andy moore

A selection of my photos from Rwanda are now online.

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Brunch. Reading. Pottering about. Getting little jobs done. Vegetable korma.

Feeling very rested.

This Saturday should set the standard for 2008. If only more Saturdays were like this.

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The crisis in Kenya has prompted a wave of international pressure from governments concerned at the risk of ethnic cleansing and a descent into chaos of what was regarded as one of Africa’s more stable political systems.

The twin examples of Rwanda and Zimbabwe provide diplomats with ample incentive to do what they can to stop the spread of violence and resolve doubts over the presidential election.

» read more (BBC)

Or, “happy new year” in Russian.

Enjoyed my belated Christmas dinner today, followed by a visit to Caergwrle to see Natasha (working in Russia), and friends (2 Russians, 1 Kazakh, 1 American) over for Christmas and new year.

It was lovely to hear Russian being spoken around me: “our hearts burn for this ministry” – what a great phrase.

What an amazing year it has been, and what a privilege it has been to travel to 2 new continents with IFES this year.

Happy new year.

I am home, and I am tired.

The flight from Kigali to Brussels also stopped in Nairobi. Little did I know at the time just what problems had started in this country. After my time in Rwanda, and hearing of the need for strong leaders in Africa, it’s sad to see what is happening – poor leadership playing to tensions across ethnic divides. It’s a dangerous situation, but I feel my prayers can now be better informed. A reminder to have the Bible in one hand, and a newspaper in the other.

After 5 hours in Brussels, and some amazing views over London as we descended below the clouds, it is nice to be home and I am looking forward to a belated Christmas with family.

Woke to a misty morning that provided a few atmospheric photos.

There was a fair amount of to-ing and fro-ing today, and plenty of waiting around (I managed to read an entire book), but I finally made it to the airport in time to check in at 6pm.

James waited with me at the airport as the sun set on my last day in Rwanda, casting beautful light onto the clouds that were creeping over the hills. Across the road, the sound of singing from a church service that had just begun filled the air and completed the picture with a sense of innocence. It was difficult to remember that these very same hills, only a short time ago, echoed with sounds that should never be heard.

I have absorbed lots of information, heard lots of stories, taken lots of photos in the last twelve days. I am glad that the week ahead will provide some time to reflect on this experience before returning to the office.

Today saw the last of the Bible expositions (was less an exposition, more a message about vision), the closing ceremony, and ‘Soiree Rwandaise’. This was my personal highlight of the day.

During more traditional dancing, some of the internationals were taken up on stage (fortunately I escaped this time), and a mat was laid on the floor. Augustin was then dressed as a Rwandan king and recognised as the new leader, given by God, to the region. Vinoth was invited to pray for Augustin in this role. It was a poignant tribute and a lovely way to affirm him in the task God has called him to.

Back to the guest house and all packed up. Breakfast at normal time tomorrow, but my flight is not until late evening. I have a feeling there will be lots of waiting around in the next 48 hours.

Tomorrow is the last day of the conference, and this is probably the last time I’ll have internet access before getting home to Oxford, and then a few days with family in Powys.

After lunch tomorrow there is the official “closing ceremony”, and after dinner there is Rwanda Night – I hope they don’t get me dancing again!

Today has been another good day, whose highlights have been the individual conversations.

After getting back from Hotel des Milles Collines (Hotel Rwanda) where I confirmed my flight for Saturday, James and I chatted for a while about his aspirations, and some of the things I have been learning from my being here and appreciating strengths in Rwandan culture and society.

Then this afternoon I had time to interview a local pastor, and once again was encouraged to see the strength of partner relationships UGBR has here. The pastor (from Africa Bible Church, and whose name escapes me at the moment), spoke warmly of the benefits of partnering with UGBR, and of how strategic student ministry is for the global church. He should come and work with us in the IFES advancement team – he was an amazing advocate for the work!

And then this evening, in what has become a pleasant daily ritual, Moise and I shared dinner together, during which time he really opened up and shared some profound things. He has already left a strong mark on me, and I must remember to pray for this dear brother when I leave here – this guy is a future leader, and it has been a real privilege to spend time with him.

Whilst I am really looking forward to coming home – and enjoying something of a more varied diet! – there are certainly things that I will miss from being here, not least the hills. It feels like I arrived here as a dry sponge, ready to soak up every experience afforded me. Now the sponge is full, and I want to take some time to let these experiences sink in, to affect me and my prayers, before squeezing the sponge out when I get back to the office. I know that the photos, interviews and other stories collected here will make a huge difference to the work I have in the coming months. Opportunities like this don’t come along very often, and it’s a real privilege to hear stories, to share life with people, and in doing so learn so much about yourself.

One more day at the conference, and then some time on the flight home to start processing this all. And then it’s back to the cold, English winter. But back home.

Am feeling quite tired tonight, so will give a quick resume of this very hot day.

As it was excursion day I was told that breakfast would be an hour later. But my lift arrived at the same time.

After breakfast, a fair amount of waiting around (I could have been sleeping!), and some last minute changes to the excursion plans, a large group of us were transported over the the genocide memorial. I was glad to have been there already, and had a better opportunity to absorb it all in my own pace. This is a place you can’t rush, or have your thoughts crowded. It was quite heart-rending to see one of the students break down in tears as she remembered the horrors that happened all too recently.

The memorial was due to be closed today as it is a national holiday, but was opened as a favour to the UGBR president (who holds a senior position in the national bank). Randomly, there was also a couple from Ireland at the site too, and what looked like an outing for the cabin-crew of Brussels Airlines.

