Today was our last day to for visiting a Compassion project. We visited Gahanga Student Center, a 20 minute drive from Kigali to the outskirts of town. While we were driving our tour leader handed us 3 child packets. They were from RW-644, the project we were visiting. I looked them over and one caught my eye. A 10 yr old boy who's name was Elie! I really wanted to take him, but I was already sponsoring a child (Joseline). I told God "I'm going to let this packet be passed around, if you want me to take him then show me". So I did just that, sent the packet on to the rest of the people in the bus. When the packet didn't get passed back, I asked "Is anyone going to sponsor that little boy?" When everyone shook their heads no I said "Well, pass it up. I'm going to sponsor him!" Right then I felt a gush of excitement, I was going to met MY sponsor child! When the bus came to a stop short minutes after that I was told that the staff would go and find Elie. Before we even got to the door of the church, the music hit us with a wham! They had one speaker blasting out children's voices praising God! Walking into the small dark building, we were greeted by row after row of children. They were all smashed in there like sardines. John came over to me and told me that they had found Elie. I walked over to where he was pointing and there stood a little boy looking a bit dazed by all the commotion. They were telling him that he had a sponsor and she was here. Looking up at me, he smiled and gave me a big hug. I asked if he could sit by me during the presentation, they said yes. As we sat there I couldn't pay attention to the speaker and all the introductions that where said. For my mind as elsewhere. I motioned to him that my mother was there and he nodded, and smiled to her. About that time the staff told the kids that I had just decided to sponsor a child. They had me and Elie stand up. Also 2 other ladies Joanee and Margaret had also decided to sponsor children. So they stood up as well. You could see the wonder that filled the eyes of all the children. This is what all of them would dream of.
Me and Elie
While we were sitting there Elie kept looking at my name tag. I could tell that he was trying to figure out why I would have his name. Before going to Rwanda I had decided to give my child my name tag and bracelets. Knowing that it would be more special to have something given to a child that the sponsor had worn. I had meant to give them to Joseline, but I had forgotten them in all the rush. Now I knew why I had forgotten, I was to give them to Elie. So I took of my name tag and placed it around his neck. He looked at it more closely now that it was his. Then I gave him the bracelets. The kids around us pressed close to see this exchange and their eyes marvelled.
Sitting amongst the children
We split up after this and some of the members went and played with the children. They had brought soccer balls and other games. Others (like my mom) help kids to do different crafts. Meanwhile I was with Elie. Since there was a no translator at the moment he and I made a necklace together. While helping him tie the string, the other kids doing the same necklace all held up their strings to be tied as well. By the time I tied every ones string Eugene had come over to help translate for me. In a short time of conversing Elie was looking at me, and asking questions. It was almost like we didn't have a translator, we were just talking one on one. It was so awesome getting to know him in this personal way. When I asked why he lived with his grandparents he said that his mother lived to far away from the Compassion Center. He lived with his grandparents so that he could be enrolled with Compassion. He told me that he lives with his mom on the weekends/holidays. He told he that he was strong and able to walk there by himself. I also found out that he was the second born, and that he had an older sister. This was just another confirmation to me that this was God's doing. Me, Joseline, and Elie are all seconds in our family and have older sisters!!! He shared with me some other things like his love of singing. He did an impromptu song for me (I have decided to follow Jesus) which I got on video.
Here is Eugene, Elie and me. With stickers all over his face Elie was sucking on a jolly rancher, sharpening his pencil, and smiling all the way.
Me and Elie then went outside to see what was going on. We found some of his friends and they talked for a while. When I tried to get a group shot of everyone a school worker (in checked shirt) shooed them away. When I gestured that I wanted everyone in the shot, they didn't know how to pose.
About this time Elie asked for the camera. He took some good pictures which I mailed to him once I got home. We were then called to a group prayer in the middle of the yard. After this was goodbyes. I prayed for Elie and he walked away caring his box of goodies I had given him. At this point I broke down and cried on a friends shoulder (if you ever do something like this you will understand). As the buses pulled away from the school someone told me "Look out the window, isn't that your little boy?" Sure enough it was Elie. He had taken his box home and then come back. He ran along side the bus smiling and holding my name tag until we got to the paved road. At this point I thought that was the last I'd see of him. Little did I know that we were going to come back.
After lunch we went on the home visits. When we headed back to Gahanga my heart skipped. Pulling up to the school I spied Elie with a group of kids. He came with us to the home visit and we sat on the bench together. We visited 2 grandparents and their granddaughter, Ashuro. The grandparents had taken care of Ashuro since her parents had died. To make it feel more like a home the grandparents had taken another orphaned child about the same age. A while back Ashuro's sponsor had sent them 2 goats. Shortly after they got the goats someone stole the goats and their only cooking pot. We were all so sorry to hear this since they were such a beautiful family. The grandfather who was going blind said that he wished we could have come earlier. He told us that then he might have been able to see us then. After some more talking it was time to leave. It was also time to say good bye to the little boy that I had just formed a friendship with. I hugged him, then got into the bus and waved goodbye.
Ashuro and her grandparents
Having heard about their stolen goats mom and another member decided to purchase some more goats for them. I am happy to say that Ashuro and her family now have goats and a cooking pot!
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