And so it begins...

Well, we made it safe and sound to Kigali town, and I have
to say that it is great to be back! Life definitely moves
at a different pace here, though, not a pace that I'm
necessarily opposed to...

We arrived here on Thursday lunchtime after a few too many
plane flights, and were immediately met with the heat of
an African day.

Since then, we're just been getting settled in the culture
and the base that we're staying in. Yesterday we went into
the city centre, introducing the students to the crush of
a Rwandan bus/taxi ride. It's amazing how a bench seat
meant for 3 people can suddenly fit 5!

There's been a few good moments, that have made me remember
Africa works pretty differently from back home.

Yesterday when we went to the city centre, we weren't sure
where the foreign exchange was, so I asked a police man
on the side of the street where we could find it. He beckoned
me to follow him, but little did I know he and his co-worker
had just arrested a man obviously for stealing handbags...
so off we all went for the 5 minute walk up the road,
the 6 of us, 2 police men, and one disgruntled thief in
handcuffs and about 5 handbags slung over his shoulder.

Then, last night after a great meal out with Rowan, one of
the students who I was out here with last year from Belfast,
we were out too late for the buses to take us back to the
YWAM base, so we took a motorbike taxi home. Normally, these
are grand, but as I got on this one particular evening, I
realised that his lights were less than reliable, and his
speedometer was less than working... At one point in time,
I found myself accelerating into the darkness on a back
road in Kigali, thinking "this is interesting..."

So, what do the next few weeks hold for us? We're going to
be here in Kigali for 3 weeks, before moving on to Burundi
for 6, so for the next 3 weeks, we're going to be involved
in a few different ministries on the YWAM base here. We'll
be helping out with some practical stuff on the base itself,
some painting and clean ups, and also working with a street
kids ministry, widows group, and leading devotions in some
schools. So, it's looking like it will be a busy few weeks,
but that's what we're here for!

The team in India also got there safely and are settling in
well!

Until next time...
tom



Sidenote:

Dear Mum,
The second story above (the motorbike one) was a lot less
dangerous than it sounded. After all, you know I tend to
exaggerate for drama's sake... I learnt that from you.
Love,
Your safety conscious son.