A small group of us were then taken over to the IBC offices, and had opportunity for discussion with the graduates who have set this enterprise up. It’s great to see graduates leading the way in business and fostering entrepreneurial initiative amongst their fellow graduates. Many of the projects they have been working on sound very exciting, and I hope they felt encouraged by our visit.

After getting back to KIST later than planned (and therefore missing my meeting with the local pastor – now rearranged for tomorrow), we had a rushed lunch before I found out that my meeting with the national director of World Vision had been set up for 4:00pm. We ended up chatting for over an hour, and am sure there is some great material that can be used in various ways. There’s a real synergy between UGBR and World Vision, and it’s exciting to see how God is developing people to work in some pretty difficult areas.

I then had a good couple of chats with various General Secretaries about the challenges of fund development in their individual contexts, and enjoyed dinner with a group of students keen to extend my grasp of the Kinyarwandan language. There was also one of those ‘laugh til you cry’ moments over dinner. For much of the conference there has felt something of a distance between me and many of the students, despite best efforts to break down these barriers. What a reminder this evening of how easily this is done when you make a fool of yourself and have a good laugh.

It has felt like a slow, but very full day. And because of the heat I am feeling really tired, so am going to sign off and get some rest. Until tomorrow.

Wow, so it’s the end of Christmas day already. And with the ‘excursion day’ tomorrow, I guess it kind of marks a mid-point for the conference too.

It’s been another long day, but I will try to summarise the last few in order to catch up.

Sunday: After breakfast, we were all despatched, in various groups, to a variety of churches around the city. ADEPR (Association des Eglises Pentecostal du Rwanda) meet in 3 different locations around the city, and together with Ando Ratovona (a member of the GBUAF team) and two students, we were sent off to the church that meets close to the genocide memorial. I had thought that my introduction to traditional Rwandan dancing was culture shock enough, but before we left, Phocas instructed me that there should be plenty of “Hallelujahs” in my sermon, otherwise the people would leave thinking they had heard a very cold message. Wow. Talk about having my starchy Britishness squeezed out of me in 2 easy lessons!

The church service started at 9:00, and we arrived at 9:15 (it didn’t take me long to adjust to the African pace of life – Augustin remarked that Africans may wear watches, but they still keep time by the sun). Together with Moise – who was going to translate for me, directly into Kinyarwanda – I was sat at the front, facing the church. There were four choirs arranged around the pulpit, and they did most of the singing. It was amazing to have some of the songs explained to me by Moise, hear the voices, and watch the dances that expressed many of the sentiments that were being sung. After the congregation had had opportunity to sing a few songs, to pray, and to bring their gifts, I was asked to bring the message. On arrival at the church I had begun to feel something of a headache coming on, and by the time I sat down after preaching, my limbs were beginning to ache rather worryingly.

At 12:15, after the service had ended with more prayer, and gifts taken specifically for the work of a charity working with orphans of the genocide, we stood outside in the sunshine, and were entertained by a group of local children. We were due to be back at KIST for lunch at 1:00, but at about 12:40 the pastor ushered us to a lean-to attached to the church, where a meal had been prepared for us. All I felt good for was some bed-rest, and I certainly didn’t have an appetite. But so as not to appear rude, I managed a few morsels of the food that had been lovingly prepared for their visitors. If only they had known the turmoil that was beginning in my bowels!

I’ll skip some of the details that could be shared between these two paragraphs.

Anyway, after several promises of a lift back to the guest house from KIST, I eventually made it back at 3:30, and promptly slept for four solid hours. After which I read for about 20 minutes before sleeping again, right through to 6:00am, and boy was I glad to be feeling better!

Monday: This was the first full day of the conference, and was an instruction on how events like this work in the region. In summary, there were two fantastic teaching sessions, a coffee break with no coffee (or refreshments of any kind), and a workshop that depended heavily on a DVD which we could have watched if only the sound was working. These guys have to work against all kinds of obstacles to put on an event like this, and it must be exhausting.

The warm climate kept me from recognising that it was Christmas Eve, although the big Hotel Serena that overlooks KIST had their lights on and Christmas carols were being sung – the sound drifting over as I waited for my lift back to the guest house. With a few logistical problems, I finally made it back at 11:30, and collapsed straight into bed.

Tuesday: And then it was Christmas Day. And although it felt nothing like it, there was a certain amount of childish excitement aroused as I got up this morning. I opened Deborah’s presents – a Christmas tree pen, some balloons, and a Christmas tie with flashing lights and Christmas music (I can’t imagine it was bought in Eynsham!) – and made my way down to the car. It appeared I was the only one in the car of five who had remembered it was Christmas day!

Other highlights from the day include attending a Bible study across three languages, eating “Christmas dinner” outside on a veranda, and the opportunity to speak with Moise again. We talked lots about African conflicts in the region over recent years, vision 2020 and Rwanda’s programme of development, and I was inspired by this young man’s dedication and enthusiasm. I look forward to adding his story to many others that I will bring back with me. Whilst there are many struggles and frustrations here – some of which I have been able to feel this week – there are some extraordinarily gifted and visionary young people being produced amongst students here. Moise is a quiet, humble, and determined leader; one to look out for in the coming years. Had I come to Rwanda just to meet Moise, I think it would have been worth while.

I believe the plan for tomorrow is for myself and some others to visit the offices of the International Business Centre – led by another inspiring guy I spoke with on Saturday – as our excursion, and then for me to meet and interview a church leader about their experience of the impact of student ministry in Rwanda.

Joyeux Noel a tous!