Sunday we woke up to an oatmeal-type breakfast, plantains with homemade peanut butter which really looked like charcoal - colored mush but was actually SO delicious. I like it maybe even more than American peanut butter. I also made myself scrambled eggs with some pretty sketchy - looking eggs. We walked to a church about 20 minutes away that you can see from our house because of the layout of our suburb of Kigali. This church is called Christian Life Assembly - an English speaking church pastored and founded in 1998 by an extremely passionate and expressive Canadian pastor and his wife. The church was big, friendly, populated by Rwandans and more American/Canadian ex pats than i had initially expected (which is true for the city of Kigali as well).
After church our group went out on a scavenger hunt to familiarize ourselves with the city (or Mumugi as you would say to the bus taxis), the mutatu (taxi) system, and the local restaurants and coffee shops. I became so overwhelmed with the words we needed to know, the knowledge we needed to get around, the places i wanted to go, and the still-existing stares and "muzungu" expressions we got. I don't know that this will ever go away, but i think it is something we will have to get accustomed to. One stop on our scavenger hunt was the Hotel Des Milles Collines - most famously known for being a refugee haven for the victims of the recent genocide. Having studied the genocide, this was a cool experience just to be in the building. This beautiful hotel is still up and running. Something i love about hotels here in Rwanda which you don't find many other places is that the hotel serves not only as a place for paid guests, but rather a public recreation center (only much much nicer). Anyone is able to go to the hotel grounds, use the pool, eat the food, use the internet, do homework, or just hang out - some of this costs a little money.
Unfortunately, Rwanda is most famously known to the outside world for the 1994 genocide. As the emotional and physical effects are still present today, we refrain from using the word "genocide" all together - especially and most importantly around Rwandans. Today, Rwandans have erased the identities of being Hutu or Tutsi in efforts to promote peace and healing in their country. Everyone is simply "Rwandan". The only exception to asking a Rwandan their heritage or about the genocide would be if we became close friends, or if they initiate the conversation. This kind of "undercover" way of dealing with the genocide may not be the most healthy for each Rwandan as there are a lot of hidden emotion, but it is their best effort to heal from the emotional damage done by the genocide.
I am glad you are able to see how the genocide has impacted the culture there. Seeing it for yourself as opposed to reading about it or hearing it on the news, gives you the first hand, REAL truth that still exists. I think sometimes in the U.S. the media disguises and shows only the bad in other countries, when in reality, there is so much more good. I think it also gives you and your group a great opportunity to share the good news of Christ and give the people that have really been affected, hope in something new. I bet you are going to meet so many great people with amazing stories! Definitely going to be a culture shock as you already know! But I know you, and I know you will appreciate the different culture you have just yet to experience. Something tells me that this is going to be a great opportunity for you to grow even more in your walk with God, it will also give you an opportunity to help people UP so they can walk with God.
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