Update from Rwanda

Julie here, posting for John.  He's in Rwanda, Africa and I thought his peeps would want to read an email he sent to me (and copied Alphonse, our Rwandan college friend who's a college student in Little Rock.)

Reminder of the cast of characters:
- Pam, John's mom, is in Rwanda with John and John Isaac
- Alphonse - the Rwandan college student we've befriended here in Little Rock
- Alphonsine - sister to Alphonse, who lives in Rwanda.
- Alphonse's parents and grandmother do not speak any English.

The one thing John Isaac said to John (not recorded below) that thrilled my soul: "Mom was right, I wish I'd brought more of my stuff to give away."

Of course I love hearing I'm right, but even more than that is the fact that John Isaac is realizing he has so much stuff!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John Majors
Date: Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Subject: trip to Eastern Rwanda
To: Julie Majors
Cc: alphonse MUGENZI


Well it was quite a day.  We left  our house around 4:30 AM to head to the national park (Akagere).  It was fun to be up so early and see the streets of Kigali so empty.  A rare site indeed.  Reminds me of the last time I was on the streets at 4:30.  Not a memory I’m quick to repeat.  John Isaac slept a portion of the way, which was good!

We arrived at the park with little problem. I enjoyed the drive and the memories of all the places from our trip to Gahini last year.  We were the first to arrive at the park and immediately John Isaac was making friends. I told mom that we cannot compete with his blond hair and smile. We took pictures with the gate attendants and started out with our ‘guide’ (or basically a man with a radio to help us find the animals).  I did not realize how large of a park it is - 1800 km2 - [Julie's Google conversion: almost 700 square miles] until we drove for 3 hours in just the bottom 5th of the park.  Within the first 5 minutes we saw a Giraffe, wart hogs, and baboons.  We also saw some amazing birds.  Wish I had a bird book!  One crane type bird was as big as a pre-teen. Huge.

We hoped to see an elephant, but it was not to be.  Lots of hippos sticking their eyes out of the water.  We scurried through the rest of the park and I enjoyed the ride, though I think the rest of the party (including the driver and the guide) were ready to be back.  I can only guess as to how bored of this drive they both must be, having done it so many times. JI fell asleep again after we dropped off the guide and slept until we arrived at the intersection that leads to Alphonse’s hometown.  We waited in the car for John to arrive (Alphonse’s brother) with a flock of small children rapidly growing in size next to the car.  The driver (Pierre) attempted to shoo them away a number of times, but it is a fruitless effort, like holding water in your hand.  But they were not bothering us - the children are so adorable.

John arrived and we went to his town and had an amazing time.  First we visited the grandmother.  She was full of joy.  We sat in her house for 5 minutes or so then went to Alphonse’s house.  I walked while the rest drove and we gathered quite a crowd along the way.  The family was incredibly gracious, and we felt very welcomed.  Mom and I were both amazed by the number of children gathered next to the door, just staring at us. John said (his English was quite good) that for many of them, this was a once in a lifetime experience to have a Muzungu in their village.  We gave the gifts from Alphonse and a few others and then shared some cokes and fantas (a highlight for JI).  We spent some time telling them what a great son they had with Alphonse and that I could tell they were great parents.

We then ate a fabulous lunch - I wish I could have fit more in my stomach!  Everything was delicious.  The time passed too quickly, and after 2 hours it was time to go.  We toured the farm, saw the cows, and then received some final gifts of fruits and baskets - very gracious.  Of course, the highlight was when the youngest boy (Gustav?) delivered a LIVE CHICKEN to John Isaac as a gift!  Boy was that exciting!  The hardest part was trying to explain that we could not take it back to America with us - they would not let it on the plane.  But I think they understand. I told them that we would leave it there and that it would be our chicken at our home in Rwanda and that we would eat the eggs if we returned again. Maybe they might even name it after us?

After gifts we took at least 1,000 pictures with everyone, which was much of fun as well.  I think we could have taken pictures the rest of the day, but we loaded in the car with John and Alphonsine (who rode to town) and left by 3PM.  I was sad when Alphonsine asked us to come to her house as well, as it was time for us to return home (and the driver needed to get back as well).  Maybe another time - as it would have been an honor to see her new home.  She showed us pictures of the wedding and they were spectacular (we have a few to give to Alphonse).  Quite impressive with the dress and the ceremony.

The return drive was a delight as we were able to see more of the beautiful Rwandan countryside.  So comforting.  I’m glad it worked out for us to go.  Definitiely the highlight of the trip so far!

This morning we went to a church in Byumba = first time i'd been north.  The drive was pretty amazing and the city was spectacular, as it is built right on top of a hill.  i must say, however, that the church service was a bit too long for all of us:  FOUR HOURS!!!!!!!!  Which was followed up with a lunch and another mini-sermon.  It was a long morning.  We were asked to visit other homes afterwards, but we declined (I said my mom was too tired - and she didn't mind.)  It was tiring, but it was still a fun experience.  Right now it is "Raining Cats and Dogs" (though Mom noted that she had not seen a cat here yet, and only two dogs) - and the sound on the roof is quite comforting.  I broke down last night and had my american fix - as I went to a local restaurant in the evening and watched an American movie and met other Americans working in the country.  Fun time!

Actions of a Wise Man

Rwanda has a heavy respect based culture.  Sure, this can be abused and lead to a superiority complex in some, but the concept is good.  It plays out in many aspects of life, like the way people shake hands (looking down and slightly bowing) or hold a conversation (always waiting for others to finish - not rushing to interrupt someone).

