Abundantly excessive

She couldn't have been more than two or three, huge eyes, big smile, skirt held up by a rope, little tummy slightly distended, no shoes.  She carried a small water jug and followed her brother up the dusty path.  This little one lived right next door to the orphanage.  There must have been some arrangement made, because they could fill their water jugs from the tap on the property instead of visiting the creek shared by animal run-off, bathers and laundry.  She wasn't too interested in water, though.  A calf had been born early that morning, so she joined the group of neighbours, slowly inching her way towards me and slipping her tiny hand into mine. Giggles erupted from her when I squeezed her hand and said "hi".  After a few minutes, she scampered off to play with friends and eventually collect her water to take home.  The next day, we boarded our flight and headed back to Canada.

This little girl hasn't left my mind.  Her house was right below the mission house--a hut made out of mud bricks and a simple tin roof.  The cow often lamented over her lack of food.  Occasionally, cries from a baby could be heard.  It was a simple little yard, no extras in sight.  The hope was to have enough food for today and maybe just enough extra to pay the school fees ($2) when they came due.  In Canada, there's concern raised about living pay check to pay check, while in Rwanda, you live day by day.  

This is one house, one family in a tiny village in Rwanda.  Driving out of Kigali, we saw a village about every 5 minutes.  Hundreds tucked just off the black road and many more in the trails beyond the highway.  Each village, house and family, living with just enough for today.  As you get closer to the city, improvements can be spotted--better homes, a community well, larger schools.  

Within the city, we had the opportunity to visit a couple different markets.  The first was known as KCT (Kigali Center Tower).  It was the hub of where the mzungu (white person) would visit.  The tower was several stories high.  You went through a metal detector and had your bags inspected before entering. Several high-end stores (including an "unauthorized"Apple dealer) were in the mall.  A grocery store--Nakumat--almost comparable with Walmart covered two floors.  Here you could buy the comfort foods of home (only three to four times the price of here).  A fancy movie theatre, coffee shop and food court also graced this mall.  By our Canadian standards, simple, but very nice.  The second market was very different.  At the edge of a massive bus stop, we edged into a crowded area.  The smells were interesting as we passed a long line of butcher shops.  Under a large roofed area about the size of a hockey rink, narrow isles stretched as far as you could see.  Small divisions of about about 2 feet deep by 3 feet wide in each side of the aisle marked each shop.  It was hard to see how crowded it really was as people kept walking deeper into this market.  The shop I visited was only 2 shops in, so it was not so claustrophobic.  Kim wandered deep into the caverns of the market, fascinated by whet he saw.  Here, our white faces were a minority and we drew a bit of a crowd.  Each stall was selling whatever they could--used clothing, fabrics, gift wrapping, cell phone minutes, even a partially filled Operation Christmas Child box . . .anything to make a living.  Here, I caught a glimpse of the life in a city in Rwanda, people trying to make a living, get ahead, provide for their family.  I am sure that they paid dearly for a spot in this market, so anyone who ventured in was implored to buy from each vendor.

The country market was a bit different.  The fruits, vegetables and wares were spread out in an area that wasn't too hilly on neatly spread blankets.  Some have music or speakers, many are offering similar items, all are hoping to sell to you.  Even with the crowds, the marketplace is not chaotic.  There is an underlying gentleness and respect.  

The overall atmosphere within the country of Rwanda was one of dignity, grace and peace.  Coming in as an outsider, the needs and poverty feel overwhelming, yet among the people who live in the direst of conditions, there's a peace and contentment that few North Americans find.  

I am learning that it is not what we can teach others, it is what we choose to learn from others.