The Fujis in Rwanda: July 2014

One week. That is the time remaining for living in Rwanda. We’ve pretty much wrapped up all the packing and logistics and now it’s just down to the hard part: the goodbyes. Words really cannot describe or explain the experience we have had these past 26 months. Memories of leaving the U.S. to come to Rwanda came flooding back yesterday and it was really hard to believe that any time had passed at all. The best part is we really leave with a sense of completeness that now is the time we were meant to leave. The scariest part of leaving Rwanda is not knowing where or what we’re going back to. Of course we are excited to be reunited with family and friends, but five months of job hunting have led to very little at this point. The search continues, but could settle us in a few different spots. Hopefully, we will be able to update you on the final destination soon. Anyway, enough about going back to the U.S.; since this will probably be the last post from Rwanda, let us give you some highlights from our time here.

1. Living in Africa with Beau and having complete strangers act like he’s the first baby they’ve seen in a month. Beau has enjoyed this and will miss the attention J

2. Watching people dance for joy, because they are truly filled with joy

3. Hearing about how lives have been transformed through simple ideas and God’s love

4. The beauty that is the “Land of a Thousand Hills”

5. Trips to Zanzibar and Cape Town

6. Being the first “white” people to visit our guard’s village (and of course meeting his entire family)

7. Having a nice tan year-round

8. Freshly laid eggs from our chicken

9. Passion fruit and really sweet, little bananas, huge avocados for 30 cents, fresh pineapple for less than a dollar, the list goes on…

10. Exotic wildlife everywhere

11. Seeing incredibly large objects being carried on the top of people’s heads

12. Garrett getting to play ultimate frisbee twice weekly and Rachael getting daily, long walks with Beau

13. Building unforgettable relationships with friends here

on Camp's Bay beach for a early morning walk

These are just a few, but hopefully they give you a little taste of our life here. Sure, there have been some hard things and hard times, but the good is what we want to remember and cherish. We feel so blessed by the experience we’ve been able to have here and want to thank you for sharing in it with us. Rwanda will always live in our hearts.