Well, I did it again... I missed a night. I was completely exhausted last night and just couldn't do it. Yesterday (Wednesday) I woke up at 5:00 and couldn't go back to sleep. By 5:40 there was a slight hint of light and I could hear singing coming from somewhere. So I went down to the outdoor restaurant area and watched the sunrise while listening to voices coming up the hill. Have I mentioned that Rwanda is the "land of 1000 hills"? Kigali seems to have 1000 on it's own. So I never saw where the voices were coming from, but it was fun to have soundtrack for the sunrise.
Our team started the morning at a work site. Africa New Life ministries is working on building homes for genocide survivors. Our job that morning was to help pour concrete floors. I wish I had my own photos to upload of that job.... I will get copies from someone else, but I didn't have my camera down there with me. There was a pile of sand, a pile of concrete and a bucket of water. They mixed up the cement using shovels and making a well in the dry 'ingredients'. When that was mixed, they shoveled the wet cement into 'buckets' which were passed from person to person until we gave it to the guy doing the floor. He poured it over the rock chunks that were already on the floor to create the base. The buckets we used were things like cut off jugs with the pour spout plugged with rags. Most of them had leaks. I told Andy he would have had an aneurism if he were working on that job. Nothing was done the 'right' way... but in the end they had a smooth floor. (They did screed it with a long skinny board... I was happy to see that!) Tonight they are probably sleeping on it!
After that we had lunch and went to the market. Things are actually a bit more expensive here than I had guessed, but I was brave... I haggled on a few things. I brought one guy way down, and then I felt bad. Oh well!!
Last night the women in our group went to a women's dinner. This was a chance for women from all over town to come hear Andrew (and Wendy) speak and to fellowship together. It is a newer thing for churches to work together and so it was very exciting for the organizers to see it happen! The women were all decked and were truly gorgeous!! I enjoyed it, but I was so tired from the day that I just wanted to go to bed!
Okay... on to today. Today we went back to the same site and began the floor process for one of the other units. (It's a 'quad': a four home building.) All the piles of supplies for the construction were up a steep hill from the house. They needed to lay rocks for the start of the floor. So we basically moved a pile rocks from up top to down below. (At least it wasn't down to up!) Again we made a chain of workers and passed rocks down the line to the last person, who got to throw them down to the bottom. That was the fun part... smashing rocks!! Needless to say, my arms have had a work out the last two days. I'm not too sore, though.
After that we attended a lunch where leaders from churches around Africa were gathered for a day of meetings. Next Generation Alliance was sharing it's vision for reaching Africa and explaining the festival process, if they are interested in doing one in their country. I met a man from Nigeria and also a missionary to Burkina Faso. Following that, we had counselor training for the festival with Summit View's very own Chris Webster!
The rest of the day was a break for me. Most of the team went to another dinner like last night, except this one was for business leaders. I decided that I didn't need to hear more people speaking, so a few of us stayed back and a LOT of talking has been going on! :) I also found out that the hotel offers $12 massages!! So I had my first ever massage. Now THAT was a cultural experience. But I have now decided that massage is like a ministry and all churches should offer it!! (Actually, I'm kinda serious... what a blessing to someone. Just like feet washing is an act of service... so is massage!) So, I thought I would blog earlier this evening, but shockingly, I stayed up late at dinner talking.
Tomorrow is the beginning of the Big Event. I believe I will be working for part of the time at a medical clinic, but may also be working with children. Please pray for:
1. Logistics: There have been a lot of complications. Hotels have oversold rooms, the stadium decided to host a basketball tournament, even though they signed a contract with LPA for use of the whole facilities. Not sure if that has been worked out yet. There are also many buses going through the city to bring people. (They don't have other ways to get there.) Just pray for safety for the travelers and just basic timing!!
2. Medical: There are SO many people that have been coming to the clinics already (I haven't had a chance to work there yet, but they have been going on.) that they have had to turn them away. The needs are huge. Some of our group have been there and described a few of the problems they have seen and it is overwhelming. Pray for me to handle whatever comes my way if that is where I am tomorrow. I want to, but I don't want to!
