It’s Wednesday in Butare. Hump day! It’s also our last day in Rwanda as a ZOE group. Let me clarify: My last day with this group of 14 brothers and sisters whom I’ve had the privilege to get to know in the best possible way. This has been my first mission trip.  I’m not sure what took me so long to commit. For years I have heard people’s stories of how mission trips helped them grow in all aspects of their lives. Today I’m a believer in the journey of mission work. I learned a valuable lesson about the ZOE mission. There is a two way street benefit to serving others that works concomitantly. First direction: I pour my heart and soul into these kids and I feel proud,uplifted and whole because I’m convinced I’m making a difference in their lives. Opposing direction: The kids receive the power of love from us Missionaries. They see how the power of God is working in their lives. They feel the transformation. They witness me, the Muzungu (white man) cry tears of joy. They witness the forces of the human spirit collide and they feel hope and pride. 

Their eyes tell the story. I watched as Josilina, a 17 year old matriarch, hold her little sister and brother close to her side as her 65 orphans brother and sisters sang African spirituals upon our arrival. Josilina’s eyes said to her siblings, “We are with God. We are better now.” The pace of their clapping and foot stomping rhythms would rapidly increase whenever their eyes met. Hope! Love! Pride! As Pastor Jerry would say, “That’s God working baby!” We experienced a number of these “gifts” today as we traveled to a bustling village called Mater Boni Consilil southeast of Butare. We passed a huge banana tree orchard that the orphans in this Sector (Village) harvest and plant year round. The banana leaves are sold to the nearby beer distillery that produces Rwandan banana beer. We also took notice of the fish ponds. Interesting…..The ponds have raised wooden platforms over the lake beds that resemble chicken coups. Not for chickens. The ZOE orphans raise rabbits in these structures. The coups floors are wired mesh which gives way for rabbit poop to fall into the water. The fish eat the poop. Everyone wins with this efficiency and genius until the slaughtering takes place at the local village market. Our next stop was the bustling agricultural market of the Sector. We met our first group of orphans that are sponsored by Wally Fridy, Jay Hill and a BSUMC Sunday School class. They have just completed their first year with ZOE. We met Josilina (16) and Josephina (17). Their wholesale produce included tomatoes, avacado, rooted veggies, bananas, and a lot of other native Rwandan seedlings that I can’t recall names for. Their orphan brothers were also rocking! We made way to the community center where we met the whole group. This is where I focused on the eyes of these kids. We watched as gifts were presented to Wally, Jay and BSUMC. I have grown accustomed to crying during these ceremonious spiritual experiences. My handkerchief soaked my continuous tears. We all dance together. The distant drum in the back of the room maintains a beat that we clap and stomp to. Awesome!!! Before ZOE one year ago, these kids earned only $.53 per day and only ate 3-4 meals per week. Today they earn about $5.00 per day and eat 3 meals per day. As they progress they learn to be more efficient and more confident. This is part of the mission we support. 

We arrived back in Butare and  went by the tailor shop to pick up our prized ZOE handmade clothing. The kids were so proud of their customized and tailor fitted garb! Lots of photos were taken and hugs a plenty. We left happy. The kids’ profits skyrocketed. We left Butare (the second largest city in Rwanda) at 2:00 and traveled back to Kigali. Happy reflections as we made our hilly 3 hour trek back to Kigali. Rwanda is known as the Land of 1000 hills. I question that. Rwanda is more like the Land of a million mountains and valleys. Amazingly beautiful and clean.

My time as a ZOE groupie came to a close just after I inhaled a ham ‘n cheese sandwich at the former Hotel Rwanda. I said farewell to my ZOE family. Epiphanie introduced me to my guide Revis. Revis is 40 years old with 4 kids. He is a full time driver for a very reputable travel company. He is from and still resides in the Kinigi Sector of Musanze. Geographically this is two hours north of Kigali near the border of Uganda and the Republic of Congo. In my language, this is Gorilla country. The elevation of Kigali is 5,141 ft. The elevation of my destination in Musanze, Ruhengeri is 6,100 ft. Mount Karisimbi is 15,200. Mount Kaserutoki is 10,150 ft. Both of these volcano mountains are the backdrop of my hotel property at the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge. A brief description of the Mtn Gorilla View Lodge: The Grove Park Inn meets Out of Africa. Amazing food, live cocktail hour entertainment, individual cottages with large fireplaces and very expressive African decor. Super cool. Yes, and no TV. This place is a high end resort destination for world travelers wanting to get up close and personal with Mtn and Silverback gorillas. I look forward to sharing this experience on Friday evening. Until then, enjoy a few pictures.