Settling in

Sunday 22nd January

A couple of things I forgot to mention in the last post.
The Community is building a school opposite the Community House, it is due to open tomorrow with the first intake of 25 children. last week there were exams for teachers, English, French and maths. The English paper was not well written, apparently produced by someone in Uganda, the questions were ambiguous and with words spelled incorrectly.  It will be interesting to learn who the successful applicants are.

One day Marilyn and I were asked if we knew what a certain large yellow object was, a pumkin we declared, is it fruit or vegetable was the next inquiry....veg we said, is it betther cooked a sister asked.  Apparently they´d tried it raw!  We showed how to cook it.

Friday, as planned we were ready before 6 to journey north, but as breakfast was prepared it was some time before we left Masaka, so were caught in rush hour traffic, then a stop at another Community house where we left some passengers and collected others.  It all got rather confusing.  I knew the journey would take some hours, and it did, with stops for refreshment, phone top ups and passing the time of day with known folk etc along the way.  Eventually we reached Gisenyi and parked  right by the border with DRC as some of the sisters were going across to visit people in Goma.  Then to Busasamana where we were greeted by the sisters and postulants beating drums and singing a welcome.

We didn´t know what the program was but were treated to lunch, rabbit, then I unpacked whilst Marilyn watched until called to return to Masaka.  After dinner the postulants wanted to sing and dance, I was dragged to my feet and managed a few minutes leaping, I was tired so glad to go to bed.

Monday 23rd Jan

The weekend I´ve spent getting used to the routine here, I decided I´d go to Evening Prayer but using my C of E liturgy. It´s nice to hear the religious and postulants singing, all their choruses are extremely high, wouldn´t do for me. Two of the postulants have only been here a fortnight, it must seem very strange to them, they are from Congo and have very little English.
The sisters keep trying to press more food on me at every meal, they are perplexed by my chosen small portions, although I pigged last night on salad and the best chips ever.  The sisters like to chat and play cards after dinner and before night prayer. I had to teach them how to play snakes and ladders which they enjoyed hugely.

Internet or lack thereof is a headache, Marilyn says she´s given up but I shall soldier on and visit the village today in the hope of finding someone to help
It´s a lot cooler here at Busasamana, need jumper and very glad to have 2 blankets on the bed, what a difference to Masaka which is basking in the mid 30s.

Thursday 26th
First week nearly over, the students are so quiet in class that I can hardly hear them, but when we go outside to play a game they lose all inhibitions.  Tomorrow they will have a test so I can gauge just how much English they know and aren´t just repeating what they learnt last year.

Outside one of my windows are two large graves, in 1998 there was a resurgence of trouble post genocide and five sisters were murdered.
This is a very peaceful area though, but very wet!  It rains heavily every day.  From the other window I can see the Volcano Nyiragongo across the border, it´s active and has been rumbling lately, at night the red glow is visible, quite exciting really, although of course I´m not wishing for a full blown eruption.

Tuesday was washday, all the sisters and postulants were in the garden with bowls of water scrubbing away with much chat and giggling.  After lunch they all went into the fields harvesting beans, they were very tired after so no games, straight to bed.

My room is a good size, it has a wash basin also a bucket and bowl.  Apparently the sisters ask when you want to wash and they bring hot water which you use in one of the showers with much sloshing.  I´m ok though with the shower, albeit cold and not too comfortable to wash hair under at 6am.  But I´m afraid the lack of a flushing loo I find difficult. You hve to fill a bucket with water to flush....added to which the loo is in the shower block along the corridor, not good in the night for gentlefolk of a certain age.

I´ve walked into the village several times this week, primarily to spend spend spend on printing and internet access.  The phone man was startled as I´d used one months internet in 2 days!  I´m feeling embarrassed!  Walking back on Friday I was concentrating on not slipping on the wet track and managed to walk miles out of my way, I thought the surroundings looked different!  Eventually managed to converse with a chap who pointed me back to Busasamana.

I have booked a room in Gisenyi next weekend and have a driver more or less sorted so something to look forward to....hot shower and hot bath, flushing loo, g and t and a glass or two of something, but no beans,......also the Anglican Church Sunday morning for the Communion service.

Think thats enough for now.  Will try and upload some pics later. 

