Last Friday two thirds of the Karisimbi Partners team was able to go on a “field trip” along with some members of Hope International to hear the testimonies of members of some “saving circles” or groups from some remote villages.  The members shared how the saving circles had transformed their lives as they worked together with their neighbors to save money and furnish loans for their members to meet basic needs, send their children to school and start small businesses.  In some cases, the members had purchased an item together (eg- a cow, pig or motorcycle taxi) and shared the profits.  In other cases, the members had taken individual loans to start small businesses (selling used clothes or shoes for example).  The group learns to trust and rely on the other members, as well as reap the benefit of having some savings for future needs.

On our way home, our car discussed what a great idea this was – for people to work together to better their situation.  We discussed what this would look like in the United States – would people come together to pool some money and invest that money in something as a group?  Could people do this with a philanthropic bent – use the proceeds to fund some project in a needier place?  As we mused further, we wondered if people in the States would be willing to partner with people here to increase the amount that a saving circle could generate?

The Crockett and Urquhart families employ eight people all together, with a few of those staff members overlapping.  What if those staff members would be willing to put aside a small amount of money each week (500 Rwandan Francs- 85 U.S. cents), and people in the States would be willing to match that.  At the end of each month, there would be a pool of money, which would be given to one staff member each month.  Some of that money would start a savings account, some of that money would be given to a needy cause that would be agreed on collectively, and the rest could be used for an individual’s needs – whether that is to pay children’s school fees, to do a house project or to start a small business.  The amount of money would be dependent on how many people would agree to enter this circle.

Here is where you are invited in to join hands.  If this sounds of interest to you, we would love to expand the circle and have your agreement to partner with us by adding 85 cents a week to our pool.  You could pay weekly, monthly or just once for the full amount.  Ideally, people would sign up for 16 months (which would be $54.40) so that the circle can go around two times, but we are happy for any amount that people would want to contribute.

If this is something that you want to be a part of, please let us know via email as soon as you can.  We would ask you to tell us what amount you would like to commit and also please send a picture of your family so that we can show our staff who they are joining hands with.

Our commitment to you is that all the money will go to the saving circle.  We have a separate bank account that this money will be deposited into.  Each month as we give the money we will send you a picture and a short bio on the recipient, as well as tell you what they are doing with the money.

        Imaculee,            Apollonaire,         Manasseh,            Jean-Pierre,             Indiho,                  Habimana,                  Afrika,                  Irene

Thank you for considering this and for your care to our families in so many ways.  – Kristen (and Greg and Carter & Kerry Crockett)

Please send or give checks or money to:

Ben Brown                                              Doug Urquhart

6455 Stanley Dr                  or                 5964 Meletio Lane

Auburn, CA 95602                                  Dallas, TX 75230

Urquharts in Zanzibar - Christmas 2011

Happy New Year and Blessings for 2012 to all our family and friends! I took a major blog hiatus for most of the past year, which means I “deprived” you of a lot of hilarious stories and anecdotes. Pretty much every day I have a “blog worthy moment” either related to wanting to scream in frustration, laugh out loud, cry like a baby or some combination of the three. There have been major highs and other times where it seems Africa is winning most of the rounds, despite best efforts to keep coming out swinging… But I / we can say without question that we feel incredibly blessed and know that we are exactly where God wants us to be. A life less ordinary for sure – and very fulfilling.

Ella: She literally grew three inches in three months this summer. She is now about as tall as Kristen, and has fully transitioned into a 13 year-old (nearly 14) – albeit without the negative aspects. She lobbied successfully for a cellphone and instantly became a master speed texter with her friends. She participates in drama club, is a top student, continues to read at a blistering pace, likes to “parent” her siblings (much to their anguish) but in general is a dream teenage daughter. When she got the role as one of the delinquent kids in the Christmas pageant, Ava commented with a straight face, “It fits her perfectly”. Ah sisters. She has talked us into allowing her to have a Facebook account for Christmas, but with my stipulation she has to be “friends” with her dad. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make to stay in touch with her friends. We are very proud of her and the young woman she is becoming.

Weston: Still and always an American football fanatic. Still quarterbacking the rag tag flag football team I coach at school and carefully tracking his weekly stats. Complains non-stop about our piano lessons requirement (for all kids) but does well with it all the same. I keep telling him it makes him a renaissance man and will be a hit with the girls when he’s older. He asks why I was allowed to quit when I was his age. Do as I say, not as I do. He is part of a boy scout troop here and loves the camping and fishing and good times with friends it provides. He finally succeeded in convincing us he could handle having an Xbox360 and the pajama victory dance when he was surprised with it on Christmas morning was something to behold. Turns out white men can dance after all.

Ava: Her love for animals has only grown stronger – which I wouldn’t have thought possible. We have had eight baby rabbits and eight baby kittens in the five months since we returned from summer break. There are animals everywhere and when not playing with real or stuffed ones, she is talking or reading about them. She did finally allow that she would go to college before her dream of owning a camping car with a horse trailer, pursuing her role rescuing animals across America (I’m assuming its America anyway). And even would now consider getting married as long as the guy agrees with that life dream. She also wants college to be exotic animal training school. She is doing great in school, keeps us constantly laughing with her observations (example: “Eve really messed it up for all of us. If she hadn’t believed that talking snake, we’d all still be able to go around naked with no problem. I mean, I never would have listened to a talking snake. C’mon!”) She loves to ride horses and was excited when the first horses arrived back in Rwanda (since genocide 17 years ago) this year. She takes lessons from a friend twice a month and I love watching her with an ear-splitting grin cantering on a horse high atop Mt. Kigali.

Marcel: One of my favorite memories of him this past year was his first ever bath in a tub: warm water and the loudest, most joyful whoops I’ve ever heard from a human. He has settled so naturally into our family and continues to be one of the most agreeable children I’ve ever experienced. Non-stop talker. This Christmas was his first experience with the idea of Santa Claus. He spent Christmas Eve night nervously wondering when this stranger was going to show up and leave stuff. Apparently a fat man arriving in your room in the dark didn’t have the same comforting feeling that the rest of us are accustomed to. It probably didn’t help that the dressed up Santa he saw earlier that day looked like a bizarre African sheik with a turban and a square balloon belly. But, Marcel is a big fan of Christmas Day for the obvious reasons and loves us all openly and demonstrably! (Of course, he also says, “Bye, I love you!” to the plumber when he leaves.)

Kristen: Seemingly content in any situation. She really takes bloom where you’re planted to heart and is thriving in this African context. She loves our garden, working at the school library, managing our frenetic family, and her new role as mother of four with the addition of Marcel. She has been home-schooling him this year to build his English capability and to catch him up on the basics of letters, numbers, shapes, etc. and is incredibly patient and well suited to the task. A week long walking tour of Wales this summer with some very close friends commemorating turning 40 years young was a huge highlight for her. She was in her element striding across the countryside for miles on end with just a map, compass, and a trail stretching ahead. Always the animal lover, swimming with dolphins in the Indian Ocean and watching Red Colubus monkey troops overhead in Zanzibar were highlights.

Greg: I had a good year in 2011. Highlights were scaling Mt. Karisimbi with my partners and friends, visiting Zanzibar, growing our company, deepening friendships, and I feel unbelievably blessed when I evaluate my reality. Effectively no commute, and when I go to see clients or meet with colleagues its via motorcycle in weather that is summer perfect. I hang with family and friends on a daily basis, playing in a beautiful setting with animals and kids tearing around. I get to do interesting work that benefits the poor and the “least of these” and it is humbling to work alongside businesses that have the potential to make such a marked difference in this country and the lives of its people. I get to work daily with close friends and share a faith at the heart of everything we do. I am loved by a great God and rest in the knowledge that He has our best interest at heart. He is good – All the time. I’m excited to see what’s in store for us in 2012.

Happy New Year to all – and may you be blessed in 2012! Greg, Kristen, Ella, Weston, Ava, and Marcel

The most truthful reason for the long hiatus was the demands of our business mission here – Karisimbi Business Partners (check out our newly updated website! ). Among other business development efforts, we were very fortunate to secure a long-term contract with the ministry of Commerce to assess and develop turnaround business plans for twelve different companies deemed strategic to the country.  Great!  It has required a ton of research, extensive documentation, writing, presentations, written deliverables, etc.  Not Great!  So, at the end of a day or week, the last thing I was motivated to do was sit back down in front of my laptop and write more…

So again, apologies because a lot has happened in the time since my last post and much of it was extremely blog worthy – i.e. filled with the hilarious, frustrating, incredible, touching, hysterical, embarrassing, joyful, illogical, take you to the edge of sanity…but ultimately, blessed.  Of course, I (in my mind) wrote it up in all of its glorious, comedic, Oscar-worthy detail.  Just didn’t quite get to that last mile of putting down on paper.  Sorry for that.

Anyway… in lieu of a long and ultimately convoluted recap of the past nine months I’ll just provide a view to the most impactful experience. Far and away the most amazing thing in our lives over the past 6 months is the adoption of our five year old son Marcel on May 14.

John Marcel Ishimwe Urquhart

The story is an incredible one – many, many highs and lows in getting to the final adoption point – questioning God’s timing, why it wasn’t moving faster, etc,… and so forth. Not writing it all down as it was happening to us is ultimately a good thing, as all the frustrations we experienced are already (mostly) forgotten now that we have him home. Or at least I can now describe them to friends with a lens for the hilarity of it all.

