If you give a bug a bean . . .

Matt and Andrea Miller have a beautiful woven straw living-room set.  The coffee table is slightly concave in the middle with glass over the top, which leaves a nice, creative space between the coffee table and glass.  A few weeks ago, in spite of Andrea’s hesitation, Matt bought 15 kilos of multicolored beans to fill the space and it looked great!  

Unbeknownst to Matt, there were a few bugs hiding in those beans when he bought them at the local market.  Over the course of a few weeks, those bugs multiplied and gorged themselves on the plentiful beans in the coffee table.   

When I arrived at the Miller house last week, the Miller’s and the Bean Bugs were engaged in an all out war.  Matt had just gone on the offensive by spraying bug poison under the glass.  As a result, the bean bugs were crawling out and dying in droves.  It appeared that Matt was winning.  However, the next day it became clear that Matt’s toxic assault didn’t totally wipe out the enemy.  

A Miller Family Summit was convened and all agreed that the only way to achieve complete victory was to radically dispose of all the beans, thus depriving the bean bugs of their food source.  

So, all 15 kilos of beans along with hundreds of plump but defeated bean bugs were scooped out of the table and hauled away in paper sacks with the trash.  As an act of ultimate dominance, Matt carried the once lush bean bug habitat outside and invaded every nook and cranny with a dust broom and poisonous spray.  

I returned to the Miller house on Sunday to find only a few resolute and resourceful bean bugs that had survived Matt’s “search and destroy” mission. My response was swift and blunt.  

Today, the bean bugs only inhabit our memory while three, bug-free baskets inhabit the coffee table. 

A bean bug free living room!

My room at the Miller's.

 

Aidan going out for a bike ride after school. The Miller's are renting a duplex, using one side as bedrooms and kitchen and the other side as an office, dining room, living room, guest room, and storage room.  The "other side" is where I stay and where we have school.

Asher doing school work at the dining room table.

The Miller house. 

Abby is stringing beans while she skypes with a friend in Birmingham.

Anna Marie in her boots, ready to go on a walk.

The roof of the Miller house as seen from the road. 

Pictures from my walk with Anna Marie.  This boy and the one below were tending a small herd of goats.

We loved watching the goats and picking out the prettiest ones.

The oven is in the office - another story for another time.

Ntakibaso (not-chee-boz-o) . . . No Problem

I know what you want to ask me.  

“Are you getting settled?”  

That’s the question that I’ve heard most often through emails and from folks here in Rwanda.  The quick answer is “No, but that’s ok.” 

It’s a good thing that one of my greatest strengths is adaptability!  Since I arrived last week, I haven’t spent more than four nights in the same place.  

My schedule for the next three weeks is to spend Sunday night - Tuesday night with the Miller family who lives in a village about 30 minutes south of Kigali.  They have a very simple home and I was surprised to get my own room! While at the Miller’s, I am helping three of their four kids finish the current school year.  My day starts at 6:30am with either a cold shower (if the water is on) or a steaming hot sponge bath.  After getting ready, I have about thirty minutes or so of quiet time with God and looking over the day’s lessons.  About 7:45 or 8:00 we all sit down and enjoy the breakfast that Andrea Miller has prepared.  School starts after breakfast has been cleaned up.  We break around 12:30 for another delicious Andrea Miller meal.  School will last until 2:30 or 3:00 depending on how difficult the day’s lessons are. The afternoons are always different.  The whole Miller family will usually squeeze in language training.  Andrea finds time to prepare another delicious meal.  (Really, I don't see how Andrea has time for much else beside cooking!)  Last week, I joined Abby, who is 13 years old and the oldest Miller kid, for a bike ride.  And, Abby promised me another bike ride this week! Hopefully, I'll have pictures to share on the next blog!  There's also a whole story about bean bugs - but I'll save that for later.

So three days with the Millers, then I switch to the Crowsons in Kigali.  While in Kigali, I am staying at a quaint guest house run by nuns and I am sharing a quaint room with my friend Jessie, who is spending a year in Kigali working with Let’s Start Talking.   

Thursday - Saturday I work one-on-one with the Crowson boys who are diligently working hard to finish their school year before the next on starts in September.  My days are similar as described above but my evenings are usually spent with Jessie or other Americans who are also staying at the same guest house.  

