Food Disconnect

When we visited the Public Affairs council in Newcastle we had a training and then we all went to dinner together.  There were two young girls in their late 20's.   Somehow the subject turned to food and I happen to mention I'd never tried tripe and I didn't plan to because it just sounded awful.  Well.... they both looked at me funny and said, "no, it's nice."  I DON'T THINK SO! (I thought to myself.)  Next I told them that I saw packages of chicken feet in the grocery store and I could never buy it, Well...there was that look again, and they said, "no, it's nice."  Not wanting to insult them any further I kept my mouth shut, but chicken feet!  Clearly we were not on the same wave length when it came to food.

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Lemigo Hotel

We stayed at the Lemigo Hotel in Kagali Rwanada.  It was very comfortable and on Friday and Saturday night they had a live band playing by the pool.  It felt like something out of movie or a good book. Lovely music, warm nights, mysterious land, peaceful, yet a troubled history.

Church Presence in Rwanda

It was such a pleasure to meet members of the church at 3 branches in Rwanda.  If you are visiting they treat you like a Rock Star!  The church rents 3 beautiful houses to use for meeting house.

We walked to church from our hotel.  You can see how clean it looks.  

This building has ample room for church meetings. All three meeting houses are similar to this one.

This young sister was baptized the Sunday we visited.

We loved this beautiful outdoor font

Relief Society in Kagali Rwanda.  Some of these sisers are newly baptised or non members investigating  the Church.

Primary Children

Missionaries serving in Rwanda

 In August 2009, LDS apostle Elder Jeffrey R. Holland dedicated Rwanda for missionary work. The church is young in Rwanda, but has wonderful members that are dedicated followers of Jesus Christ.  Elder Cinquini and I went to the park set high on a hill where Rwanda was dedicated for the preaching of the gospel.

Rwanda is known as the country of 1000 hills

This is the park where President Holland dedicated Rwanda and opened up the area for young missionaries to come and teach the gospel.

Rwanda Hotel

On our visit to Rwanda the senior couple gave us a tour of Kagali.  One of our stops was the original Hotel Rwanda where 1000 Tutsi refugess were hidden from Hutu militia in 1994. The Refugees drank the water from the swimming pool to help them survivie.  The real name of the hotel is; Hotel des Mille Collines and is a beautiful functioning hotel today.
Although this conflict happened 20 years ago you can tell the genocide is still raw as they tell their stories of family and friends being murdered.  Many church members have their own stories of survival.  One member tells us he was about four years old and didn't remember his real name so they gave him a new name and birthdate of Janurary 1st.

We enjoyed a nice lunch with Elder and Sister Palmer at the Hotel des Mille Collines (Hotel Rwanda)

The swimming pool that helped save lives of refugees as they hide in closets and basement of the hotel. 

Very tatesfully decorated

Ed Makes a Helping Hands Video for 2015

I hope you can go to this Youtube video.  Ed put it together with his computer and pictures we gathered from Helping Hands projects throughout South Africa.  Way to go Ed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S024R-0eOEM

Gogo

Feeling a bit homesick today so I invited the neighbor children, Somelihce and Asunda to come over and make chocolate chip cookies.  They live in the flat below us.  Asunda's English is limited, but he understands well.  Some days he'll knock on our door and ask if we have any sweets.

  Today I felt like a Gogo which is the Zulu word for grandmother.

Mayonnaise

It's hard to believe that this jar of mayonnaise cost $6.47 !! I bought it because it is the only Mayo that equals what we use in America.