YCEW was here!
The YCEW (youth challenged to expand their world view) from Northwest Yearly Meeting arrived during the last week of school. They spent that first week hanging out in Kigali, getting over jet lag, and visiting various sites of interest. They were able to attend choir practice with me on Wednesday and an all-night prayer meeting Saturday. They were also able to attend our final school performance and took excellent pictures for me. You can check out their blog at ycewrwanda2008.blogspot.com to get their views on the trip.
The second week they were here I was able to go with them to visit two Friends schools in the Northern Province. We spent the week visiting, eating, and playing soccer and volleyball with students. There were some very large spiders in our living quarters and hornets in the squatty potty, but they only contributed to the authentic African experience.
We spent one day visiting a school in Butaro which has about 500 students and is located in a beautiful area near a waterfall. They are currently working on expanding their boys dorm and getting more computers so that they can add an accounting major. The students were in the midst of exams, but we were introduced to them and Brad and one of the YCEW members shared testimonies with them. Then we had lunch with the staff, and a pastor in the area shared about how he had been a part of the Nyabingi cult before coming to know Christ. We ended the visit with a trip to the waterfall. There we saw the beginnings of the hydroelectric dam that will provide electricity to the area. Currently the school uses a large generator to provide power in the evenings, but it is very expensive to run.
The rest of the week we were at ESK, another Friends school. Most of the students there spoke some English and Drew (one of the YCEW members) practiced his French with many of them.
On Thursday we played volleyball, and some of the students thought the YCEW team was crazy to keep playing despite the rain. While it rained, several of the students wanted me to teach them English songs, so I wrote out a couple of hymns for them and we all sang together. Then they taught me some choruses that could be sung in Kinyarwanda, French, and Swahili.
Friday was a national holiday celebrating the day the RPF freed Kigali in '94. We went to a local celebration that included singing, speeches and some amazing dancers. We felt like celebrities the whole time as we were seated in the VIP section and both before and afterwards we were surrounded by people staring at us and children who wanted to shake our hands. In the evening we attended chapel. We were told it would only be about an hour, but with 5 choirs, some testimonies, some preaching and introductions of the whole team, it was at least 2 hours long.
Saturday morning we had a cultural discussion with some of the students about school, dating, family and personal space. Then in the afternoon we had a friendly soccer match at the local field. There were a lot of spectators who gathered to watch the white folk play and who were sure to laugh at the more obvious mistakes. Some seemed quite amazed to see girls play, which seemed a little strange since there were also some Rwandan girls from the school who were playing.
On Sunday we split up and went to four different churches. I went to a small church with Emily, Drew and Gabby. Our interpreter was a little difficult to understand, but we did our best to pay attention. There were many more children than adults in the church and they were very enthusiastic singers. Emily shared her testimony and we all greeted the church. That evening we returned to Kigali.
The last week of YCEW's stay I was mostly only able to spend evening times with them as we listened to Brad and the Thomases share about their calls to missions and debriefed their time here. I was sad to see them go on Saturday, but glad for the time I was able to spend with them.
The second week they were here I was able to go with them to visit two Friends schools in the Northern Province. We spent the week visiting, eating, and playing soccer and volleyball with students. There were some very large spiders in our living quarters and hornets in the squatty potty, but they only contributed to the authentic African experience.
We spent one day visiting a school in Butaro which has about 500 students and is located in a beautiful area near a waterfall. They are currently working on expanding their boys dorm and getting more computers so that they can add an accounting major. The students were in the midst of exams, but we were introduced to them and Brad and one of the YCEW members shared testimonies with them. Then we had lunch with the staff, and a pastor in the area shared about how he had been a part of the Nyabingi cult before coming to know Christ. We ended the visit with a trip to the waterfall. There we saw the beginnings of the hydroelectric dam that will provide electricity to the area. Currently the school uses a large generator to provide power in the evenings, but it is very expensive to run.
The rest of the week we were at ESK, another Friends school. Most of the students there spoke some English and Drew (one of the YCEW members) practiced his French with many of them.
On Thursday we played volleyball, and some of the students thought the YCEW team was crazy to keep playing despite the rain. While it rained, several of the students wanted me to teach them English songs, so I wrote out a couple of hymns for them and we all sang together. Then they taught me some choruses that could be sung in Kinyarwanda, French, and Swahili.
Friday was a national holiday celebrating the day the RPF freed Kigali in '94. We went to a local celebration that included singing, speeches and some amazing dancers. We felt like celebrities the whole time as we were seated in the VIP section and both before and afterwards we were surrounded by people staring at us and children who wanted to shake our hands. In the evening we attended chapel. We were told it would only be about an hour, but with 5 choirs, some testimonies, some preaching and introductions of the whole team, it was at least 2 hours long.
Saturday morning we had a cultural discussion with some of the students about school, dating, family and personal space. Then in the afternoon we had a friendly soccer match at the local field. There were a lot of spectators who gathered to watch the white folk play and who were sure to laugh at the more obvious mistakes. Some seemed quite amazed to see girls play, which seemed a little strange since there were also some Rwandan girls from the school who were playing.
On Sunday we split up and went to four different churches. I went to a small church with Emily, Drew and Gabby. Our interpreter was a little difficult to understand, but we did our best to pay attention. There were many more children than adults in the church and they were very enthusiastic singers. Emily shared her testimony and we all greeted the church. That evening we returned to Kigali.
The last week of YCEW's stay I was mostly only able to spend evening times with them as we listened to Brad and the Thomases share about their calls to missions and debriefed their time here. I was sad to see them go on Saturday, but glad for the time I was able to spend with them.
posted by Chrissy at 10:59 PM
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