Small Miracles

Our life of adventure continues as we settle, learn, adapt and connect with the people around here.  It's been busy as we've been teaching ESL, working with the kids, helping with homework, chasing critters and building relationships with the incredible staff.  Our children are relaxing more and we are finding ways to keep connected with home.  We are rejoicing in small miracles along the way.

When we arrived, we were told that there may be rats in the ceiling of the mission house.  Traps were set and a couple were caught right away.  After that, the skittering has ceased and all remains quiet.  What's crazy is we are not stressed or worried, but all just taking it in stride (amazing, considering my complete dislike of ANY rodent).

Our house inhabitants are not limited to our family, however.  We have the many geckos who help us with the mosquitos.  I still startle when I see one running across the table or up the wall, but I'm getting used to them.  The most challenging part of having them around is coming up with daily stories to keep the younger boys entertained about "Ordie",Ethan's gecko.  

We've worked together with the children and mamas on cleaning the dorms, hauling compost, chasing  escapee chickens and catching runaway baby goats.  Weekly, we bake up a treat for everyone and often find ourselves blessed back with corn, bananas or other extra treats from the mamas.

Cooking is getting easier, as we find recipes we love, fruits and veggies that add delicious flavours and now, learning to use my new favorite cooking tool--the pressure cooker.  No longer do we fret if we forgot to soak beans,  they can still be cooked just right by lunch time.  Some of our new favourites: poori, stir fry zucchini, tortillas, refried beans and salsa, rice pudding and lime pudding.   

Today was perhaps the biggest breakthrough.  Our youngest, Ethan, wanted to go to the market with us.  He's shy, dislikes crowds and isn't particularly fond of anything new.  Despite the crowds, the attention his blond hair and blue eyes drew and the walk, he wants to go back next week because he loves buying bananas!!  

ESL has been another small miracle.  Years of homeschooling, teaching kids to read and adapting curriculum have helped me as we teach over 40 students basics in English.  We've now advanced to simple describing sentences.  It doesn't sound like much, but it's only been 6 lessons.  Today's class was taught in the dark in the middle of a very loud thunderstorm (in a building with a metal roof). The students still managed to learn, thanks to our "English team"!

Rainy season has also began.  It's early this year . . .so there's some anxiety about the crops not being finished.  I had hoped that the rain of Monday wasn't a sign of more to come, but there's been rain both Tuesday and today, each more steady than the last.  The temperature is cooler, but the humidity leaves everything feeling a bit damp.  It's not unpleasant, but it is different.  I think we will be washing our shoes more often, it's rather muddy.

We've been thrilled to discover that Skype works from our mission house.  This is very exciting, it opens doors for us to connect more often with family and friends.  It's great until you see the tears in your loved ones faces . . .then the reality of the distance hits . . .letters are starting to arrive, too, only 3 weeks from Canada to here.  We will answer every letter we receive:)

The routine is starting to get settled and the novelty of everything new is beginning to fade.  We recognize that we are starting to settle in and prepare ourselves for the "long haul".  Life carries on back at home and for us, life is taking on a whole new course.  We are learning to appreciate more, complain less and recognize the small everyday miracles we witness.  It's not always going to be fast-paced, new and exciting, but it will be steady steps in making a small difference where we are.  

Thank you for your continued prayers, encouraging words and support.  We appreciate you!

Bug bites and beyond

After posting about mosquito nets, safety and God's protection, there is another side to the story.  Nets and protection are good and advisable, but there is still no guarantee you will be completely protected from bug bites.  Even the best of products, screens and protection can fail.

Now, taking this a deeper, are we, as believers, immune to troubles, wounds or heartbreak?  As we travel this beautiful land, we can see scars, broken buildings and tangible reminders of the horrific genocide 20 years ago this spring.  Believers were not immune to death, torture and shame.  Elsewhere in the world, pain is evident and suffering is very real, even among followers of Christ.  

So where's this protection and covering?  Why do bad things happen to people who follow and love God?  Does the safety God offers really make a difference?  

Submitting to God's plan never means a trouble-free life.  You will face struggles, times of stretching, feelings of hopelessness and tragedy.  Does this mean God had left us?  Not at all.  The Bible doesn't give us a guarantee of a trouble-free life, but when we choose to walk with God, He is with us, by our side, never leaving us or forsaking us.  

