Misc

Culture Shock

I am now back in the USA, after 24 hours of travel. Literally. 10 hours from Kigali, Rwanda to Brussels, Belgium, 4 hour layover, and then 10 hours from Brussels to Atlanta.  I've only been gone for 9 days, but it seems like much longer. I guess shifts in perspective and worldview truly mark your life, and when marked, that moment transcends a sense of time or the window of reality we live in through schedules and clocks and urgency. It becomes part of the fabric of who you are.

Being in Rwanda opened my eyes and made me aware. Anything more on my experience there would be disrespecting my new Rwandan brothers and sisters. I would be foolish to say that I was thrust deep into the Rwandan culture and experienced what 99% of Rwandans experience on a daily basis. I did not. I was only made aware. I became responsible and a steward of what I was exposed to. But other than that, I cannot in any way act like I experienced poverty in the tiniest since. I ate great food. I slept in a hotel. I traveled around the country on a nice bus with 10 other Americans. I took a shower. I drank bottled water.

Now, upon re-entering the American culture I am so used to and have grown up in, and is but part of my normal routine, I am experiencing a second round of being made aware. I am experiencing reverse culture shock. 

I flew from Kigali to Atlanta on a plane.... most Rwandans have never left their community, much less their country.

Once I arrived in Atlanta, I drove home in my car.... I only met one person in Rwanda who owned a car, and that was a muzungu (white man). If you want to travel somewhere, you walk, or if you are lucky, you take a bus. 

I am carrying $200 in cash in my pocket that was considered "spending money" on my trip..... In the places we visited, the average income was around $180 per year for an adult. 

I arrived in 40 minutes to my 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath two story home..... most Rwandans live in a mud brick one room house, with no toilet.

I turned on the TV and got a diet coke from the Refrigerator.... no TV's or refrigerators in most homes because of no electricity.

I drove to Chick-fil-A for a chicken sandwich.... Most Rwandans are subsistence farmers, and struggle to feed their families, especially in times of drought. 

I took a shower and brushed my teeth..... No showers, and Rwandans have to walk sometimes as many as 3 miles to water wells for clean water. And hundreds of thousands still have no access whatsoever to clean water wells, so must continue to drink, clean and bathe with dirty river water. 

I fell asleep in a king-sized bed watching The Unit on my laptop.... in Rwanda, a mattress is a luxury- most sleep on a mat or plywood. 

I awoke this morning and searched in the closet for a shirt to wear from probably 50 shirts hanging..... most Rwandans have two to three outfits at most. 

Couldn't figure out what pair of shoes to wear from 15 different options..... You are lucky to have one pair of shoes in Rwanda. And siblings usually share, regardless of foot size.

I am aware. And responsible.

New Perspective

The Hope of Rwanda After being here in Rwanda for a week, you can't help but to have your perspective changed. Mine definitely has. 

I take so many things for granted living in the US that so many others around the world don't even have. Things I don't even think about, that just seem like normal life, are non-existent for most people here in Rwanda. Everyday items like clean water, electricity, toilets, heating, air conditioning, sanitary bathrooms, showers, toothpaste, deodorant, shoes, q-tips, internet, cars, computer, cell phone, tv, and so many other things. 

I've gotten so used to these things being available to me and part of normal life that I don't even realize how much of a blessing they are. What's interesting is that most Rwandans living outside of Kigali don't miss these things because they've never had them. We've had a move in the US over the last several years to combat consumerism, which I agree with wholeheartedly. But here in Rwanda, that's not even on the radar screen. Simple lifestyle; incredibly powerful faith. 

Another thought from my time here is the essence of community. Because there are relatively few of the items mentioned above in most communities throughout Rwanda, "living in community" looks very different from what I am used to. Everyone walks to get somewhere, the Church and school is the center of community life, and the water well serves as a gathering place. Music is an incredibly important part of the culture here, and most celebrations and gatherings involve singing and dancing. People work together and collaborate because they HAVE To- their very existence depends on it. Subsistent farming communities are intertwined because people rely on each other- everyone has to contribute in order to survive. You can't "just exist" in a community, you have to be an integral part of it. 

