So... I have yet to talk about our journey to Africa... which happens to be coming very near. There has been a reason for that (kind of) ...it seems that the past few weeks we have been filled with checking things off of lists
... appointment for immunizations (check)
... kids' passport applications mailed off (check)
... make a tentative budget to turn in to church (check)
Not much excitement in that... and honestly, not much of the magic and mystery that has swirled around so much of this story that is our lives. We aren't naive enough to believe that the entire journey has to be lovely to be true... but we have, of late, become a bit lost in the "daily" of coordinating things on our end.
Billy and I were talking about that this weekend... that we have somehow in the last few weeks diluted our reasons for making this trip. We have gotten so wrapped up in details that we have forgotten to pray... to listen... to watch for God's brushstrokes... to simply stand in awe and then have our responce be born out of that beautiful complexity.
So we shook ourselves free of "task mode" and breathed in fresh air.
And this is a story about how God winked at us when we once again opened our eyes to all that He is doing around us...
Since Billy is in this story, I'll post my favorite picture from Milwaukee last weekend not for any reason other than I really like this picture. If you come to one of my shows someday, you'll see it hanging larger than life in an art gallery or coffee shop...
So the story.... On Sunday, Billy and I breathe.
On Monday morning, Mom and I are talking on the phone about language. I had found a CDRom to help us learn phrases in Afrikaans (the main language in Johannesburg) and the kids and I have been playing on that but we have no way to learn any Kinyarwandan (which is the street language in Rwanda). There are no books or PC programs that we've found to learn even the most basic phrases like "It is wonderful to meet you" and "thank you for your kindness". That is dissapointing because I was wishing there was some way we could speak even a tiny bit of basic common language to honor the people we will be meeting.
On Monday afternoon, Billy went to the home of a family who needed computer help... a family who, it turns out, are recent Rwandan refugees come to live just three miles from our home. Rose and her husband and their six children (three of her own and three that were born of her sister and brother in law who were both murdered during the genocide). Billy sat and talked to them for hours... telling stories of his visits to Kigali and dreams of our return... and listening to stories of their lives and hearts. Rose and her family are lovely and welcomed Billy in with openness and renewed his vision and passion and smile. He was singing a Rwandan worship song all morning today .
(big grinning giggle)
... and they asked if we could all spend time together soon as families... and offered to teach us a few beautiful phrases in Kinyarwandan to take with us to Rwanda.
Sometimes, life just isn't so random as we'd like to believe... is it?
4 comments:
phwut-phew, Billy! (that's a whistle)
Looks like a jazz photo...perhaps you were ust coming off stage after an evening in a hole-in-the wall club in Chicago...pushing your way through the crowd to the bar before you start your second set.
There is always a plan in place. Just when you were looking for a sign, you found one.
Though I must admit, I was secretly hoping that this all would fall through and you would at least be somewhat accessible. But I'm obligated to tell you that I'm happy you found such a huge push in your immenent direction.
We are not going to be totally inaccessible... we are only going to be gone for three weeks... it will go by very quickly... and we will hopefully be journaling and adding photos every day here in dicoccoville so you'll feel like you are right there with us.
and by the way... I love you too little brother.
What a great story, and what a blessing God dropped into your lap!
When the team was in Rwanda in June, I downloaded a Kinyarwanda-English dictionary -- but found it hard to use. It seems talking to natives is the best way to learn the language, and God gave you that! Too cool.
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