How can something good come out of some of the most unimaginable circumstances?  It is only with God that good can come out of darkness--IF we let Him.  Find a character in the Bible that did not face dire or challenging circumstances.  See how God brought them through.  

Being a follower of Christ doesn't guarantee a life free from trials or difficulties, but it does allow you to experience God's blessing, peace, strength and help, especially through these times of trouble.

We are not expecting every moment here to be joyous and easy.  Even the journey of getting here has had challenges, trials, disappointments and times where we were literally depending on God right up to the last second before He intervened.  However, the peace that we have had in allowing Him to walk us through our troubles has carried us daily.  

God is here, He loves you and longs for a relationship with you.  All you need to do is ask.  Admit you are a sinner (no one is perfect).  Believe that Jesus died for your sins.  His death on the cross has given us access to heaven.  Apart from Him, we can never achieve this on our own.  Confess He is your Lord--basically, turn control of your life over to Him.  It will change your life--GUARANTEED!  While you do relinquish control, you are also partnering with the Creator of heavens and earth who loves you, has plans for you and who has promised to never leave or forsake you . . .wow!   

This is life-changing.  Don't keep this news to yourself.  Read the Bible, God's Word and get connected with a church. Your life will never be the same!!

May God richly bless you!!

Bugs, Nets and More

At one time, I viewed the dainty mosquito nets as great accents in a child's room. They gave a room a "royal" look.  Now, as mosquito nets become a necessary "life saver" ( in a sense, when you think of malaria), they quickly lose some of their intrigue.  

Take last night, for example, it was hot, humid and sticky.  The net blocked any air movement, even after the night cooled a bit. If you got too close to the edge, the net would stick to your face and if you stretched too far, your feet would escape.  Yet, the net--as uncomfortable as it was--offered protection from the tiny  mosquitos that could carry malaria.  Staying protected isn't always comfortable, it can feel restrictive, but ultimately, it is for our benefit.

The mosquito net also offers protection from other critters as well.  I remember being in India and finding out rats were trying to gnaw through my net, as the bed was next to the cupboard.  Once I pulled the bed out and tucked the net in thoroughly, they were less likely to get too close.  Just a couple of nights ago, we had some strange wasp/worm bugs that were flying around.  We were told they sting.  While Kim and Nathan hunted them down, the younger boys and I were safety under the net, safe from any stinging insects.  

During the day, the nets are wrapped up, tucked away and not needed.  We can see the bugs and avoid them, as well as be aware they dislike the sun and heat.  We will learn to avoid the area the mosquitos like to congregate (tall grass, swampy areas, etc) in order to remain safe.  When we do need to go around those areas, bug spray helps offer protection.

There's a lesson here, I just know it:). I am see how God gives us His Word as a guide.  Here we find insight into His law, plans and purposes.  When we take these directions to heart, we are allowing ourselves to come under His protective net.  God's laws and ways are designed to give us freedom, not restrictions.  When we walk with God, He sometimes will call us into danger, but He clothes us with His protection and goes before us.  

Coming to Rwanda, we knew we would be facing the unknown.  There would be critters (stinging insects, snakes, rats, etc), strange food, an unknown culture, and more, but there has been no doubt that God has been with us, directing us, taking care of us, providing for us and giving us His grace, strength and mercy each day.

We've said it before, there's nothing extraordinary about our family, we just want to be where God wants us to be.  As we've stepped out, we recognize the shelter of His protection and trust in His care.  God is good, even with the crazy bugs, interesting critters and mosquito nets! 

A Few of Our Favourite Things

Playing, singing, talking, teaching, stories, new foods . . . there's been so many new experiences that have quickly made it to the top of our "favourite" list.  We have to share a few with you so that you know we've had some fun adventures here in Rwanda.

Naomi's favourite:

Dancing:  the kids--both boys and girls--dance with joy and enthusiasm!  The girls love to teach Abby and Naomi the moves and Naomi is quickly learning some Rwandan dance.

Group games: planning, teaching or playing, Naomi puts her whole heart into the games.  The kids all know she isn't afraid to play as hard as they do.  Sundays, when most of us are resting, she's up with the kids having a blast.  

Abigail's favourite: 

Language Lessons: learning the language is challenging, but Abigail is picking it up quickly, especially with her local teachers (ages 4-24) teachers who are trying so hard to get her fluent.  ESL has also brought out her gift of teaching young and old.

Thunder storms: when the wind picks up, watch out, a storm is rushing in.  After quickly closing the windows, Nathan and Abby dash out to watch the storm and get some good pictures. Inevitably, they come back in drenched. 