Here we go again

January 2017
I confess I'm very happy that I am now in Kigali once again as the last weeks have been full on. I had one day at home after the last visit here before heading to the UK for a week, then church services etc, some enjoyable get togethers and the task of getting ready to fly out again. The last week was hectic to say the least.

So I flew out from pFaro to Amsterdam Thursday, overnight at the hotel I enjoy, delicious dinner of venison steak and a comfortable bed. Leisurely start to Friday morning, little snow overnight but it wasn't as cold as I'd expected.   I was upgraded, so a 

Blog Masaka Monday Jan 16

I am such an organized person, that when going through security at Faro and asked 'any liquids'?   Here I said with a flourish delving into bag......no, left somewhere at home......so had to replace with expensive lipstick and moisturizer at duty free......and other necessities in Amsterdam airport.b silly me.

Safely arrived at Marcie's house and spent 2 nights with her.  We went for dinner at the new  Ubamwe Hotel in Kigali with a great bar/restaurant at the top, brilliant view of Kigali by night, quite a good margarita. 

To the cathedral Sunday morning, so nice to be welcomed back by friends, then brunch at the Marriott.   Bosco collected me at 2 and actually found the Community house which was pretty clever as we'd only been here once last August.  Made very welcome by the sisters, I joined them for Evening Prayer, it's like being in 'Call the Midwife'. Comfortable bed, glad I brought another pillow and large towel.

The gremlins have hit and we've no wifi, and of course my phone needs topping up and I can't do that without wifi.   We've been given tomorrow afternoon to go to Kigali and sort things out and we shall buy some necessary supplies of wine.  We were given bottles of beer last evening at dinner!  And I must say that we are being fed extremely well, the food is delicious.

Marylyn, the other teacher was in my room chatting last night when we heard what we thought was rain......but surprise....water was coming from my shower, so Marilyn hastily went to her room to no avail, I enjoyed a shower of sorts.  We have to wash with a bucket and bowl usually which I shall get used to and work out the best way to tackle it

Now, for some reason my DVD player which plugs into USB ports is not working, it did this morning....what is going on!

It's now Thursday 19th.

So Tuesday rather exciting, bought lots of wifi stuff, thank goodness for Patrick at Tigo, I sent a message asking when he would be in the shop and he reconfigured everything for me.  Armed with MTN dongle and a choice of Tigo gadgets we returned to the community eager to get online.

I managed to receive some emails, that was all.

Early yesterday whilst sisters at morning services I turned everything on whilst at 1st floor verandah, joy of joys, wifi for 15 minutes, likewise last night.  Lack of wifi and Jackie are not easy bedfellows!

This morning the drum to wake folk was bashed outside the door at 4.45, I don't mind the early starts as I'm used to being awake before then, but able to avail wifi at home I check up on everything and read the papers in bed.  Here I get up, ablute in the bucket, have a cup of tea and come upstairs....today no wifi!  So catching up on emails etc which will hopefully wend t heir way through space when the situation is favourable.

Meanwhile, the sisters, having attended the very early service of Lauds in the chapel here, are now walking to the parish church f or Mass.  several kilometres away.  It's 6.30am.

When shopping Tuesday we bought 5 L of Spanish Merlot which we opened at dinner last night, it was positively festive.

I go north to border with DRC tomorrow, I've always had wifi travelling in that direction so fingers x I'll be in communication again.  I wouldn't have been a very good missionary in centuries gone by with no access to letters or of course telephone, life must have been extremely lonely

2 weeks condensed

Sadly I've just deleted the two posts which I hadn't sent as was waiting for pics!  So, as we begin our homeward journey I'm condensing all into one post.

It's a delight as usual to be back in Rwanda and we've been very comfortable and enjoyed staying with Marcie.  She's moved to a large house behind the local hospital having previously moved into my house in the cathedral compound.  Further to walk to the cathedral, about 40 minutes, we've only done it once and have made good use of Bosco to taxi us everywhere in the city, and Peter when going further afield.

We went to the Kings Palace, happy to see the ceremonial cows and their keeper singing to them.  During the dowry ceremony pre wedding there is usually a cow  who enacts calling in the beasts as he sings and whistles.  You can apparently rent the real cows, horns decorated to parade before your guests.
We then went on to the ethnological museum at Butare which is very interesting.  Then on to meet up with Jean Paul and his friends once again.  He is now halfway through his final year and working on his dissertation.

