Oren's Perfect Day

This is Rebecca, pitching in to write a short blog this week, since Paul is spending much of his “free time” in the evenings applying for jobs in Baltimore (when he’s not answering work emails).

So, last Monday, we arrived in Kigali in the evening. We immediately had a meeting with our agronomist in Kigali. (Here David, play with this; Oren, here’s the iPod) Following that meeting, let me just say that Paul and I had a lot to discuss, ponder, search MCC policy about, check with HQ about. At any normally unscheduled point during the week, we found that we had a lot of processing to do from that first meeting. We went to dinner at a coffee shop, because the kids love the ice cream there (David, you have to keep your shoes ON in the restaurant. No, you can’t climb on the couches, even though I know you just had 6 hours in the car. And you absolutely can’t run on all fours through the restaurant! Oren, don’t knock over your drink! Here, let’s come read this story while we wait…)

Team dinner with visiting parents

The remaining two full work days in Kigali (with kids in tow) were along the same lines. Fortunately, the next morning visiting parents of a volunteer entertained our children wonderfully while Paul and I were able to sit together in a meeting with all our Rwanda partners. It was a very necessary and productive meeting, and we were glad to have all brains on deck and to all be on the same page at this stage in the beginning of the fiscal year. It is this group of partners that works together on our new Conservation Ag adoption program, as well as a project to encourage community savings groups.

But from there, off to the bank (Oren, David, while daddy’s in the bank, let’s go buy some more MALARIA MEDICINE! Isn’t that fun! No, wait don’t crash each other’s heads into the pharmacy mirror!!!) And then a meeting with our Rwandese consultant facilitating INGO registration (I know David, why don’t you pick up colorful bottle caps off of the stony restaurant ground, and then enjoy your buffet lunch with your dirty hands!) From there, another meeting with a partner about one particular education project – at that point, it was obvious that the boys would not sit calmly in someone’s office, so Paul took them back to the guest house and I handled the meeting. Good thing they had a little time of liberty because for dinner we were off to enjoy Ethiopian food with our Kigali-based team, a favorite choice among the adult set (What! I thought we were going to have pizza, mom! I hate that funny bread!)

Wednesday we had an early meeting about a new, exciting project in Discipleship for Development. Fortunately again, we met at the home of the Friends’ missionaries which has a trampoline and an excellent book cupboard, so the kids were not too hard to handle. But immediately afterwards, we had other partner meetings (So, here are your markers and paper David, draw me something nice in the corner of this office. OK, fine Oren, you can rot your brain watching Mickey Mouse for a while.) 

Those were not the most fun meetings either. We did treat the kids to a great pizza lunch (not shared by us since it was the beginning of the Lenten season) before dropping Paul off at another Peace-building partner meeting.

Finally I had a little time with the kids not in meetings, so of course we celebrated by going to the dentist! Everyone’s favorite activity! David was scared, but Oren was brave and good thing, too. He had the beginning of his first cavity to be dealt with. I was glad we had worked that into the schedule. 

And then we did something else the kids love (no, really!): the Elephant store. No elephants for sale there, just a big bronze statue at the door, but it is a novelty for the kids to go into a real Kenyan-style supermarket (Nakumatt). I needed to get a few missing household items for our arriving Rep replacements and tried to turn it into a scavenger hunt. But we just can’t seem to get the idea of all being on the same team, rather than being in a brotherly competition. So that errand involved much whispered screaming from me as the kids crashed their carts together and nearly mowed down a pair of Slovakian nuns. And it was hot. And we were thirsty. Ice cream and coffee respectively became necessary at a certain point. 

But there was still a burned out computer power cord to replace. (Oren, David you can’t run in circles in here, there are BREAKABLE things in here! OK, go in the hallway. No, don’t run in the hallway! Oh, have mercy, let me get that cord and get out of here!)

Back at the guesthouse, I frantically tried to finish a few work emails I’d promised partners while David and Oren played in the garden (Mommy, we’re playing this game that it’s the end of the world! Come play with us! It’s fun!). Then we picked up Paul from his 4 hour meeting, bowed out of another dinner out with different team members, and just had burritos as a family to try and decompress. There was still lots to do in terms of responding to partners when the kids were asleep, and we didn’t get it all done.

On the drive back to Burundi, I sat with Oren for a while (we were transporting 3 partners back to Burundi). We had already decided that Friday would be a comp day, after the loss of the previous weekend. And we decided that we would give Oren the chance to design his own perfect day of rest. 