We were actually purposely quiet on our adoption process.  There had been a lot going on since we began the process 19 months ago.  We’ve known Marcel since he was 3 and 1/2 years old, first meeting him in October 2009.  Being so involved in the orphanage since moving to Rwanda, it made things extra sensitive since we (primarily Kristen) had such knowledge and relationship with the kids there. There had been so many ups and downs, delays and processes to navigate that the thought of documenting that was nearly as exhaustive and depressing as actually experiencing them first hand…

But God was so good throughout our journey to get to this point.  And the last several weeks of the final process were nothing short of miraculous.  We broke every record for speed and navigation of the process. I suppose the non-believer would call it fate, fantastic luck, or incredible coincidence, but as we know – all things are possible for those who believe.

The kid is amazing.  I had all the fears no one likes to talk about related to adopting an older child, i.e. what has happened to him spending all this time in a poor orphanage? Was he abused? Is he developmentally slow, physically delayed, prone to rage and emotional outbursts? Will he have attachment disorder?  How will I talk to him given he only speaks Kinyarwanda? Is he going to show up some night standing by my bed with a knife? (Kidding. Sort of. It did cross my mind.)

God is so good.  Here is how I would describe him:  Total optimist. Happy to do anything and everything. Loves us all deeply.  Has learned English faster than I ever thought humanly possible.  In two weeks he was understandable.  In a month it was short but complete phrases. We are now five months in and the only issue he has is correcting his grammar. He is effectively fluent.  He refuses to speak Kiyarwanda from about two weeks in. We try to encourage it, but I think subconsciously his mind decided this was his new life and all focus went to English. It’s as if he never had his native tongue.  Its got to still be there somewhere, but for now he has dropped it all for his new family language.  Even Rwandan people that he has known forever – he now only responds in English.

The way you learn a language is by using it.  Boy does that kid use it.  Made me want to scream sometimes.  Here is a sample Marcel “language adoption and retention method” conversation at dinner at about month three:

M: Dad, that spicy? G: Yes, it’s too spicy for you, Marcel.  M: Only for Dad? G: Yes, only for Dad. M: And mommy?  G: Yes, buddy, and mommy.  Pause.  M: I no eat cause too spicy for Marcel?  G: That’s right, it’s too spicy for you.  M: And Weston?  G: It’s okay for Weston, but he doesn’t like it either.  M: Weston no like spicy?  G: Well, he likes spicy but doesn’t like this pepper.  M: Pepper spicy? G: (sigh) Yes.  M: Too spicy for me?  G: Yes, Marcel. M: And Ella? Ella no like spicy?  G: (big sigh I try to hide) Yes, it’s just for mommy and daddy, not for children.  M: And no Ava?  G: Right, not Ava either.  M: Okay.

M: Dad, what you drink? That Spicy?   (Oh dear lord…give me strength)……

Spicy is still a favorite word and a big concern at mealtime, but we’ve progressed and moved on (thankfully)!  The kid can eat like you would not believe. One morning he had four eggs, 3 sausages, 1 yogurt, 3 pancakes, and juice.  When you ask him if he is full he very seriously sits up, pushes on his stomach a few times, and pronounces yes or no as appropriate.  A few times he has told us “I think still room in legs.”  Hilarious.

He absolutely loves to play football (American) with Weston in the back garden.  And Weston is a very willing coach and teammate.  Marcel can’t wait for all the kids to get home each afternoon from school and is so eager to spend time with each of them.  He is home schooling with Kristen this year and progressing well.

The crazy final schedule we went through to bring him home included him and Kristen in Nairobi for a week for medical and immigration processing.  It’s (kinda) funny now, but she found herself at one point in the medical office being told he needed 5 shots right then, and, given this was less than a week after he joined us, the language barrier was in full force.  So, she was forced to help four other people hold him down while he wailed “Momma no, Momma no!” and she silently cried.  Good times.  She’s thinking ‘Great, if he wasn’t traumatized before, he is now!!’

But he was not phazed and has consistently been the happiest most agreeable kid I know.  When I think about it, maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised.  He has been living as an orphan since birth (he was found in a plastic bag at a week old  beside his dead mother) :

First off, let me say Home of Hope orphanage is a great place and we are very grateful to the Sisters of Charity who have dedicated their lives to caring for orphans and the handicapped. Still, picture a rundown cinderblock and brink building with a concrete courtyard.  No grass.  Broken 50-year-old playground equipment.  No clothes that belong to you.  Often we came to visit Marcel and he was dressed in some very nice hot pink shorts and maybe a pastel shirt for My Pretty Pony.  Classic.  Always an adventure to see what he won from the outfit lottery each time we showed up! They slept 40 in a large room filled with oversized metal cribs with 3 inch plastic mattresses.

So two weeks after leaving that environment he is on a plane to CA with his new family (sans me – I had to stay back and work and joined a month later).  His two month summer experience (of course everything was a first):

Meeting all his cousins, swimming pools, trampoline, ice cream, cheeseburgers, pizza, smores, road trip(s), Disneyland, California Adventure, beach/ocean, fireworks, 50 person family reunion at the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, Rodeo, 4th of July parade, mountain luge, real playgrounds, jet skiing, tubing, boating on the lake, nachos, zoo/aquarium, week of summer fun camp, restaurants, bath time, his own bed, his own toys, two sets of grandparents, 5 sets of aunts and uncles and many, many extended family members….

It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about or just randomly stop to watch him and consider his before and after.  We are so, so blessed to have him in our family and I am overwhelmed and humbled at the opportunity God has given us to make such a difference in his life.  He is certainly making a big difference in all of ours.

Greg, Marty, Jon, Dano, Carter: Packed up to head North

Only 84 people climbed Karisimbi in 2010 and when we excitedly told our various Rwandese clients / friends about our trip, we invariably got very puzzled looks and polite comments like “Oh? …hmmm.  It is very cold up there.  Isn’t there snow?”  It was very clear that they thought this a pointless Muzungu thing to do.

We left last Friday for the drive north to Musanze. 

Hillside dwellings on road leaving Kigali

Heading for Musanze

Wednesday of that week I caught a cold, but was not going to back out. It takes special permits and fees to climb Karisimbi, plus a government guide, our plans were set, it was my 40th birthday, this was a key weather window that wouldn’t come around for another six months, etc, etc.. so I was just going to gut it out and be miserable.  Who needs full strength and clear breathing when you are climbing at high altitude and limited oxygen!  Not me, I’m turning 40! 

Friday night I lay in my uncomfortable bed in a guest house at the base of the National Park, completely miserable, unable to breathe, and depressed at the thought of the next two days in that condition. I was feeling extremely sorry for myself and decided to pray. I explained to Him that I knew that in the grand scheme my cold was not really a big issue, but I also knew He doesn’t want pain for me and so I asked for healing so that I could fully enjoy this experience. Within 10 minutes my cold was gone. You can believe me or not, but that’s what happened. It was that fast, I fell asleep, and the next morning when we got up at 5:30 I was in perfect health. Let’s climb!

Pyrethrum fields - Musanze

Starting out for the Parc National des Volcans you head through farmers fields of pyrethrum (daisy) and Irish potatoes. We were especially happy to see all the fields in bloom with high yield pyrethrum flowers as this was related to one of our biggest clients, SOPYRWA, the pyrethrum factory and refinery that was on the brink of failure. Pyrethrum is used to make natural insect repellents and insecticides, and is only grown in 6 regions in the world. We completed an assessment of the company at the request of the Ministry of Commerce and provided a recovery plan for government assistance to secure this key industry for Rwandese farmers in the North (the most densely populated region). I blogged about this back in October. So, it was a great feeling to see fields that were previously lying fallow or with very poor yields, now covered with white flowers – and to know we had played a role in helping to bring this back.  Its why we are here, and it was a great start to the trek.

Real men do flowers...

Watching the family pyrethrum on the road

Drying Pyrethrum flowers

Our fans lined the road to see the brave (strange) Muzungus...

Carter, Dano, Greg, Marty, Jon: At the base

Our group was comprised of the three Karisimbi Business Partners (Carter, Dano, and me) plus our new intern, Jon Porter, recently graduated from USC. We were led by a good friend here in Rwanda, Marty Koonce, a 14 year missionary in Africa (Togo / Rwanda) who had previously summited Karisimbi. We also had the required Park Ranger guide, and as a surprise, about 10 – 12 well armed RPF soldiers.  It’s hard to pin down how many exactly since they just started appearing and disappearing out of the jungle ahead and behind us.

Feel more or less safe?

 It took us a while to understand they were there for our expedition.  As Jon said – “I don’t know whether to feel safer because they are here, or less safe because they are necessary!” It’s one thing to have a few soldiers, it’s a whole different level when some of them are carrying shoulder rocket grenades, AK47s, M60 machine guns, etc.

Sleep well, we've got the rocket launcher....

What exactly do we think might be out there?  When we asked what they were protecting us from they said (with a straight face) “Cape buffalo.”  Uh huh, with a rocket launcher?  We found out one day after our safe return, when there was a news report of FDLR rebels from the Congo side firing a rocket grenade into a group of Congo park rangers and soldiers killing eight!  Obviously all turned out fine for us, so my mother and others that tend to worry can remain calm. What could possibly go wrong?

