Eating in the dark

After arriving here back in July, we attended a dinner with a large group at a friend’s home.  After saying the prayer, the electricity went out promptly when it was time to serve.  It was pitch black.  I was shocked that not one person moaned or complained about the untimeliness of this loss of power.  I was grumbling internally, but it seemed to phase no one else.  As if it was a matter of routine they started pulling out their lanterns and headlamps. 

Back at our home in the weeks and months following, cooking and eating dinner in the dark with just a candle and our cell phone flashlight proved to be a challenge.  We ordered some headlamps from Amazon and someone visiting here brought them over in their luggage.  We were pretty giddy to get them.  Now we grab our lights and carry on as usual when the power goes out.  It seems to come and go in phases.  The power is fairly dependable but some days it's out all day and others it comes and goes numerous times.  

Experience is the best teacher (especially making mistakes)

Making mistakes in a new culture and country is bound to happen.  It's more a matter of when and how big of a mistake.  

One of my funniest in China was when I needed help lifting a bag over my head while on a train.  I asked a young man in my best Chinese if he could help me.  The problem was that the Chinese word for 'help' sounds similar to 'hold/hug'.  So instead of asking for help, I actually asked for a hug.  :) Thankfully, he was gracious and we both laughed heartily at my error.  

After living in Rwanda a couple of months, we ventured out of town for a day.  We headed out in the morning and were on the streets just a short time when we noticed that they were empty.  We realized right away that we forgot it was ‘Umaganda’ Saturday. 

Umaganda is a morning of community service scheduled the last Saturday of every month.  This citizens of Rwanda gather together to do projects around the village/city and clean up.  We were aware of the importance of this monthly occurrence and understood that we were welcome to pitch in around the community if we wanted but foreigners weren’t required to as the locals are.  All businesses are closed and the city pretty much shuts down.  This began after the 1994 genocide in an attempt to unite the country and work together for its betterment.

We encountered a road block with two heavily armed officials just ½ mile from our home.  They took one look at our car full of Mzungu (foreign) faces and waved us on.  We thought we had hit the jackpot.  No traffic.  No need to dodge bicyclists, motorcycles, and pedestrians…score!  What a perfect day of travel we thought.  

We were waved on through about 4 more roadblocks that were scattered throughout the city.  After about the 5^th one we were stopped and asked to get out and work.  To our right was a field full of Rwandans with machetes, hoes, and tools diligently working or staring at the Mzungus stopped by the police. 

One officer was bent on forcing us to the field while the other was more willing to be done with us and allow us to pass.   Eric and the officers had a lengthy back and forth dialogue about the matter and they finally allowed us to pass. 

We’ve now learned that it is respectful to stay off the streets, work if you’d like to, or otherwise sleep late and stay home. 

We want to honor the culture and traditions and didn’t realize our error at the time.  I’m sure there will be more opportunities to learn lessons through our mistakes.  

Deep needs

Money is such a tough topic. 

Some people have a lot of it, some have none, some have a tad and others a moderate amount.  Certainly living here, we are surrounded by poverty and need.  There’s also some massive wealth and the gap between the two is large.  It’s overwhelming really.  Today was a frustrating money day where I found myself wanting LOTS of it!  I mean lots.   

We work alongside a group of girls, ages 8-18, who’ve been rescued from the streets or extremely difficult home lives.  I’ve been aware of so many of their needs, but today I learned of more and it’s just pushing me over the edge. These young girls are lacking the most basic universal human needs.

ALL of the girls have stories and problems that would leave you dumbfounded by the amount of trauma they’ve experienced.  They have suffered at the hands of others, more often than not raped by neighbors, family, strangers, or employers.  They are hurting, angry, and broken deep down, but at the same time seem so resilient on the outside.  They need to talk to an experienced, Christ-loving therapist.  They desperately need counseling.  ($400.00/month)

One of the young girls has a 3-4 month old baby.  I learned that her baby has been crying all night, the mother’s milk supply has dwindled, and they have no money for milk.  The director enthusiastically says, “The Lord will provide”!  Milk is needed.  ($15.00/month cows milk~much more for formula)

Their home has been broken into twice and their cooking supplies and oil were stolen as well as some clothing.  When there’s an entire home of 40+ girls and the whole community knows they are young, vulnerable, and living together in a home, they sadly become a target for sexual predators.  There’s been a history of this at their previous location.  They need a guard. ($200.00/month)

The girls are rescued and given shelter but providing enough or the right kind of foods is a struggle.  They recently went through a spell of having no cooking oil or vegetables.  So there was simply rice for meals.  They need food. ($800.00/month)

One young girl has epilepsy.  Many have HIV and Hepatitis.  Another is 14 yrs old and pregnant.  They need medication and healthcare. 