So this is the day he came up with:  

1.  Breakfast: pancakes with butter and syrup
2. Play Sorry
3. Go to the zoo
4. Make your own cardboard pet
5. Lunch at home: Ham sandwiches
6. Play Candyland
7. Treasure hunt
8. Go to the “cold pool beach” (Bora Bora)
9. Dinner: Indian restaurant (Koh-i-Noor)
10. Family Movie Night: Peter Pan

Two weeks ago was our last day of rest as a family (and we were even missing Paul because he was preaching up-country). So it was so wonderful to wake up in the morning and to know we could just be us for a day. And also, we’ve almost never had a completely open day since every weekend involves hosting yoga on Saturday morning and going to church on Sunday. Even better, we parents didn’t have to make any decisions because Oren had already made them for us, and he was happy with all of them!

feeding Kita

I must admit that I didn’t get up in time for the Pancakes myself, but the game of Sorry was really fun. The zoo was wonderful – we’ve never been there as early as 9:30 am. Paul and the boys made a video walk through of the zoo, so that we can remember this favorite place when we leave. I really enjoyed feeding peanuts to Kita the chimp. After a bit, the zookeeper brought out a basin of weird breakfast mush and handed it to me so that I could feed that to Kita also. I asked what it was, and he said, “well, of course, it’s bread soaked in tea!” It was very fun to spoon that into Kita’s mouth as she sat there blissfully folding her arms and sticking out her lower lip. I guess everyone enjoys a cuppa to start the day!

cardboard pets

The cardboard pets activity sounded too hard to me, but I decided to be supportive, and we did end up making some pretty fun things. I helped David design a stand-up bald eagle. Paul made a cat. And Oren worked for two days on his leopard (he had to admit that it would be better to go to the beach than just stay home and finish in one day). Oh, but first he designed the treasure hunt, which was truly ingenious. He made a map of our yard and marked a spot. Then he cut up the map like a puzzle. We had to re-assemble the puzzle, find the spot, go outside – and there was another mini-map leading to yet another clue…and another…and another… until the treasure. We each won 100 Mommy, Daddy and David dollars, respectively!

Oren working on his leopard

So then, on to the beach. It was after 3, the perfect time to be there. And the day had gone from being cloudy and overcast to being stunningly clear on all sides down the lake. We enjoyed the pool, playing with friends from the kids’ school, having cool drinks, reading more of Lloyd Alexander with Oren. 

Oren and school friends

As the sun started to set, Oren and David frolicked in the sand for a while. I thought about rushing them off to dinner, but it was so absolutely, stunningly beautiful. They were having a fantastic time. They were finally out of the parentheses of our lives into the planning as full-fledged family members. It was good for me not to rush, but to really savor having such a fully restful day together.

As the sun set, we left the tropical paradise for our favorite Indian restaurant. Oren decided that he wanted to try at least 1 new dish, and it could be spicy, showing every indication of finally becoming a culinary adventurer.  Indian isn’t David’s favorite, but he enjoyed his juice and French fries. We agreed together that the next free day of rest could be planned by David, so that he could choose the things he really likes, too.

Our last movement of the day was back home for family movie night. Peter Pan was great, but Paul couldn’t make it all the way through. Even I struggled. It had been a very full day!

We had some nice moments in the weekend proper, particularly a time to catch up with our friends Courtney and JJ. We also had a visit to the neighborhood pool, where David became more confident at swimming down underwater to collect dive sticks. It’s been so fun to watch him progress in his swimming skills week by week.

Indian Dinner

The unsettling part of the weekend happened on Saturday afternoon while we were with Ivaska’s. We suddenly started hearing a lot of gunfire in our neighborhood. One of our volunteers called to say that the shooting was just down the street. Apparently a group of women from an opposition party had gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day together. This year, all such gatherings were banned in Burundi unless they were hosted by the ruling party. I’ll make no comment – you can judge for yourself on the justice of this. So the police came to break up the gathering. The opposition party closed the gates of their HQ and there was a serious confrontation involving tear gas, fire, and at least 10 people injured. The police tried to capture the leader of the opposition party, but he fled somehow into our neighborhood. The search was on for him over the next 24 hours and some members of our neighborhood bible study were shut into their homes over that time because no one was allowed to come or go from certain streets. So, this is the nature of election preparation in Burundi at this point, one year away from the actual polling day: step 1, in order to guard power, neutralize the opposition using any means necessary. And are things in the USA all that different? Enough politics, but I really hope that the Church has something to say about the necessity of all parties using legal means.

The other part of the news roundup is that our sister-in-law Christine was released from the hospital last Friday and she’s home recovering. She still had pneumonia because of the stress on her lungs through the ordeal, but is so much better than she was. Thanks again for praying!