Say what?

Due to the fact that the Chinese here in Kigali come from provinces all over China, and therefore have varied accents, there is the challenge of trying to understand them, and also make myself as a non-fluent speaker understood to them. However, there is another challenge, less daunting perhaps. It concerns the variations of English spoken here.

Here in the Kigali English Congregation there are perhaps 3 or 4 of us for whom English is the mother tongue. For everyone else, it is a second (or third) language. Consider that the brothers and sisters here come from Angola, DR Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, etc. And of course Rwanda. In some of these countries the quality of English spoken is higher. In others, including Rwanda, it is a work in progress. As I mentioned in an earlier post, French was taught in the schools here until several years ago, when it was supplanted by English.

I can understand the English spoken here 90% of the time, but there are moments when--let's just say I'm tired or not completely attentive--my reaction is...huh? I notice that the "r" in the middle of words is often not pronounced, for example, in the words "earth" or "hurt." Sometimes "th" sounds like "t." The letter "i" is pronounced "ee" in most cases. And then there is French and Kinyarwanda thrown into the mix.

I hope everyone understands me, but I have come to the realization that English in the U.S. is often spoken in a somewhat slovenly fashion, with not all the sounds pronounced as they should be. So in an effort to be understood here, I find myself trying to enunciate more clearly, especially the "t" in words. That means "better." And "battery." And, one of the most striking examples, "water." Hey, just like the British!

Strangely enough, I can understand the French here slightly better (not "bedder") than the English. Maybe this is because French has been around longer and is one of the main languages in places such as Congo. So the way it is spoken conforms to what we learned in school.

Anyway, it's not a big deal, and to be truthful, the variety of accents does add a bit of spice and zest.

(Interesting observation: In the English congregation, we use the Simplified English study edition of The Watchtower, whereas in our sister French congregation, they use the Standard French edition, not the Simplified French edition.)

Wanna--sorry--Want to hear some greetings in English from brothers and sisters of different countries? (If you don't like the sound quality of my pocket-size camera, this is to let you know that donations are gladly accepted for a decent video camera.)

(Note: I finally figured out how to successfully add video clips, after getting numerous error messages, so feel free to check out the one in my previous post, which involves singing "We Thank You, Jehovah.")

Kingdom Hall dedication!

On Sunday, May 25, I was invited by Philbert, who works at Bethel in the Kingdom Hall Construction Department, to accompany him to a Kingdom Hall dedication where he was to be the main speaker.

This dedication program was for the Munanira Congregation, which is on the outskirts of the town of Gisenyi, located a three-hour drive west of Kigali. Gisenyi is a town bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo.

We left Kigali at 6:30am and headed westward. The day was cool, dry, and clear. This was the first time I had traveled outside Kigali, by the way, so it was a good opportunity to see what a different part of the country looked like. The two-lane road wound in and out of beautiful hills and lush countryside. Quite magnificent! Since we were traveling in the early morning hours, a fog had settled in the valleys we passed.

We arrived shortly before 10:00am, when the program was to start. I learned that the Munanira Congregation, with 55 publishers, is the only one meeting in this Kingdom Hall. (In the town of Gisenyi itself, there are four congregations: French, Kinyarwanda, Sign Language, and Swahili.)

The entire program was in Kinyarwanda (of course), so I didn't understand much. But the spirit and the joy of the brothers and sisters was evident.



The program began with an introduction by the chairman, a shortened Watchtower study, and then some interviews of publishers, with their observations on the building project (see photo to the right).

One of the interviewees said that an onlooker asked him, was this project done by Chinese? Because it was completed so quickly! (The Chinese are known for working fast.) The onlooker was amazed that it was all local volunteers who did this work.

Following this part was the dedication talk, at the end of which everyone enthusiastically applauded to indicate their heartfelt desire to dedicate this new building to Jehovah and his worship.

At the conclusion, we all sang Song #2, "We Thank You, Jehovah"!

The Kingdom Hall is located in an incredibly beautiful setting, atop a hill overlooking Lake Kivu, which is a 30-mile wide lake that divides Rwanda from Congo. Note the volcanic rock on the path in the foreground, due to the presence of a volcano called Nyarigongo.

