This past year felt a bit like a doozy for our family. There was a lot of hard, and challenging. There was a lot of unknown and seeking. There was a lot of emotion and learning. In all of that, though, there was also a lot of good. Sweet times spent as a family. Laughter around the dinner table. Dancing in the living room. Feeling prompted to soak in each moment, to be aware of being present.
This past year Tyah, our oldest daughter, had the chance of a lifetime to travel to Rwanda. As I think back over this opportunity she had, I couldn't be more thankful. I believe God met her there amidst the red dirt, the dusty sky, among the beautiful native faces, and joyful voices. I never want her to forget what she experienced there, what she felt, what she saw, what she heard.
In order to help her always remember what her "first time" was like (because I'm fairly certain there will be a second...and maybe a third...and maybe more), I asked her if she would blog about her experience. She readily agreed and chose to follow an interview style format. The following is what she had to share...
Why were you so adamant about going on this trip to Rwanda?
Africa has always seemed so cool to me. I fell in love with the movie Lion King as a kid, because it looked so completely different than anywhere I had been. Of course this isn't what the entire continent of Africa looks like, but as I grew up and knew of people who had lived there or traveled there, I found it so much cooler than any other place like Europe or Australia. I have always wanted to travel there and see the way people lived, but I never thought about it much because I never thought I would have the opportunity to do it. When I joined the student leadership team for my youth group, I heard they were taking a group to Rwanda and I jumped at the opportunity.
What were some of your fears before you departed?
I remember people asking me before I left if I was scared or nervous. I remember thinking of course not. I had been looking forward to this trip all year and I was so excited and ready. It wasn't until after we landed in Kigali, the capitol of Rwanda, and got on our bus that I started to get nervous. I realized my fear was that I would go into the trip with an idea of what everything would be like, and that after I would get there I would be disappointed. Its weird, but I was afraid that I would have certain expectations for the trip and in the end they wouldn't be met. I remember praying about it on the way to where we were staying, and once we got there I didn't feel this way the rest of the week.
Describe your initial experience as you first arrived?
There were a few short delays throughout our flights, so it was around 12 at night when we got to the school we were staying at. Everyone found rooms and went to sleep because the next day was Sunday, so there was church. The next morning, we walked to one of the classrooms of the school and sat down in the folding chairs set up. Adults and children from the village came in and sat down as well. We listened to the pastor give a sermon as a man next to him translated it to English. After, we sang a few of their worship songs. There weren't any words on a screen to read from and it was in their language, but we ended up catching on. As we were singing, a girl probably around 10 years old came to the front and started dancing. Kids started to follow her and soon we came and joined them at the front. Two kids grabbed my hands and we all danced and sang together. That was my first real experience there and it made me even more excited for the week ahead.
What were the things that you found captured your heart while you were there?
The church service definitely captured my heart. I felt the most happy when we were all worshiping together. I also fell in love with the students I got to meet throughout the week. There was a girl named Patience who was probably in 4th or 5th grade, and throughout the day every day she would come and find me and hang out with me. We had conversations about my family and her family and God, and she was always so outgoing and loving towards everyone. Overall seeing how truly happy the kids were all the time and seeing the way the littlest things made their day was something I won't forget.
As the week went on, what kind of emotions did you experience?
For the seven days that we were there, we did as much as we possibly could, whether it was spending time with the kids, eating, debriefing at night around a campfire, going into town, or competing in the "Rwanda Cup" (soccer, basketball, and volleyball games against some of the workers from the school). Between keeping up with our non-stop schedule and trying to take in all the things I was experiencing so quickly, I became very physically and emotionally exhausted. Around the 4th day I broke down, and after having a really good conversation with one of the girls in my room, I took a three hour nap. It was the best decision I made all week and I was more ready than ever for the rest of the week(: But like I said, we experienced so much in such a short amount of time that it was hard to identify the emotions I was feeling while I was there. A lot of that happened after I got home.
How would you describe your time in Africa using all five senses.
Africa looked like grey skies, red dust, rolling hills, and banana trees
Africa tasted like banana bread and jelly, passion fruit, chicken and rice, and porridge
Africa smelled like sweaty bodies, campfire, and coffee
Africa sounded like drums, kids yelling, the Lord's Prayer, and singing
Africa felt like dusty clothes, blisters, cold showers, hugs, and tiny hands
Did you learn anything about yourself while you were there?
One of the biggest things I realized about myself is that I hate not being able to put my emotions into words. A lot of times, when we would talk at the end of the day, people would ask what was going on in our minds and in our hearts. For me, there was so much going on but I couldn't explain it to anyone or even myself. This was hard, but I learned how to stop stressing about that and just take in everything that was still going on. Even now when people ask me about the trip its hard to put anything into words because you have to experience it for yourself. I learned so much on the trip, but I didn't get any kind of clear message from God like I thought I would. For a while I was actually more confused. But looking back on the experience I can see everything He's done in me and I am so thankful for it.
What are some of your favorite memories from Rwanda?
One of my favorite memories was when someone brought out speakers and played American music. All of the kids loved it and they always broke out in dance any time they heard it. I loved going to the restaurants and the markets and experiencing what every day life was like. Another one of my favorite memories was one night after our group started going to bed, some of us stayed out around the fire. We went around and talked about what we see God doing in each other and spoke life into one another. We all became closer and it was so cool that we got to do it in Africa. There are so many jokes and memories we all have from that trip.
What do you miss most about not being there?
I miss Rwanda a lot. I miss the people, the kids, the food, and the scenery. I think the biggest thing though would be the kids. I had more fun with them than with a lot of people my own age, because they were always so happy. They always wanted to be holding your hand and they were always up for whatever.
What was your biggest takeaway from this experience?
This is hard because it's hard to put my experience into words. I didn't realize I could feel so many emotions so deeply in just one week. God opened my eyes to life outside of my own and gave me a deeper love for people. My faith in Him is so much stronger because I encountered Him in so many different ways on this trip. I realized that when you surrender to the plan God has for your life, He can surprise you with opportunities you never thought you might have. I will always be so thankful for this trip and everything I experienced while I was there. I can't wait to see what God has for me in this next year, even if I don't get the same opportunity.
To Tyah -- I am in awe of the way God is at work in you. I see Him growing in you a heart that looks more like His everyday. I love the way He has captured another piece of you through this trip. My prayer for you is that you will continue to seek Him, that you will continue to learn to hear His voice, and that you will continue to desire more of Him in your life. May your sense of adventure (which is pure testimony of the Father's hand at work) always lead you into a deeper experience of Jesus. I'm so proud of you and can't wait to see what God has in store for you in the future. I love you!
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