What does this mean for our realities of community? Not sure yet, but I know that when a community has to work together on something, it enhances "doing life together." 

Check out Jeff Shinabarger's blog from earlier today on "Could you live here?," regarding Rwanda. I share the same sentiments.

Rwanda Day #6

Another amazing day here in Rwanda. We spent the morning with 10 students from a local University here in Kigali. Each of these students are part of the Leadership Development Program through Compassion. There are a total of 35 students throughout Rwanda who are part of the LDP through Compassion. These students basically are given a scholarship to attend a University, and participate in weekly activities that allow for continued spiritual and emotional growth.  Really impressed with these students. Over 200 applications were received for these 35 spots, in the first year of the program in Rwanda. Over 1,500 students around the world are part of LDP. This is the best of the best from the Compassion program for children who have been sponsored through childhood and adolescence. An amazing program and one of the highlights of the trip for me- meeting these college students and having the chance to hear their stories and encourage them. 

We also visited Hotel Rwanda, which is actually a hotel by a different name but actually the site where the movie was filmed. If you haven't watched the movie before, go and rent it immediately. It is a great film, and a good look into the Genocide of 1994 through the eyes of the hotel manager and how he protected both Hutu's and Tutsi's in the hotel, without any protection from the UN or other groups. Stars Don Cheadle and Nick Nolte.

Recent Interview at Catalyst with Rick Warren

Listen in on an interview I did recently with Rick Warren at Catalyst West Coast. We sat down backstage and discussed a number of issues, including how young leaders can avoid crashing and burning over the course of their work/ministry careers. This episode also includes an excerpt from the interview Andy Stanley did with Rick on stage at Catalyst West.  Stream live here or download from itunes.

The Global Church

After 5 days in Rwanda, I am encouraged. One of the main things I continue to be encouraged by is the beauty and scope of the global Church. The Church is alive and well all over the world. Too many times we hear that the Church is losing influence, but from what I've seen here in Rwanda, I am convinced that God is at work through the Church in incredibly powerful ways.  We attended an Anglican Church here in Kigali today, complete with hymns and praise songs, corporate prayer, children singing, and a powerful message on the parable of the Banqueting table. It was the "early" service at 8:30, and was about 3/4 full. All in English. Then the 10:30 service was in Kinyarwanda (Rwanda's language), and it was completely full and overflowing. The service was lively and powerful. Hearing the songs sung in Kinyarwanda made me think of Heaven. Chances are we probably won't be singing in English, but "all tribes and all tongues will praise Him." Even though I didn't know what exact words they were singing in the second service, I could tell what they were singing about, and who they were singing to.

There were hundreds of children present. I actually wanted to attend the Children's service because the singing was so amazing. People here sing with passion and hope and purpose. They give with great generosity. Each day is a blessing. I know I am guilty many times of just "showing up" for Church, and going through the motions. Listening instead of interacting. 

It is very encouraging as well to see the partnership between Compassion projects and the local churches here in Rwanda. This is true for every Compassion project. There has to be a local church to partner with. Seeing this partnership in action is even more evidence of the Biblical model for the Church- taking care of the least of these, the children, the widows, the orphans. Giving hope to those trapped in poverty. When we visit these children and families and community leaders and pastors who are engaged in this partnership, it is like seeing a small glimpse into Heaven. 

My theology about the poor and for the poor and those living in poverty is being refined and defined on this trip. I used to think the greatest role we can play is to provide food to those in poverty. That is definitely part of the equation. But not the full solution. The greatest challenge for those living in poverty is no hope. But what Compassion does is it gives children HOPE. And the family members HOPE. And the communities where Compassion projects exist have HOPE. 