We were within a brief two week rain break in the region which meant we didn’t have to hike in a downpour as could easily be normal there.  This was a huge benefit.  However, it still meant that the trail was a mud bog for 90% of the ascent / decent.

Pretty much all mud, all the time...

 That added to the exhaustion, watching every step to avoid the deepest spots and just “trudging” as Marty aptly described it.  But, I’m a man and we like to make things sound more manly than necessary at times. We had a lot of laughs (at ourselves) and just enjoyed the feeling of a bunch of guys out on the trail on an adventure.  In that aspect all of us have the mentality of an 11 year old boy – e.g., “Maybe something cool will happen!”, “Can I hold your rocket launcher? Awww, c’mon! How about the machine gun?” , “Dano, I dare you to pat a silverback gorilla on the head and run.” Immaturity is fun.

Into the Jungle

Further up and further in...

Speaking of gorillas, early on we passed a group of tourists on the side of the trail who had just left a troop of gorillas just three minutes off the trail. We asked to detour to see them, but that is a separate permit ($500) and there is no way the Park was going to let us double up on our experience.  Bummer! Have to go back.  We hoped to come across some ourselves on the climb, but although we saw fresh gorilla poo and some leopard tracks, no live versions. 

Arriving at Base Camp for the night

We made it to base camp at 12,000 feet around three in the afternoon and it provided some great views of the surrounding range and jungle we had left below. It also provided intense temperature drop and within 15 minutes of arriving winded and sweating in short sleeves, I was putting on insulated jacket, stocking cap and gloves. Night comes quickly and it dropped to around 30 degrees F with a good wind. Our guard platoon positioned posts on the uphill and downhill sides of our camp, and after setting up our tents and eating something, we responded to their invitation to join them at one of their fires.

Gathered round the campfire with well-armed friends

 They stayed awake all night outside and still managed to easily beat us up and down the mountain – Rwandese soldiers are well known for their toughness and discipline.  We had a really special time with them around their fire and I was struck again by the unique experience and opportunity I’ve been given to be here. There we were, sitting around a fire on a remote mountain in the center of Africa, with soldiers cooking maize in the fire and sharing it with us, talking and joking back and forth in a mixture of broken English, French and Kinyarwanda, (with machine guns and rocket launchers propped on logs next to us), and we began trading hymns back and forth – they in Kinyarwanda and us in English. Here you can hear one of their songs that Jon captured.

None of us slept well that night (I got about 2.5 hours) and we were up at 4:40 a.m. to eat breakfast and start for the summit around 5:15 or so. The sunrise and view heading out and looking back was pretty great. 

Looking down before heading up

Beautiful Sat morning - just above base camp

Dano and Jon - enjoying the view

All we could see of the next phase climb - clouds

The vertical climb from base camp increased dramatically, and by the time we were approaching the top, all was quiet as we just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, not falling, and trying to breathe in thin air, blowing wind, and in the midst (mist?) of a cloud.  I was directly following the two lead soldiers, and visibility was no more than 20 feet or so given the cloud sitting on the summit for at least 1000 feet.  I was very nervous to lose them as I couldn’t see anyone behind me either.  So, I felt obliged to keep pace with them. 

14,800 feet! (and freezing)

 We joked later about the metaphor we always share with clients about Mt. Karisimbi and reaching the top, the great views, the feeling of success, being higher than all your competitors, etc…  And here we were in the reality, which is: I can’t see anything (possibly the worst view imaginable), I can’t feel my hands or toes, ice is blowing in my face, and the summit is covered with abandoned construction materials and even two portable structures established there back when the Karisimbi communications tower was erected.  Hmmmm….won’t include this reality in our marketing materials or descriptions of the rewards of scaling the proverbial summit! 

The Karisimbi Partners atop Karisimbi!

Our crew of 5 - lost in the cloud on the summit

We spent about a half hour on top – it wasn’t a pleasant place to be, and then began the long trek all the way to the bottom, arriving by three p.m. in the afternoon.  The nice thing about descending is it is twice as fast as up.  But, it is brutal on the knees, joints, balance and energy, on little sleep and a strenuous previous day. In terms of proving my youth and the old adage “You’re only as old as you feel!” – I certainly felt a bit decrepit as a result the past several days.  But I would do it again (again with no rebel encounters and during July / August when there is better chance for clear skies at the top).  But I am in no rush.  Been there, done that, don’t got the t-shirt (but did get a cool carved gorilla walking stick which proved to be one of the best purchases I’ve ever made ($8.75) and highly necessary for maneuvering mud trails. 

Ready for the next challenge (but in no rush...)

As I posted on Facebook – 40 is the new 30! Look out world.

To all our family and friends, Happy New Year from Rwanda – where the parties are still going on from last night as I write this at 3:00 p.m. New Years Day.  We’ve been told by Rwandan friends that this is their most celebrated holiday, and the general sentiment is they are thrilled to have survied another year – hence the non-stop partying that we can still hear going on even now from a nearby bar/restaurant/club.  I assume this is also why our guard has not showed up for work…  Ah, well – ‘Africa time’ strikes again.

URQUART’S NEW YEAR CARD: (click link for pictoral collage) 
http://www.vuvox.com/collage_express/collage.swf?collageID=034cb8683f

2010 was quite a year.  There is too much to recap here (and I’m too lazy to do it), but suffice to say, we are extremely grateful for all that we have, the experiences we’ve enjoyed (and survived) over the past year, and the deepening of relationships both here and back home - family and friendships old and new.

Ella: Turning 13 in Frebruary and fortunately (hope I’m not jinxing myself here) shows little signs of teenager antics (yet). She remains very athletic, loves to play the piano, challenge the boys in most categories (one of only two girls in Tae Kwon Do), and continues to excell at school. We are very proud of her and I dread the day when the flip switches and I start to hear about boys in a different light. Come to think of it, I’ll be the last one to hear about it…

Weston: Three years running – still marveling at Weston’s dedication to American football. His biggest concern about living in Rwanda is not being ready for college and pro ball back in the US someday. One step at a time… To that end, he has recruited me to coach a group of 14 boys he has recruited through sheer force of personality and passion – most of which have never played or spent any time in the U.S. Like his sister, he does well at school, plays piano, started Tae Kwon Do, and is a popular friend to many. He got an African puppy this year, Dagger, who promptly become the responsibility of Kristen, despite his promises to the contrary.

Ava: Boy, can that girl make some noise when she wants to get her siblings in trouble for their teasing (real or exagerrated). Turning 8 this past October, she is growing fast, stubbornly insisting that she can do anything and everything her brother and sister can do. She is her mother’s daughter in terms of loving animals and spends quality time with the dog, cats and rabbbit – the latter of whom is expecting new baby bunnies – much to Ava’s delight. Very imaginative and with plenty of “spunk”, Ava does well in school and rejects all things “girly”. A recent quote when required to attend a friend’s Christmas tea party: “I really don’t like tea parties. You have to dress up, eat not very good food, and have meaningless conversation.” She is very put out not to be old enough to participate in Tae Kwon Do, and she certainly does her best to practice on her siblings often.

Kristen: Spending a lot of time at the kids school working in the library, subsitute teaching as needed, volunteering at the local orphanage twice a week, and keeping us fed, sane and generally in line and on track. Still one of the most calm under pressure people I’ve ever known ( a good balance to a personality like mine). She is having a bit of trouble patiently waiting on the adoption process to slowly move forward (currently feels like a standstill) but trusts that God has it under control.

Greg: Enjoying Karisimbi Business Partners and our work here. It is a world of constant change and variety, and the partnership both with my business colleagues / friends and our clients continues to be very rewarding. I turn 40 next month and the “Karisimbi guys” will be summiting our namesake, the volcano Mt. Karisimbi two days before I hit the big milestone. Looking forward to the challenge – it’s way up there and a good opportunity to stay young (and not cause I expect to die in the attempt).

May God bless you all in the coming year – and we are grateful for your love, support and prayers!

Hissing

So, to get someone’s attention – a friend, a waiter, anyone, it is the practice here to hiss loudly at them. I don’t know about you but a strong HISS is not the most pleasant sound, and certainly less so when it is being used to summon you. I waited tables in high school and it was hard enough dealing with tough customers without having all the tables hissing at me. It’s particularly repulsive when driving down the road at night on a pleasant warm evening, windows down, enjoying the smell of blooming night jasmine in the air, when suddenly all these hisses are coming at you out of the dark from the prostitutes on the side of the road. Charming. (I accelerate).

Leisure Time

 Here’s an example from our local swimming place – a sort of hangout in our neighborhood. Setting: Saturday afternoon driving home with kids passing a local place – Mamba Club House

Kids: Dad, we’re bored – do something with us.

Me: How about I take you swimming at Mamba Club House?

Ava: Yeah! Pause… I hope there are no naked boys in the pool this time.

Me: (a bit startled). Don’t we all, Ava, don’t we all.