This morning I read from an ancient Jewish text called The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan.  In it is a description of a wise man:

Seven qualities characterize the wise man: 

1. He does not speak before him that is greater than he in wisdom or in age.
2. He does not break into his fellow's speech.
3. He is not in a rush to reply.
4. He asks what is relevant and replies to the point.
5. He speaks of first things first and of last things last.
6. Of what he has not heard he says:  "I have not heard," and is not ashamed (to admit it).
7. And he acknowledges what is true. 

A few comments:  

Over the last year I've tried to be intentional to follow #5.  Many are guilty of answering questions that no one is asking - or of merely rambling on about something to display your knowledge, rather than actually answering the question.  This has been a challenge for me and I'm praying for growth.

Also, related to #6, the Lord provided some amazing examples for me in the form of a professor and two fellow students in Phoenix.  All three of these men are incredibly bright and have a wealth of knowledge, yet they were never ashamed to admit ignorance of a matter.  They were hungry to learn and for that I am grateful.  A weak, insecure man (i.e. myself for many years) is afraid to admit ignorance, because he is more concerned about appearing wise than actually being wise. 

May we seek knowledge and hunger for wisdom, so that we may hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt 5.6)!

Some Reflections on Rwanda

Just returned from the most AMAZING trip to Rwanda.  The country has made unbelievable strides from the 1994 genocide - it's really quite remarkable.  My personal observation is that they have been able to move forward because of their willingness to embrace the past and learn from it.  The government continues to encourage the people to talk about their genocide experiences - to remember what happened and share it with the world.  Not in a bitter way, but in a way that brings healing.  They have a number of genocide memorials and burial grounds throughout the country.  It's hard to believe that this country is so small (about the size of Maryland, yet with 9 Million people - most densely populated African country) because the hearts and the vision of the people are so big.

I returned home to a birthday gift from my parents - Churchill's six volumes on WWII.  In Volume 1, The Gathering Storm, he states, "it would be wrong not to lay the lessons of the past before the future."  He called WWII "the unnecessary war," for he believes there was never a war more easily avoidable.  So the Rwandan people are moving forward by remembering the past and using it to heal.  They are preserving a horrific memory and allowing it to drive them towards a new future together.  And you can feel a buzz about the future all over the country.  "Vision 2020" is a program promoted by the government, and everyone is talking about it.  I was in a home in a small village in a very rural part of the country, and they even had a poster about it on their wall (very close to a 2-Pac poster).

And the priorities of the government seem right - symbolized by the still bullet ridden parliament building.  A dictatorial regime is more interested in appearances than reality.  They want to appear strong - so they build big palaces and neglect the people.  In Rwanda, they left the Parliament building full of cannon holes (even 15 years later), and are instead filling the holes in the roads and electricity grid.  This is the power of remembering.

This stands in stark contrast to Theodore Roosevelt.  I finished a gripping biography about him while in Rwanda called The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt.  It's a book I think every man should read and, if possible, read it with your son.  But his response to the tragic loss of his wife was to end the chapter of his life and never return.  At 24 years old, he was serving in the NY state legislature.  His wife died giving birth to his first son with a month left in his term.  Weighed down with sorrow, he finished his term and set forth on a 5 week western expedition in solitude.  But before leaving, he penned a tribute letter to his wife, then went west and grieved.  When he returned from the trip, he never spoke publicly about his first wife again.

I shared this story with a man I met in the airport in Nairobi.  He was returning from a 5 week tour of Eastern Africa - a trip he had dreamed about for years.  His first wife left him years ago and he was still healing.  He went alone to find recovery and restoration.  After telling him the story, I thought he was going to cry.  He shared that he went to Africa on a mission - to Climb Killimanjaro.  Part of the mission was to reach the top and burry a letter he wrote to close the very painful chapter of his life involving his divorce and the death of his father.  He spoke of his excitement to return home to his girlfriend, who is now expecting (coincidentally, we share the same due date of May 10th).  We flew to Amsterdam and re-united there to chat more.  While walking around the airport for over an hour (to stay awake) he shared that he was buying an engagement ring in the airport - BIG STEP!

I started reading the book, Adopted into God's Family on the plane ride home.  It's a theological evaluation of the doctrine of adoption.  The most beautiful part of this book is the reminder that God is the perfect father.  Though we all have failures in our family:  divorce, death, bad parenting experiences, difficult children, we can depend on God to be the perfect Father, and we can learn from Jesus how to be the perfect Son.  While in Rwanda I taught pastors about the Gospel of John.  I couldn't get over how often Jesus talks about his Father in the book.  Every time he taught the disciples or a crowd, he goes on and on about his Father (try circling the word "Father" in your Bible in the book of John and see where it show up the most).  In chapters 14 and 15, he's teaching the disciples before he heads to the cross, and all he can talk about is his Father.  Their love for one another is perfect and pure, and even in our messed up, war riddled world we can depend on their example.

One of the more striking things to experience in Africa is seeing men holding hands.  It is a common practice for men, who are just friends, to hold hands.  In America, that means one thing:  homosexuals.  But how beautiful to see pure love displayed by the simple act of holding hands.  Close friends showing camaraderie and intimacy publicly.  This struck me as a good thing - and was especially meaningful when my son, while walking through the airport, instinctively reached up and grabbed my hand.  It was good to be home.