Today is Sunday, so I am re-packing and looking forward to spending the next three days with the Millers.  

So far I have been blessed with great health, good rest, respectful students and the ability to remember Jr. High Algebra.  I’ve got my iphone unlocked and working on the local network!  I even had a delicious BBQ Pork sandwich for lunch today!  I miss home and family like crazy.  My laundry is starting to pile up and I still have thank-you notes to write to some of you who have sent in financial donations.  But, the Lord had blessed me with courage and joy renewed each morning.  While I’m not physically settled, my spirit is a peace.  That’s why it is all ok! 

Here are some pictures of the guesthouse in Kigali.

 It has rained today, so everything is looking especially green and saturated with color!

Now, welcome to our confusion in our small living space!  Jessie uses the front room and I use the back room.  Luckily we have a private toilet that we share! We even have hot showers on most days!

I am standing in the bathroom doorway.  To the right is the tiny shower and to the left is the toilet.  The sink is straight in front of me.

Here is my room - luggage and all.  It would drive my super organized sister-in-law batty and my mom could clean in here for days, but I just try to ignore the mess and am thankful for a comfy room.

 This is from the doorway of the back room looking forward.  And, that's Jessie who is also living out of luggage and trunks like me.

 Just outside our door is beautiful Kigali!

 It is Sunday here and there are lots of visitors who come to worship with the nuns who run this guesthouse.

Rwanda is the "Land of a Thousand Hills".  And on the next hill over from our guesthouse is the airport.  See the tail of the airplane in the center of the picture?  So, hearing jets fly over helps me think of Atlanta and makes be feel at home!

What happened to all that faith and courage?

I arrived in Kigali, Rwanda last night along with all of my luggage!  My journey was thankfully very smooth. I made all my connections despite one long flight delay.  The hardest part of the journey was saying goodbye to family in Atlanta.  Maybe it is just the heightened state of my emotions from saying goodbye to family and friends for the past three weeks or the build-up of stress over finances, buying supplies, and packing.  But, I was unusually teary.  I cried through airport security and through most of the flight from Atlanta to Washington, D.C.  Even the flight attendant asked if I was ok.  And, I was even though the words could barely be spoken because I knew that Jesus was holding my hands and keeping me steady.

Matthew 14:28-31

“Then Peter called to him, ‘Lord if its really you tell me to come to you, walking on the water.’  ‘Yes, come,’ said Jesus. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink.  ‘Save me, Lord!” he shouted.  Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. ‘You have so little faith,’ Jesus said, ‘Why did you doubt me?’ ” 

Like you, I have heard so many lessons on these verses.  Most of the lessons focus on challenging us to have the courage to get out of the boat and follow through on something the Lord is calling us to do.  As if getting out of the boat is hardest part. Don’t get me wrong, getting out of the boat (i.e. our comfort zone) is a giant step of faith and courage. But, what about the part where Peter realizes that he is walking on unstable ground and becomes terrified?  Peter got out of the boat with courage and faith.  So, how did it suddenly all disappear? 

Over the past three weeks, I have been in that terrified state.  I have taken my eyes off of Jesus and been captivated by the unstable environment surrounding me.  I have doubted my call to Rwanda and given in to fear and defeat.  What happened to my courage and faith?

So, we all know the end of Peter’s story.  Peter shouts out to Jesus, “Save me, Lord”. (Funny, Jesus is standing right there and sees Peter sinking, but Jesus doesn’t help until Peter desperately calls out.) And immediately Jesus grabs Peter.  

I imagine this is like a young child learning to ride a bike.  Feeling wobbly, the child pleads with his parents, “Don’t let go! Please, don’t let me fall!”  And the parents, assuring the child, “I am right here.  I won’t let you fall.  Trust me and just watch where you are going!”  

The morning of my flight to Rwanda, I listened to a podcast that reminded me to follow Peter’s example and call out to Jesus when I find myself on unsteady ground.  So, that’s what I did. On United Airlines flight 3786, in seat 10C, I whispered, “Jesus, Lord, save me! Don’t let me drown in this fear.” Through my tears, I whispered this over and over again.  Of course, I whispered because I imagine if I shouted it out like Peter did, I would still be in the custody of airport security as I type! I cried out and immediately, Jesus grabbed me.