Taking Ava to a playdate at a nearby friends

Customer Service

So another unfortunate reality is the loss of power and water on a pretty regular basis. A week or so ago it was particularly bad, going out for extended periods from 4 – 7 hours at a time every day for four days running. The fourth day it lasted over 24 hours. Now, lack of electricity you can suffer through, but when the water is shutoff its starts to get bad. Fortunately, we have a small pump that pushes the water from the storage tank into the house (for situations when the water is shut off). Unfortunately, the pump requires power, so when electricity and water is out, we are really not having a good week. Of course, the pump is burned out anyway (again) so it hardly matters It’s been replaced and then repaired twice in the three months we’ve been fully living in this house.

Anyway, I made 75 calls to the power company call center to report the outages. Of the 75 attempts I either had no answer or they answered, I listened to breathing on the line, etc and then they would hang up. So, finally I drive there to find someone to raise the issue with. With a big audience of Rwandans in the waiting room, they usher me to the front (funny how the Mzungu effect works sometimes) to talk to the manager.

Manager: “What number were you calling? (I tell him.) “Oh – (big laugh joined by everyone) that’s the emergency call center number.

Me: “Well… yeah (puzzled) that’s why I used my phone to call the CALL center.” ( What am I missing? My expectations are low in the developing world but wow).

Manager: “They’re no good.” Me: “Don’t they work for you?” Manger: Yes. (end of conversation).

p.s. as of the time of this writing the power went on/off 9 times today – new record.

It takes a village….(to deliver a beating)

Another accepted practice is to “encourage” a child to do the right thing by delivering strong, repeated blows to the face and body. It’s quite something to drive along and see a twelve year old on the ground who had apparently taken something from a nearby store and now was surrounded by 6 – 8 adults hitting and kicking him, encircled by a crowd of onlookers. Unfortunately Ava was with me and pretty concerned, as you can imagine. That’s a hard one to explain to your 8 year old – although I’m pretty sure she isn’t going to be shoplifting anytime soon!

Don’t get sick

Maybe this example should go into the “Customer Service” category – I’ll let you decide.

Our guard became very ill last month late one night. It seemed sufficiently serious so that I took him and his wife to emergency room. I was double parked and so dropped them off and then headed back home to bed. The next morning I get a call from the hospital that I need to come in and pay his bill for treatment, tests, etc that they want to run. When I went to get him from the hospital, they had been afraid he would leave without paying, so they had put an IV into his wrist and left it in for twelve hours without dispensing any medicine, fluids, etc. No pre-pay, no help. It was basically a medical handcuff to keep him in the bed until some money showed up! Wow.

Needless to say, I rescued him from there and took him to a clinic we use where the price was five times less than what the hospital requested and he was taken care of in about an hour. Side note: It’s always disconcerting when the international community unanimously says, “whatever you do, if you fall ill or injured – don’t go to the hospital here!”

Losing a friend

We had a very sad occurrence with the death of a 30 year old Rwandan man that we all had come to know and love. His name was Emmanuel and we called him Manny. He was the driver for some of our good friends here and was a very funny guy – full of life and always with a story. Within the space of three weeks, Manny found out that he had HIV (a crushing revelation), and then developed complications which put him in the hospital, where he ultimately died in a few short weeks.

I still have great guilt that I never went to see him while he was there. It was always on my list of things to do, but work and other priorities kept me too busy. None of us had any idea (including the doctors) how critical he had become, so I was expecting to see him out and about any day. A huge lesson to always prioritize the relationships first. That’s what really matters.

Some of my favorite Manny quotes:

• “If you get amoebas, make sure you only drink Mutzig beer. They hate Mutzig. Whatever you do, don’t drink Primus beer! They go crazy for Primus and you will never be rid of them!”
• To a friend who left an Iphone on the roof of his car while at a job site: “You can’t leave an Iphone out in the open with people around! It’s like cheese!”
• Why New Years Eve is such a big celebration in Rwanda: “We go out dancing, and go really crazy, sometimes even shooting guns in the air, because we are just so amazed and happy to be alive for another year!”

One uncomfortable situation arose when the funeral fell on Ava’s birthday and her entire class of 15 kids was coming over to the house for games, cake, the usual birthday stuff. Our friend and driver, Afrika, just couldn’t understand why we didn’t cancel the party due to Manny’s death. This was a tough cultural difference to bridge. In Rwanda, children are not the first consideration, and the fact that Ava was not really associated with Manny the way we adults were doesn’t really play into their thinking. So, I was left with the decision to try to explain to Ava that instead of a party she had been looking forward to for many months, she was now going to a funeral. I chose not to go that route.

Ava turns 8 - party at home with her classmates

Fortunately for Kristen and I, we were able to pay our respects at the gravesite and visit the family the next weekend, since in Rwandan culture the death, funeral and burial process continues for a full week after the burial. We miss him and I still can’t believe he’s gone.

I tend not to cover too much work related stories here since I give those updates in our Karisimbi Business Partners newsletter. But I can’t help providing my more “casual” thoughts and comments about some of those adventures as well. Here is a fun one:

Dano and I were hired by a friend and fellow ex-pat working on development here in Rwanda, to come up to Musanze district and do a quick assessment of a cement company he was considering investing in. It is owned by a neat Rwandan man who is trying very hard to get this business up and running amidst very tough competition and the traditional challenges of doing business in the developing world.

Dano and I get up early to make the two hour drive to ensure we have the full day and can get back to Kigali later that night. It takes us three phone calls once we arrive in the vicinity to get directed to the right dirt road turnoff, and another two calls while on that horrible road because we keep thinking – There is no way this ‘goat trail’ could be the road used by a cement company to get their product to market.

At one point we came to a bog crossing the “road” and we just sat there looking at it, debating whether we just try to floor it through and hope we make it to the other side without sinking, or we four wheel down an embankment and up the other side. Such is my “commute” these days – a far cry from the challenge of 520 bridge traffic in Seattle.

We opted for the “floor it” method, targeting a section that looked a bit more stable than the center of the mud. On the plus side, we were right about it being more stable and we made it through. On the down side, we made it through while listening to the bottom of the vehicle be mangled by the rocks and other debris under the surface, and then limped along to our final destination where a mechanic had to be called to straighten the now bent struts. Good times!

These kind of things don’t really phase us anymore – its “normal” now, and so we jumped out ready to go. At this point the guy who had commissioned us for this project let us know that the owner was “on the way coming” from Kigali. Of course! Also “normal” for us. So our 9:00 a.m. start time became 12:00.

So, we started with a tour of the place. It was like touring a medieval castle under construction. Pictures don’t do it justice. It is made of stones and is four levels built against the side of a hill.

Note the log being used to maneuver this heavy machinery into place, over a 4 story hole. Hard to watch.

Narrow scaffolding of trees and planks - OSHA regulations clearly NOT in effect

After the eventual arrival of the owner, we started our meetings. He didn’t speak English so it was another fun meeting of French and Kinyarwanda translated into English for Dano and our client. I had one of those laugh out loud, is this really my life moments during our discussion as:

1. We are in the “conference room” with cracked concrete floors, peeling paint, dirty old couches and an old coffee table, with a tin roof overhead
2. Open wires that somehow allow us to plug in a laptop and the projector we brought
3. It begins to rain (HARD) and it sounds like we are inside a waterfall when it hits the roof
4. I am trying to be heard and almost yelling to be understood in French
5. The roof is leaking and I have a steady drip passing in front of my face as I sit across from the owner, and the water narrowly misses the computer

In all seriousness, it was awesome. It was one of those funny, I know I’m making a memory right now, kind of moments. And it really brought home the importance of our work here, and doing what we can to help bring businesses to a place where they can build and grow and provide for the future.

The owner is living on site with his family in this very grim environment. His wife cooked us lunch and it was another humbling experience to know how difficult this life is for them. He has put everything into this business, and wants to have success not just for himself and his family, but for his country, and the people in the district where he has lived all his life.

Weston has been clamoring for a puppy every since we transitioned to this new house which has space for animals. He also has had the name for his dog, Dagger, picked out since he was four in Paris and a big pirate and weapons fan. Some street boys had been bringing mangy puppies to the gate every week or so that were either far too young to be away from their mothers or just didn’t fit the bill for other reasons. Ironically, Dagger was one of the puppies they brought by that was much too young and looked like he was going to die on the driveway. Kristen insisted they take it back to its mother. Apparently they did, and came back with him about four weeks later and he was much improved. The kids and I bargained with the boys and ended up paying 5,000 francs for him (about $8.50), and I’ve somewhat regretted it ever since! Puppies are trouble. We’ve had two family meetings already about whether he stays or not given that he: chases the cats, tramples the garden, pulls clothes off the line, eats homework, chews cushions, socks, your ankles, pretty much everything. Other than that he’s a great dog.

We’ve just celebrated Thanksgiving (in 80 degree weather while our friends in Seattle had snow) and we are struck as always by how much we have - compared to the vast majority of the world’s population. It’s a very humbling experience to share the Thanksgiving meal with family and friends here, with severe poverty literally right outside the door or gate.

We are still anxiously awaiting the processing of our adoption dossier.  It is so tough to be out at the orphanage with the children and stay patient waiting God’s timing on the process…

I wish everyone a good holiday season and challenge you to consider what you might do to give to those with little resources and limited opportunities. After all, if you can help, how can you not?

Monkey ready for capture?

