Hey hey friends! Mary Claire here, and I'm so excited to get to blog FINALLY! I've now been in Rwanda a full week, and it's been a sort of atypical week (so I'm told; it's not like I've been here before), but it's been fun and educational, and I've gotten a taste of how Diana and Co. do their thing here in Rwanda. We're a bit behind on our blogging, so I just want to start with: WE ARE ALL FINE. Half the team left last night and should be touching down in Austin at any moment. Now I want to pick up where Tori left off on Sunday. Get ready for the highlights blitz:
Monday was a national holiday (Happy Independence Day, USA! And Happy Liberation Day, Rwanda!), so the women all had the day off, and our team got a day of rest, which was much needed for some of us—David, Laura, and me especially.
Tuesday we headed to the TVM office to hang out with the ladies and meet the four new widows newly hired by TVM. It was my first experience with the widows, and it was a little overwhelming at first, but the ladies were so welcoming and excited to meet me that I got over that quickly. We got there early to worship with the widows, to hear them praise Jesus in Kinyarwanda and then getting to praise Jesus in English. Tuesday was the last day in Musanze for half of our team, so that afternoon before we left the office, all of the widows, the team, Simon, Thomas, and Evariste all prayed together and shared thoughts on our experiences over the two weeks of the trip. It was my first opportunity to hear the widows share about how they have been impacted by TVM, how working there has changed their lives. It was great to hear that from them on my first day, but even more than that, it was great for the four new widows to hear that on their first day of work. Please pray for these women as they are brought into the work of TVM, are learning how to make the yarn, and are being welcomed by the other 15 women. Since Tuesday was our last night in Musanze, we had a fiesta and invited Simon, Thomas, and Diana's friend Jock over to eat a Tex-Mex-Rwandan meal with us. We had beans, rice, cheese, guacamole, and mango salsa burritos, and they were delicious, but it was also fun to have that time together. Overall, a very full day, but it was also lots of fun and a good last day in Musanze for half our team. The picture above is from that night.
Wednesday we got up early and piled into a bus with all the luggage and headed for Kigali. That day was spent shopping for souvenirs and for the Vineyard Marketplace. The group split in half, and Laura, Caitlin, and I got to shadow Diana as she shopped for the store. I enjoyed seeing her interact with the different vendors and organizations from which she purchases wares for the store. One of the coolest things about it was that by buying from these organizations, she's also supporting them in their mission. I love knowing that by buying a handmade purse made by vulnerable Rwandan women, I'm helping create sustainable incomes for these women to provide for themselves and their families. It's a beautiful mission that God has given Diana and TVM, and I'm humbled to be a part of the work. That night, we had dinner at Phil and Becca Smith's house. They made enchiladas with guacamole, and they managed to find tortilla chips in Kigali. For 8 Texans (well, 7 and Rachel) to get to have Tex-Mex two nights in a row in Rwanda was nothing short of a miracle. We spent some time that night worshipping together, and then we headed back to our boarding house to pack all of the Vineyard Marketplace merchandise to send home with the team.
Thursday was spent shopping a bit more and debriefing from the trip. Tori was the victor of Diana's Rwanda scavenger hunt. She won by a measly 5 points. Lindsey was an honorable second. Then it was time to pack up and head to the airport. The team made it through security with little difficulty and then they were off. Diana, Laura, Caitlin, and I went to dinner at a fabulous Chinese restaurant, and then we headed back to the boarding house and went to bed.
Which now brings me to today. This morning we got up and went to World Relief HQ to join them for their morning chapel. We sang a few songs in Kinyarwanda, and then I got to lead them in some praise songs. It was an incredible time of worship, and as we sang Jesus Paid It All, the Rwandans jumped in in their own language. I was reminded of how BIG our God is, and as we all stood in that room together singing one song in two languages to one God, we all experienced a bit of what heaven is going to be like. It was one of my favorite moments so far, and again I was humbled by music and the power it has to connect us to each other and our God. After we left World Relief, we ran a few more errands and then jumped on a bus for Kibuye on Lake Kivu for a weekend retreat. We're going to spend the weekend getting rest. Please pray for the four of us this weekend, that God blesses us with renewal and also that we use this time to get to know each other better. We're strengthened through community, encouragement, and accountability, so I trust that God will use this time to make us stronger and prepare us for what's to come in the coming weeks.
This is long. I know. I'm horribly long-winded. If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me. Please keep praying for us, and please invite others to join you! I love having friends that pray. Prayer knows no distance. Please pray for the team arriving home, that their stories and testimonies will carry behind them the power of Jesus and that lives will be transformed and inspired by what they have to share, and please pray for the second team that arrives in a week. God's got some good work prepared for us.
We love you guys, we miss you, and we can't wait to share what God's going to do over the next few weeks. Peace.
mc
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