View outside the Kingdom Hall

Afterward, everyone was in a festive mood. We had some sambusas (meat-filled turnovers) and boiled potatoes. I had the opportunity to meet some of the brothers and sisters in this congregation. Since this area is so close to Congo, many of them speak French.

Louise, Jean-Baptiste

Donatien, Jean-Pierre

Edward

Two elderly brothers whose names
unfortunately I did not get...

After the program, we had about 45 minutes to drive around and view the area before Philbert had to host an hour-long meeting with circuit elders at the Assembly Hall in Gisenyi. So we first checked out the headquarters of Bralirwa, one of the major breweries in Rwanda.

Then, we drove right up to the border of Congo. There are basically two approaches to Congo at the town of Goma, one called "petite barrière" and the other "grande barrière" (the latter in the photo below, which I had to take discreetly from inside the car).

I figured this will probably be the closest I will get to Congo, because first of all, the cost for the visa is rather expensive, and secondly, there is some question about whether the two towns on the eastern Congo border, Goma and Bukavu, are safe for foreigners in view of the occasional rebel conflicts.

Rwandans cross on foot regularly to do trade between the two countries, showing just their national ID. However, as tempting as it was for me as a foreigner to just walk across (at least from the looks of it), I concluded that confronting Congolese border authorities without a visa is not worth getting shot at. And anyway, why potentially spoil a wonderful theocratic day?

I did, though, get a zoomed-in shot of Goma from across Lake Kivu.

I was surprised that Gisenyi and Goma had such large, expensive-looking homes, this display of wealth quite the contrast to most other African border crossings I have had the pleasure (in a matter of speaking) of experiencing.

Finally, we arrived at the Assembly Hall, which has an adjoining Kingdom Hall. Like most other African venues, it is open-air with concrete seating.

Baptism pool

In the evening, we went to a hotel, where a brother, Pierre Celestin, works as a receptionist. He used to be in the Kigali English Congregation and serve in Bethel, but now he lives in this area closer to where he is originally from. Here is Brother Celestin with our car group (minus the photographer):

Benjamin, Rita, John, Philbert, Celestin

We returned to Kigali after 10:00pm, tired but happy that we were able to witness this milestone event!

Latest on employment

Well, last Friday I had the opportunity to visit a second music school, namely, the Oakdale Kigali Music School. This school is definitely of a higher order than the Pacific Music Training Center, the first one I visited. They have good-quality full-sized keyboards, an actual upright piano, and some drum sets and cellos. They just started offering cello classes, which are taught via Skype by some lady in Germany. (The only problem is that the internet connection is sometimes spotty.)

The director, Aimable, said that they have a list of foreigners who want their kids to take piano lessons, but at the moment they have a shortage of teachers. So they are interested in having me work there once that can be arranged. Since they are a nonprofit organization, the arrangement would be that I could give the private lessons to the foreigners' kids, charge whatever I want, and then give a percentage to the school for the use of their rooms and equipment. So they will be getting back to me about this.

Later that day, Gérard called me from the Pacific Music Training Center to say, Brian, after our discussion last week in which you agreed to come work here, how come you didn't show up this week? So I replied, well, we didn't discuss any terms, and especially whether this was to be as a volunteer or as a paid employee. Because, I continued, I'm already an unpaid volunteer, teaching the Bible to others 70 hours a month at my own expense, so what I'm really looking for is emploi rémunéré. I have to eat somehow. So he asked if I could come to the school on Monday, which I did, to discuss this further.

Gérard said that the school is in dire need of teachers, but also funding. Isaac, the brother who teaches music part-time, makes about $60 a month. The full-time primary teachers make about $130 a month. So he was hoping that I could volunteer my services, but after our discussion he understood my position.

Since the Oakdale Kigali Music School is offering me the possibility of teaching piano to foreigners' kids, who no doubt are in a position to pay Western prices (like $30-$60 per hour), I told Gérard that, sorry to say, I will probably go to work for them. Though I may be able to volunteer at Pacific, say, once a month. However, there is hope. Gérard said that in June some representatives of a company from Hamburg, Germany, will be coming to Rwanda and, it is hoped, offer some financial help to the school. This company has already donated some equipment to the school. So if the school can get the needed funding, they may be able to pay teachers more, as well as hire higher quality ones.

