2 More Weeks in Rwanda :(

Muraho!

Again, it is hard for me to believe that we only have two more weeks here. Like I have said it is a mixture of emotions, we are sad to be leaving our sweet friends, yet missing family and friends back home. The process of beginning to say goodbye (for now ;) is something I am not looking forward to. It seems like just a few weeks ago Katy and I had arrived, sleeping in our clothes, desperatley needing a shower, and waiting for our bags to catch up with us! But, here we are in the final weeks. However, things are not going to slow down for us, there is still MUCH work to be done. We will be busy every single day leading up to our departure on the 23rd.

Today beagn the process of saying bye to our cute little kiddos at the school. I will miss them terribly! It's like how I felt at the beginning of the summer, having just said goodbye to my Kindergartners at TWCA. But today we were able to have a little fun. We played with the parachute my mom sent us last year. They are still loving it. We also gave them a treat of bannanas, kazoos, and stickers--it was a par-tay! We plan on doing the same in the other three classes this week. The students are taking 'exams', they even are required to recite the memory verse we taught them in English. It is so great to see how they are retaining the lessons they have learned--at such a young age. Next week the school begins it's holiday, I think the teachers are ready for it, as I am back at home at my own school when we get breaks! My friend who teaches the 5 and 6 year old class, Providence, has left the hospital, but is still recovering at home. Theophile is taking Katy and I to visit her at her house tomorrow, I am excited to see her. Thank you all for praying for her.

This coming Sunday Katy and I plan on accompanying Kezia' to a women's conference outside of Kigali, which we are both pumped about! We may be doing some teaching there also. We have two more weeks of Bible studies coming up, the one on prayer we will wrap up this week and then with our Saturday studies we will have to do some catching up. We missed a few days due to the public work day (once a month all Rwandans are required to participate in some sort of public work--even President Kagame gets out and washes windows) and the election for mediators this past Saturday. We are also scheduled to do a study with the women at the DORCAS project on our next two Friday mornings. I have grown a deeper attachment to these ladies in our studies, my friend Bernadette (Pastor Immanuel's wife, mother of my buddy Gad) and Theophile's wife, Mama Olive especially. Bernadette and I just have a connection I feel, she and I cannot communicate well through language (she knows little English and I know even less Kinyarwandan), but we use any means possible. She is always smiling and laughing, it is contagious. She is such a joy to be around. I respect and adore her family. Mama Olive is fun too, that lady is such a servant, I need lessons from her on humility! She and Theophile both have been of so much help to us on this trip, she has many jobs, yet still has found the time to cook a feast for Katy and I every Wednesday while we are in Nabycindu. Imana ishimwe (praise God) for these precious ladies!

Next week we have set up Mon-Wed as a youth training to be held at the church in Remera. I am so excited about it because we are supposed to have the youth choir joining us, I have wanted to hang out with them more. Afterwards we hope to just chill and play some volleyball with them. We also hope to visit a hospital and possibly some schools that week.

We had a great time last Friday. The 4th of July is also a Rwandan holiday, they celebrate their independance from Belgium. We were able to visit a local Rwnadan Independance Day celebration happening near the Ligue. It was something I have never done before here and I really enjoyed it. We stopped by on our way to the new American Embassy for a 4th of July picnic! They had burgers and hotdogs and my favorite, potato salad, and some excellent desserts. I was suprised to see how many Americans are actually in Kigali, there were probably close to 200 of us there. We also got to chat briefly with the man who was in charge of Bush's security while he was in Rwanda. Very cool.

I know I am leaving things out, as usual, but by now I know these updates are getting lengthy. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read them, I know they are super long!

Prayer requests:
1) Esron-he is doing some travelling for a seminar, please pray for his safety and that this man will get some rest!
2) Providence-praise for her beginning recovery and please keep praying for her continued health
3) Christy - our friend from the Ligue who is here working with World Relief, she heads out to the village in Tuesday
4) Sarah and Sylvan - they will be leaving us on Saturday :( Please pray for their preparations to leave and safe travel.
5) our students - for thier health and safety over the break
6) me and Katy - please pray for our continued strength and health during these busy last weeks

Thanks again my people! I hope all of you had a fun and relaxing 4th weekend, I am looking forward to seeing everybody again, I miss you all! Imana igue umagisha kandi daga kunda! God bless you and I love you!)

:) Mel