Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Travel to Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia
This has been a month of travel; some hard, some not so hard! One of our goals for this year is learning how to travel in Africa. I think we have covered just about every mode of transportation there is, boda boda a.k.a. moto-taxis, charter bus, ferry boat, dugout canoe, train, minivan, taxi, and walking. We have learned, tolerated, enjoyed, and experienced much. We are on our way to meet three people from the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe on May 27th . . . God willing! We are currently in Livingstone, Zambia resting from travel. We went to Victoria Falls today, what an incredible natural wonder of the world! We will wait to hear from the Ohio team about their arrival next week and then arrange bus travel to Zimbabwe. Please keep in Zimbabwe in your prayers. We will let you know how it goes in our next blog! 
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
New Links
Hello! On the left you will find some new links that Kathy and Danny wanted you to be introduced to. Please feel free to check out the Enfuzi Community Campsite, the non-profit Edirisa and the Nukurub Orphans websites.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Rwanda
We spent 2 days in Rwanda being impressed with the progress they have made since the genocide of 1994 and past division of Hutu and Tutsi people. As we drove into Kigali from the Ugandan border, a 2 hour drive we were awed by the green vegetation around us all up and down the mountains of Rwanda. It was a truly beautiful drive. We spent the first afternoon walking the hills and looking for Hotel des Milles Collines, means Hotel of 1,000 Hill the hotel from the movie Hotel Rwanda. It is back up and running and located right in the middle of the city.
The second day we headed to the Genocide Memorial Museum. What a great place in terms of dealing with their reality and educating people. We were shown the outside grounds by a tour guide. There are over 250,000 people buried in mass graves on the site. They are surrounded by many beautiful gardens and fountains. A flame burns for all of April through June every year in memory of the genocide that happened in those 3 months in 1994 when most of the killings took place. We then went inside to read about the history of Rwanda and how and why the genocide happened. There was a room with bones and skulls on display that we did not go in, and all throughout there were video segments of survivors sharing some of their experiences of the genocide. There were good stories of how moderate sympathetic Hutus hid and saved Tutsi's. The second floor was divided into 2 parts, one was all children which was really hard to read and see, and the other was about genocide in general and about other countries and their past history with genocide. I am embarrassed to say that I did not know many details about some, Cambodia, Romania, Namibia, and even details about Croatia. It was embarrassing to read how the church failed the Rwandans and genocide victims of the past, going along with the killings, even encouraging them. In the evening we went back to listen to a survivor tell his story of life before, during, and after the genocide and then watch the movie Shooting Dogs by the BBC. One of the statements that stand out for both Danny and I from the survivors about those people that were lost in the genocide was, "They should still be here." Our devotion for that day was about every person here is important. How true for what the day held for us. We are both so glad that we went through Rwanda and witness their past and their healing!
The second day we headed to the Genocide Memorial Museum. What a great place in terms of dealing with their reality and educating people. We were shown the outside grounds by a tour guide. There are over 250,000 people buried in mass graves on the site. They are surrounded by many beautiful gardens and fountains. A flame burns for all of April through June every year in memory of the genocide that happened in those 3 months in 1994 when most of the killings took place. We then went inside to read about the history of Rwanda and how and why the genocide happened. There was a room with bones and skulls on display that we did not go in, and all throughout there were video segments of survivors sharing some of their experiences of the genocide. There were good stories of how moderate sympathetic Hutus hid and saved Tutsi's. The second floor was divided into 2 parts, one was all children which was really hard to read and see, and the other was about genocide in general and about other countries and their past history with genocide. I am embarrassed to say that I did not know many details about some, Cambodia, Romania, Namibia, and even details about Croatia. It was embarrassing to read how the church failed the Rwandans and genocide victims of the past, going along with the killings, even encouraging them. In the evening we went back to listen to a survivor tell his story of life before, during, and after the genocide and then watch the movie Shooting Dogs by the BBC. One of the statements that stand out for both Danny and I from the survivors about those people that were lost in the genocide was, "They should still be here." Our devotion for that day was about every person here is important. How true for what the day held for us. We are both so glad that we went through Rwanda and witness their past and their healing!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
More Adventures in Uganda
We traveled from Kampala to Masindi in central Uganda to visit Rock Foundation School which is supported by Chardon UMC. We were hosted by Christine, the person who started the school. It was a very impressive facility built in just four years time.
We then headed to Fort Portal, western Uganda toward the Rwenzori Mountains. It took us 11 hours, 3 matatus, 3 flat tires, over 25 people plus luggage and packages in a 15 passenger vehicle that did not have a starter, before we arrived in Fort Portal for a few days. From there we traveled the Nkuruba Crater Lake where we stumbled upon a campsite that is owned and operated by a pastor who is also responsible for over 140 orphans in his village. The campsite food, lodging, and recreation fees help to fund the orphanage, clinic, and church. It was a great Rosemark stop to see and talk to the pastor about his mission and goals. We participated in swimming lessons and were entertained by the orphans performing traditional dance. The campsite is often surrounded by troops of black and white colombus monkeys. We took photos at a time when there we over 10 of them in the trees beside our banda! This continues to be a very amazing adventure!
Kathy helping the littlest child get comfortable in the water.
A child carrying more than his own weight on his head.
A troop of Colombus Monkeys!
We then headed to Fort Portal, western Uganda toward the Rwenzori Mountains. It took us 11 hours, 3 matatus, 3 flat tires, over 25 people plus luggage and packages in a 15 passenger vehicle that did not have a starter, before we arrived in Fort Portal for a few days. From there we traveled the Nkuruba Crater Lake where we stumbled upon a campsite that is owned and operated by a pastor who is also responsible for over 140 orphans in his village. The campsite food, lodging, and recreation fees help to fund the orphanage, clinic, and church. It was a great Rosemark stop to see and talk to the pastor about his mission and goals. We participated in swimming lessons and were entertained by the orphans performing traditional dance. The campsite is often surrounded by troops of black and white colombus monkeys. We took photos at a time when there we over 10 of them in the trees beside our banda! This continues to be a very amazing adventure!
Kathy helping the littlest child get comfortable in the water.
A child carrying more than his own weight on his head.
A troop of Colombus Monkeys!
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