Updated: Jul 6
We wake up this morning with the realisation this will be our last day here for a good while.
This afternoon we have been fortunate enough to spend a few hours with archbishop Mbanda and his wife Chantal, who makes a mean chocolate cake, who welcomed us to their home.
Rwanda is a beautiful country, we will miss the continuous hills, that undulate around us everywhere we go, patchworked and terraced in more shades of green then we could ever have imagined. We will miss the serious faces that break into the biggest friendliest smiles the minute we try our limited knowledge of their language.
The depth of warmth, the total contentment, the praise and love of God. Rwandans seem to have found a deep peace within themselves that we cannot help but marvel at. The country is developing fast, eyeing up the West as a life to emulate. Commendable to want electricity and clean running water in every home – but we hope they never lose the obvious love and contentment with life, that they display now. Chasing the dollar does not bring that inner contentment, wanting the next best thing does not make life better, for many it breeds discontent, and yes we feel everyone should get a fair wage, not starve and have clean water – we pray that the Rwandans hold on to their traditional values of love of community and friendship, which they have worked so hard to keep a hold of, despite the tragic events of 1994.
We are going to make the most of those patchwork hills and huge smiles today. It is with heavy hearts and tears in our eyes that we leave the friends we have made here. They say you never visit Rwanda only once – we definitely believe that. Thank you Rwanda – thank you Kigali, Butare, Shyogwe, Gasabo, Kibungo and Byumba Diocese’ for the warmest of welcomes, for looking after us so well and for your amazing hospitality.
We are currently in Kigali airport, delayed for one hour. Hopefully see you all tomorrow.