When faced with the thought of actually owning a monkey, I was completely uninterested, morally opposed, a little frightened that whatever I said to the contrary, a monkey might still appear chained in my yard, and adamant that that would be against my wishes.  Apollonaire was flabbergasted that I wouldn’t leap at this opportunity, but quickly recovered and offered me a crowned crane.  Even more, I don’t want a loud, big, possibly aggressive, long-legged avian member to join the menagerie.  What has happened to me?

Crowned Cranes in Rwanda

There is only so much mothering that I want to do.  I love my children, I love a lot of other people’s children, I love the animals that I do own (after they stop leaving droppings in corners and throwing up on rugs), I even allow Apollo and Afrika to call me “Mama” (with an inward grimace- couldn’t I be “Sister”?) At the drop of a hat, I could have many other opportunities to be “Mama”.  I am trusting that God has turned off the exotic animal button because he has other ways of using my mothering quota.

Afrika & Apollo(naire) - determined to bring more animals into our lives

In the next few months, we hope to bring home our son who is waiting in an orphanage here.  Everyday we pray for him.  Everyday we pray that those in charge would move quickly with our paperwork.  Everyday I trust that I can be mother again: in the same way that all mothers are supposed to be, but beginning in a different way.   To paraphrase a children’s book, ‘your mother is the creature who loves you the best’. I want to love all my children the best, and I want them to know that I love them the best.  Luckily, I know that God loves them the best and that my loving them is part of God’s choosing me as their mother.   – Kristen

In a place where the unexpected is now expected, there is way too much ground to cover since my last posting.  I’ve been thinking how I might best catch everyone up and I think a select list of highlights of interest for each month (in my overly verbose style and with some pictures of course) is the only way to do it. 

June:

• School ended on the 12^th and Kristen and the kids left on the 13^th
• Greg moves house on the 14^th with the poor souls he was able to wrangle into helping him.

(Side note: As fun as moving furniture across town in equatorial heat is already, it was extra exciting when our mattress went flying off the truck on a dirt road under construction.  It made a beautiful lazy full back flip through the air to land in traffic (as I watched in horror from a different vehicle).  The fun didn’t end there – a banana leaf dresser I had arranged on its back in the truck was (unbeknownst to me) set back upright in the truck with the drawers facing out, to make room for more stuff.  This meant that when going around a turn, the top drawer containing all credit cards, business cards, PC cables, adapters and other critical items went flying out and showered down (again) into traffic.  It would be hilarious if it weren’t happening to me.  Actually I have enough distance from the event now for it to be funny.  Plus almost everything was recovered. This is what happens when a bunch of us “efficient” guys are responsible for packing and arranging.)

• Enjoyed World Cup fever in Africa – it was a great time to be a bachelor enjoying evenings outside at various places with friends and locals watching the games and eating (what else) brochettes.
• Dano and I were holding down the fort locally and working on finalizing negotiations on some projects that had been under discussion. 

It is a weird feeling to be alone in a new, empty, quiet house – and particularly when I cook cereal and that’s about it.  (Hence previously mentioned world cup nights out – it was also a survival tactic given it was usually my one meal a day).  We did have many guys’ nights at Macgregor Magruder’s house – burgers, beer and action movies or UFC fights that our wives wouldn’t waste 30 seconds on.  It was great.

• Started riding a motorcycle which I bought off of my brother-in-law, Levi, when they left Rwanda to move back to the US. 

They say there are two kinds of motorcycle drivers:  Those who have crashed and those who are going to.  I crashed in my first week.  It’s good to get these things out of the way early.  Minimal blood and I was coming into my own driveway so the embarrassment was limited to an audience of one: my guard.  Of course, he was so concerned by my bloody hand and ankle that despite my smiles and pantomime assurances (he speaks no English or French) demonstrating I would live to ride again, he proceeded to call everyone he knows that knows me, and within 10 minutes I was getting texts and messages asking if I needed to go to the hospital, etc….  One good friend here was told via his driver, who was told via Afrika, who was told via Theopista (our Ugandan friend), who was told via our guard.  This is all while I’m in the house cleaning my wounds.  It was around 10 p.m. and the friend tried calling me but I had already plugged in my phone for the night and was turning in.  I had an early meeting the next morning and was gone and missed the message.  Turns out they all came to the house and sat outside thinking I was inside with a concussion or in a coma and not answering the bell.

I now ride the motorcycle nearly every day, it is super practical here, saves an incredible amount on gas, and I’ve only almost been creamed once (maybe twice) in the past two months.  The only downside is that other drivers pretty much act like you don’t exist.  My theory is that they are insanely jealous and annoyed at how we weave in and out of traffic, skip all the blockages, drive through all the closed-to-traffic construction areas, and generally have it better than them.  I mean seriously – how great is it to ride a motorcycle when practically every day meets the description of the perfect riding weather!

• Dano and I traveled back to the US for to rejoin our families at the very end of June

We felt a little guilty about flying back alone without responsibility for kid management of any kind on 30 hours of traveling. Our wives, by contrast, traveled alone with all the kids both to and from Africa.

July

• We spent July moving around the U.S. seeing family and friends, including holding events for Karisimbi Partners to update our supporters (Seattle and California)

It was a great time but far more hectic than we originally envisioned.  We wanted to see everyone we could, and yet that entailed moving back and forth from CA to WA to CA, on to TX and then the rest of the family back to CA again while I left at the end of July to return to Kigali.  The family spent a bit over two months back in the U.S. while I spent just under a month.  So, all our travel around the US occurred in July and while in Seattle we were constantly on the go every day.  This unfortunately made it much less relaxing than planned, but did not allow us to see everyone we wanted to – and certainly not for as much time as we would have liked.

We had nearly two weeks in TX and that was the most relaxing given we had some real downtime out at Cedar Crest Lake in a borrowed lake house belonging to friends of my parents.  We used a ski boat several times a day to go ‘tubing’ and water ski, and enjoyed wave runners as well.  It was a great place and my parents spoiled us, as they always do, our entire time in Dallas.  It was also a great chance to spend time with my brother Jason and his wife Christina.

August

• Kristen and the kids headed back to Auburn, CA and I was sorry I had so little time there during my time back in the U.S.

 They finished off the time there with a camping trip with the extended family in CA.

• Back in Rwanda, Carter, Dano and I hosted five guys from college and supporters of Karisimbi Partners who arrived in early August as part of an East Africa trip. 

They stayed for 5 days and we did our best to give them a taste of the country.  Is it just me or is it normal to (at least mentally) feel no older than I did in my 20s even though I turn 40 soon?  College friends really bring that out and we reverted back to the same hilarious interchanges and conversations like no time had passed.  Good deep encouraging discussions as well, it’s just that they were interspersed with dares that would make wives and mothers cringe and/or roll their eyes, moto-taxi races through Kigali, monkey hazing in Nyangwe forest, impromptu dawn patrol nude  Lake Kivu swim in Cyangugu (the guesthouse guard had no idea where to look when guys came out of the water – poor man).  P.s. it was a remote spot.

A highlight (or lowlight depending on your perspective) was a hike in Nyangwe forest to see the mountain and blue face monkeys.  We picked a route where a canopy bridge had just been installed far out over one of the mountain gorges.  All hikes require a guide, which, while a bit of a bummer, I can understand, given that if you are lost out there – that’s pretty much it.  No such thing as rescue teams, helicopter search, etc.  So, we arrive at the canopy bridge and surprise surprise it’s not actually finished.  There are bolts on the floor of the midspan and the main bridge is hanging down at an angle, as the support wires have not been fully tightened.  The bridge is narrow – allowing for only single file, and the netting hand rails are loose and stop halfway across on one side.  Lastly, they are only just above waist high so you feel like you can just tip over the side about 150 ft down.  The guide said he would not go out there, so of course, we did.  It was one of those moments when you know people that love you would not be happy at this decision.  It is also one of those moments when you feel really, really alive (given threat of imminent injury or death

Guide: "I'm not going out there!"

We obviously survived and driving on the roads here feel just as dangerous – particularly out in the countryside.  We saw one passenger bus completely on its side after flying around a sharp turn.  All the passengers had crawled out the shattered windows and were sitting or standing forlornly along the road.  It never ceases to amaze me how drivers will go to pass on blind turns here.  Total disregard for their own safety or others, and as a result there are many, many accidents.  They say you can become accustomed to anything, and I’ve found this to be pretty true – regardless of how different it may have seemed at the start.  For example, power outages.  It struck me the other day when we were doing a strategy workshop with a client at a remote location and it was after dark.  We had a projector going and were going through a topic.  The power cuts, we are plunged into darkness except for the laptop that was being used (battery power).  None of the 7 of us say a word or miss a beat.  Dano flips the laptop around to face everyone and we just keep moving.  Normal life.  

However, one aspect of normal here never becomes ‘okay’ for me and that is Rwandan pedestrians seeming obliviousness to traffic and its dangers.  Everywhere you go you encounter people stepping directly into the streets (if they are not already walking well into it) without a glance in either direction.  Invariably they will take a look but usually after the second full step has been taken.  I’m not talking about lonely country roads either – I mean busy city streets.  They are always “shocked” to see cars bearing down on them.  I never get used to it.  It seems such an inherent self-preservation response and I always expect it to be more automatic than it is.  Kristen was driving along with Afrika one day and observed a guy running along the road with another in hot pursuit.  Clearly he did not want to be caught, and as she watched in horror, rather than be grabbed by the guy behind him, he ran directly off the curb into oncoming traffic.  Her last image as they passed going the opposite way, was his being catapulted straight up into the air by an oncoming car.  No time for brakes.  Hard to imagine it wasn’t fatal. This is another reason we don’t have Kristen drive.  Regardless of the actions or responsibility of pedestrians, by law it is an automatic 6 months in prison for the driver, and, as we have seen, you do NOT want to be in prison here.