Ethan's favourite:

Ordie the gecko:  he's a gecko who lives in the girl's room.  He's married with 10 children--8 daughters, 2 sons (or so the story goes).  Every night, Ethan sits with mom to hear of this gecko's adventures.  

Going on the swings: friends to play with, places to explore and a playground. . .the favourite hangout place for Ethan is the swing.  Now to find a way to keep knees from getting skinned . . .

Nathan's  favourite:

Catching critters:  frogs, bugs, chameleons and geckos, none are safe from Nathan (except maybe the rats).  Much to Ethan's dismay, his pet gecko may be targeted next.  

Hanging out with the kids: early walks to school, late morning visits, afternoon hang-out times or evening family nights, any opportunity to connect with the kids and college students is used.  Nathan has found more ways to encourage and mentor those around him.  

Joel's favourite:

Playing with the kids: playground time, tag, reading or just hanging out.  Joel is becoming a friend to everyone--even the youngest who was terrified of our white faces!

Fresh Fruit: bananas, pineapples, passion fruit, guava, oranges and limes.  Nothing compares to the taste of fruit picked fresh. Yummy!

Kim's favourite:  

Break down barriers: making people laugh and easing any tension people may have with white folks around.  Walking to the market and having people call, "mzungu" gets Kim quickly looking around  asking "where??" people start laughing, but are no longer pointing.  

Exercise/training:  flying on the swing superman style, reverse push-ups, monkey bars, chin-ups.  Not only is Kim trying to stay fit, he's teaching the kids some exercises as well.

Renae's favourite:

Encouraging kids and mamas:  stories, teaching, games, prayer time or just a simple smile.  Seeing how everyone responds to encouragement inspires me to reach out even more.

Getting creative: learning to think outside the box, problem solve and draw deep from what's already been learned has us all drawing on our creative side.  This can especially come out during ESL prep, lesson planning and family nights.  It's good to be kept on our toes.

More favourites:  trips to the market, brushette, fanta, night sounds, mosquito nets (sort of), pressure cooker and homemade bread . . .

Coming soon:  favourite recipes from Rwanda!

Lessons from Grandma

In a way, living in Rwanda could be compared to living early in the 20th century.  While the technology is readily available in the city and somewhat seen in the country, the majority of work is done by hand.  There's a focus on relationship instead of speed, careful stewardship instead of waste and living within your means instead of taking on excessive debt.  As we adjust to this different way of life and thinking, I can't help but be reminded of lessons from my grandparents.  

Their lives were characterized by hard work, frugality, creativity, serving, strength through hard times, recycling, sacrifice and building lasting relationships.  Growing up, I had the privilege of getting to know them and soaking up their teaching, especially over cups of tea, working alongside them and playing cards together.  My dad's parents lived in the same yard.  Often, I would see my grandfather collecting, chopping and hauling wood for his wood burning fireplace that burned steadily year-round.  When he wasn't working around the farm, he would be found chatting with neighbours or sitting with his glue gun and wood burning tool, tinkering and being creative. My grandma suffered from extreme arthritis, but that didn't stop her from baking bread (using her elbows to knead the bread), gardening and cooking elaborate meals.  She also offered a listening ear to whoever needed her and was a blessing to our community.

My mom's parents--my other grandparents--lived in town and were extremely hard-working.  For fun, my grandpa would spend days at a time out west, catching wild horses for the rodeo.  At home, his favourite place to be was at the local coffee shop, chatting with friends.  My grandma did hair in her home into her 80's.  She said she loved helping all the "old ladies" (most of whom were 10-20 years young than her).   In her later years, I lived with her and helped her.  She taught me many things about crafting, cooking and hospitality.  She also told me I should save everything because I may never know when I might need it again--a tip that is beneficial until you try to pack up your house!

So here we are, in a place far beyond what is now considered "normal" in North America.  More than ever, I find myself drawing on what was taught to me by my grandparents.  For example, using less mixes and more of my own selection of herbs and spices for cooking, flavouring and dressings.  I am also carefully washing out the ziplock bags and hanging them on the line to dry (something I was sure I would never do!).  I am knitting and crocheting out of necessity instead of leisure, as we were short in our supply of dishcloths.  Even saving carefully and spending cautiously instead of assuming our support will be complete for the next month.  

