Rendezvous in Kigali

Gotta love Uganda. Another round of mystery meat on a stick and gongo, thank you very much. The efficiency of this system puts every American fast food franchise to shame.

I didn't post last week because I went to Kigali, Rwanda to visit my best friend in the whole wide world (but conveniently we were on the same continent, so I didn't have to travel that far). The distance between Kampala and Kigali is really only about 220 mi, but the journey took roughly 13hrs. It was nice to make it there safely, but finding Brett was another fiasco. We probably should have planned things out a little better, but hey, this is Africa - hakuna matata. Poor cell phone service and minimal forethought = lost in Kigali. Thanks to Fred (Brett's host father), we actually found each other without too much trouble.

I'm gonna borrow this from Brett, so if you've already read his blog just deal with it:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life forevermore. (Psa 133)

Yeah, David, I know what you mean dude - can't think anything more blessed than ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard... Well, except for brothers reuniting! Needless to say, my reunion with Brett was a sweet thing. For those of you who don't know, I shacked an attic with the dude for like the past 2.5 years. We shared more than just an attic, though; we were of bosom spirit and kindred mind.

We spent much of the weekend just catching up with our lives over the past few months, but we also managed to see some things in Rwanda. Most perturbing of my tourism was the genocide memorials we visited. We visited a church where 10,000 people had been slaughtered. It was impossible for me to comprehend what had taken place inside that building. There was a room with clothes piled to the ceiling which the victims had been wearing. They had open tombs (for a lack of a better word) where you could see racks of skulls and bones piled high. They were still excavating the area around the church and finding more bones. Later, we went to another memorial, which was more like a museum. Equally disturbing, this place offered the whole story of the background and history leading up to and following the genocide. It had plenty of visual aids to help convey the reality of it, but it was still surreal. I pondered for a long time how something like the Rwandan Genocide could have possibly taken place. It's absolutely horrific.
A genocide memorial where 10,000 people were massacred. Sobering.

We also climbed a mountain which overlooked Kigali. The view was terrific. I visited the school where Brett teaches, and we played on the newly built climbing frame that he designed (see photo below). We celebrated Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday at a local church. I had an interesting weekend with some time to meditate a bit. One thing I kept thinking about was how ridiculous it was for Jesus to come and submit himself to the cross. Stop and think about it. The God of the UNIVERSE, taking on flesh, being crucified on a cross by a bunch of people who hated his guts, for the very purpose of saving them? It's ludicrous. Love is the only explanation. It'll make you do some crazy things...Twister! This pole saved our lives! Good thinking to put that one in the design, Brett. Safety first.

Cool view of Kigali


Brett's been living with Fred, Vena, their two children. They graciously welcomed me to their home as well. I enjoyed living with a Rwandan family for a few days.