Our time in San Antonio is winding down to its last few weeks. Ken's accepted a position with an international firm and we are heading back overseas. This time we will be in Africa - - in Kigali, the capitol city of Rwanda. When he first started the interview process, I examined what I thought I already knew about Rwanda. Like most folks, what I knew of Rwanda was the 1994 genocide between the Tutsis and the Hutus. I've read that the number of Tutsis slaughtered was somewhere between 500,000 and 800,000. Either number is shameful.
In terms of people's reactions when I tell them our next assignment, the reaction really just depends on the person. My college-age stepchildren were immediately enthused and see it as a great opportunity. People I worked with who have travelled abroad (some to Africa) have had positive feedback. People I know who have done missionary work in different parts of Africa consider it a chance to do the Lord's work. And of course, there's friends and family who understand that this expat lifestyle is one we simply plan to live as long as its an option for us.
I understand that there are still a number of "hot spots" throughout the continent of Africa and the socio-political situation can turn very quickly. Rwanda is not a place I would pick as a vacation spot and surely we will have more security precautions than we did in China. Without a doubt, there is a certain amount of risk involved but we believe it is worth taking.
We both look forward to learning about the people and the culture for ourselves. The Internet and the library are wonderful resources to jump start my learning but as the saying goes, nothing takes the place of being there.