• An interesting client engagement in late August involved a project with a new client that we’ve been talking with and wanted to work with for a year. 

We left at 6 am on a Friday morning to go out east to conduct a 2 day overnight strategy workshop with the organization leaders. They are a technology company and had done some networking work at a orphan youth village out East, and suggested we go to the guest house there to do the strategy session.  The youth village was set up and is run by a Jewish foundation that cares for genocide victims.  Apparently the organization did this model in Israel following the holocaust.  They take orphans from the genocide (from all over the country) and widows from the genocide who have lost their children and create house families.  This place had its own working farm, about 250 orphans, living in groups of 16 per house with one house mother (widow).  There is a school right there, soccer field, basketball court, giant hall / cafeteria, with views over a valley and down to Lake Mugasera.  It was an awesome place and they have a very simple guest house there with a conference room.  You take your meals at the cafeteria with the kids and everybody eats the same thing.  Basically, rice, matoke, some sort of vegetable sauce mix to put on the rice, and then maybe some meat on the side.  It was simple but filling and great to be helping such a great cause just by being there.  It’s a huge property and they are in the middle of building additional homes and adding gardens, etc to make the guest house more of a destination.  The farm on the property (bananas, avocado, matoke, potatoes, tomatoes, etc, etc..) is managed by the kids who all work on it, and so far the farm provides 45% of the food eaten there.  Pretty awesome.  They will have capacity for 500 + orphans by next end of next year.  We didn’t have water or power off and on over the two days, but  we are used to that!

• The family arrived back in mid-August just in time for the start of school. 
  

  First day of school

I was more than ready to welcome them back.  It was great to have a noisy, active house again and we love the new place.  It fits us so much better and is rapidly turning into a small farm.  We have a vegetable garden, three new citrus trees, three new banana trees, an avocado tree, guava tree, mango tree, and a paypaya tree (neighbor’s tree but hanging into ours). 

Apollo's flower garden and Kristen's vegetable garden behind (w fence to keep Ava's bunny out)

Urquhart field - for football American and International

We have two new kittens, a bunny, Weston is searching for a puppy, Kristen is threatening chickens, and we have vervet monkeys that visit from time to time to compete for the fruit.  Fruit bats love the mango tree and make a lot of noise at dusk as they move through it eating.

Backyard monkey

Our guard/gardner, Apollonaire, is very proud of the flower garden he has created at the back of the house and he is starting another beside our front porch.  When not in meetings with clients or my partners, I am often able to sit on the porch working on business plans, etc and enjoying the true beauty of Rwanda, God’s creation and can reflect on how fortunate we are.

Even here I often find myself disappointed in my attitudes, judgmental tendencies, impatience, selfishness and inability to act in the way I desire.  As I often say – it’s as if I fall into the worst version of myself – all my negative habits or tendencies overwhelming me, and ironically most often on the days when I’ve determined to be my best.  It’s a great lesson that my will (power) and efforts on my own are worthless.  Without a dependence on Jesus to live through me, I will fall into a nature that is more about me than Him or others.  These times (like now) on our porch are special and give me a chance to stop, pick up and start fresh.  I’m encouraged by Romans 7:19 , as even Paul, the great apostle, writes, “For what I do is not the good thing that I desire to do; but the evil thing that I desire not to do, is what I constantly do.”

My point is that despite moving to Africa, being surrounded by need and having the mission, opportunity, and the desire to be a help to the poor, to give to the needy, to be a friend to the friendless, it isn’t automatic.  “Wherever you go, there you are..”  so it is a constant need to be on guard and pray for strength and encouragement not to become cynical, or untrusting of people when I’m let down, and to be grateful, more than ever, that no matter my faults and failures, God loves me and has a plan to use everything for His good.

September…Octoberish (It’s all starting to blur…)

Another reason I’ve been slack on the blog is that I have responsibility for our Karisimbi Partners monthly newsletter.  As hectic as things have been both professionally and personally over the past two months ramping back up after the summer, I found myself allowing the newsletter to replace my blog updates.  That is not nearly as fun, as I always have at least one experience per day that falls into the “this would make great blog fodder” category.  Over the past month the car gremlins have returned and we have had the car in the shop about 5 times (with a blown tire or two thrown in just to keep it spicy).  I spend very little time in the car these days, instead using the motorcycle quite a bit.  Dressed up on a motorcycle is not the greatest, but it still beats riding in a car without air conditioning.  Although when you pass through a dust cloud following cars on a dirt road it is not fun.  It is fun to have the kids jump on the back and take them around to various activities.  Ava was the most hesitant on the first ride, and if she had been any stronger she would have made me black out from lack of oxygen – she held on to me so tightly.  They are all pros now and view it as a special treat.  Kristen on the other hand, leans forward to tell me from time to time “um, reminder: you have precious cargo behind you…maybe a bit slower?”  Rats.    The best was a recent ride taking her up to school for her to work in the library. Racing along, we hit the halfway point which is a major traffic intersection and I weaved to the front and stopped at the light.  She complimented me on my advanced driving skill, the light turned green, and I promptly stalled the bike at the head of the line of traffic.  Awesome. 

We have a great men’s Bible study going on Wednesday mornings that includes Carter, Dano, Macgregor and another friend Mark Thiessen.  We are using the book Prodigal God by Tim Keller as our study focus and it has been really great.  Although not yet through it, I highly recommend it, and its driven some great dialog and discussion for us.  We meet most often on Carter’s front porch and this is another time when I feel so grateful to be in this place, in this time, for this purpose.  It is so much easier to be here than many people believe.  While the decision to leave the traditional life in the U.S. was certainly tough, for myself, I love the lack of distraction, false urgency, and temptation to focus on acquiring “things” and having as much or more than those around me.  By any standard, we are “rich” and it is constantly sobering to see how fortunate and privileged we are.  If you think of the most enjoyable times you’ve ever had, I would guess that you would find and agree that is was related to simple things – the company, a beautiful place, family, friends, laughter, games, etc – and much less to do with money, luxury, and stuff.  Anyway, I wax eloquent – apologies.

• Probably the biggest update to give is the submission of our adoption dossier to the Ministry for the Promotion of Family and Gender. 

After more than a year spending time at the orphanage(s) here we’ve developed a number of special relationships with the children and feel led to welcome a young boy into our family.  This is proving to be another neat experience as a result of our being here and has extended within Kristen’s side of the family, where one of her sisters and one of her brother’s families have also submitted dossiers for adoption from Rwanda.  If all goes well there will be three Rwandan children at our family get togethers!

Admittedly, I’ve had some “I didn’t sign up for this!” moments in September.  We have had some good and bad work “adventures” over a very short time in the past month.

In the consulting world, while you shoot for consistency, it tends more towards a “feast or famine” scenario – worried that there isn’t enough work and then overloaded with more than you can reasonably handle.  September has been like that and October isn’t feeling much better.

Motivated by an urgent request from the Prime Minister, we ended up being requested by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade & Industry to complete (in 3.5 days) a strategic assessment of a struggling business and evaluate whether the Government of Rwanda should financially intervene to eliminate debt and invest in future growth.  As I communicated in our monthly newsletter:

The company is the only pyrethrum factory and refinery in Rwanda (one of 6 in the world), which represents potential impact to 12,000 farmer households.  Pyrethrum is a natural plant oil derived from the pyrethrum daisy, and its extract forms the base for ‘green’ insecticides protecting people, crops and animals.  It is only able to grow in unique high altitude conditions such as Rwanda provides.  The work required two days onsite up north to Ruhengeri, consultations with experts around the globe, review of 35+ documents and reports, and a few all nighters, culminating in an assessment and recommendations report. At four a.m. packed in Dano’s office, on a caffeine high, it felt like we were back in college cramming for a final. 

Here’s a side note of my exotic work life: I drew the short straw to go out to see the pyrethrum fields and evaluate the farms.  I started the trip near a cave, and while waiting for a second car, wandered down into the cave mouth  – and found an unexploded anti-tank gernade.  Oops.  We had to wait for security to be called to dispatch it. I walked back to get in the car and one of the men graciously opens the door for me.  Aw, how nice.  I slide in. He slides in.  The door on the other side opens.  Another guy slides in. Trapped. This was a 3.5  hour drive with me squeezed between two large Rwandan men in the small back seat of a Hilux, riding the hump over the worst road you can possibly imagine.  It’s made of volcanic rock and you would swear it is impassable by modern transportation.  And yet – somehow – it is.  Bone-jarring doesn’t even begin to describe it. Congo is just 2 km beyond the fields and the active volcano, Nyamuragira, could be seen smouldering in the distance.

