Day 3 Monday July 18

In the morning we visited the tailor shop micro-enterprise. This is where the girls (and guys apparently) graduate and may get jobs there or elsewhere. The shop is on a typical dusty Rwandan street and is very small. Bahati (short, light guy) and John (tall dark guy) run the place with a variety of other women who share equally in the profits (about $120 a month, which is quite good). This is after they pay the rent, utilities and other bills, all left over is split evenly. Regardless of your status, expertise, or managerial responsibility, everyone shares equal profit, something very foreign for westerners. No one seems to feel slighted in any way.

In the afternoon we procured 4 sewing machines for the graduates of Hope’s sewing program. They will each be able to start a career as a seamstress working at the shop or perhaps starting their own. Buying the machines was extremely stressful. We went to the main shopping center in town, absolute chaos, typical for Africa. Crazy traffic, loads of people going here and there, music blasting, dust everywhere. We had Hope and Charles negotiate the price before we went in (vendors see white people and the price doubles) but when we went in the store to get our hands on the items, they tried to hit us with a 19% VAT. So we walked.

Next vendor was down a dingy alley, men moving mattresses as we tried to squeeze our way through the crowded entrance. There’s something always going in Rwanda, it seems. We negotiated a decent price and finally bought the machines cash for $800. Total time expended, 3 hours. Nothing takes 30 minutes in Rwanda. We left feeling a bit crappy not knowing how good the machines are and spent more than we wanted, but the tailors from the shop assured us they were good machines so all was ok.

Got back to the hotel a bit early around 5 and just relaxed at the restaurant, drank lots of beer and chatted about the trip and the trials and tribulations of Emma’s man hunt. This chick should totally write a book.

Day 2: Sunday July 17

Today we visited the Genocide Memorial Center in Kilgali, one of many genocide memorials throughout the country. It was, by far, one of the most moving experiences in my life. Genocide is a familiar story with the Holocaust, and god knows other examples through history, but there are a few things that really are unique here. One is the sheer brutality of the genocide. 800,000 people killed in less than 3 months. Even the Nazi’s couldn’t kill people that quick, and they made it a science. Infants, women, children, anyone. Family killing family, neighbor killing neighbor. The stories and testimonials of horror beyond anyone’s imagination. The movie Hotel Rwanda doesn’t do it justice. Two was the utter incompetence of the international community to do anything at all. We knew about it, we saw it happening, yet we did nothing, and even worse we just left for the killing to get even worse. Finally is the amazing transformation that’s happening here. The victims and perpetrators living in peace. This is a people that completely redefines what forgiveness is all about.

One of the most moving exhibits was the display of children and infant skulls, innocent souls killed during the genocide. Bashed in skulls, bullet holes, etc, the most brutal evidence of violence. Also, family photos of infants, some several months old, displayed in 4 foot murals with descriptions of how they died. One infant of 6 months was machete in her mother’s arms. It goes on and on…

The purpose of memorial is to keep the memory of the genocide alive, so the Rwandan people, and quite honestly the West, do not forgot what happened here. But not for revenge, for forgiveness and healing.

I arrived here with skepticism. I still am. Are these people for real? Can you really forgive such horror? Are the people that are part of the national healing just in it for the money, a sort of moral way of making a living?

There was a prayer for Emma and I at the end of the day. The pastor thanked God for bringing us to Rwanda and allowing us the opportunity to help others, but what struck me the most was she thanked Him for maybe opening our eyes, giving us an opportunity to learn and grow. I came here thinking I was the one that could help, but quite honestly, it is I that needed the help.

Day 1: Saturday July 16

After a long trip and a less than restful sleep, up to our hotel for the rest of the trip. Lots of people busying about, more quiet than I thought it would be. We are in the peek travel season so we expected more traffic.

Hotel Iris is a rather modest place. Small rooms in a garden setting. That's once you get past the big medevil metal gate and dude with the machine gun (note: there are a lot of people with machine guns. Guns are illegal in Rwanda except for police, military and private security. After the initial oh shit, it's actually a bit comforting that there's so much security considering the past).

Luckily there’s a great restaurant on premise so we hand a quick bite, my first taste of African food in many years. Very simple meals, mostly starch (Atkins would not do well here) and good flavor. The local beer is fantastic, which is a very very good thing. And the coffee blows away anything at Starbucks (note: Costco brand Kirkland coffee is from Rwanda). So far so good.

