Open the Floodgates

More Than Bright Colours

The Tall Grass

Making Beads

Precious

Even the Young

Let me go

The Mud House

The Ladies with their Umbrellas

Little Goat Boy

Gardens at the memorial.

Names are All we Will Know

And The Heavens Wept

Genocide Memorial

Today I went to one of the Genocide memorials.

It is hard to believe that a place this serene with people so friendly went through a time of such horror and hatred. It almost felt like I was hearing about and seeing a different country entirely.

I was able to keep my composure until I got to the last section that was devoted strictly for children who had been killed. It had photos and included their favorite food, or thing to do etc. It also included how they were killed. This is where I lost it….

Reading about a mother’s baby being killed with a machete in her arms is probably the hardest thing you could read and something I will never understand.

When I was finished this section of the memorial I looked outside to see rain pouring down over the country – I felt like God was weeping for what happened here in April 1994

The African Kitchen

Harvest

One Month.

I am just shy of the one-month mark – wow! I can hardly believe it! I am so overjoyed to be here. I am really feeling at peace here and just so happy for this opportunity. Every day is a gift. My passion is constantly growing -the more time I spend here the more photos I take. Everywhere I look I want to click my camera! This city is so beautiful and the people are so captivating.

Besides photography I am coming into more of a routine stuff throughout the day. This week I got to visit Mama Judith with Mike (our new intern), Nicole and Jean Claude. We arrived at Mama Judith’s and she gave us beautiful “welcome” flowers. She blessed us with a feast -Fantas, bread and bananas!! It was so nice to meet her and spend time all together in her home. Nicole and I are going to take turns teaching Mama Judith English and in return she is going to help me learn some phrases in Kinyarwanda.

I also went to Ubuzima again this week to help make more beads! It is hard sometimes with the language barrier but even the simple things like hugging and smiling can go a long way. It is very humbling to be there - these ladies cry out and praise God even in one of the most difficult circumstances. I just pray every day that I would know, love, and praise God like these women do. I have been making a big effort to prioritize spending time in the word and praying every day. I am just so thankful to be here and for the passion that God has placed in my heart.

I also went back to Kayonza this week to shoot some footage and find a family for the video I am working on. It was nice to go back and do some more photography and also see some of the kiddies again! I plan to go back on Wednesday to meet up with the family to walk a mile (or more!!) in their shoes.

Today I am going to the memorial and going to try on the dress I had made for the Rwandan wedding I am going to in just over a week! I am so excited to shoot this wedding and bless the couple with photos of their magical day!

Haystack

Knock and the Door Will be Opened

Steal My Heart

The Bright One

One of my Favorite Things.

There are so many awesome things to see here... but one of my favorite things is seeing these little "feetskies" sticking out!!

Eyes of Life

Simple Pleasures

football skills

The Boy in Red

African Beauty

culture shock.

Today I had a bit of culture shock.... but it's not what you think.

There is a place in Kigali called African bagel company and on Saturdays you can go to get bagels, doughnuts and other delicious foods. They were having a photo exhibit today so I decided to go with Jen to see some photos and eat some more "North American" food.

We walked into the gate and ALL I could see were white people. It was so crazy and overwhelming. Everywhere I looked I saw blonde and blue eyed boys and girls, babies, men and women of different ages but almost all were white!

I never thought I would experience this kind of culture shock in Rwanda. It was nice to meet some people living here and have a little 'taste' of home. (not just referring to the bagels!)

I also got to meet the lady who started a project for children to learn and do photography. (hence the exhibit) She is a photojournalist from New York who now lives here and teaches photography! She started it for the therapeutic aspect and also to generate some revenue. It was so nice to talk to her about why I am here and talk about our shared passion. She even invited me to one of their classes to show some of my photos!

Bittersweet.

I called this blog bittersweet because one of my new friends Patrick is going to school. I am so happy and excited for him but I am so sad to have to say goodbye because he has been someone I have connected well with.

The first time I met Patrick was when I went to cook for the street kids at Vivante. He was one of the only people who could speak English so right away we became friends.

Patrick has a great big beautiful smile and is warm and friendly. He taught me some Kinyarwanda and how to cut vegetables properly. It sounds funny - but you try cutting vegetables with a dull knife and no table. Plus in my twenty-two years I have never had to cut cabbage! Patrick makes it fun though – we had a race to see who could finish cutting the cabbage first. I won – except I may have had some help from Patrick in the middle of the race. Haha.

I am going to miss cooking and visiting Patrick but I am so thrilled he has the opportunity to go to school. He will be remembered and luckily I still get to see him one more time before I leave.

Take Flight

Old school photography.

from tuesday (late post due to slow internet!)

I traveled (on my own!) for the first time today. I walked down to the street to catch a motor taxi. I waited, and waited, and waited some more until I finally found one without someone on it. I managed to use my minimal Kinyarwanda language to ask to go to my destination. I set a price and off I went! It was going well until the motorcycle started to shake and I realized the bike was out of gas! I just decided to get off and grab another taxi in a busier part of town. Again using my awesome Kinyarwanda skills (haha!) I got another bike and was on my way. It was smooth sailing until two roads were blocked off and had a nice detour on a very bumpy dirt road. It was an adventure!

We eventually made it to my destination and I headed with Jen to immigration. We stopped at a couple places and then sat for a while and had a great conversation while we waited to get my volunteer visa.

After lunch I went to church for Ubuzima where I got to hug and smile with all the ladies – it felt SO good to be there. I really enjoyed just being with the everyone and also got to learn the first part of making beads! It was storming while we were there so the ladies all got a laugh out my ‘jumps’ from the thunder.

After Ubuzima I headed on my way – flying solo to catch the bus in rush hour. I made a friend on my walk, his name was Isaac and he spoke very good English. He walked me to the bus stop - which was by his house. I said goodbye but one minute later he showed up and said that he was going to wait with me and make sure I got on the right bus. I waited and waited once again and finally Isaac pushed me onto a bus and away I went.

It doesn’t seem like much, but today was a better day.
I keep reminding myself… it is only week two.

My Place.

I feel like I am finding my way, getting comfortable, and really doing what I love.

Photography.

Capturing a photo, and telling a story through that photo, is an amazing feeling.

I have never enjoyed something as much as I have enjoyed taking photos and spending time editing them. I get so excited after spending a day out among people and places to come home to put the photos on my computer and share them with the world. It is really encouraging to feel like I am here and able to do something I love.

Not only am I happy to take them for my own enjoyment – but to be able to bless ministries and people with those photos is an even better feeling.

I was able to meet up with a girl I met on the plane ride to Kigali. She works with another organization that works with street kids. She expressed her interest in having me do some photography for the organization so we met up and I showed her some of my work. She said she really liked the photos and will be in touch about hiring me for a job to provide photos for her ministry.

I keep praying that if this is what God has for me, he will continue to provide jobs where I can bless people through photography. That this would be HIS talent in me and that through his gifts I could produce captivating photos. I know that this is only by his will and that all the glory goes to him.

God is faithful.

Please enjoy some photos from Kayonza.