One very touching incident occurred as I was walking across the campus: It was during the smaller kids' recess period, and about a half dozen of them came up and hugged me! Then, Gérard introduced me to the 4th and the 5th grade classes. In the 4th grade class, all the students got up and greeted me, as their guest, and then proceeded to sing the school song! From memory! I wish I had taken video of that, but I had forgotten my camera. In any case, since Gérard is now impressing me into service to take the school song and arrange it for brass and wind instruments, he has agreed to invite me to the special program at the end of the term in which all the students (100 of them) will be singing the song with accompaniment. So I will definitely get some video footage of that!

The price of development

Rwanda is far from being considered a developed country, but it is making strides in that direction. Ever since the genocide of 1994, it has viewed economic development as going hand in hand with social recovery.

But that development has come at a price. It is the same price that the Western world has paid, wanted or not.

In the wealthier neighborhoods of Kigali, for example, behind the façades of the large houses you find the same issues that exist in the developed world. Family members operate more independently of each other. Their property is fiercely protected with gates, barbed wire, and guards. People have to work harder and longer hours to maintain their economic status. So when you preach door-to-door in these areas, no one is home during the week. Or, for that matter, during the weekends. If people are home on the weekend, they are sleeping late because they spend late nights watching TV or surfing the internet.

In the poorer areas of Kigali, which are generally the low-lying portions of the city, life is closer to what it is in the villages. It's true that in the rurals, there is water, usually from a public tap. There is electricity, most of the time (else how would people charge their cell phones?). But after the sun sets, there is no TV. There is no internet. So what do you do? You go to bed. At 6:30 to 7:00 every evening. Then you wake up when the sun rises in the morning. The only excuse for staying up late on occasion is when there is an important soccer match taking place in one of the European leagues, but that is about the only justifiable reason. And even then, you have to go out to find someplace it is being televised.

Kigali does have a nightlife, so there are always things to do after dark, even until late at night. But in Malawi, for example, everything completely shuts down at sunset. There are no bars, no restaurants open. If you happen to be out somewhere after dark without a ride, you have missed the bus, literally and figuratively.

For Westerners, especially those who live in big cities where life goes on day and night and there is always something to do at any hour with whomever you wish, it is hard to fathom how people in rural Africa could live this way, but you know what? The Africans are not sleep-deprived. They are not stressed out due to trying to cram way too much activity into 24 hours of existence. They can spend more time at home with their families. OK, they don't have the latest gadgets or, in many cases, any gadgets at all. But they seem to be just as happy, or happier even.

My experience in Malawi was that after being there for awhile, I didn't know what was going on in the world, and basically didn't care. That included local and international news, sporting events, how the stock market was doing, etc. It was an incredibly liberating feeling. I could check my e-mail once every two weeks at a cafe and that was enough.

Most significantly, when people have less materially, they can devote more of their time and attention to spiritual things. This is why the poorer countries have such a great response to the truth, as evidenced by the excellent yearly increases reported in the Yearbook.

So...for anyone who has not ever experienced living in a developing country, I highly recommend it!

The "borrowed" book

It's interesting how one gets new return visits and/or Bible studies.

Several weeks ago, when I went to study with Mr. Jia, my student at the Beijing restaurant, he told me that one of his Chinese customers, Mr. Han Kai, saw his Bible Teach book and asked to look at it. Well, he took the book with him upon leaving and never returned it. So Mr. Jia asked if I could bring him another book, which I did.

The name of the Chinese customer was vaguely familiar to me, and when I checked my records, sure enough I had visited Mr. Han before at his workplace, which is Tiger Auto Ltd., a motorcycle manufacturing company. My first impression was that Mr. Han was polite but did not show unusual interest.

I figured that if Mr. Han made off with Mr. Jia's Bible Teach book, perhaps he had more interest than he had originally let on. So I paid him another visit, and this time he was indeed very interested. In particular he was intrigued by our website, jw.org, and its various features. So I explained that the Bible Teach book he had is the one we use principally to study the Bible. He said he had some time on Sunday mornings, so we set up an appointment for the following Sunday, if I would make sure to call or text before coming. Usually Sundays are slow for the business, but occasionally there are customers.

