Greetings from Bujumbura, Burundi !
The trip to Africa could not have gone more smoothly. Thanks so much for praying. I was able to meet up with my brother Josh in Minneapolis for a few hours which was great. Thanks again Josh for driving six hours to see me. And I had a pleasant surprise when I found out that my uncle Bob would be on the same flight with me to Amsterdam. I definitely felt the Lord's mercy every step of the way. I'll be staying with Dan & Tambry Brose for the first week or two to get my feet on the ground. After I'm a little more settled I'll move in at The Rainbow Centre. The other single girl I thought I might stay with is actually gone for the summer so I'll have to wait to meet her.
It's hard to believe I've been here only one week. In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago that I was saying goodbye to friends and family at the Portland Airport. I'm now sitting on Dan & Tambry Brose's beautiful front porch with a cool breeze making the otherwise stifling day very pleasant. As I listen to the rustling palm trees compete with the oldies playing on the satellite radio inside I'm struck by the tranquility of this place. The peacefulness of the day is especially sweet because it comes at the end of an incredibly hectic week. When I landed in Africa I had to really dive in and go with the flow. I arrived in Bujumbura the same time as seven or eight other people who were here for various reasons related to World Relief. The difference was that they were all coming from other areas of Africa! I was truly the rookie of the group. God showed Himself faithful though and I felt His assurance as I allowed myself to get caught up in the whirlwind of life here with the Broses.
~gone to the market and run errands with Tambry
~visited the Rainbow Centre
~had a traditional Ethiopian feast
~attended a three day Peacemaker seminar with other World Relief microfinance staff
~spent a couple of days at the WR office familiarizing myself with the staff and Dan's BUSY schedule
~attended a security meeting for Americans in Buj to hear from the State Dept. what the latest issues are and what kind of evacuation system is in place
~been introduced to a group of about 100 local Baptist leaders who've been trained in HIV/AIDS education and counseling
~gone to the US ambassador's pool again :)
~attended a local Anglican church service in French
~met with a group of 15 Burundian women who are potential WR HIV/AIDS education trainees
~met with various local & international NGOs and churches to assess their HIV/AIDS involvement
Needless to say my brain is overflowing. It's been a challenge adapting to the way of life here. The best way I can describe it is to say that I hit the ground running and have been going a million miles an hour feeling like I know absolutely nothing about anything all the time. I came to realize right away that I left my comfort zone at home :) The good thing is that since I feel so completely weak and ignorant I've turned to the Lord and in His sufficient grace found peace and comfort. His power is made perfect in my weakness every moment!
Many of you have asked what kinds of things I've noticed since arriving so here is a list of significant differences between my old home and my new one...
1. Always "bear gifts" when going through immigration at the airport
2. Women really do carry things on their heads
3. Steering wheels are on the right AND you drive on the right (although as long as you don't hit a pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist, car, or bus and your horn works really well you can pretty much drive wherever you want-including the shoulder)
4. Burundi is nine hours ahead of Pacific Time
5. The sun comes up at six and sets at six everyday
6. Deodorant is not commonly used here :(
7. Only main roads are paved so your car had better have excellent suspension or you're in trouble
8. It's not considered rude to answer your mobile phone in the middle of a seminar or meeting
9. The Kirundi word for white person is Muzungu
10. It's not uncommon for your side mirrors, hubcaps, or anything else "removable" to be stolen while you're stuck in traffic
I'm sure the list will grow as my time here progresses but that's just a few items to help you all get an idea of what things are like here. The next several weeks are sure to hold many more new discoveries. Tomorrow I leave (with the Broses) for Kigali, Rwanda for two weeks. We'll be welcoming the new WR Rwanda country director, Steve Bauman, and his family. They will arrive the first week we are there. The second week is when Laura Bush comes! The First Lady is visiting various HIV/AIDS programs and has chosen WR's program in Rwanda. Dan chose Tambry as the official hostess so she'll get to meet Mrs. Bush. Coincidentally, Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, and a large team from his church (Saddleback) will be visiting Kigali the same week to launch their new peace plan. Please pray for Dan as he meets with people from both high-profile groups. We've just heard it announced that another "mega-church", Willowcreek, will somehow partner with Bill Clinton in his new peace initiative and they've also chosen Rwanda as their first project. Since there are so many faith-based groups pouring aid into Rwanda there is a real need for wisdom and balance. Many have the mentality that they have the answers that will solve all of Rwanda's problems. Please pray for WR as we seek to respond in a way that glorifies God and benefits the people in this Africa Great Lakes region.
Well, I hope I've given you a glimpse of what my life is like here. I would appreciate your prayers as I continue adjusting. Please feel free to email me anytime if you have questions or just want to say hi! Right now there is only dial-up connection here and I never know when I'll be able to get connected but I'll try my best to stay in contact with you all as often as possible. If you or someone you know would like to receive my updates by email please comment on this post and include your email address. Thank you all so much for your support and friendship.
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