor Paul and Fred took the group out to Ruhengeri, where we were able to sit in on a reconciliation meeting involving ministers in Pastor Paul’s circle. Several members of the ministry gave testimony for us, talking about how they reconciled themselves and now live together, Hutu and Tutsi. One woman explained how she refused to accept her husband after he participated in the genocide; that is, until she found the church and attended a reconciliation retreat. One man told of how he was a government soldier at the time of the genocide and how he had to teach himself to kill the way they requested, and how afterwards he thought he would be hated by his neighbors… Instead, he was accepted by his Tutsi neighbors – this led him to the church and to assisting with the mission of reconciliation. The meeting was so emotionally charged, I felt quite exhausted afterwards.
Wednesday was a very difficult day. Fred, Emmanuel, and Eddy (our hosts and drivers) took us to three genocide sites. We saw one from the road, but the other two we were able to tour. One of those tours was of the church in Ntarama, where 5,000 people were killed. The church has been left untouched in many ways… We had to walk on the pews to avoid stepping on bones, skulls, and random items… There were shelves upon shelves of skulls and bones. One building was full of bones yet to be cleaned and buried, as well as all sorts of clothes found in the church. Another building, as we learned, was where the soldiers burned people (they beat the people, tied them to mattresses, and then burned them alive). Our tour guide was a survivor of the massacre in that church – he is one of 10. He is the only one without lifelong disabilities, because he lost no limbs… He survived by hiding under the dead bodies. He then escaped to the bush and lived there for a month before being rescued.
The third site was the church in Nyamata. 10,000 people were killed in this Catholic church. Pope John Paul II sent a rosary and glass case to Nyamata a few years ago… It sits on the bloodstained cloth covering the altar. This church had been cleaned, but not repaired. Bullet holes were all over the walls and the roof. Beneath the church lays a woman and her baby – this woman’s story is still one of the most difficult for me to handle… If anyone is interested in hearing it, I will tell you. But it is hard, and I do not want to post it here…
Behind the church are the mass graves, where over 20,000 people are buried – the 10,000 from the church and then the others that were found in the surrounding villages. We were able to walk down into the ground and view the caskets, and more skulls, and more bones…
Needless to say, the day was heavy. Upon returning to Kigali, us girls went out to eat at an Italian restaurant and ate pizza. The beauty of the countryside was in such stark contrast to the horrors I had seen earlier in the day. This country has been through a lot, and yet it is amazing to see how they continue to reconcile and rebuild. The people here are strong, they are beautiful, they are inspirational.
This post is really long, I apologize. I will stop here, and will wish you all well. I love all of you so very much.
9-Jun-06 09:26
Hmm.. Okay, the last post I made referred to my frustrations and illness. I am pleased to say that life has been more productive and I have healed to the utmost degree possible, which is terrific. I’ve got energy and I am excited to experience Rwanda in all of its glory.
Today, Thursday, was a good day. We have officially been in Rwanda for a week now, and have only three weeks left…. The ladies and I headed over to Paul’s church after breakfast in order to spend time with the sewing group. I do not believe I have mentioned this group yet. This group is made up of widows and young women, orphans. Paul has purchased some sewing machines and hopes that through the use of some teachers and resources, he can teach the widows and orphans a trade that they can then use to support themselves later down the road. We met this group on Monday. Pastor Paul was there to act as our translator. The women were shy at first, but opened up to us and explained their situation to us. Most of them have no family. Most of them have no home. They have no money to pay to feed themselves. Four of the women have a few children each… Each day is a struggle for them in the most basic sense. We asked about current aid that is in place in Rwanda. The aid programs are here… SO many organizations are here. Yet the aid is not enough. It does not reach everyone. None of the women we spoke with have received assistance from the organizations. It appears the only aid they have received has been through Pastor Paul and his sewing machines.
The team I traveled here with has decided to help this sewing group in any way we can. We are to teach them how to make quilts, so that they may sell them and make money. We purchased a bundle of fabric to donate to their group so that they may make new clothes for themselves. The scraps left over will be used to make a quilt. Today, we showed them a small sample of a quilt and how to make one, as well as handed over the donated fabric. One of my fellow travelers took many pictures, which I hope to obtain sometime soon.
