Yes, the rumors are true- in eight days I am heading off on yet another foreign adventure. I'll be spending two months in Rwanda this summer living with Les and Yvonne Parr, a missionary couple. I decided that I would keep up a blog rather than sending out mass e-mails because I have never been very good at making sure I send the e-mails to everyone.
First off- I want to thank everyone who has supported my trip financially, emotionally, and through prayer. I really appreciate it.
A little about my trip:
I’m not going with a group or with any organization. I am simply traveling down there and staying with a missionary couple that I met at Camp Cherith a few years ago. I'll be staying in a village outside of the capital, Kigali. Yvonne, the woman I am staying with, has been in the US for the past few weeks visiting her sister so I was able to meet up with her this week for lunch and learned a lot more about what this summer is going to entail. Until then I really wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but now that I've talked with her I’m even more excited. Apparently most of the Rwandan missionaries live in a white and richer area, but I will be staying in a poorer “non white” area. I will be staying in a simple house with Les and Yvonne and a few Rwandans they are hosting along with another missionary from Slovakia. We have no real kitchen (ie. no stove, dishwasher, fridge, or even a sink.) All meals are cooked over a traditional fire stove thing, water comes from a pump, and the "kitchen" itself is actually outside. Luckily, I will have a flushing toilet and a shower, however they only work when both the water and electricity are working (the key there is they must be working at the same time). I will have access to a computer (which is sorta funny- they have no sink and yet they have the internet) when electricity is working so I'm hoping to be able to update this blog fairly regularly.
As far as what Im doing while I'm there, it seems like I will have a lot of flexibility in what I do. Every morning there is a tuition free preschool (its not a legal school because of official papers and such) that meets on the compound I’m staying at that has 54- three to five year olds enrolled. Every Tuesday "children's day" meets which draws 200 village kids for games, bible stories, and a snack. So I will be helping out with both of those while I'm there. There is also an orphanage down the street with 50 or so kids ages infant- 21. I will be able to go over there whenever I want, which I have a feeling with be a lot. Yvonne said that the children in the orphanage are not very well supervised and are lacking any type of love and attention so I am really looking forward to being able to spend time with the kids there. I may also being doing some counseling with older girls in the orphanage, setting up a first aid/general medical/hygiene booth, and helping out any other ways possibly down there.
So now that I have a better idea of what daily life will be like this summer its time to start packing! When I met with Yvonne this week she gave me a big box of things she wants me to bring down of stuff that people donated for the early learning preschool. The box weighed almost 30lb and was full of clay, scissors, books, magnets, and tons of other things! Plus I have a bunch of things that I bought for the kids (balloons, planes, balls, nail polish, etc.) and for the Parrs (peanut butter, tuna, seasonings, etc) so with that on top of all of the things that I need to bring for myself- its going to be hard to fit it all!
So that’s basically where I’m at now. I have a week of doctor’s appointments, last minute shopping, and visiting with friends and family ahead of me and then I’m off.
I’m going to try to post a power point slide show that Yvonne Parr made. It gives a pretty good idea about what they do. I’m not sure if I'll be able to get it on here, but I’m going to give it a shot.
If you want to e-mail me this summer (which I would totally love!) use this e-mail address: DHappel06@hotmail.com. My school address doesn't always work so well for some reason.
Thank you all for your support and prayers!
3 comments:
Dana!!! Rwanda!!! this is INSANE! know that i'm praying for you - bo, i miss you terribly... i feel like you're dead... but you are aren't... never mind...
anyway, wowowowowowowow! good luck and blessin's!
I wish you the best of luck on your trip, I know you will do wonders for all the kids and people around you! :) I got back from a maymester study abroad in China today and the first email I read was about you leaving for Rwanda, I thought it was ironic. Anyways, good luck and have fun. Take lots of pictures of course! It's great to hear you are going out there, I have no doubt you'll make countless memories and unforgettable experiences. Best of luck Barb! ;) haha ;) Love, Katie
wow.... off to rwanda... you just can't sit still, can you? hope that that plane ride isn't as intensely horrible as it could be - by the time you read this it'll be over, i hope that i'm not bringing up too many bad memories... :-D you will forever rule my world, you surrogate sister, you - so remember THAT as you sweat and work and eat weird food! Bwahahahahahah! yeah, make sure that you fill us in on all the weird food that you get to eat! i wanna know!
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