Active volcano cross the border in Congo

Two days later, back in Kigali, we worked 18-20 hour days right up until the due date when we finished at 5 a.m., slept til 7 got up and finalized it til 11 for a 12 noon meeting at the Ministry to present it.  We had committed to our families two weeks prior to get away to Lake Kivu by 1 p.m. that day (a Friday) since the kids had a half day of school.  We were exhausted but on schedule, feeling great based on the Permanent Secretary’s feedback and basking in our glory – right up until he said “Great – now if you can just turn this into a slide deck for me over the weekend and be ready to present it to the Prime Minister on Monday by 10.  Awesome.

We went to Kibuye as planned and had a good time, but this presentation was weighing on my mind – particularly as I am the designated Microsoft Powerpoint “slide jockey” of our group. 

Sunset at Moriah Hill, Kibuye, Rwanda

Lake Kivu - Kibuye, Rwanda

We returned to Kigali on Sunday and I started in on the presentation using my typical Microsoft style – working late into the night.  We took it in to review with the PS again (as the Prime Minister meeting was, surprise, surprise – postponed), and it turns out that he wanted a presentation that could be given in 10 min – 15 tops.  Minor detail we were not given the first go round. Brutal.  Given the importance of this company bailout request involving millions of dollars I figured this needed to be thorough.  Instead we did our second late night – reworking the entire presentation until 2:30 a.m. and then showing up for me and Dano to present it to the Prime Minister and the cabinet at 8:00 a.m. Five minute before the start of the meeting the Prime Minister says he wants the PS to do the presentation (to prove he knows and owns the material) and we are requested to wait outside so that he has to do it alone.  This was a huge bummer for us, but it worked out okay.

We are proud to have been instrumental in convincing the Prime Minister to support and intervene to save this strategic business. This is exactly the type of work we came here to do (albeit in a more reasonable timeframe), we are excited by both the impact of the work, and the opportunity to play a continuing role in the development of this sector. 

Incidentally, the PS has contacted us to do the same thing urgently for two more companies, based on how well this project went.  Kill me now. This work pace feels familiar and not in a good way.

We are also engaged with two other clients on an ongoing basis – starting an IT company and working with an industrial bakery, plus have another new client deadline of completing diagnostic reports for 4 agricultural businesses by the end of October.  Uncle!!

Lastly, we were set to climb our namesake, Mt. Karisimbi in the Virunga (volcanic) mountain range in the north of the country the first weekend in October, but it was called off.  I have to say I was both looking forward to it and dreading it.  It’s 14, 787 ft and described as more difficult a climb than Kilimanjaro.  The guides we were going with said – “Well, we can go ahead and go now but we recommend postponing to January”.  Bummer – why?  “Well, we can still do it, but it’s snowing up top, raining daily below now, temperature is 0 centigrade, and at 12,000 feet we will pass through a bog of mud up to our knees”.  Uh – January sounds fine to me.

Mt Karisimbi with snow

Okay enough already.  I will get on a more frequent update schedule…… (but don’t hold me to it).

Dano and Jennifer recently welcomed (two months back) their new adopted Rwandan son, Nathanael, into their family and the larger Karisimbi Partners clan.  Last month they had a traditional Rwandan naming ceremony celebration at their house and it spontaneously turned into a dance party with the local neighborhood kids who had been invited to attend.  Here’s a snippet of us getting down..

It was a great time and its exciting to know that one of the many orphans now has a great home and family.  Kristen continues to go twice a week to the orphanage here in town (Home of Hope) to volunteer and spend time playing with the kids.  As a family we go out to a branch of the orphanage (Home of Joy) that is about two hours outside of Kigali towards Tanzania, to spend time with the special boys that we have gotten to know over the past many months and who were moved from the Kigali orphanage out to this one in Kibungo.  According to the Sisters there, we are pretty much the only visitors that come out there, so we love the opportunity to hang out with the kids and just play.  Our own kids have their special guys they link up with and always want to just pile them in the car and bring them on home with us.  We were out there yesterday and all the boys were lined up getting their heads shaved.  It was pretty amusing.

Closer to home, there are three orphan girls that are regular visitors at our house as they live just down the road in a shanty town.  The girls come several times a week and lay down outside the wall so they can yell “Kristina!!” over and over under the gate until Kristen comes to let them in. For whatever reason they just can’t say Kristen – it has to be “Kristina” so at this point we just go with it. 

Simbi (2) Chantal (12) and Dina (4)

 They are looked after by their aunt, who has HIV and is rarely able to find work.  It is a very, very difficult situation and Kristen has gone to see them where they stay.  It is a mud wall room about the size of a large closet with no windows.  The girls, Chantal (12), Dina (4), and Simbi (2) stay there with the aunt and the aunt’s uncle who is also very sick and unemployed.  They sleep five in a row on the floor.  When Kristen was there, the older uncle asked Chantal (who speaks passable English due to an NGO American school that used to be in the area) to translate for Kristen to “ take Chantal home with us to America, as they didn’t want her and couldn’t feed here anymore”.  Imagine being told to deliver that message about yourself. 

Kristen let them know that we live here and were not going back to America, and that Chantal was a bright and special girl that had a great future ahead if she continued to go to school.  We have been able to help cover Chantal’s school fees and uniform costs, etc to ensure she could continue to attend school, and we are very proud of her.  She is very smart and ranked second in her class. 

She likes to read with Kristen and our kids, and one of the books Kristen provides is a children’s picture bible.  When Kristen asked Chantal which story she would like to read, Chantal slowly looked through the book and finally stopped at the story of Leah, which was titled – The Girl No One Wanted.  Heartbreaking.

The girls come by to play, and read, and sometimes for food when they have none at home, and the aunt has come by for medicine when too sick to work.  It is a hard life – particularly for Chantal who is responsible for caring for the younger ones too.  Recently they were over at the house when I came home from a client meeting and little Simbi was running naked around the courtyard with one of our dishrags around her waist (when she wasn’t waving it over her head or leaving it behind on the ground).  Apparently they decided to wash her clothes in a tub and it turned into a full bath session.  I remember driving into the scene thinking – Is this legal??? I’ve got these random kids running naked around my house!!

Another funny pastime we’ve picked up is tracking the T-shirts on folks around Rwanda.  Countless second-hand clothes are donated to Africa and we enjoy seeing the funny scenarios that result.  When you are in one of the poorest countries in the world, you really understand that clothes are necessity and not luxury items, and of course, T-shirts from America mean nothing to many of the people here who don’t speak English.  So, here are some of my recent favorites:

• 18 year old guy wearing “World’s Best Grandma”
• Another Rwandan guy wearing “Kiss me I’m Irish”
• Roadside fruit vendor with a basket of avocados on her head wearing “Professional Princess”
• Another middle-aged man sporting “I Shop Til I Drop”

Last weekend we decided to head south with the Crocketts and Magruders to explore Kibuye, a small town on the shores of Lake Kivu.  It was spectacular.  It’s about two hours from Kigali and the views are amazing all along the drive.  As always the switchbacks and lack of guardrails around curves with steep drop offs are a bit scary – more so when cars try to pass on blind turns and you come around a corner facing a bus, etc…  We’ve seen some pretty awful accidents on these trips out of town.  But, we made it without incident and spent a great couple days swimming in the Lake and exploring the islands.  Here are a few pics that will give a feel for the area.  It feels really remote and untouched, and is like paradise. 

Kibuye, Rwanda Lake Kivu

On the water, Lake Kivu

We visited Napolean’s Hat Island, home to thousands and thousands of giant fruit bats.  We hiked up into the trees where they literally “hang out” and scared them into flight – it was an amazing spectacle.

Bats - BIG bats

Bats on Napolean's Hat Is. looking back at Kibuye

Bats getting closer

Dive bombers....

The lake was ours...

Ella and Marcet on Amahoro Island

Staple Rwandan cuisine - Brochette

Ava at Amahoro Island

Helping Weston lay claim to "Westonia" Island

King(s) of the Hill... all 30 ft of it.

Millipedes in Africa - watch where you step!

Carter and I traveled to Nairobi for a few days research earlier this month, talking with experts in the leather processing industry in Kenya.  I’m now informed enough to be dangerous with terms like “crust”, “wet blue” ”retanning” and “beamhouse.”  It was an interesting trip and will help us wrap on a major project we have undertaken related to a business here in Rwanda.  

Back in Kigali, work has been a series of ups and downs, highs and lows.  We were partners in a Rwandan Investment Forum put on by the Commonwealth this month as well, and that was another good opportunity to connect with businesses and leaders that have a real impact in the country.  We have some great work and projects going on, and then others that are consistently unpredictable.    In particular, we have had a disappointing time making progress with a tomato paste company that supports thousands of farmers throughout the country.  We’ve extended ourselves in every way we can to help this company restart on a new path, but it seems the investment and financing needed are not going to arrive soon enough to allow us to capitalize on the final and critical growing season this year.  It’s a tough blow after all the effort we’ve put into it, and more importantly, given the impact it has on so many people.  But, if there is one thing I’ve learned about life here and God’s timing – expect the unexpected.  So we’ll see! 

In some ways, we can already see how this could be a blessing, given that our work load and available time are in conflict, so perhaps this will allow us to stay balanced.     To that end, we have had a young 2008 Pepperdine business graduate, Travis Noland, join us here in Kigali, raising his own support to be here, and serving in the role of Business Analyst for Karisimbi Partners.  He will be a huge help to us managing all the research required in working with our various clients in many different sectors. 

