Remote Rwandan Class Begins

Today began our second week in Rwanda in the area known as Kamonyi.  I was taken about an hour away from the compound into one of the village areas.  First there was paved road, then there was dirt road, and then there was a rocky path full of holes.  Out the window I watched children, women with baskets on their heads, men walking to and from (who knows where), goats, brick huts, shantiess, and the most primitive looking areas I had seen since Congo of last year.  I could hear the children running from the car yelling, “Mazoongoo, Mazoongoo!”  which means “White man is here! “  By the time we arrived in the village my back ached from the jarring and banging from the road conditions, but we arrived in one piece.

Shortly after we entered the small village church I was met by a class of about twenty interested in taking the class in Interpretation.  Evidently, the timing was not good for several of them.  By the end of the morning we had 2-3 more pastors and a total of about twenty students who will take the first quiz tomorrow.  I don’t know how many more we will have tomorrow, but I expect we will be giving quiz one a second time.  As in Kigali, it took a day or so for all of the pastors to filter in from all over the region.

I am glad there is a definite interest and I trust there will be some fruit from this effort.  These village churches are small and need attention in training adequate leadership just like the larger centers.  The fact that we have undertaken an effort here is amazing to these people. Their exposure to the outside world happens very infrequently.  Their pastors may be fortunate enough to attend one city-wide seminar or gathering once a year but that would be the limit.

When I got back to the compound today I realized that I had lost my room key here at the house, and I couldn’t access my computer or personal things.  Finally, they had a man with a brown bag with various tools come by, and he jimmied the door open in about 5 seconds, and I was back in business.  In Africa, everyone just seems to take life as it comes.

I took a little video this morning of the village.  I hope you will take a minute to see it when it is up on our Facebook page.  The videos are too large to attach to emails. The attached pictures are of the children who had never seen a white man and an interesting look at village life in Africa.  Tomorrow and Wednesday I will concentrate on some interviews and hopefully get to know some of these pastors and other church leaders.  Keep praying for me here in Kamonyi and the teaching going on in Congo this week.  I will pass on that report as soon as I can get one.

Blessings,
Bruce