This past week, things have been wrapping up for our Rwandan students. We have only technically had one student (Rene), but we have befriended many of them, so they all feel like "ours". They completed their last week of ESL and testing, graduated Thursday night and hosted a party for their host families. The kids and I have had Rene hanging out with us these past few days (which mostly means he has been watching movies on his laptop). He discovered Harry Potter.

In addition, all day Thursday, we had a carpenter and his team here repairing the termite damaged wood around one of our French door frames. It was a long day with the downstairs letting in so much hot air...but the best part of Thursday was the party the students hosted for us. It was in an alumni building on campus complete with food, a slide show and Rwandan dancing.

I will admit to being a little leery about the dancing. It was supposed to be outside and it has been so hot here lately (109) that I couldn't imagine that being fun. God was kind. The temperatures dropped drastically before the party, making it a really nice evening! Tons of Rwandan students came to join the current batch of ESL students and the dancing commenced.

They started out with some traditional Rwandan dances that were slow, elegant, fluid and beautiful! Of the 30 Rwandans who arrived here in May, there were 3 women. They demonstrated the part of the women in traditional dancing. They were incredibly graceful and lovely while the men sort of followed them, hooting and hollering.

It was funny, but also just beautiful. Then, they just cranked up the Rwandan dance music and started hauling people to their feet. Rwandan music has a slow, steady beat that makes it pretty easy to dance to. Oh, and we discovered that Rene has serious dance skills! The boy never ceases to surprise me! It was fabulous!

...and August! Look at August kicking up his heels!

We all danced! It was SO much fun! I could have danced for hours, I think! But, they pulled the plug around 10 and we all headed home to a light pattering of rain. Couldn't have asked for a better night.

Rene (or as we have come to call him: Ne') and August

What this weather does is make me grumpy. And makes my dog shed like it's a contest with all other dogs. Oh, and she's winning. I find myself vacuuming up small piles of hair sometimes twice a day. I could have easily created 3 or 4 golden retrievers with the hair Bailey has lost. You may be muttering under your breath that this could easily be dealt if I just left the dog outside. Yeah, but that'd just be cruel. You don't leave a golden outside in 100 degree weather. At least, I don't. She's my other kid! I can deal with the hair so long as my Dyson holds out...

Brooklyn and Evergiste

We're on about week 5 with our Rwandan, Rene, and we're really really enjoying life with him. He's officially family. And as an added bonus, this week, we have a second Rwandan living with us. His host family is on vacation, so he's here with us for about 10 days. His name is Evergiste, a French name that I have most definitely never pronounced prior to one week ago.

Rene is a dog-magnet.

He has a completely different personality than Rene, and I think his presence is forcing Rene to be a little more vocal and outgoing. To accommodate transportation, we actually had to borrow my mom's Suburban! We just couldn't squeeze another person between those back row car seats.

Despite the heat outside, the blessings inside this house are too numerous to count. We love our new boys, love hearing them laugh and play with the kids. I taught them both how to vacuum yesterday! The looks of concentration on their faces was priceless. Kyle and I also introduced them to Savers - nothing like a pair of jeans for $5.99! Oh, and for those who will understand the significance of this, I have to share that Rene bought 2 pairs of shorts and is wearing them!!!! (Evergiste wears shorts, so I think Rene felt like it was ok). I really can't complain, even though it seems like I spent the first few paragraphs doing just that. Hang in there, everyone. Eat watermelon and drink lots of water!

Let me wax nostalgic for a moment and tell you that I long, LONG, I say, for the days before 9-11 when you could go all the way into the airport to a particular gate, watch the plane land and then taxi right up to you, watch the passengers walk off the plane and personally welcome them properly. These days, you have to wait in the baggage claim which is SO JUST NOT THE SAME! I told Kyle some of my fondest plane memories were seeing all my loved ones peering excitedly around the corner trying to see my face as I unloaded from the plane. Or waiting to run and hug my Dad, coming home from business trips. There is nothing more welcoming than that!

Rwanda is the word on the wind at our house. Kyle does a lot of work for Bridge2Rwanda through his work, his bosses have taken several trips to Rwanda to pitch for different business opportunities, our church is very involved in Bridge2Rwanda, and well, it just keeps coming up.

And for reasons beyond my immediate comprehension, God has repeatedly stirred our hearts up. And this one Sunday, we were stirred beyond a little simmer into an active boil. The time had come to put our sympathies, our emotions, into action. To live out the mercy in our hearts for this tiny country halfway across the world. A country we really know very little about.

There was a need for homes for Rwandan students who would be arriving here this summer to complete an English as Second Language program prior to entering college. As part of the Presidential Scholars program, the best and brightest Rwandan students have been selected to be educated here in the States with the intent of returning to Rwanda to work in the government - ideally to implement their education to build a solid infrastructure for a country working desperately hard to rebuild itself.

At this point, no one really knows to what degree this program will be successful. But it holds promise and hope for a country struggling to rise from its ashes. And for me and Kyle, it provides us a living, breathing opportunity to be part of that change. For 10 weeks, we will directly impact the life of a boy who will hopefully go back someday and change his country for the better.

I don't yet know how it will all play out, who does really? But I am excited about our new family member for the summer and at the chance to be obedient to Christ through this step outside the status quo.

We'll keep you posted.