The following day was thanksgiving and we were invited to a Thanksgiving Dinner with a mixed expat group, most enjoyable evening with lots of entertaining conversation and of course too much food.

It's the rainy season, very glad I brought my rain jacket and umbrella, when it rains it is with  intense  monsoon delivery.  After Sunday's English service we were able to meet up with 


Apollo for lunch at Safron  the Indian restaurant, always good and very reasonable.
Then to evening service with lively worship led by the Glory Worship Group.  It was a special service as a young couple converting from Islam were admitted to the church and baptised. The service ended with the entire congregation in a large circle dancing and singing enthusiastically.  I wish we'd been able to take a photo....but I was too busy dancing!

The following morning at 5am we left for Akagera National Park, I love going as there is always something new to see, if not new species then different behaviour of the animals.  This time the zebra were licking the soil for minerals and a mum and youngster were rolling in the sand on their backs, helps get rid of fleas etc.  We saw just one elephant in the distance, also a hippo who was miles inland from the lake, I think he'd been so busy munching that he'd lost track of the time,he was now looking for a little pool to keep cool from the midday sun. We were  8 hours on safari and pleased to get to the lodge for a shower etc....I got locked in the bathroom.

A large family of baboons live by the lodge, they entertained us by appearing at the pool and sizing up the different sun beds before deciding which they were going to snooze on.  An 
early boat trip which took us further around Lake Inema than I've been before, I was eagle 
eyed and spotted a croc before the guide, they are quite difficult to see, you just become 
aware of an evil looking eye focused on one and they're submerged in the water.

We did a night safari in the evening, finding bush babies, so small and  difficult to spot     
Which I've not seen before.  But no leopards, nor did we see any lions throughout either day.

However, Peter did take us out after the boat trip and we spotted a large gathering of elephants on the opposite shore of one of the lakes, really good but not like seeing the animals up close
On we drove when as we approached a bend in the road we met a very large Bull elephant head on, (we've been told this is the ele who dislikes cars and will bash them and try to 
push over). We retreated slowly, he kept advancing, large ears flapping!  Peter managed to get us to an area where he turned the car should we need a swift getaway.  So we continued to watch and the ele walked with purpose to a watering hole where he happily cooled himself down,   After the excitement we were happy to chill by the pool and swim.

So Wednesday back to Kigali, unpack, then repack ready for the next adventure.  At 4.30 we left for the Virunga National Park in the north, home to the mountain gorillas.  Rhonnie was tracking but I stayed at a guest house for the morning.  Rhons group moved tothe top of the volcano and she was a long time getting to them and suffered from very painful leg cramp later that day.  On we drove to Gisenyi for an overnight stop and walk by Lake Kivu.  I had hoped we could go and look at Busasamana which is 18 K from Gisenyi, but short on time as we had to be back in Kigali for an evening service of soaking prayer

This service was again well received. Rhon and I decided to go to Cactus for dinner, but there were many cars outside so we went on to Heaven and had a great meal.
We actually needed a rest so we're glad to just to a bit of shopping on Saturday
And thank goodness we did because Sunday was totally full on.
8.30 collected to go to Kanyinya to be welcomed very enthusiastically by the members, lengthy singing and dancing.  How good to see the roof on the church building, I wish we could not build walls as it's wonderful not to keep God in 4 Walls but to look at his creation all around.  2 new folk were welcomed with a symbolic washing of their feet.  Rhon and I preached and taught 2 songs which the congregation found hugely amusing. I
celebrated Communion and 3 hours later we ended the service after Rhon presented Pastor Cedric with vestments and a baptismal shell.


The Girls Friendly Society was being launched, we had a necessary rest before going to the cathedral for the last hour of their service.  Then we had the evening service and Rhon and I were preaching again, the people were laughing as we enacted being prepared to meet an elephant and being scared, yes we did have a theological point.

We were very tired so another quietish day yesterday, Theo stopped by with Grace and the new baby then one of the pastors took me to his home for a chat which turned into a pastoral visit.  Rhon went around the hospital with the chaplain for several hours ....we were both even more tired. Managed a rest before taking Marcie out for dinner. 

Now almost ready for the first leg of the journey home, not looking forward to negotiating the security dogs and police as we head into the airport, hopefully it won't take too long to get to KLM desk and drop off the cases.

So, aurevoir Rwanda, I'll be back Jan. 13th