Shifting our thinking from that of extremely rushed to one of taking time to invest in building relationships has taken time, but the fruit we are beginning to see is proving that relationships are vital.

Overall, our dependence on convenience and technology is being diminished and priority is bring placed on God, faith, family and community.  I can't help but think that my grandparents would be proud that the lessons they taught made a difference in my life!

I am reminded of how much each generation has to offer the next generation.  How often do we neglect to appreciate those who are older and wiser until it's too late?  Perhaps it was Kim's grandmother who gave us the wisest advice when we were contemplating moving to Rwanda.  It was simple: seek God, take a small step of faith and if it's meant to be, God will make it clear. Simple, wise and exactly what we needed to be reminded to do.

While technology insists on pushing us forward, let's not forget the lessons from the past.  God brings those older and wiser into into our lives for a reason.  Let's not miss all that He has in store!

Thank you for your continued prayers. 

The Wilson family 

 

Praise report!  

Kim, Ethan and I have our visas:)

Our family is planning on connecting next Sunday with an English-speaking church, we look forward to this fellowship at least once a month!

Prayer request:

Nathan's birth certificate seems to be delayed, please pray that it is processed quickly (the rest of the kids have theirs, we are just waiting on Nathan's before shipping them back to Rwanda)

 

A few things we've learned already

We are learning and discovering new things each day, both about ourselves and the world around us.  Our hope is that we won't forget the valuable lessons along our journey.  They are in no particular order . . . What we've learned while living in Rwanda

1. Electricity is overrated. First of all, you buy electricity at the grocery store and enter the code in a little box at your house.  Even then, it goes on and off throughout the day.  When it fails in the evening, we have a limited time with the generator, then it's "lights out".  The first time the power failed during a rain storm, we light candles and carried on with what we were doing.  When the power came on, groans of disappointed were expressed, followed by, "let's just keep the lights off for a bit longer".  We can still cook, see and function without power.  The only drawback: when you are at one end of the house and your flashlight is at the other end of the house and the power dies, leaving you in the dark.  

2. Maybe Walmart isn't the greatest store.  If we were shopping in "supermarket terms" right now, we would be limited to 3-4 (partially-filled) aisles--produce, baking supplies, dairy and limited meat.  Our produce section is a huge open-air market with a vast selection.  The best part is all prices are negotiable.  I still go with a mama (the vendors are telling her they don't want her there with me, because she knows the prices:), and come home with amazing fresh food.  We also are baking our own breads, flatbreads and more.  The taste truly is best with homemade.  Our diet isn't as limited as we first thought.  It's been a good stretch of our cooking skills and we are healthier.  With ingredients we can't find, we are learning to find creative solutions.

3. Time is different here in Rwanda.  This goes beyond "African time".  While there are deadlines and penalties, there's also grace.  Emergencies come up, but they may or may not have to be dealt with immediately.  Instead of the all-out panic and stress we tend to feel in North Amercia, there's an underlying sense of "no worries", it will all work out.

4. Hard work in Rwanda looks very different from hard work in Canada.  We really didn't have a full concept of what it meant to work hard in Canada.  Without the benefits of machines, people are used doing EVERYTHING by hand.  This can range from cutting firewood (Kim fought a losing battle with a chain saw that never did really work), washing clothes, cooking over an open fire, preparing and planting the fields, plus much more.  The tools used are simple in nature and the creativity and ingenuity is incredible.  

5. Rainy season is the warmest time of year. When the rainy season comes, it is the hottest time of year--as opposed to the dry season, where it's cooler.  Take into consideration that "hot" is 28-30 degrees C and "normal" is 23-27degrees.  "Cold" is under 22 degrees.  At night (17-20 degrees) our night watchman wears a winter jacket similar to what Kim would wear when the temperatures are hovering around 0 or lower.

6.  Modern pioneers.  Rwanda is quite advanced in technology, despite the simplicity in how people live.  Many houses are simple mud bricks with thin tin roofs.  They may or may not have power, but everyone has a cell phone--right up to the latest models.  Communication is vital, so texting is the primary way of keeping in touch with those around you.  What a switch from what we are used to.  We are now learning to text more frequently and mostly keep our phones charged.  

7. White people really stand out here. In a sea of variegated browns, our light skin stands out.  The differences in our skin can draw a lot of attention.  We are beginning to get used to being touched, pinched, poked and studied.  Ethan especially draws a lot of attention with his blond hair.  The girl's hair is not ignored--it's so fine and straight.  A stir is also caused if we are seen walking, working outside (this is really strange) or shopping in the market.  We are the only white people in the area, so it's a bit of a novelty.  

