Day One of Classes

We got back from Rwanda last night at 11pm after a fantastic week! Our 16 hour bus ride was four hours longer than it should have been because of a flat tire and getting stopped by the police :( But it gave me plenty of time to bond with other USPers who I am growing to love! God has blessed me with wonderful new friends and I feel like I have known some of them for years already!

We spent the whole week learning more about the Rwandan genocide and the effect that it had on the people of Rwanda. Did you know that one million people were murdered in one hundred days of violence? Did you know that the Hutu majority slaughtered their Tutsi neighbors, coworkers, and friends? Did you know that even children had their limbs hacked off and people were cut into pieces as they hid in a church? I didn't know any of that before we went to Rwanda but I learned it through memorial sites, survivor testimonies, and visiting mass graves and churches where piles of clothes are all that remains. I will never forget what I saw or the faces and words of the genocide orphans and victims that we met. I am so thankful for this learning opportunity but my heart now has a special place for the people of Rwanda.

I really wish that I could post pictures because Rwanda is incredibly beautiful! However, I am currently bumming internet time off of my generous friends with laptops so there will probably be no pictures for a long time...just imagine lots of hills and rice fields and banana trees and greenness!

I am loving it here...thanks for praying!

-Faith