After time at the church, Pastor Paul took us to a meeting with a Minister of Labor to discuss capacity building. Our meeting was called short because the Minister needed to attend a last-minute meeting with the President’s cabinet. (I’m not sure President Kagame is back in town yet, he may be – he was in the US just this past week – did anyone notice?) Our meeting was rescheduled for Saturday evening, and we will go to the Minister’s home for tea and discussion. I am looking forward to this time.
Then, after the meeting, Paul and his driver (and my new friend) Fred drove us girls around New Kigali – the new area of town built after the genocide. We drove around the neighborhoods, past the new beautiful golf course, and stopped at the Tennis Club to get a drink and talk. Pastor Paul is an amazing man. He has such compassion. He is so genuine. He has given most of his time and provided his car and driver for us every day since we have been here. His generosity humbles me. I hope that I will be able to give back to him in a way that is meaningful.
So, a recap of the past few days… They have been a whirlwind. Sunday was spent at church, and the service lasted until about 2 – this was due to the translations, I believe. Long service due to us Americans. Go us. Anyway… Pastor Paul was actually in Uganda this past weekend, so there was a guest pastor named Joseph. He was amazing. The whole service was amazing. A small group of women sang, a youth group sang (which I found out most of the youths were street kids and/or orphans… *sigh*), a girl about my age gave testimony… Anyway, it was beautiful. And the kids. There are about 200 children that attend Pastor Paul’s church. 2 girls attached themselves to me during the service. It was very special, even if we could not speak to each other…
Monday as I said we spent with the women’s sewing group. Tuesday Pastor Paul and Fred took the group out to Ruhengeri, where we were able to sit in on a reconciliation meeting involving ministers in Pastor Paul’s circle. Several members of the ministry gave testimony for us, talking about how they reconciled themselves and now live together, Hutu and Tutsi. One woman explained how she refused to accept her husband after he participated in the genocide; that is, until she found the church and attended a reconciliation retreat. One man told of how he was a government soldier at the time of the genocide and how he had to teach himself to kill the way they requested, and how afterwards he thought he would be hated by his neighbors… Instead, he was accepted by his Tutsi neighbors – this led him to the church and to assisting with the mission of reconciliation. The meeting was so emotionally charged, I felt quite exhausted afterwards.
Wednesday was a very difficult day. Fred, Emmanuel, and Eddy (our hosts and drivers) took us to three genocide sites. We saw one from the road, but the other two we were able to tour. One of those tours was of the church in Ntarama, where 5,000 people were killed. The church has been left untouched in many ways… We had to walk on the pews to avoid stepping on bones, skulls, and random items… There were shelves upon shelves of skulls and bones. One building was full of bones yet to be cleaned and buried, as well as all sorts of clothes found in the church. Another building, as we learned, was where the soldiers burned people (they beat the people, tied them to mattresses, and then burned them alive). Our tour guide was a survivor of the massacre in that church – he is one of 10. He is the only one without lifelong disabilities, because he lost no limbs… He survived by hiding under the dead bodies. He then escaped to the bush and lived there for a month before being rescued.
The third site was the church in Nyamata. 10,000 people were killed in this Catholic church. Pope John Paul II sent a rosary and glass case to Nyamata a few years ago… It sits on the bloodstained cloth covering the altar. This church had been cleaned, but not repaired. Bullet holes were all over the walls and the roof. Beneath the church lays a woman and her baby – this woman’s story is still one of the most difficult for me to handle… If anyone is interested in hearing it, I will tell you. But it is hard, and I do not want to post it here…
Behind the church are the mass graves, where over 20,000 people are buried – the 10,000 from the church and then the others that were found in the surrounding villages. We were able to walk down into the ground and view the caskets, and more skulls, and more bones…
Needless to say, the day was heavy. Upon returning to Kigali, us girls went out to eat at an Italian restaurant and ate pizza. The beauty of the countryside was in such stark contrast to the horrors I had seen earlier in the day. This country has been through a lot, and yet it is amazing to see how they continue to reconcile and rebuild. The people here are strong, they are beautiful, they are inspirational.
This post is really long, I apologize. I will stop here, and will wish you all well. I love all of you so very much.
posted by Cari | 12:36 AM
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