8.  You need to view a longer term mission as a marathon. After being part of several short-term missions, we've learned you can't move overseas for an extended period of time with a sprint mentality.  Short-term missions make a quick (but powerful) impact and then leave.  Longer-term missions take time to establish and build trust and gain an understanding of the community, culture and people.  This cannot happen overnight, you need to be patient.  Start slow and remember relationships are vital.

9.  Talents we didn't think were valuable are being used here. Baking bread, drawing, sewing, math, connecting with kids, encouraging, business skills, helping, friendliness, organization, homeschooling, games, kid's ministry, leadership training, teaching, playing and hospitality.  These are all areas that we have found God using our family.  We really had no idea how much we would be drawing on the gifts, talents and abilities God has given us.   

10.  Opened eyes.  You can read about other cultures, learn about missionaries and watch movies about new lands, but until you actually experience it, you don't really understand how different life can be.  We are finding out how much we took for granted (clean water, for example) and learning to appreciate what we have.  We've come to realize how much we love our church and relied on easy communication with family and friends. We appreciate anyone who speaks our language and who can give us clarity on the customs and culture.  There wasn't a full understanding of the abundance of what we had in Canada--easy access to anything we needed, until we came here.  This has stirred up a new sense of thankfulness in all our hearts.  

Where's the Easy Button??

I have to admit that we had a bad day.  It wasn’t all-out terrible, just a typical, “not the greatest” kind of day.  What was a little strange is it felt normal. 

The day before, Kim and I were driving back from the district immigration office.  We had our visas in hand, but were still waiting for four of the children’s visas (that’s another story).  As we were driving, Kim was commenting that he really didn’t feel like a missionary, he was just doing what he does all along—help where needed, connect with people and keep busy.  I agreed.  My days have felt rather normal, too.  We’ve been working with kids—just a few more than our typical crew of 5, plan lessons (similar, but just multiplying it by a few more people), take care of our household, take care of books and solve problems as they come up.  We are busy some evenings, running around some days and building connections with those around us.  It’s really nothing fancy, just what we’ve always done . . . only now it’s in Rwanda. 

We don’t FEEL like we are missionaries, yet we are DOING the work that God has us doing right now.  Wouldn’t it be great that as soon as you stepped out in faith or assumed a position of responsibility that all of a sudden, you would be dramatically changed into the person you hoped you would be?  When we stepped foot in Rwanda, we didn’t magically change into these superhero missionaries . . .no, we are exactly who we were when we left Canada.  This has given me much to ponder on. 

We know that we are to be here, there’s no doubt.  God is using our gifts, strengths, abilities and weaknesses to do the work that He has set out for us to do.  When we feel weak, we need to rely on Him to be strong.  When there’s a strength for us to share, we need to trust God to give us creativity in sharing this strength in a way that will bridge the culture and language barriers.  Even in that, the reality is we will not be perfect.  We will make mistakes (ahh, my biggest fear!).  Because there really isn’t much privacy (all the walls are vented, our voices carry, our home and life is under a microscope, because we are white), there is an underlying pressure to be perfect.  This is why those bad days—when they come—are so hard to take. 

To be honest, while the work here has been challenging, it hasn’t been impossible.  The biggest challenge has been only having each other to rely on.  We can’t talk with friends and vent or let out a bit of steam.  It’s limited to here.  Chatting on the internet and email is fine, but it’s not the same.  Emotions can run high and without an “escape”, we all have our very real moments of weakness.  Everyone is missing their friends, familiarity and home.  This is the reality we are facing at this time. 

We thank you for your continued prayers and words of encouragement.  The words that come from friends and family are gold to us.  Know that your prayers are making a difference.  We see God at work.  We see connections being built that only God can build.  We are getting more creative with meals, eating better and learning to bake with the different ingredients we have on hand.  We are trusting God to meet our needs—spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially.  Our family is learning to connect on a deeper level and rely on each other.  It’s hard, but good. 

I am thankful that God gives words of encouragement to our family to remind us that He is in control.  Today, I was given this quote:

“The storms will come, they always do, but remember that God is always in the storm with you.”

Please continue to pray for visas and for Nathan’s birth certificate to come (the rest of the kids have theirs).

Wisdom and insight as we continue to navigate the challenges that arise daily. 