We met Hope and Charles today. Hope runs a micro enterprise we will be visiting and sponsoring; she's a lovely lady, very quiet and doesn't look me in the eye much. She also complains that I speak too fast. Charles is a young fella, right out of college and will be our translator for the week (note, most people we met speak some or very good English but the local language is very prevalent, especially among the regular population. More on that later I'm sure, it's an interesting language). Charles is also quite the businessman. He has run a few construction projects in Rwanda, notably two residential projects. (note: Everything is under construction here, the economy is doing well do to a lot of foreign investment.) Charles is extremely well spoken and should prove to be a great guide.

We ventured around town by car checking out the market and the local transportation center. There are no trains in Rwanda so everything is by bus for most people. A lot if people driving like crazy people. Tons of motorcycle taxis. It's amazing people don’t get killed every day.

All in all Kilgali reminds me of a few other sizable African cities I've been too. Lots of hustle bustle, dusty but this one is very clean. You don't see a stitch of garbage anywhere. I wonder why.

Not on mission yet. Things move very slow here. Someone said "you Americans live by time (pointing where a watch would be on their wrist) but here in Rwanda we have all the time in the world." I can see how that would frustrate westerners but no one here looks like they need a vacation.

We spoke to Charles and Hope about Rwanda and the transformation it is undergoing. Both expressed immense hope and optimization. They spoke of reconciliation and forgiveness and how, unlike South Africa (it came up that I had been there) there’s love in people's heart and everyone wants to move on. I'm sure when you scratch past this surface there’s more to the story, but it's a romantic notion and both seemed to genuinely believe what they were saying.

We tried to visit the national memorial today but it was closed due to a funeral. Even today, when remains are found from the genocide, the remains are honored by family and buried in the national genocide memorial. We visit it tomorrow 1st thing.

Arrive: Early morning Saturday July 16

Arrived Kilgali at 1am. No driver so chilled in the airport for a bit. Pastor gets a call from Emma, he crawls out of bed at 2am to pick us up. Nice guy. Weird place at night. Defiantly feels foreign, very quiet with the exception of the distant sound of cars and random music. Couldn’t help but think of a scene in my book “We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories From Rwanda” about the screams at night during the Genocide. I hate I went there so soon but that's the point of the trip. Hope it will be successful.

Hotel didn’t have a room so holed up in another hotel for a few hours till we can check into the Iris. $150 for just a few hours. Oh well, doing our bit to help the economy.

Emma is super chill and easy to travel with.

A wrinkle in time

Preparing to leave for Rwanda was a whirlwind as usual, but when things finally slowed down on Thursday, the day of departure, I started to feel anxious wondering that if after so long things would be the same, I would be the same and it would all be as close to my heart as it has been for so many years.  The gap of 3.5 years from my last trip, felt as if it was 5 years or more – I’m not sure why.  Maybe because so much in my life has happened in the past 3-4 years or maybe because I have allowed life to often keep me so busy that I am not as focused as I once was on the special place that from the first visit when Rwanda stole my heart for its permanent home.

The long trip ahead all felt a bit surreal, but it was a great experience to have with my friend, Fred, who had never been to Rwanda but has had a great interest and heart for helping the needs of the people.  We struggled through 27 hours of cramped flights, bad airplane food and laughed all along the way. Thank goodness for great travel partners! We arrived in Kigali at 1:30 AM and it was familiar and comfortable. Like my friend says … going through the wardrobe into Narnia. So my return to Narnia began …

If at first you don't succeed ... try, try again

Last year, my plans to return to Rwanda for Threads of Hope were dashed at the very last minute.  Long time friend and incredible supporter of the programs was set to be traveling with me to Rwanda for the first time in August 2010.  Just days before our trip he became terribly ill with a rare reaction to an immunization. After a few agonizing conversations and great concern for my friend's well being we cancelled the trip mere days before we were supposed to fly.

The GREAT news is ... he healed well, months later welcomed in the arrival of his new baby boy and has gotten even more excited and passionate about experiecing the great things that are happening in Rwanda first hand.  So ... we set off again ... another try in a few short weeks. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during mid-July and check back regularly for updates, right here!

This trip will be a little different as our goal is to capture the incredible stories of courage and joy of the people of Rwanda and share their stories with you.  There is hope in a broken world, there is hope for a country, a people, a village and for one person and the evidence is all around us.  Stay tuned for these incredible stories and help support these incredible people who I have come to view as family.