3. Lives changed: The ultimate purpose of the festival is for people to hear the gospel and for lives to be changed. So many lives have already been changed through by the power of Jesus... just seeing the ability forgive here has convinced me of that. The hope of the LPA is that more people would be reached! Pray also that the connections would be made between each person who accepts the gospel and a local church. The process is in place to help that happen... we just need God's grace to make sure it does.
Until tomorrow!
Amy
Our team started the morning at a work site. Africa New Life ministries is working on building homes for genocide survivors. Our job that morning was to help pour concrete floors. I wish I had my own photos to upload of that job.... I will get copies from someone else, but I didn't have my camera down there with me. There was a pile of sand, a pile of concrete and a bucket of water. They mixed up the cement using shovels and making a well in the dry 'ingredients'. When that was mixed, they shoveled the wet cement into 'buckets' which were passed from person to person until we gave it to the guy doing the floor. He poured it over the rock chunks that were already on the floor to create the base. The buckets we used were things like cut off jugs with the pour spout plugged with rags. Most of them had leaks. I told Andy he would have had an aneurism if he were working on that job. Nothing was done the 'right' way... but in the end they had a smooth floor. (They did screed it with a long skinny board... I was happy to see that!) Tonight they are probably sleeping on it!
After that we had lunch and went to the market. Things are actually a bit more expensive here than I had guessed, but I was brave... I haggled on a few things. I brought one guy way down, and then I felt bad. Oh well!!
Last night the women in our group went to a women's dinner. This was a chance for women from all over town to come hear Andrew (and Wendy) speak and to fellowship together. It is a newer thing for churches to work together and so it was very exciting for the organizers to see it happen! The women were all decked and were truly gorgeous!! I enjoyed it, but I was so tired from the day that I just wanted to go to bed!
Okay... on to today. Today we went back to the same site and began the floor process for one of the other units. (It's a 'quad': a four home building.) All the piles of supplies for the construction were up a steep hill from the house. They needed to lay rocks for the start of the floor. So we basically moved a pile rocks from up top to down below. (At least it wasn't down to up!) Again we made a chain of workers and passed rocks down the line to the last person, who got to throw them down to the bottom. That was the fun part... smashing rocks!! Needless to say, my arms have had a work out the last two days. I'm not too sore, though.
After that we attended a lunch where leaders from churches around Africa were gathered for a day of meetings. Next Generation Alliance was sharing it's vision for reaching Africa and explaining the festival process, if they are interested in doing one in their country. I met a man from Nigeria and also a missionary to Burkina Faso. Following that, we had counselor training for the festival with Summit View's very own Chris Webster!
The rest of the day was a break for me. Most of the team went to another dinner like last night, except this one was for business leaders. I decided that I didn't need to hear more people speaking, so a few of us stayed back and a LOT of talking has been going on! :) I also found out that the hotel offers $12 massages!! So I had my first ever massage. Now THAT was a cultural experience. But I have now decided that massage is like a ministry and all churches should offer it!! (Actually, I'm kinda serious... what a blessing to someone. Just like feet washing is an act of service... so is massage!) So, I thought I would blog earlier this evening, but shockingly, I stayed up late at dinner talking.
Tomorrow is the beginning of the Big Event. I believe I will be working for part of the time at a medical clinic, but may also be working with children. Please pray for:
1. Logistics: There have been a lot of complications. Hotels have oversold rooms, the stadium decided to host a basketball tournament, even though they signed a contract with LPA for use of the whole facilities. Not sure if that has been worked out yet. There are also many buses going through the city to bring people. (They don't have other ways to get there.) Just pray for safety for the travelers and just basic timing!!
2. Medical: There are SO many people that have been coming to the clinics already (I haven't had a chance to work there yet, but they have been going on.) that they have had to turn them away. The needs are huge. Some of our group have been there and described a few of the problems they have seen and it is overwhelming. Pray for me to handle whatever comes my way if that is where I am tomorrow. I want to, but I don't want to!
3. Lives changed: The ultimate purpose of the festival is for people to hear the gospel and for lives to be changed. So many lives have already been changed through by the power of Jesus... just seeing the ability forgive here has convinced me of that. The hope of the LPA is that more people would be reached! Pray also that the connections would be made between each person who accepts the gospel and a local church. The process is in place to help that happen... we just need God's grace to make sure it does.
Until tomorrow!
Amy
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