"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others"

The quote above and the quote below have both been hanging on the back of the door in my room since I arrived here in Rwanda last year. I guess they were left from the last girl who lived in my room...but I love the words and often reflect on its powerful message. I recently attempted to convey a similiar message about how my time in Rwanda has affected me (see blog post on August 8, 2010), but I can't quite articulate the thought like GK Chesterton.

"What we need is not the old acceptance of the world as a compromise, but some way in which we can heartily hate and heartily love it. We do not want joy and anger to neutralize each other and produce surly contentment. We want a fiercer delight and a fiercer discontent. We have to see the universe at once as an ogre's castle, to be stormed, and yet as our own cottage, to which we can return at evening" GK Chesterton

Goodbye Emmanuel!

We sent Emmanuel off to South Africa to go to school...I felt like a mom sending my child off to college! (See my blog post on July 21 for more info on Emmanuel.) My mom and Judi Dawson sent him bags full of clothes, school supplies, and everything he might need to survive high school in South Africa. Here are a few pics of his going away party and his last night in Rwanda.

Eating at Republica for Emmanuel's going away party!

Our artist friends from Ivuka, Emmanuel and Innocent, gave him paintings to decorate his new room.

Emmanuel ready to go to the airport!

With Dale and all his bags.

Saying goodbye to my little brother...sad and happy moment.

"Where everybody knows your name..."

I have been living in Rwanda for over a year now, so naturally people are starting to recognize me as a local around here (not that I stick out or anything). The town Musanze, where I have spent most of my time, is the most populated area of Rwanda, which is well known to be the most populated country in all of Africa. There are literally people covering the town at all hours of the day...but very few white people besides several other non-profits and the tourists passing through. So I love it when I go for a run in the mornings, or to my favorite restaurants, or to the local market…and everyone greets me by name. Or when I am sitting on my front porch and neighborhood children (and adults for that matter) come peer through the blue front gate to say hello. Or when I am driving down the two mile stretch to school with the windows rolled down and every few seconds I here “Anna!” yelled out from all directions by the local children. Or when the moto-taxi (motorcycle taxi service...with literally hundreds of drivers around here) driver says“Thanks Anna” as I pay him his 300 francs. Or when random numbers constantly call my phone just to say hello, with me having no idea who the caller is (ok, maybe I don't love that!). I not-so-politely asked one of those callers the other day where he got my number, to which he responded that some children were giving it out:)

One of my favorite, most random events in the last year happened a few months ago when all of my roommates were hanging out in our Musanze house one Saturday afternoon. This man, who our guard mistakenly let in the gate because he said he was “friends with Anna,” just walked right in our door and sat down with us in our living room, greeting us like we were old friends. All of us sat in shock, until I finally asked: “Who are you??” To which he casually replied: “This is my home!”, “You are my wife!” (pointing to me), and “I am the President of Rwanda!” His face seemed quite alarmed that we did not recognize him as our roommate, husband, or the President of the country. So we sat in astonishment at the absurdity of the situation for a few more minutes as this man repeatedly professed how much he loved his wife Anna and how honored he was to be the President of this fine country. Finally, Museveni graciously ushered our friend out the door. We soon came to know him as the harmless town crazy, Joseph, whom I still see walking the streets frequently. And he always greets me: “Hello, my wife.”

In America, I might have been alarmed at random people calling me at all hours of the day and a crazy man convinced that I am his wife…but here in Rwanda I just find it harmlessly humorous.

I am a small town girl at heart, so I like being in a place where everybody knows my name.

Family

A great pic of our Bridge2Rwanda team! (most of us) Griffin's family came to visit and took all of us to eat at one of the best restaurants in Kigali. Love my Rwanda family:)

All my children...

Taking all my "children" to school on the first day of class for the last term of school!