One week to go...

Hey everyone! Hope all is well on your side of the world! Thanks again for reading the latest.

Katy and I have one last week in Rwanda and like I have been saying we are a mixture of emotions. Saying goodbye is going to be really hard for me and I know I can speak for Katy as well. It feels a bit surreal and hard to imagine that this will likely be one of the last blog updates! We have had a wonderful week and look forward to another one this week. I will try to give the Reader's Digest version of our adventures as Katy so well put it. :)

Tuesday-Thursday: Last week we said our final goodbyes at the school, it was sad but joyful at the same time. We were able to give each class a little party and hang out with them. I have enjoyed the experience at the school on a new level this time around. Being there for 5 weeks allowed us to deepen the relationships and get a good idea on how things work. Providence was still at home recovering so we were able to visit her at her home on Tuesday and say goodbye. She was so gracious (in typical Rwandese style) , though visibly still a little weak from her illness, she welcomed us and served us a wonderful meal. I also got to finally meet her husband, Ernest, and look at her wedding albums with her. They are still newlyweds. We are about the same age I found out and she is no different than me and my girlfriends back home-- all excited about weddings and could talk about it for hours! It as such a nice visit, I am truly going to miss her.

Wednesday Bible study: We finished our study on prayer with the ladies. Many of them expressed afterwards how much they apprecitaed and learned from our time together over the last 6 weeks. Katy and I were tearing up as they discussed the things they had learned! I also feel like God has taught me new things through them and used these new friendships to encourage me too. This Wednesday will be our final meeting, we hope to have a little celebration with Fantas and mindazi (this delicious sweet bread stuff that many people snack on) after the lesson. It will be hard to part with this group!

Thursday Bible study: This week we were finally able to meet with these ladies again. Our translator and friend Mary is doing much better (praise!) and was able to help us gather the women at the Ligue this time. We were able to present all 10 of them with a Bible. They cheered and praised God as we passed them out, it was such a blessing to witness-- I take for granted how easy it is for me to own a Bible. We told them all we wanted them to do try to come back this week because we want to be with them one last time and say our farewells. We are looking forward to the next meeting.

Friday: We were not able to meet with the DORCAS ladies but did get to run some much needed errands around Kigali. We have become a lot more familiar with the taxi buses and our favorite spots around the city, we feel pretty independant these days!

Saturday Bible study: This week we met with the group again and have one more lesson to go in our study together. We also plan on having another little Fanta & mindazi celebration with these ladies as well after we meet. I am looking forward to just visiting with them about new things they have learned. We have had some really great discussions and Q & A time with this group.

Sunday (yesterday): Kezia', James and Katy and I left at 7am yesterday morning for the ladies conference in Rukira, a village outside of Kibungo. It was one of those 3 hour drives through the bumpy dusty roads and banana frields at times. Kezia' kept saying it was "very rural" ;). We were happy to get out of the city and into the village for a day, we have not done a whole lot of that this trip. When we arrived in Rukira Kezia showed us some land CEER is hoping to build a secondary school on, we asked her when it would be built and she told us "only God knows"! But he has provided them the land, the first step in the process. When we were walking back to the car the CEER Rukira pastor Alfred led us through a yard of a sweet old lady who greeted us with a smile. Kezia' later told us that she had lost her husband and every one of her 11 children in the genocide--yet she was smiling and greeted us so warmly. It was obvious she had Jesus in her life! I was really encouraged by her. When we got to church there were ladies gathered from all over the country, I was impressed by how far some of them had to travel to get there. Katy and I greeted them and presented the gospel via the wordless book. Afterwards we were fed some more good 'ol Rwnadan rice, beans, matoke and meat (we are pretty sure it was beef!) and of course you cannot eat Rwandan food without a Fanta. They were very gracious to us! We got home to the Ligue at about 7pm and were exhausted! It was a great day though and Kezia' said that she was so happy that we took a taxi because it allowed her to be there and encourage the women and otherwise travel would probably been really difficult, that made us happy too.

Today: We began our first of 3 youth Bible studies this week in Remera. We were a little slow to start but ended up having close to 15 people of various ages there. We just want God to work and are praying about the next couple of days. Vincent was our translator and we are excited to get to spend some time with him, we have not seen him around much this trip. I cannot remember if I have mentioned it but, the CEER church in Remera will be opening a cyber cafe sometime in August with a little store where people can hang out, drink a Fanta, and buy some mindazi. They are well on their way, they have been painting and sanding desks and chairs. Vincent says they hope to have about 10 computers. I am excited for them because I think it will be a great way of interacting with the community and people in the village.

I think this is all...I know what you are thinking..geez Melissa you wrote a stinkin' book! Thanks again for taking the time out of your lives to read...it helps me to feel close to you even though I'm halfway around the world right now! I also ask that you lift some prayers up with me this week:

All of our friends in Rwanda, old and new! We will have a hard time leaving them and want to enjoy them for the remaining time we have left.

Katy and I, that we will use the time left for God's glory alone and that we will finish strong the tasks He has given us to do. We praise God for our health (He has been SO gracious) and for allowing us to spend close to 7 amazing weeks here safely.

Thank you! I look forward to seeing everyone soon!
:) Melissa