A Bunk Bed, A Banana Tree and A Dog

Greetings from Kinigi! (key-knee’-gy) All of us left Bukavu yesterday as planned, drove about 300 km with no hitches. We’ve had frequent, hard rains, so we knew the roads could be difficult, however it’d been a dry day so this area was as good as could be expected. The worst part, requiring 4-wheel drive, was on the way from the “main” road into here; it’s a climb! We had trouble at a log bridge, about 5 km from here. The logs were laid out in several different heights! So when we got onto it, both tires on the right side were not touching anything―we were a bit hung up! We tried to put logs or boards underneath, but the wheels were not high enough to get something underneath, but the front tire was rubbing a log and burning rubber on its sides! It was almost dark then, so Bill worked fast to jack up the car on that side (being careful not to drop the jack between the spaces between the logs). With the car lifted a bit higher we could push a board underneath and that helped the car to get the traction it needed. We have often thought about getting a winch, but as I looked around that spot last night there wouldn’t have been a thing to fasten one to! As I was watching Bill check everything out, I was quickly calculating how many sandwiches we had left from our lunch―three! But, one more time, we got out of a tough spot and didn’t have to spend the night on the road (the bridge!).

As close as we were to the village here, I suspect some of the men would have eventually come to help us off the bridge. They certainly were all out and waiting for us as we came up the last part of the hill; they were lining the road.

That was about 6:30 P.M. The leaders sat and talked with Bill and me until about 8:30 (when) we were brought a huge dinner: rice, boiled potatoes, peas, cooked bananas, roasted turkey―nice! First, I forgot, upon arrival we were brought hot milk with sugar to put in it. Then we had sodas with dinner. I think we were all in bed by 9:30, really tired from our bouncing around. The boys slept on a foam mattress in the back of our car; the girls shared a bed in our “dining-sitting” room; and Bill and I had a similar bed in a room off that room. We are in the pastor’s house in a second section apart from his living quarters. His house is one of only a few which is not a hut. This is a different tribe from ours (Bashi), actually at one time these people were in Rwanda, so they retain that language (Kinyarwanda), food habits, etc.

This house is clay with a whitewash on the walls, a tin roof and ceilings of wood and floors of stone. It is really very cozy. In the living-sitting room, all the wooden chairs have large crocheted doilies on the seats and backs, and there is a straw mat on the floor. Their beds are a bit nicer than those of our tribe. The one end of the bed is slanted upwards like an elevated area for the head and there are 2 or 3 thicknesses of mats over the wood frame and a sheet spread over all. We brought the children’s sleeping bags and two blankets for us. Because the elevation is so much higher here than Bukavu, the girls are sleeping in sweat suits and David wore his only flannel pj’s.

Today we were all up by 6:00 A.M. and were brought hot water to wash with in the wash house. Then we were brought more hot, sweet milk, which they call tea. In an hour or so, we were called to eat; banana juice and grilled liver. Not your usual breakfast but it was good. Fortunately, once the kids realized there’d be no onions and mashed potatoes, they all ate some and got along fine. Then by 11 o’clock we were called to really eat! This time it was rice, potatoes and beef in a sauce! We weren’t a bit hungry, but we tried.

I was supposed to teach the women at 10 o’clock but the group wasn’t really all here until noon. The women had been called to come in from the surrounding chapels; I guess there were about 90 there eventually. Of course it rained and the tin roof created much noise. So I had them come closer and it went well. I used a large Roman soldier I have and taught Ephesians 6:10-18. They tell me that was the first time to hear that lesson. I liken or compare the pieces to their clothingꟷ the sword is their hoe (as well as its being representative of the word), the shield is their large piece of cloth which they wear when it’s cold or raining (protection!), the helmet compares to their head covering scarf. So they seemed very attentive and receptive. It (my Swahili) had to be translated to Kinyarwanda, which I don’t mind because it helps me think ahead, too. Afterwards they gave me one of the biggest turkeys I’ve ever seen! So he will add to the excitement of travel in this country as we go home Monday.