more about the week

one of the classes hadn't gotten to play bowling yet...so the p3 and p4 classes had an hour plus of bowling and craziness. i really am still surprised how much they loved the bowling game.

on thursday at EDD i worked on directions with the p1 and p2 classes...luckily Alphonsine (the p1 teacher) was in my class today because the boys were not understanding me at all. i think at this point too my teaching skills were at a minimum because all i wanted to do is play and spend time doing fun stuff with the boys. plus throughout the trip i didn't have much confidence in my teaching skills. i much preferred to do crafts and teach games and take pics with them because that is when i saw them the most happy. BUT i was so excited for the staff 2 class because i was going to have them draw recipes of how to make different rwanda dishes and explain to me...but only 3 staff showed up so i learned how to make a sauce, beans and omelette...none of which i really remember other than the beans take at least 4 hours everyday! yes, everyday!!!

Friday the 28th was a very lazy day at EDD...it ended up being a full picture day. for every class i took pics and for the staff class i took pics of the staff and we had so much fun. the staff posed and primped for every pic and the p1 and p2 classes came out and posed with their teachers. it was a bitter sweet day because as i took pics and posed for pics it was really sinking in that this was my last full day at the orphanage. i teared up quite a bit and perfected my nda kookoonda (i love you in kinyarwandan). and i also realized that my life has been changed because of the experience these wonderful people have given me. I stayed late that day to spend more time with all of them and I went to Josiann and Roses house after work. They live in a house that is on the campus of EDD. The house was lovely and Rose had made me Rwandan peanuts, tea and an omelette...it was all delicious.
Josiann showed me the few pics she has of her cousins and uncle and told me her story of surviving the genocide. Josiann is one of the women I have met in my life who has an absolutely pure heart. she truely wants the absolute best for everyone and understands how to make each person feel special and loved. she lost her entire immediate family in the genocide but still was able to triumph over all she has been through. she has finished university studies and does an amazing job at a job she loves. she loves being with the kids and it shows every minute with her interactions with the boys and the staff. they all love and respect her so much. she took care of me like a big sister even though she is much younger than me and she would consistently teach me new things about the center, the boys and rwanda. i am so appreciative of her. and i am so humbled by her as well. as a gift to remember her by she gave me the jewelery she had worn for her university graduation. i have never felt so honored or loved by a friend in my life. i cried but tried to stay strong because her and rose both giggled at me for being so touched. it is a normal thing to give but it isn't normal for me to be given such meaningful and priceless gifts. their friendship was enough for me but her jewelery is something i will absolutely cherish for the rest of my life and hopefully pass on to someone who will find it just as important and priceless.
i ended up leaving josiann's house pretty late on friday and she, rose and josiann's cousin all walked me down to the road to get a moto...josiann was going to a going away party for one of the 2 people she had survived the genocide with. her friends little brother was going back to school in europe the next morning.
on my moto back to the guest house it was pitch black out and i was very sad. i looked out into the countryside lights and it was actually a chilly night and told myself over and over that i am the luckiest person in the world to have been able to visti rwanda and to have met hte people at EDD.