It's the people

Photo Randy Vanderveen, Butare, Rwanda One of the students who attended the VBS classes the team taught during a two week trip to Rwanda.

We arrived back from Rwanda late Sunday evening after a wonderful two weeks. The trip was once again short. The highlight for this trip for me was building on the relationships with those people we met in the past and meeting new friends.

It is amazing how much can be done and communicated even though a person doesn't know the language. That doesn't mean it is easy but by working at it you can communicate.

Although I have to say it was a lot easier to do so with the use of the translator we had with us.

English is now an official language in Rwanda and the country is beginning to slowly move that direction. That might mean the next opportunity I have to go, I will be able to build even further on those relationships.

Although to be fair, I guess I should work on learning kinyrwandan.

The main point of this post — and I do have one – is that for all its beauty, the greatest draw for me to Rwanda is her people.

Those I met are warm, caring and friendly and I am glad I am starting to build a relationship with some of them.

Photo Randy Vanderveen, Nyanza, Rwanda. Clarisse is the beautiful young woman my wife and I became friends with on our last trip. This time we could build on that friendship.Photo Randy Vanderveen Rwanda The eyes of these two young children (above and below) just drew me in. Photo Randy Vanderveen, near Nyanza, Rwanda This gentleman was walking on the opposite side of the highway one morning when a few of us set out walking ahead of the bus. His face, pipe, and hat had such character I had to take a chance and ask if I could take a photo of him. Through asking by gesturing he replied in a like manner it was okay to do so.