The solutions are not easy.  These girls are victims and didn’t bring their situations upon themselves.  It’s so tough to know how to help best.  We try to help where we can, but our pockets aren’t nearly as deep as their needs.  I get that money isn't the only answer, but it certainly is an answer to a hungry baby or an unprotected house full of young girls.  

They long for love, peace, and healing.  They need Christ!  Now this we can certainly work towards.  After all that price has already been paid by our Savior!

Prenatal Setup

Here's the setup for the prenatal clinic that I volunteer at weekly in Nyabisindu, a village about a 15 minute drive from my home.  There are 3 of these 'rooms' and you can find the midwives kneeling near the patient on the mattress.  It's amazing what all can be done despite having scant supplies, no electricity, and no running water.   The patients arrive in the morning and sit up to 5 hours in the heat before they are seen by a midwife.  

Recently I was reading up on  a mother's health history that included:  'snake bite' in her past history.  I gotta admit that was a new one for me after taking years of admission histories in the USA.  

A local ministry planted a church in this village that was born out of community health evangelism. 

Rwanda: Did you know?

Fun Facts about Rwanda
Did you know.......

Bananas could taste so good!? These bananas have a fruit cocktail-like explosion of taste. American bananas are tasteless compared to these tiny things.

Vehicles Drive on the right side? Many neighboring countries drive on the left side, which can cause confusion at border crossings. (Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya follow the British way)

Termites fly? We may not have the four seasons but we are learning about other seasons. For instance, last week our house had dozens of tiny flying bugs appear suddenly one evening. We had to sweep up all their wings because they apparently were dying and losing their wings. The next day we saw wing piles all over the neighborhood. We later found out that they were baby termites and losing their wings is simply a part of termite puberty. The boys have enjoyed watching the termites in our yard and poking around in their mounds.

Termite Wings

Rwanda is the most densely populated country in continental Africa? Two tiny islands in the Indian Ocean are recognized as African & have a higher density.

Rwanda has mandatory community service one Saturday per month? It's called Umuganda (rough translation: coming together in common purpose to achieve an outcome) and from 8AM-11AM on the last Saturday of each month everyone works together in the community. All businesses are closed and the streets are eerily vacant (except for checkpoints to ensure no Rwandans are on the road) since, by law, all able-bodied people above the age of 18 and below 65 are expected to participate. This began after the 1994 genocide in an attempt to unite the country and work together for its betterment.

A typically hectic intersection; this is at 10AM on Umuganda

Plastic Bags are illegal? Single-use plastic bags (i.e. Walmart bags) are illegal in the entire country and will be confiscated upon arrival. Due to this effective ban and other factors, Rwanda was ranked #3 of the greenest destinations of the world in 2015 and you can clearly understand why when you arrive in Kigali - it is astonishingly clean by any standards.

Malaria is transmitted by a specific type of mosquito? There are malaria mosquitoes and non-malaria mosquitoes and some people can tell the difference by looking at them. Perhaps it’s helpful to think about venomous and non-venomous snakes.

Brinson and Aiden's mosquito net covered bunk bed

All of our windows are open 24/7/365? Year round daytime temperatures are between 75 and 85 due to elevation (similar to Denver) and being just off the equator.  Nighttime temperatures dip 10 degrees or so. Naturally we have screens on all the windows (see malaria section above).

Don't drink the water? This picture says it all. But we sure are thankful for running water! Most of the country (and continent) walk long distances to fetch water each day. We have running water about 6 out of 7 days.

Before and after the tap water goes through our simple filter

Sunrise and sunset don’t change much throughout the year? Sunrise varies from 5:38AM-6:09AM and sunset from 5:49PM-6:19PM. We’re experiencing the earliest sunrise this month.  We’ve also noticed how quickly the sun sets here at the equator. Dusk is pretty much not existent. It goes from light to dark in a matter of minutes. {Note: the reason is that near the equator the sun sets perpendicular to the horizon, while at higher latitudes, the sun can set at a more oblique angle, allowing it to remain close to the horizon after sunset for a longer period of time.}

Rwanda is known as the land of a thousand hills? Beautiful!

Rwanda's chief exports are coffee, tea, and minerals?  The small farms, steep slopes, and cool climate are ideal conditions for coffee and tea.

Rwanda is home to some of the last free range mountain gorillas? With less than 900 gorillas remaining in the world, they are considered critically endangered. Most of them are in Rwanda; a few are in the DRC and Uganda. Tourists can pay $750 per person for a guide and a brief close encounter. The fee is steep but it provides a strong incentive to conserve the park and guard the gorillas. 

Davenport Family Vehicle

We’re often asked about our transition here and how we are settling in. So far it’s been an amazingly smooth adjustment period. Certainly there are aspects of life that are easier as compared to our time in China and others that are not. One of which is transportation.

China’s bus system was extensive and taxis were cheap. This is not the case in Kigali though. Whether we are buying groceries, headed to worship, or Wendy is working with various ministries, the cost of taxis is, frankly, devouring our budget. After going back and forth and crunching the numbers for several weeks, we’ve prayerfully decided to pursue fundraising for a vehicle for our family. This seems to be the wisest use of money as we seek to serve here in Kigali long term. Fellow missionaries have also shared the wisdom of having a quick way out of the country in the rare circumstance that we need to leave for safety reasons or if a family member needs to go to the emergency room (911 isn’t exactly a thing here). We are hoping to raise around $17,000 for the purchase of a late 1990s or early 2000s model Toyota.*

On a day trip with a friend's car

As you approach the end of the year and might be thinking about year-end giving, please keep this need in mind. If you’re willing to give towards this, tax deductible funds can be sent to the address below.

 Checks can be made out to: Sunset Ave Church of Christ
Memo line: Davenport-Vehicle
 

Mail to:Sunset Avenue Church of Christ
600 Orchard Ave
Madera, CA 93637

*Interesting fact: Toyotas are king in Rwanda; approximately 3 out of 5 vehicles are Rav4s (based on my scientific observations). Although vehicles are pretty expensive, they also hold their value really well.  That's why a Rav4 that's 18 years old typically runs around $15,000. Bonkers.

Learning to Pray- by Wendy

We've been working with some girls that have some extraordinarily difficult backgrounds.  They are precious young girls and women.  Here we're teaching them how to pray for each other; the healing they most need comes from the Father.

Children helping Children (by Wendy)

I love how kids care for each other here.  It's a common sight to see a small child with a smaller one being held or carried on their back. Precious!

Our first trip to the ER....sort of (by Wendy)

Back in September Sheldon had a terrible reaction to something. We've been trying to narrow down what it was but can't seem to figure it out. He's had some allergy testing done here that was inconclusive. So we just shipped off his blood to Paris via a lab here in Kigali. In about 4 weeks we should have some answers.

This photo is us at the ER, I decided to treat him in the parking lot and if he showed signs of respiratory distress we were close enough to run in. Poor guy was quite miserable. Thankfully a friend had let us borrow her car that day so we were able to get medications in him quickly.

I felt like a transport nurse again :)

Utensils are overrated (by Wendy)

We learned about a feeding program that we wanted to help out with in a village about an hour away.  We played, sang, prayed, and served; it was a great afternoon. 

They had enough food for my kiddos to each have a plate after everyone was served.  As one of the Rwandans watched my kids awkwardly eat without utensils, she leaned over to me and asked, “Don’t your kids know how to eat with their hands?”  Her tone implied that something was wrong with them or that I had failed to teach them something important. 

It was a tad funny watching them pick up the food with their fingers bit by bit instead of cupping their hand and using it like a shovel as the others did.  They got better as the meal went on though.