Connections for us all, that God would bring us into contact with friends here in Rwanda.

What We Do All Day

We are now in our fourth week of being in Rwanda.  It's been a process of adjustment and while we are still waiting on visas,  we are are finding that we don't need to be in the city as often, so we can focus more on what is to be done here.

It's been a time of learning as we balance working with and caring for the orphanage as well as helping with and being available to the newly established bible school.  New routines are coming into place as we each grow and stretch.  

Mornings start early.  We are up by 6 am, though the chorus of birds outside our window begins at 5.  This rivals the loudest of alarm clocks.  Breakfast consists of fresh fruit, plus either eggs, flatbread, oatmeal or yogurt.  If we want to join the kids as they walk to school, we need to be out the door by 6:40.  So far, only Kim has braved the walk that is literally uphill both ways!  Laundry is set out early and everyone is starting their morning's work by 7:30 or 8 am.  Soaked beans are set to simmer & bread is started.  Kim will check on the needs of the day, while Renae will check emails & have staff meetings as needed.  

When Bible school starts, Kim will usually head up to the office to be available to the students and staff.  Renae will help with school & make sure the orphanage books are current.  Depending on the internet, the kids will work on as much school as possible.   Lessons for ESL are planned & classes will begin in a week.  Lunch will be prepped and if there's maintainence, Kim will be invloved. He's already tackled wood cutting, pig pen repairing, vehicle repairs and more.  Everyone will help plan and write the children's ministry class.  In the afternoon, Renae heads up to the office to work on lesson plans & teach the mamas English.  Play time and homework with the orphans take place in the afternoon, with all the kids involved.  There's household chores, baking and meal prep to finish off the day.  

It's getting dark by 5:30 and if it's our family night, we meet with the kids at 7, after a quick supper. This includes a story, game and talk time.  Renae will catch up on correspondence and updates and the kids will squeeze in a bit of internet before bed by 8 or 8:30.  

There's always exceptions to these days, depending on what comes up.  We have market day on Wednesdays, where we are out of the house by 7 am, plus staff meetings with the orphanage and bible school. Trips to the city are once a week, usually Thursday or Friday mornings.  We try to carve out our own family time, so that we can remain a strong family unit.  Saturday afternoons are our fun days with the kids with games.  The teens want to start a youth mentorship with the teens here, to pour into developing them as leaders.  This will also be on Saturday.  Sundays include morning worship and a relaxing afternoon for all.

We are adjusting to life here.  The weather is incredible, the scenery, beautiful and the people are so friendly.  Each week, we are finding that connections are building and we are settling in.  Eventually, we would like to connect to the missionary community in Kigali, but for now, we are slowly getting to know the local community.  The atmosphere is laid back, but the days remain full and the weeks are flying by.  We hope to make the most of the time we have here.  

Rwanda--from the perspective of Joel and Ethan

What is it like to move to the other side of the world? It was a little tough packing up the house.  When it got boring, we visited friends.  We were sure shocked when we got home that day, our house--even our bedroom--was completely empty!  It was good to find our blankets at our Grandma's house.  

The next few days were strange.  There were lots of goodbyes.  We really didn't understand how much our lives were going to change over the next week.  New renters moved into our house and our van was given to another family to use.  All of our things to take were packed into large black boxes, backpacks and little suitcases we could take on the airplane. 

 

The church van took us to a hotel.  We got to go swimming and see our aunt, uncle & cousins and our grandparents.  Our parents woke us up in the middle of the night.  We had breakfast at 2:30 in the morning!  

When we got to the airport, we needed to fix some of our suitcases.  Some were too heavy, some were too light.  After we were done, we dropped off our suitcases and were checked by security.  This was kind of fun, it wasn't scary.  We had just enough time to get some breakfast before we went on our airplane.  That was the first time for us kids (other than Nathan) to be on a plane.  When we took off, we thought we might fall out of the sky!  After a while, it wasn't too scary, so we watched a movie.  

Our first stop was Montreal.  We had to wait a LONG time until we could get on our next airplane.  We all had a nap in the airport.

We arrived next in Brussels (that's in Belgium).  Our last flight was the longest and then we arrived in Rwanda.  By that time, it was late at night the next day.  When we stepped off the plane, we knew we weren't in Canada anymore. It even smelled different (not bad, just different).  After a long time, we got loaded in the van.  One of our boxes was broken and another one was lost.