That Sunday not only Mr. Han but also his wife was there, and we started with Chapter 2 of the Bible Teach book. (This is something we do with Chinese people, because although they may not believe in the existence of God, the information in Chapter 2 about the authenticity and practical value of the Bible often impresses them.) Mr. Han and his wife had so many questions that I had to interrupt our consideration of Chapter 2 to address them. His wife had a question about fate, or predestination. So I promised to send them some information on that subject. (Later that day, I sent the text of a magazine article about fate by e-mail to them.) As we were approaching an hour and a half in our discussion, I said that we had a meeting at 11:30am and we had to leave soon or we would be late. Well, Mr. Han thereupon said he would drive us to the meeting, so we hopped in his car! That was very kind of him. Now he knows where our Kingdom Hall is, and since he and his wife are the only Chinese calls of mine that can speak a bit of English, I am hoping they (and their two kids) will be able to come to our meeting someday.

So that is how another Bible study was started.

By the way, Mr. Jia is doing very well with his new book, and also new Bible. Here is a picture of him as well as his restaurant.

Fulfilling a dream?

For those of you who have been meticulously following my previous posts, you will no doubt recognize where you are in Kigali by the following description:

Take a bus from Remera to Nyabugogo.
Take another bus from Nyabugogo to Kimisagara.
Look for the neighborhood called Kwamutwe.
Get off at the bus stage called Kuntaraga.

OK, did you get all that? (Quiz later.)

Nyabugogo bus park

Well, that would be helpful to me the next time I make this trip, because that is where a school called the "Pacific Music Training Center" is located. It is a private school that teaches all the subjects, but with a specialty of music.

I went there last Friday because someone gave me the name of a brother, Isaac, who teaches music at this school. I thought, maybe I could get a job there without any teaching credentials, just my word that I have played the piano since the age of 7 and had the experience of giving private lessons to 3 school-age children when I was in Malawi.

You would be amazed to see how far that explanation went. I met Isaac, who was very happy to show me around the school. He is a pioneer who works at the school 3 days a week, teaching piano. They have several keyboards (not full-size) that are not the greatest, but they do function. (Funding is an issue, which is the case with many Rwandan schools.) They also have several very nice acoustic guitars that are used for lessons. Then, I met the school's director as well as the director of the music department, whose name is Gérard. He pulled his shiny trumpet out of a case and proceeded to play a bit for me. He knows that Isaac is a Witness and added that he likes our Kingdom songs. Then, he tried to play Song #113 from our songbook, which Isaac happened to have on hand. Here is a video of that:

Isaac, with some of his students

The "practice room"

Gérard noted my name and phone number, and asked me whether I would be interested in coming to teach music. I didn't ask if this was as a volunteer or in a paid position, but at this point, sure! Great to get my foot in the door...

A few years ago, I had this idea of a dream job: being a schoolteacher in a Rwandan village. Seriously. This was long before any specific plans for Rwanda had even been formed, or conceived. Well, if I can get a job at this school (or at another music school I am looking into as a possibility), it would be a dream come true! Of course, it would not be in an actual village, but in a city. Close enough!

So at the end of this experience, I stopped to celebrate with a couple of goat-liver brochettes in piri-piri sauce, washed down with a bottle of citron. 

Oh, while out preaching the other day, I got a great "photo op" in the form of this little guy, who promptly climbed over the wall and disappeared.

Observations on the Chinese field

One thing I have learned about the Chinese field here--and this probably applies anywhere in the world--is that to get anywhere with the Chinese, you need dogged persistence. Yes. The Chinese naturally are hardworking, and the only reason they emigrate to other countries is to make money (or go to school so they can eventually make money). So it is a schedule of 7 days a week, often 12-16 hours a day.

Once you get the interest of Chinese people, and they realize the importance of learning more about God and the Bible, then taking time is not an issue. But how do you get them to reach that point?

In town, I have several return visits in businesses who expressed great interest on the first visit, but ever since then, it has been tough to even speak to them at all. When I ask what is the best time or day of the week, the response is invariably "时间表不一定" ("schedule not fixed"). I try to get people's phone numbers also, but when I call it is usually the same response. ("Too busy" and "I'll call you," but then they never do.) And then, I don't want to feel like I'm a pest, coming by or calling every week.

