I’M BACK ON DUH, IN RWANDA

It’s been many moons since I last posted on this great blog that I learned to love and hate. (It was great to reflect and hear your comments, but so hard to reflect on many of the things I saw in Kenya). But finally, I’m in Kigale (another cheesy rhyme if you know your African city pronunciation)(and if you thought the parenthesis were bad that last round, then you haven’t seen nothing yet)(…exactly).
Enough of the attempts at wit and onto the intel. Here I am, once again, on the African continent. This time around, it’s both Kenya and Rwanda. I left for Rwanda on the 18th and after 40 hours of travel, finally made it. I’ll be here in Rwanda until the 31st and then in Kenya from June 1st through the 10th.
I’ve come with a Baylor team to Rwanda with 25 students and 7 faculty. I’m on of 6 on the Religion team (because it wouldn’t be Baylor if it didn’t have Religion). Our goal of the trip is to interview various pastors, students, and state leaders on genocide and its effect on culture, society, the Church, and how the global church can better respond to future genocides. (didn’t we say never again though?....savedarfur.org). In case you aren’t caught up on your Don Cheadle films (our team is actually staying in the same hotel), Rwanda suffered from the worst genocide since the Jewish Holocaust. 800,000-1 million were killed in 100 days, most by machetes. Read about this, google it, wikipedia it, watch Hotel Rwanda/Beyond the Gates RIGHT NOW.
And Kenya happens in about a week. I’ll be going back to work with City Harvest participating in HIV ministry but this time will focus more on Microfinance and Microlending. Edward, the man the myth the hero, studied Microfinance at Oxford and is has integrating microloan programs with the Church. He calls it Holistic ministry. This time I have the amazing pleasure to experience community with Nick Deere as well (also a man a myth and a hero down at the good ole BU). Nick is a University Scholar focusing on Economics and Religion, so City Harvest’s next intern will be tons more helpful than its last.
I’d love all your love, prayer support, comments, and emails (ben_carroll@baylor.edu), so send those away.
I promise to be much better this time around, and hopefully less LOSTesque cliffhangers.
Much is to come, much is to be told, so lets love one another and share stories.
-Benjamanda in Rwanda