October 2019

Friends from Alabama came back to Rwanda for a week to visit and we enjoyed a great hike along the lake together.  Hi Meredith & Jonathan & Josiah!

Olivia and Gabby hanging out at our house

Loki showing Mugisha how to go in a hammock

This is a peek into our mornings.... Levi red faced from his run with Loki, Anna reading & Lauren waking up slowly snuggled in a blanket

Our friend who cooks amazing food for us, Julienne, is getting married!  This is her civil wedding.  Her "religious" wedding at the church will be in February.  We are so happy for Julienne & Aaron!

I love these ages so so so much!  These kids are my favorites!  They are so much fun and so easy right now - it just keeps getting better and better!

Anna trying to sleep in the sunshine

Lookin' older these days.  Levi (13) & Lauren (8) having a Fanta at a local shop (we call it the coffee shop because there is a painting of a coffee cup on the wall)

Mugisha trying to touch a chameleon without killing it!  hahahahah!

Olivia enjoying Kumbya and a snack of peanuts

These girls went to celebrate with Julienne at her civil wedding.  Heather & I were trying to look our best in Rwandan fabric.  A civil wedding is where the bride & groom make vows and sign papers at the sector office and then there is a meal and celebration at the bride's family home.  Julienne & Aaron did not come to the celebration.  But both sides of the family did.  The men of the families exchanged symbolic gifts (large bottles of Fanta, hoes, water jerry cans) and, from what I could understand,  they promised their children to each other and said nobody else could marry them.  After a meal, the groom's family left.  Julienne returned and dismissed us all.  She will live with her parents until her religious wedding in February.  Until then, she is collecting items for her new home.  We adore her.

Joel & Ryan taking some relax time to watch birds

Sweet Baby Treasure.  This is Ron & Cissy's little sweetie.  She is 2 years old.

For about 5 hours a day..... middle school

I didn't want to take a picture of Joel when he preached at church because I thought it would be distracting.... but somebody in the choir took this and I'm so glad they did.  Joel gave a great message and this was after he had preached every single morning to the hospital staff all week... and had a terrible cold and felt sick all week.  He's a hero.

Levi finally got his ride.... from Tyazo back to Kizungu.  He & Loki loved it!

After learning that our girls pooled their allowance money together to purchase a pet bunny from the market (for $2), Ronald was surprised that none of us had ever eaten rabbit.  He insisted on taking us all out to dinner at the hotel restaurant near Kumbya one evening.  We enjoyed being together while the girls enjoyed doing gymnastics in the grass and the boys ran around.  Treasure loved being with the big girls.  The rabbit was yummy - but kind of difficult to eat while thinking of our new friend, Clementine.  

Joel & Ryan went with Ronald to visit Dr.  Damien in prison in the town of Kemembe (about an hour from here).  They picked up some groceries while they were in the city and Joel surprised me with apples!!!!  It was a special treat and a really fun surprise while I'm missing my Michigan autumn.

Levi has been using his time being very creative!  He loves music ... playing it on the piano & trombone as well as just listening to it. His favorites are soundtracks.  

Meet Clementine.  She's happy in her new home and very well loved.

A real blacksmith.  This isn't for tourists (what tourists?!?!).  It's a couple of guys making useful tools that will be sold in the market.  Levi was entranced.

Lauren loving Clementine early in the morning.

This is the nearby town of Tyazo.  This is what a typical walk looks like for us.  The kids do so much better with these walks now that they are head and shoulders taller than the crowd.

Let's not be too serious!  Here is Joel playing and letting his hair down.  (it's actually Anna's hair splashed over his head) hahahah

Loki & Levi leaving on motos.... they are heading back home from Tyazo and taking their first moto ride alone.  It cost about 50 cents.

This is Rick.  He was born on the Congo island of Igwi and now he lives in Nyungwe forest as a hiking guide, a nursery school teacher, a hydro-electrical engineer (of sorts) and a health care advocate to the people of Igwi.  He has more energy than anyone else I've met here.  

Kumbya.  Thanks for capturing this so artistically, Levi.

How is this possible?!?!?  Levi has already grown since we've been here!!!

"You guys!  Do I look like I have gills?"

Anna and the girls are doing gymnastics all the time

Popsicles!

Levi made popsicle sticks out of tree branches and spent a lot of dedicated time on this project!