So I have evolved a line that I can pretty much rattle off:

"我只想用五分钟跟你分享一个要点，好吗?"
"I only wanted to take five minutes to share with you one point, OK?"

Then, with that one point prepared in advance, I use a question and a scripture. That's it. Five minutes. If you can take five minutes to use the bathroom, you can surely take five minutes for this. (No, I don't actually say that.)

If the person doesn't have even five minutes, which in the business setting is often the case, then I can try what this sister did in the experience in the 2004 Yearbook from Ghana (p. 64) about the young man who told the sister he had no time during the day, only returning home from work to sleep at 8:00pm. She said to him: "Is it possible to spare a little of your sleeping time to study the Bible?" (Great line!) He eventually did study in the evenings and progressed to the point of baptism.

The Chinese may not be willing to spare their working time, but might be willing to take some of their sleeping time.

In Chinese, this question would be "你能够从睡觉的时间拨出一点来学习圣经吗?"

Another common statement: "I can read the literature you leave me, you don't have to visit me to explain it." How to respond? Is there an illustration I can use? What about this one:

"你认为，如果没有来自老师的帮助，你能不能明白科学教科书的内容？圣经是这样的。"
"Do you think you could understand the material in a science textbook without a teacher's help? The Bible is like that."

So for those of you in the Chinese field--or even if you're not--if you have any other ideas on how to deal with these challenges, please share. (And please feel free to correct my Chinese also.)

A few of the Chinese here, though, recognize quickly the importance of spiritual things. Here is a picture of my student Mr. Liu, who is very happy to have (finally) received his Bible.

We are only in chapter 2 of the Bible Teach book, but already he has memorized the names of all 66 books of the Bible! And based on what is stated in the book on page 7 (even without my saying anything), he has started reading 3-5 chapters of the Bible a day. And now is willing to study twice a week, so as to progress faster. I can't ask for a better student! I told him that we presently have meetings in English, French, and Kinyarwanda, but not in Chinese. Not yet. But someday...

Why Chinese like living in Kigali

When you ask Chinese people here how they feel about living in Kigali, they invariably say they like it, for the following reasons (not necessarily in this order):

1.  Weather is nice (天气很好)

If one could describe the climate here, it would be: cool in the mornings and evenings, warm in the afternoons (notice that I didn't say "cold" or "hot"), and some rain. It's almost ideal. No air-conditioning or heating is needed for cars or houses.

In cooler weather, my head is clearer. I can remember details better, such as the location of landmarks, people's names, even the content of what I'm reading. In hot, humid weather my brain is fried and I can't be trusted not to step in front of an oncoming car. So in that sense, living in a cooler climate has probably saved my life.

(Note: That said, I don't think I have the courage to drive a car here in Kigali. With all the roundabouts and moto-taxis, it's easy to have a split-second lapse. Like a few weeks ago when I was a passenger in a car that got rear-ended. No major damage, fortunately.)

2.  No pollution (没有污染)

What, no choking, blanketing smog that lasts for days on end? Nope. Now, of course, there is a fair amount of dust that blows around, and breathing it in can occasionally bring some health issues, such as running sinuses or flu. But I think that can hardly be compared with what the Chinese experience back home.

Most days skies are sunny and blue, some days cloudy (but these are rain clouds).

As far as the soil is concerned, the fact is that produce is grown pesticide-free. All organic! However, processed foods can and do contain colorants, emulsifiers, etc., so you have to read labels.  

3.  Friendly people (人很友善)

Well, of course the people are friendly, because as your laborers and employees, they have to be nice to you! Seriously, though, Rwandans are very kind and hospitable, qualities that make it a pleasure to interact with them. 

One more reason for liking life here:

The Chinese agree, perhaps somewhat reluctantly, that the stricter stance on corruption is good for business. That's right. When there is less corruption, you can trust that things are built the way they should be, prices remain stable, and competition is fairer.

So, all in all, Kigali is a great place to live! There is even a website, livinginkigali.com, which is mostly used by ex-pats (but locals use it too) to exchange helpful information about living here.

Living in an African world

After living in Malawi and now Rwanda for some time, I have come to this conclusion:

Chocolate brown is a great color for skin.