I can see hope in the eyes of the Children we meet. I saw hope today in the eyes of the Congregation members at Church. I see hope across this country of Rwanda.

White Men Can't Jump

And this is definitely proven by Jeff Shinabarger, on the trip with us in Rwanda, Africa. Our group went to a fabulous Anglican Church this morning in Kigali and had a great time after Church visiting with church members and also the Compassion staff that work with the church locally.  But as we were waiting for our transportation to arrive, Jeff and I thought it might be fun to shoot a few hoops on the playground basketball court at the school next to the Church. Before shooting a quick game with some of the local kids, Jeff wanted to show off a bit, and here is what transpired.... enjoy. 

[vimeo 4580354]

Look, Touch, Speak

It is our third full day in Rwanda, and I can't begin to explain how much being here is impacting me. It is a trip that is redefining my worldview and our role in how we take care of our brothers and sisters around the world. Breaking me in a very good way.  Extreme poverty is real. When you see up close the poverty and terrible conditions that kids and entire families are living in, it breaks your heart. We have it so well in America. If you've been on an international trip to a third world country, you understand this. But if you haven't, it is hard to understand. Incredible poverty and literally no temporal belongings, but incredible faith and hope in God and an ability to persevere and live day by day.

One of the things our group has been dialoguing about is the incredible faith that the kids and families we are meeting have. A faith in Jesus that truly guides them and is the only thing they have to stand on. For us in America, we don't understand this. We have lots of belongings and temporal treasures that distract us from relying on God. Even for those who don't have alot in America, we still have way more than most of the rest of the world. And it dilutes our faith. It causes us to rely on ourselves. It impedes our ability to know Jesus and rely on God for everything we need.  

Today we visited another project in the northern part of Rwanda. About 2 1/2 hour drive from Kigali, the nation's capital. We were only around 15 miles from Uganda at this project site. Spent time with more kids, hearing them sing, watching them dance, and interacting with them with hugs, soccer, candy and lots of smiles. We also visited with a group of HIV AIDS victims who are being ministered to through a local group in this part of Rwanda named Friends of Jesus. They shared their stories with us, and we prayed with them and were impacted by their courage, strength, and perseverance to live day by day trusting God. 

We also visited an orphanage, where there are 6 orphans who are cared for by a beautiful lady named Charlotte. Charlotte is a women of incredible hope and grace. She herself was mistreated as a child- beaten, abused, and not given any sense of hope. But she came out of that, and now cares for these 8 orphans by giving them a home and a family filled with love. Hearing the stories from these orphans was truly impacting. In fact, I think meeting the orphans and the caregiver is the most real expression of the Gospel I have ever seen. Amazingly beautiful- redemption and restoration wrapped around grace in a way that for me paints a small glimpse into the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Many times when you see poverty and brokenness and hopelessness up close like I am seeing it this week, you start to think "how can I really make a difference?" It's overwhelming, and it's easy to think anything I do won't really have an impact. However, I keep thinking back to something Rick Warren said to me two weeks ago at Catalyst West Coast. I was making a statement regarding how Rick hugs everyone he meets, and Rick backed that up with his theory of Look, Touch, Speak. Based on Jesus' ministry, when Jesus would meet someone, he would look at them to give that person a sense of identity, touch them with a handshake or hug to give them confidence and comfort, and speak a word of encouragement to give them hope. Look, Touch, Speak. Simple yet powerful. So I've been living this out the last several days. I am not sure sometimes how to deal with extreme poverty- most of us aren't. But I know that Love is the universal language, and in that way maybe one child will be impacted by even simple things like a hug or a smile or telling them they are special. 

So take a trip to Africa. Specifically to Rwanda since I am now biased. Take a trip so you can understand how incredibly blessed we are in America, and how much responsibility we have to help our brothers and sisters in the rest of the world. We CAN MAKe a difference. Especially with children, widows and orphans. And if you can't take a trip, then sponsor a child. I am seeing the power and beauty of sponsored kids up close, and it DOES make a difference. 

