A Welcome Sabbath
Day Four
October 24, 2015
After the long, intense day of visits yesterday, today was a welcome sabbath. We stayed in a beautiful Presbyterian-owned guest house (resort, really) on Lake Kivu in the far West of Rwanda. The weather could not have been more beautiful, nor the scene more majestic and restorative. It was well after dark when we arrived, so we didn't see where we were until the sun rose in the morning, but nearly every member of the team arose by 5:15 to go to one of the balconies to watch the sunrise over the mountains and reveal bit by bit the beauty of the place. We are so grateful for the income the guest house generates for the church, but also for this calming place for groups of pastors or others to gather for renewal. The international guests, judging by the languages and accents, are truly global.
After the sunrise, we had extended time for prayer and devotions, a run, email, or whatever. The song in my own heart was from Psalm 57:
Awake, my glory;
Awake, harp and lyre.
I will awake the Lord.
I will give you thanks among the peoples o Lord;
I will give you praise among the nations.
Let your glory be over all the earth earth!
We hired a small boat to take us to "Napoleon Island" so named after the shape of his hat. Most of us climbed up above the trees and then the guide clapped loudly to awaken the bats and send them into the air. I'll spare you the bat photos! Ben went for a swim and then we went by another island where the guide filled a grocery bag with fresh guavas and mangoes.
Alas, we did have to load back up into the vehicles for the very interesting, curvy and sometimes bumpy 3 1/2 hour ride back to Kigali. Glad to get out!!
We closed the day with a team dinner out at the Hotel des Mille Collines (Hotel of the Thousand Hills, better known as Hotel Rwanda because of the movie about the place during the genocide and war). It was an opportunity for some reflection and learning with Ebralie as our guide. It was also a delicious meal for an amazing price!
Thank you for your prayers! Please continue to pray – especially for Rob as he preaches tomorrow for a church dedication, and for all of us as we continue to drive around the country!
Nancy Fox