No matter how much it is exposed to the elements, it manages to retain its youthful appearance.

And secondly, it fits into the landscape here.

Sometimes when I see a white person, I think, What are you doing here? (Especially if he/she is associated with Christendom.) Then, I ask myself, What am I doing here?

Of course, I know why I'm here, but sometimes it does feel a bit strange. In my congregation, a Dominican couple and their year-old son and I are the only non-Africans (ethnically speaking). The Dominican brother works for Tigo, a Latin-American telecommunication company that has expanded into Rwanda.

But when you are around the brothers and sisters, these factors don't matter. That is what is so great about being here.

However, one challenge I had in the beginning (which has since been met) is, where does a non-African person (umuzungu) get a haircut? Just like in Lilongwe, there are very few places in Kigali where someone knows how to cut straight hair. Naturally, you get surcharged for the privilege. Whereas the African brothers pay about 500Rwf for their haircuts, since they are fairly simple operations, I have to pay 3500Rwf, seven times as much. The barber I found is a Pakistani guy who has a steady stream of mostly Indian customers. He did a good job on me the first time and I intend to go back again, not that I have any choice. Also, the barbershop is right off the bus when you get to town, so the location is very convenient. (I haven't decided whether to ask the Chinese where they get their haircuts, because likely it is some Chinese barber. Sorry, that brings back memories that are less than pleasant.)

Hey, they should give me a discount for giving them free advertising! By the way, the word "saloon" is not a drinking establishment, but a haircutting business. Just for your edification and enlightenment.

Dental distress

On Tuesday, I went preaching with David. After eating lunch at a buffet, I noticed that one of my back teeth felt strange. Sure enough, when I got home, half of my upper right molar cracked and fell out! This was a little more serious than allergies, so I made an appointment for the next day with a local dental clinic recommended by Bethel, called ADA (which stands for Aide Dentaire Afrique, not American Dental Association).

Perhaps this was bound to happen sooner or later, the result of my not having seen a dentist in nearly 10 years. So it was with some misgivings that I set off on Wednesday. (It's a good thing I got in to see a dentist that day, because the next day, Thursday, May 1, was another holiday: Labour Day.) Here's a picture of the clinic:

Whoa, wrong picture! Sorry...it's a little further down the street:






OK, maybe it doesn't look that impressive on the outside. 

(I ended up paying these two boys 100Rwf each after they put themselves in my picture.)

But here's the inside...









Well, the clinic is as close to modern as anything you would see in the U.S. No string attached to the doorknob. No pliers. Very professional.

I first spoke to one of the dentists, a young man who asked me in halting English about my symptoms, then took X-rays, revealing that the broken molar still had its roots--which is why there was no pain--but also that my molar on the other side had a deep cavity. He said, however, that because his equipment was not working properly, he would refer me to the dentist in the next room. And then added: "So how's your French?" That's because the other dentist, who would actually do the filling and cleaning, spoke only French and Kinyarwanda. I said, well, I could function, but French dental terms are not my forte.

With that in mind, I settled into the dental chair and tried to relax, that is, as much as is humanly possible in anticipation of a needle about to be inserted in your gums. And then the series of commands:

"Ouvrez"

"Fermez"

"Mâchez"

Hey, if I didn't know the French word for "spit" before, I know it now ("crachez").

Quick digression: Sometimes there are certain words that burn their mark in your brain, such as the expression for "tow away," when I was in Paris years ago ("mise en fourrière"). Funny how you don't forget things like that.

Then she (the dentist) explained to me in French how to use these toothpick-like sticks to insert between your teeth to remove food particles and plaque. (Thank goodness the instructions on the package are in English.)

Today, I returned to get a crown on my broken molar. Good as new!

So here's what I ended up getting:

Consultation
X-ray
Cavity filled
Cleaning
Crown installed

Grand total: 118600Rwf (US$172)!

If this work had been done in the States, I'm sure it would have cost thousands of dollars. So my having the dental work done here in Rwanda basically paid for my plane ticket...and then some. I never felt better about paying $170 for something anytime before in my life. Considering that Bethel uses this particular dental clinic, I have confidence that they do quality work.