And check out Jeff Shinabarger's post from today with some great thoughts and great pictures from our trip. 

Marakoze. That's Kinyarwanda for Thankyou!

Rwanda Day #2

Wow. Yesterday we learned about Rwandan history, specifically the Genocide of 1994 that was such a dark period for the Rwandese people. Today, we saw the future of Rwanda- kids. Spent time visiting with kids, staff and families at a Compassion project site in rural Kigali. We also visited the Compassion country office for Rwanda in Kigali, getting to sing, worship, fellowship and meet the 61 Compassion staff who work in Rwanda.  It's hard to put into words the change of emotion from yesterday to today. Today was filled with hope, excitement for the future, lots of smiles, children dancing, lots of hugs and really getting to see how Compassion is making a difference in the lives of kids in Rwanda. There are currently over 48,000 kids who are being sponsored through Compassion in Rwanda. We met around 100 of them at a project site just outside of Kigali. The great strategic part about the project is that it is truly a partnership between Compassion and a local Anglican Church and school. This is the essential component to a Compassion project location- there has to be a local church in the area to partner with. 

Working with a local church ensures community involvement, leadership, and a strong connection to spiritual development. And once you meet the kids who are part of the Compassion projects, you see the power of holistic development for these kids. Compassion is about releasing kids from poverty, but also very strategic in developing the child to be a confident and mature adult. 

Muraho- this is Kinyarwanda for HELLO. Said this alot today to tons of kids. They say Muraho and then wave their hand side to side. 

And even with a language barrier, a smile says so much. Meet a kid with a smile and they immediately engage you. Same with all the Rwandese people I am meeting. As Jeff Shinabarger posted today, Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills, but also the land of a thousand smiles. Smiles are everywhere. A sign of hope.

You can check out the full range of photos from the trip so far on my flicker site.

National Day of Prayer

Just a reminder, today is the National Day of Prayer here in the US. Please take a moment during the day to stop and pray. Check out this picture of the President signing the proclamation in the oval office making the day official. Also in the picture is Joshua Dubois, the White House Director for the office of Faith-based and neighborhood partnerships. Joshua is a great guy and becoming a good friend, and doing great things with the office, bringing together many voices to try and create solutions for communities and organizations across the country.   

 

 

1st day in Rwanda

Very sobering and quite memorable day here in Kigali. Visited the Genocide Memorial this morning here in Kigali. Over 250,000 are buried at the memorial due to the Genocide in 1994. After hearing so much about the Genocide over the last several years, it was incredibly eye-opening to see the Memorial and talk to those who were survivors of the Genocide. What is amazing is the way the country has recovered from such a horrific and terrible experience. Only 15 years removed, but the country has come a long way in redemption, restoration, and forgiveness.  This afternoon we visited a church in rural Kigali where over 5,000 Tutsis were murdered in April of 1994. All were inside the Church during the genocide, thinking they had found a place of refuge from the attackers, but instead became an easy target and were murdered- mostly women and children. It is surreal to see tragedy like this up close, even 15 years removed. We actually listened to the story of a women who escaped from the Church- she was 10 years old at the time. Fled into the forest and hid out for several days. To hear her recount the story was numbing. 

I grew up in a town with around 5,000 people. I can't imagine any situation where all of the people in my community would be murdered and slaughtered together in the same church within a matter of two days. It literally is hard to imagine. Seeing and hearing about this kind of tragedy is both painful and also frustrating, mainly because the UN and the international community at large stood by and did nothing, only sending in troops to assist once the killing was largely over. What a tragedy. Over 1 million Rwandese were killed during the genocide during the 100 days between April and July of 1994. 

But even with such a great tragedy and dark spot in history for the country of Rwanda and the entire international community, this country has rebounded in an amazing way. Hope is the key word you hear. Forgiveness is a key phrase. Putting the past behind and moving forward. This is an amazing story of a country recovering from an atrocity that literally wiped out 20% of the country's population at the time. President Kagame has done a great job of leading the country and re-establishing national pride and a sense of identity. 

