My trip depicted below (in the previous post) was fun - but windy. As you can see in the pictures, there is not a part of this country without hills. Winding through them was tiring but the views were amazing. Once I arrived in Cyangugu we stayed at a guest house overlooking Lake Kivu, which is a beautiful lake bordering Rwanda and DR Congo.
We also met with a group of local pastors in Cyangugu and discussed the needs and desires of the churches there as they relate to serving the most vulnerable (mostly widows and orphans) in their congregations and communities. Shelter is a common need between them all and the churches have worked to build many homes for the vulnerable - the only problem is the cost of the metal sheets for the roof. It is a tricky balance to want to provide the sheets for them, but to not create the expectation that they will always be provided. When it comes down to it though, help from outsiders begins to inspire hope and meaning in the communities, and that hope and meaning do phenomenal things, even after the team has left.
Below is a picture of a woman and her children who had a home built for her. She now has two goats that she breeds and gets milk from, a rabbit, and has built herself a kitchen and a latrine. This allows her to be active in her community through visiting widows and the poor and encouraging others. As many others like her are inspired to do the same sort of work through the support of outsiders, communities begin to be changed.
