October 31, 2012
Sitting on the balcony in Kigali, Rwanda-nicely dressed
with my smartphone and iPad in-hand, I noticed a street sweeper who was simply
clothed cleaning the street with a real broom; he waved to me and smiled. Has
the technology and material toys made me happier or given me more joy?
We drove from Kigali, Rwanda to Kisoro, Uganda. Leaving
Kigali, I was struck anew about how little a foreign missionary knows when they
enter into a culture. To really have an impact within the culture, it takes
enormous effort and time. Language fluency is crucial! Without language, you
cannot really enter inside the culture and come to understand the plethora of
issues that are crucial for ministry effectiveness.
Driving through the Rwanda countryside, many questions
come to mind:
§
Who owns all the small plots of land being
farmed?
§
What are the family dynamics especially in
regards to men and children?
§
The women are carrying amazing loads balanced on
their heads and also appear to be working in the fields; what are the roles of
men and women?
§
Children are everywhere and I can see that Joe
is nervous in the front seat with all the little precious children just on the
shoulder of the road. Why are very small children out on their own?
Because the agriculture is so diverse, I noticed the
following crops: Rice, bananas, cabbage, potatoes, beans, avocados and
pineapples. The fields were filled with grazing goats, sheep and cows. I also
observed what appeared to be a large pig farm where the pigs were enclosed in a
roofed structure, something like you would see in Europe.
Along the way to the border, I observed more than 15
church buildings. They were all very small and simple with holes for windows;
some of which had no doors. One thing struck me while driving to Kisoro. The
appearance of the buildings; specifically the nice buildings and schools are
funded and built by US Aid, UN and UNICEF, etc. More to follow on that!
It has been raining since we arrived (at 3:30pm) and it
appears it will continue throughout the night and the power will most likely be
out may all night as well. A children's worker just arrived who had walked 15
kilometers through the rain to be here. Simply Amazing!
Daniel Watts
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