The drive to the orphanage went through the city and then lots of hills.  We were sleepy, so we soon went to bed.  It was strange sleeping under the big nets to keep mosquitos off.  The next day, we saw our new home.  Everything was different.  It's kind of like camping in a really old house, but different.  The walls and floor are cement.  The ceiling is high and the roof is tin, so when it's hot, the tin talks and when it rains, it's really loud.  We have a living room, kitchen and dining room in one open space.  There's a long hallway with bedrooms.  The power goes off and we get to light candles.  

Just a few stairs up from our house is the orphanage.  The kids live there.  We can play at the playground with them.  We get to have family time with the kids and tell stories and play games.  It's fun to play soccer with them. There's always lots of kids to play games.  We are trying to teach them English and we are trying to learn kinyarwandan.  Because we have white skin, people call us mzungu.

In the city, strangers will wave at us, shake our hand or pinch our cheeks.  It's a little weird.  

We see people walking, carrying big loads on their heads, taking yellow water jugs to get filled in just a small, dirty puddle of water.  Sometimes they don't have shoes and have really old clothes.  That is very different from Canada.  The houses are small and look broken and everyone has black skin.  We look very different to them because we are white.

Every day we get up early.  Breakfast is not cereal, but bread, muffins and always fruit like pineapple.  There's not many snacks.  We have beans instead of meat a lot of the time, so we are learning to like beans--mostly.  There's lots of veggies like carrots, tomatoes and zucchini.  It's a good thing Naomi and Nathan like to bake bread and muffins, they taste really good.

We know we have a job to do here.  We like the kids, but we really don't feel like missionaries.  We are the same as we've always been, it's just now we are living in Rwanda.  We miss our city, our church, our friends, our grandparents and our house, but we are glad we are here

 

with our parents and brothers and sisters.  Some days we just can't believe we are really here.  We know God is taking care of us and has a job for us here, so that's good.  

We love to get letters.  You can mail them to: Ethan or Joel Wilson, c/o Victory Family Home of Champions. BP box 4918. Kigali, Rwanda.  

Bye for now:)

Without you, where would we be?

Our youngest was missing Lethbridge last night.  We sat on the bed and wrapped up in a very special quilt made for our family.  We dubbed it the "lonely quilt".  It's filled with bright colours and pictures of us with some very good friends.  It's a great reminder of the warmth and support we have back home. (This quilt had been in the missing crate, so you can imagine our relief when that crate was found!). Not only does the quilt remind us of home, it's a reminder that missing those we love is ok, acceptable and normal.  This morning, an email from the very friends Ethan and I were remembering greeted me, what a great way to brighten the day!  

Yes, it's only been a couple of weeks, but as we shift our gears from the excitement of arriving to settling in for the long haul, we can't help but reflect on home back in Canada.  It's ok, it's expected, it's allowed.

What has helped us here has been the technology.  Being able to Skype, phone, email, blog and Facebook has helped us stay connected with our amazing support system.  Day to day, we can see the evidence of prayers lifted on our behalf.  As the travel went smooth, luggage was found and even experiencing an "ideal" transition unfolded, we could only give credit to God and thank those who's prayers have helped pave our way.  

You see, us being here only emphasizes the importance of the team we have around us.  While we have the opportunity to be the "doers" in Rwanda, the driving force and the ability to make a difference starts at home.  Without the encouragement of our church, Rwanda would have never been considered.  Without the blessing of our pastor and the congregation, we would not have has the "green light" with the protection or umbrella to be able to make a difference.  Without the supporters (for the orphanage, bible college and our family), there would be no work here.  Missions is a group effort!  

We have truly experienced that support and group effort.  With each email, our spirits have been lifted.  When there's a Facebook message or comment, we are reminded that we are not forgotten.  As people lift us up in prayer, we see God move here.  Being here has given me a greater appreciation for churches with a global perspective--embracing opportunity to make an impact around the world. How exciting!  Thank you for giving our family the opportunity to be able to help make a small difference in the world around us!

Praise reports:

--Visa application has been submitted.  We could have visas next week.  We still need to get new birth certificates for the 4 oldest kids, but we have a 3 month window (with temporary visas) to do this.

--Kim is doing very well driving in Rwanda

--Ethan (who was terrified of rain) is now outside singing in the rain:)

Prayer Requests:

--continued wisdom as we direct the home

--ease in adjusting to life here, especially for the kids (they've been amazing, but we know it's not easy for them)