Friday:

We began the day in a leisurely manner having booked our breakfast for 8.30am, expecting our transport to arrive at the usual African time, somewhat later than the agreed rendez vous.  But oh no, we had not envisaged the punctuality of Pastor Eugene, who rolled up early, in a  muzungu time frame and was ready to whisk the team off to the Pastor’s Conference even before our morning eggs hit the pan!  Oops – fortunately we managed to divert him with a bread roll as we devoured our breakfast at breakneck speed!  So as not to cause alarm to our guest at the breakfast table, there were barely audible whispers among the team about the urgent need of imodium by one of our number.  Heather our resident nurse, who seems to constantly carry a condensed version of the NHS about her person, soon handed over the necessary supplies to save the day and enable the team to head off to the conference.

After Pastor Samuel’s announcement, that the conference was starting a little late, (leaving egg on the faces of the muzungus – metaphorical eggs for a change (!) - and a feather in the cap of the African pastors!)  the pastors’ and wives’ conference in the Anglican cathedral of Gasabo diocese got into full swing and we quickly made up time. Andy spoke on 1 Peter 2:9 looking at the importance of our relationship with God and all that it means to be 'in Christ'. He looked at four key areas - Where we are, Who we are, What we are and Why we are - in Christ  There was a very receptive atmosphere among the pastors and we enjoyed some good Rwandan singing.

Eleanor and Alan’s teaching session about the pressures of marriage and ministry was equally well received.  In fact, Pastor Samuel expressed how moved he was by their words as he worked hard as their translator.  He felt that Eleanor was speaking directly to him and into his marriage.  He joked that it appeared that Eleanor might have had a surreptitious discussion with his wife prior to the conference, as her words were so poignant.  He told us how he is so busy he never has time for his wife and family.  His day off is Monday, when his wife is at work, and her day off is Saturday, which is a particularly busy day for him with weddings and meetings.  He shared how his phone is always ringing and his wife threatens to confiscate his phones from time to time!

An American pastor, currently seconded by his church in New Hampshire to support the work of Archbishop Rwaje in Rwanda kindly lent the team one of his vehicles to travel back to our SU hostel.  Alan was trying hard to note down the route so that we could retrace the journey without the assistance of a street map, road signs or the guidance of an African pastor.

We had a short tea break at our favourite make shift café outside our rooms (ie Heather’s kettle and a few remaining Typhoo tea bags, accompanied by the local version of digestive biscuits.) Having watched the sun sink below the horizon around 6pm and fill the sky with an amazing orange glow, we made ourselves ready for the journey across town to dinner with the American pastor Brandon.

The trip in the borrowed Land Cruiser was not uneventful.  The initial challenge was to actually get into the vehicle.  One of the passenger door handles was missing so we had to enter from the other side. Unfortunately, though she was able to get inside by that route, Isobel clearly didn’t know her own strength, and when opening the door for Eleanor, found the interior handle crumbled in her fingers!  Ooops this now rendered both back doors disfunctional!  Andy was a little concerned by the fact that only one of the front and rear side lights were working and the only way to have the headlights on was at full beam!  The journey began with much-needed prayer that we would arrive safely and not be pulled over by the traffic police.  As we drove up the precipitous rocky road out of the SU enclave, it was little disconcerting when our human SAT NAV, Alan, on whom we were relying for our directions, instructed Andy to turn right, which immediately prompted other members of the team to chorus, spontaneously, ‘No left!’  Not a very promising start to a journey through the dark streets of the city!  In spite of this disconcerting start, we arrived at the American pastor’s home with only a couple of U turns en route.

In spite of Brandon sharing the same language, something seemed to have been lost in translation, regarding the dinner invitation.  We had been led to believe he was inviting us to a barbecue and so had decked ourselves out in the longest sleeves in our possession, having smothered ourselves in generous quantities of ferocious Jungle Formula bug repellent, so that rather than sparkling with jewellery at this western dinner party, it was the greasy Deet that made our skin glisten.  This was somewhat embarrassing as when we arrived at Pastor Brandon’s spacious, tastefully decorated ex-pat dwelling, and were ushered to our places at a large dining table, laid out with place settings in completely western style down to the glasses and napkins.  There was no hint of the fire pit barbecue, which we had been expecting and any mosquitoes were safely tucked outside beyond the window grills and tasteful cream silk curtains!  Once more we were the ones with the metaphorical egg on our faces, though some of our cheeks were so lavishly covered in oily repellent, that the egg would have slipped right off!

We were treated to a delicious meal beginning with Brandon’s home made vegetable soup, served with a dash of cream and finishing with a wonderful moist carrot cake, baked by the pastor’s wife Emily.  For couple of hours we were transported away from the real Rwanda to a little cordon bleu corner of the US of A.

Please pray for the rest of the conference to go well; for our meeting up with ladies who produce baskets to happen tomorrow and for the team's wellbeing.
Give thanks for a good first day of conference; for safe travel and good food.