More to come tomorrow. You can also visit Jeff Shinabarger's blog for updates and perspective from him.

Rwanda Arrival

We have officially arrived in Kigali, Rwanda. After 20 hours of travel and one bag still to arrive (of course it was mine), everyone is here. There are 10 of us on the trip. The flight from Atlanta to Brussels was good, and then from Brussels to Kigali was mostly sleeping.  When arriving at the Kigali International Airport, the first thing you notice is the banana trees and the quiet stillness of the airport. Very small. Our plane was the only one at the airport. Customs was quick, and then of course everyone got their bag except for me. Classic. The good news though is that i have enough clothes in my carry on for several days. Reminds me of when Ken Coleman went to Zambia and didn't get his bags- any of them. He had to wear the same clothes for three days straight! 

The drive over to the hotel was about 10 minutes. The sky is incredibly lit up by stars with very little light from the city. Lots of motorbikes, mopeds, and small economy cars. Seems that the roads and feel of the city is pretty peaceful. There were lots of folks walking around the city and hanging out in small little town squares in multiple locations on our drive. 

Just had dinner with the group. Lots of rice, pasta, and chicken, plus some very good dessert. We have a great group here- a musician and his wife, a couple from Minnesota that put on a large music festival, couple of other folks from Nashville, one from Colorado Springs, and then three of us from Atlanta. We got to meet two of the Compassion staff that work here in Rwanda- John and Eugene. They are great, hospitable, and have welcomed us well to their country. 

More updates tomorrow, with pictures and some video. For now, please continue to pray for safety and good health for our group, and a good nights sleep!

Headed to Rwanda

Leaving today for Rwanda. Several of us are going over with Compassion International to experience the country, see the work Compassion is doing, and understand how we might be able to help in fighting poverty and hunger for the people of Rwanda. And ultimately how we can be involved, even in small ways, in bringing hope to children in Rwanda and all throughout Africa. Really looking forward to this trip. I will be blogging and sending consistent tweets from the trip, so will keep everyone updated with pictures and posts. Appreciate the prayers!

Summary from Catalyst West

9 days after we wrapped up Catalyst West Coast, and I am still trying to get my hands around all that God accomplished during those three days with over 3,300 young leaders. It was an amazing experience. The energy was electric. The leaders in attendance were hungry for a memorable experience. Everyone there- speakers, staff, attendees, volunteers, musicians, entertainers- we all were anticipating something special. God showed up big time. Lives were impacted. Leaders were challenged. Collectively, there is now a group of young leaders who are inspired to make a difference. These leaders were already poised to be Catalysts in their spheres of influence; we just gave them a network and a gathering by which to be inspired.  It is so hard to thank everyone who needs to be thanked, so I am not going to try. But I am going to post a video later this week with some thoughts- instead of trying to write them all down, it's easier just to mention the thoughts and highlights in a stream of vocal production. So stay tuned for that. In the meantime, you can visit Ben Arment's blog for summaries, as well as going to the post event website where there are a number of resources and ongoing connection points for the new network of leaders on the West Coast.

Shane Hipps at Q

Shane Hipps spoke last night to wrap up day one at Q and did a brilliant job. Talking on the "distraction of technology" and how it pulls us from being "present in the moment." So true. I find myself constantly checking twitter, email, facebook, safari, wordpress, and whatever else I have on my phone the minute I find myself bored or have at least a small window of margin in my time during the day. Is this healthy? Not sure. Does it help in creating true community? Again, not sure. Really wrestling with this. In many ways, we've become addicted and controlled by our phones, computers, and clocks. Shane argued last night that this is not healthy, nor is it Biblical.  Really excited about Shane speaking at Catalyst in October in Atlanta. Get ready to be challenged!

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