Another health crisis (almost): After going to the dentist, that evening I felt so-so at the meeting. Then, the next day, I dragged myself to go preaching in the morning, but when I returned home at noon, I went straight to bed. My thought was, it must be some kind of reaction to the dental work. Six hours later, Philbert called and woke me up. He wanted to invite me to accompany him when he gives a Kingdom Hall dedication talk on May 25. Then, he said, Brian, your voice sounds strange, are you OK? I replied, well, I have a headache, body aches, slight sweats, and  fatigue. He said, we had better take you to the hospital to have you checked out, because you never know what it might be (i.e., malaria, typhoid). So I pulled myself together, we went off to the hospital, and I took some blood tests. Everything checked out normal. It was just a case of flu. So they prescribed me some medicine, and after a few days I was fine. OK, that experience set me back $40. It seems most of my money here in Rwanda is going toward medical expenses, but I suppose it comes with the territory.

And now, some preaching notes: On Thursday, Ernest, Victor, and I went to Masaka Hospital, which is about a 35-minute drive from Remera. We had been told there were Chinese doctors working at this hospital.

At some point on the way, we left the tarmac and it was all rough dirt road the rest of the way. The hospital is located in a true Rwandan 'village.' Since it was a public holiday, the Chinese were not working. However, they live in a compound right next to the hospital.

We first ran into some construction workers, who in rough, heavily accented Chinese basically waved us off once they learned what we were there for. Then, we met some of the Chinese doctors. Quite a different response! Very refined and polite. One of them asked, if you have an English meeting, where is it so that we may possibly attend? I placed some tracts and showed the video. They had to leave for a special meeting at the hospital (even on a day off), so we left and returned to town.

On Tuesday evening I went to see Liu Ming Yue, my return visit who works at the Bamboo restaurant (with the grand piano). Unfortunately, he was tied up with work and apparently felt bad that we had to wait quite awhile for him until essentially it was too late to talk, so he brought us sizzling beef and spicy tofu, on the house! So even though we didn't end up having a discussion, we did get a nice meal, with leftovers...

Meet the locals

You might like to meet some of the local brothers and sisters who have been very supportive. (Generally, Rwandan surnames are anywhere from three to five syllables, so I will not even attempt them at this point.)

Ariane, Benjamin, Emile, Yvonne, Ernest, Florence, Jedediah, Babé, Sis. and Bro. Gatera

(one great family!)

Epimaque (who didn't make it into the other picture, but is still part of the family)

         
Jean de Dieu is a ministerial servant whose family's picture appeared in a recent publication--I won't tell you where.

Jacques introduced me to the president's residential area, where we narrowly escaped being shot at by armed soldiers.

Régis is a new Bethelite (as of April), having previously commuted and served as one of the Kingdom Hall caretakers.





Siméon is a ministerial servant and regular pioneer. His 14-year-old brother Blaise has dreams of being a Bethelite or a circuit overseer, or learning Spanish and moving to Bolivia (remember the WT study article?). Oh, and also learning Chinese.

Arthur is the coordinator and Philbert is the service overseer of the congregation. They both serve at Bethel. Philbert has a great Bible study twice a week with a man from Britain who previously lived in South Africa, then Brazil, and recently moved to a city in Rwanda about 2 hours from Kigali. (It's rather complicated.) They study via Skype.






John and Rita are from Kenya. He designs websites and is noted for giving very well-researched comments at the meetings. She works in an optical store (which will come in handy when time comes for me to get new glasses).

Peter has a printing business. David works at a brewery with ever-changing shifts (and manages to pioneer). They take pride in wearing the same color scheme to the meetings.

Patrick is actually from Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, but previously went to school in South Africa. He invited me to visit Lubumbashi someday, but that would be a 3-day bus ride one way. Hmm...

Jean Bosco, my original Rwandan contact, and his family (plus adopted son, center)

Doesn't come to meetings, but is supportive nonetheless...







There are many more brothers and sisters than those whose photos are shown here, and one day I'll get around to taking everyone's picture. It's great working in the English Congregation here because there are a lot of brothers to preach with. I work with a different brother each time, the only problem being that I can't always remember whom I was with when I get a really good return visit, so that I can find the location the next time. But I'm getting better at orienting myself in this big city!

Finally, I couldn't resist this nice panoramic shot of the city of Kigali: