child survival program launch - Nyamagabe, Rwanda

A lot has been happening since I've been back....including some good news that a research project I'll be doing has a firm start date, about 10 days from now. Yay!! I am very thankful. More on that in a future post.

One huge event that took place last week was the official launch of the child survival program I'm working with. (You may wonder why the program is launching now, since the program is currently in its 18th month of implementation. I asked the same question, and someone explained to me that there needed to be some established activity underway in order to have something meaningful to present to the community. In case you wanted to know.)

While the mortality rate is improving (i.e., going down) in Rwanda amongst children under five, research still indicates that 1 of every 7 children dies from a preventable illness. And more children in rural areas (i.e., poor areas) are dying than children who live in urban areas. The purpose of the child mortality program is to help educate communities so that children will stop needlessly dying of sickness that could be avoided with a little hand-washing or an early trip to the health clinic.

"Launches" may be different everywhere, but here the launch was a well-planned event ("more planning than a wedding!" my colleagues told me). Program staff have spent hours and hours over the past month planning and prepping. The community health workers put together a program of singing and dancing, as well as staging a drama about how to prevent and treat malaria, and the children who are the beneficiaries of the program participated as well. A small "army" of children did a marching routine, at one point, and everyone was charmed! There was hired entertainment (drums, dancing, and singing), and the songs revolved around child illnesses and how there is hope for all children to be healthy. There were also speeches by the program director, organizational directors, and government officials.

The event was a success! Here are a few shots:


The name of the program is "Kabeho Mwana" in Kinyarwandan, which means "Life for a Child." There were a lot of children involved in the event, and they wore their t-shirts proudly (above).

The culture here is one of singing, dancing, drumming....it's awesome! Here's a shot of some of the hired entertainment performing a "basket" dance where the women move in extraordinary ways without ever toppling the baskets from their heads:


After the event was over, while I was waiting for the local media to finish interviewing Melene, I had a digital camera and was showing a crowd of children their pictures. They rarely get to see images of themselves; most probably don't have mirrors in their homes. It's strange to think that these children may not even really know what they look like! So it is easy to become the Pied Piper as long as you don't forget your Canon 470:

the graciousness of uncertainty

One aspect of living in a developing nation is that there is a revolving door of expatriates. There are always people coming, always people going, always people in transition. While change is a universal experience, it seems to be magnified here.

For example, I was hanging out with several friends this weekend, and the majority of them will be either leaving the country soon because their term of service is up, or if they're staying they're transitioning jobs. For me, my uncertainties revolved around whether or not I can carry out my upcoming research project with the excellence that is expected, and also the uncertainties that lie beyond some imminent certainties. I know my life will be changing soon...that's certain. What will come after those changes....I don't know!!

So, in the midst of our conversation about how change is never easy, especially when the immediate specifics of the future seem so uncertain, I excused myself to use the restroom and found the following excerpt from Oswald Chambers posted next to the bathroom mirror:

THE GRACIOUSNESS OF UNCERTAINTY
"It doth not yet appear what we shall be." 1 John 3:2

Naturally, we are inclined to be so mathematical and calculating that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We imagine that we have to reach some end, but that is not the nature of spiritual life. The nature of spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty, consequently we do not make our nests anywhere. Common sense says - "Well, supposing I were in that condition . . ." We cannot suppose ourselves in any condition we have never been in.

Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Immediately we abandon to God, and do the duty that lies nearest, He packs our life with surprises all the time.

When we become advocates of a creed, something dies; we do not believe God, we only believe our belief about Him. Jesus said, "Except ye become as little children." Spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, but uncertain of what He is going to do next. If we are only certain in our beliefs, we get dignified and severe and have the ban of finality about our views; but when we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy.

"Believe also in Me," said Jesus, not - "Believe certain things about Me." Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come. Remain loyal to Him.

(Me again.) Now, that is just like God to put His two cents into a casual evening conversation between friends. :) They were definitely words of wisdom and also comfort. When I re-joined the conversation out in the living room, I mentioned the restroom revelation to the group, and the girl whose home it was (and who had posted it in her bathroom) went and got Chambers' book, My Utmost for His Highest, to read the passage to everyone.

"To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways..." What do you think?

a happy trip home....

I have been back in Rwanda for a little over a week now, after a totally fun, totally whirlwind trip home (my sister got married!!!)! This delay in blog posting is mainly because I've had a lot of trouble posting photos since I've been back. For those of you who have been checking the blog, thank you for your patience and sorry for the delay!

There's so much to say about the trip, and maybe my thoughts will surface on this blog in the coming posts, but mainly I just wanted to thank all of you who are reading this who made the trip so special. After the wedding, I had the blessing of driving to CO with my parents (I love road trips and some quality time with Mom and Dad was great) and then I got to go to CA for even MORE fun times! There are countless moments that are etched into my memory...

...sharing a caramel apple with Vic on a mall bench (there are no caramel apples in Rwanda...and worse yet, no Vic in Rwanda! So it was a happy day)...
...enjoying Hyman's in downtown Charleston with 12 other extended family members I rarely get to see ("who doesn't love Hyman's?")...
...spending some quality time at the beach...
...seeing my beautiful big sister get married to a fantastic man (yay!!! See photo, above)...
...experiencing a fabulous Southern wedding reception on a boat(!)...
...devouring a huge and tasty steak with my parents in Kansas (in Bob Dole's hometown, in fact)...
...para-sailing (more stories to come...!)...
...being blessed by friends at a brunch at home (thank you!!)...
...getting caught up with the ladies at lunch...
...enjoying Interior and even an Africa Hope prayer meeting...
...being surprised by apple fritters from a friend (Kim, you're awesome)...
...having some of the best hosts ever in CA (here's a shout out to Brad and Leslie, who wondrously accommodated the continuous 80 mph pace of the visit)...
...watching Vic's brother get married to a lovely lovely woman (more yays!! See photos below)...
...experiencing another fabulous wedding reception (this time boat-less, but still absolutely gorgeous)...
...meeting so many fun and new people at the reception...
...eating octopus, sushi, and kim-chee with Vic's extended family...
...spending an evening with the Odendaals et al. in Lake Forest (thanks again!)...

It was a fantastic trip. I am happy to be back in Africa too, but it has been a super busy week, so I'll have to catch you up later on. But in the meantime, here are some photos of the trip:

More of the bride (and groom):






Bride and proud proud bridesmaids.... (This is at the reception. We did cry at the wedding, but not too much! We were having too much fun! Way to go, Al!!)


Meet the parents, looking sharp:



Then it was on to CA, for Vic's brother's wedding. Here's an "exclusive" shot of the back of a wedding guest's head with the beautiful couple in the background (and yes, I do need to learn how to take photos, you're absolutely right...JenDiz, help!):



Here's the happy couple in football jerseys:



Here are my two lovely friends who hosted a brunch for me in CA (totally sweet of them):



Another shot from the brunch (thanks to George W. for the great photos!)



There are more photos, but I want to get this posted!! See you again soon.

bold prayer

I wasn't sure when I would blog next, but I have 2 hours of internet time here at the airport (yay!). I am en route, checking my email at Washington/Dulles (after a 16+ ride in an EthiopianAir jet...whoa, what a trip!). Thank you for your prayers...

And speaking of prayer, I just picked up an awesome email from my friend Janet that I wanted to share with you. This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa.

(Isaiah 65:24 'Before they call, I will answer')

"One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).

"We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.

"Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). 'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

"'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.'

"The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

"During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'

"While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while you are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'

"As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, Amen ? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything, the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door.

"By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.

"Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out - yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly too!'

"Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!

"Looking up at me, she asked: 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'

"That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'"

God bless you all today. I think my favorite part of the story was the prayer of the little African girl. "Lord, you know tomorrow will be too late because that baby will be dead. So please send the water bottle this afternoon." It reminds me how sometimes God wants us to reason with Him, not for His good (He already knows all about the details/whys/wherefores of our needs) but to ultimately increase our own faith when we see Him answer our prayers. :) Hope you enjoyed as much as I did. Talk to you again soon.

murabeho for now...

I have been out of town and really busy this past week...I keep meaning to post pictures from the community health worker evaluations from two weeks ago, and other things, but haven't had time!!

But this is just a quick note to let you know that I'll get back to blogging after a two-week respite; my sister is getting married in South Carolina next weekend, and so I'm traveling over there for the wedding! (Congratulations, Alice & Mark!! Yay!! I can't wait to see you!!)

Then Victor's brother is getting married the following weekend in CA (Congratulations, Pat & Patty!!), so I will get to celebrate with his family as well as see my friends (can't wait, on both accounts)!!

If I can, I'll post along the way....otherwise I'll get back to you when I am back in Kigali. "Murabeho" (goodbye) for now....

a blog makeover

WOW.

My good friend Starshine (starshinereport.blogspot.com) updated the look of her blog a couple of weeks back, and I loved it!

So, since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I thought about updating the look of my own blog.

I know what you're thinking: what "look"? I definitely had the plainest blog on the block. I know. I have to confess, I have TRIED to make design changes and upload photos, etc., onto the homepage of my blog, ever since I got here. I don't know if it's a bandwidth issue or what, but I have never been able to make a single change, even after waiting for over an hour for a photo to load. So I gave up, resigned to my low-maintenance (read: boring) white background.

Then I saw Starshine's blog, and thought how nice it would be to add some color to mine....but promptly dropped the idea because I didn't want to waste any more hours waiting for photos and backgrounds to squeeze through the bandwidth.

However....I did shamelessly ask Starshine if she would give my blog a makeover too, and much to my delight, she accepted! Graciously! And this is the result!!

Starshine, thank you for brightening my blog, and my day....you are wonderful!! :)

spotted on CNN

I've been in Kibogora over the weekend, working on a grant application for a project we have going there. I'll post more about that later, but in the meantime I saw this article as a featured headline on CNN and wanted to share:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/05/15/amanpour.rwanda/index.html

The headline was, "Woman befriends husband's murderer's wife, murderer"

I would be interested in your thoughts...