Kristen ran in a 5K fun run today as a kick-off to the Kigali 1/2 and full Peace Marathon.  As usual, the event was on “Africa time”, and the runners stood in the sun at the starting line for over an hour past the start time…  But she had a good time running with a friend and we husbands cheered them across the finish line.  Then Kristen and I realized we were stuck with the Landcruiser inside the race barrier and had to drive (the only car to do so) in the middle of the marathoners to get ourselves out of the course.  Embarrassing to say the least!

Speaking of cars – the lastest adventure involved getting rear-ended by a big dump truck with Ella and Ava  in the back.  Fortunately the guy braked and it was relatively minor damage – just had to replace the spare tire cover.  Just another normal day  

I’m struck, as always, by how much (actually little) we really need - to be content and fulfilled.  One of the greatest things for me about being in Rwanda, is how important relationships are, how much joy is really tied to serving others, and how little importance “things” really have to happiness or fulfillment.  A young woman, Katie Davis, living and working in Uganda, who has adopted 15 girls herself, challenged readers of her blog to listen to a sermon series called “Radical” delivered by a pastor in Birmingham, AL named David Platt.  As a Christian they are really convicting and inspiring messages, and I highly recommend them.  They in turn remind me of several quotes by C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite authors, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”  Also, “Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours.”  And lastly, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” 

All the best from Rwanda!  – G

I’ll start on a low note and try to end more upbeat.  Our former guard, Evariste, after throwing himself on the mercy of the court and all our efforts to intercede on his behalf, was given a reduced sentence.  Which in most circumstances would be a great thing, but unfortunately here means that the eight years in prison they gave him was reduced to three.  We were crushed and are so sad for his wife and family (5 children still at home) who are now left with no support.  We are supporting the wife and children each month, but I cannot imagine the anguish Evariste must feel to be locked away from them.  I tried to go see him at the prison but was turned away.  Afrika told me it was because they would not want a Muzungu to see the conditions of the prison.  I made it inside before being turned back, and let’s just say you do NOT want to be there.  Ever.  

Consequently, we spent quite a while at home without a guard, which had the locals worried on our behalf, and we finally hired a new guard – a great young guy named Apollonaire, with a wife and daughter, and who speaks no English and no French.  So, as you can imagine our interactions consist of the 6 Kinyarwanda words/greetings we know and a lot of smiles and charades.  He is a great guy and his smile is enormous and infectious.  He joins in the jump roping sessions our kids do on the front porch with some of the local kids, and sings the Kinyarwanda version of church songs as he works outside to match Kristen’s English when she is singing around the house. (Windows and doors are always open given the weather.)

The first week he was hired, he really wanted to demonstrate what a great worker he was and was diligently doing extra things like washing the car before we left for school.  About four days in he came to Afrika to say “I have a problem”.  Afrika in turn came to Kristen to say, Apollonaire has a problem but he is afraid to tell “the boss” (that’s me).  Afrika, who struggles with English, said: “you know how you feel if a lion is walking toward you?” And Kristen said: “You mean scared?”  Afrika: “Yes. The boss is like a lion.  Apollonaire has something to tell the boss but he is scared – can you do it?”  Kristen: “No way.  But tell him don’t worry – this lion roars, but doesn’t bite.”  So Apollonaire came to me with the English phrase Afrika gave him: “I have a problem.”  Exhausting his English he motioned me to follow him and then pointed to the hood of the car, where he had used a cloth, with a sharp pebble lodged in it, to clean the hood.  As you can imagine the hood now looks like Ava climbed up on it and went to town creating an abstract work of art in the paint job.  Awesome.

The lion didn’t roar.  I was speechless.  Wow. It was a great lesson and test for me on what really matters in the grand scheme of things.  It’s only a hood, it’s only a hood… I was repeating it to myself in my head….. what kind of witness am I going to be about this?  Deep breath.  “Wow.  Okay, that’s unfortunate.  Let’s go to school.”  Just another day in Africa!

Speaking of learning English, Kristen had a good example of one of the many amusing English lessons she gives to Afrika on a daily basis (in return he forces her to improve her Kinyarwanda).  We are in the rainy season and having the short big storms that come every other afternoon or so.  They were driving along and watching the lightning and thunder show.  Afrika says “What do you call that sound?” Kristen: “Thunder.”  Afrika:  “And the other part is freaky.”  Kristen:  “You mean lightening?” (He had overheard Weston comment on a previous episode of sheet lightening and say “That was freaky!”).  “It’s not called freaky, it’s called lightening.”  Afrika:  “What does freaky mean?  Kristen: “Well, it’s kind of like when you feel scared because you see something strange or unexpected.”  Afrika: “So I say – I am freaky?” Kristen: “Uh no. It’s like if you saw a ghost or something.”  Afrika: “What’s a ghost?” Kristen: “Well, like in a movie if you saw someone that you knew was dead and then they were alive again.”  Afrika:  pause…  “So Jesus is freaky!”

Cancer.  A word that universally brings dread.  Back in February, Kristen found a lump in her breast and my mind started racing.  Good thing we were in a familiar environment and had easy access to a crack medical team!  Oh, wait, that’s right…..

I started calling around to see what more experienced locals recommended.  Here is what I got: “Better get out of Kigali.”  Nice.    We decided to try to get an initial consultation with the local top recommended doctor.  We waited an hour past our appt time and then had a less than reassuring (but very amusing) diagnosis: “It seems small, my machine is broken, you should go to the hospital, but, their sonogram machine is broken too.”  Excellent.  Called the hospital and he said: “Maybe it will be fixed this week…(pause) or maybe next week.”  Time for Plan B.

So, we caved in to pressure from worried friends and family and made arrangements to go to Kenya to a missionary hospital that was recommended.  We are on a budget and so were glad to have a good recommendation for a longstanding hospital that had the ability to do all the necessary tests, etc.  It was located an hour outside Nairobi in a town called Kijabe.  Sounds great – let’s go.  Kristen and I headed out, met a taxi, and headed for Kijabe.  As we drove out of modern Nairobi and headed for the bush, I started to have my first misgivings…. Hmmmm – leaving the skyscrapers and city for a town with carts pulled by donkeys. 

View of the Rift Valley on road to Kijabe, Kenya

 We pulled up to the guest house in Kijabe to find the electricity was out and no record of us coming.  “Why don’t you walk to the hospital and see if they are ready for you?  We can’t do anything for you until the power is back.”   No problem, we had an appointment for that afternoon anyway, and so wandered down the dirt road to the hospital. 

AIC Hospital, Kijabe, Kenya

 Let me say, that my misgivings are growing rapidly at this point.  We have flown here for top medical attention and there are about 10 shops in a single row on a dirt road and that is literally the entire town.  There is one restaurant and it is a 12 x 12 room.

We walk into the hospital jammed with people, wander around trying to find the right place, and after several misses end up in the right waiting room.  We explain who we are to the nurse/receptionist there, and she in turn explains to us that the doctor we are there to see, has no appt record for us, and is not there.  Excellent.  He is called and we are told he won’t be back today, to come back in the morning.  We wander out to the hospital cafeteria for our next adventure in eating in Africa.  I’ll spare the details, but let’s just say it’s a good thing the hospital is close.

Given we had been denied our scheduled appointment time (which was continuing to rapidly deteriorate my confidence in the decision to come to Kenya for “top” treatment) we decided to walk into town to see the sights.  Given the size of the town, about 60 seconds later that was done. Okay, I’m exaggerating but not by much. Given all that extra time I was tempted to get a haircut.  I mean, how can you resist a salon like this! Who doesn’t want to “look smart” with a ”Ghetto Haircut”

Ghetto Haircut - Look "Smart"!

We wandered back to try to check in again. Still no power. Excellent, good thing it’s getting dark!  They gave us our key and pointed out where we could find our room.  We went in to a room the size of a single prison cell, no bathroom (outside, shared with the folks in the room next to us) and two single beds. Nothing else. At least it was painted a bright cheerful yellow and we’ve certainly stayed in worse. Okay, time to race back to the town restaurant, before the warden shuts us in.  We walk back into town and into the one restaurant, Mama Chiku’s.  Four tables, everyone shares space, no menus, just a big plate of whatever they are cooking that day. It was tasty and costs about $2.  The power was on when we arrived and it was the two of us crammed back in one corner and then about 12 locals in all the other seats.  We couldn’t get out without having other folks move.  So of course the power goes out again.  No one even reacts, someone just flips on a dim flashlight and stands it on one end on a table and everyone keeps eating.  Classic Africa.

When we exit the restaurant, it is dark. As in DARK. The stars are amazing in a night sky like that and we began feeling our way back down the dirt road.  If anyone had seen us we would have been arrested for public drunkenness the way we were weaving, stumbling, laughing and falling off the side of the road.  Finally, a single car went by going our direction and we both took off running after it, trying to keep up with the light from the taillights to see our way, and eating a load of dust for dessert. But you know, it was one of those hilarious, ridiculous moments that are already a great memory even as they are happening.  Made it back to our room, waited our turn for the bathroom, and then watched a comedy film on my laptop to keep our minds off the more serious medical stuff scheduled for the morning. 

We had been told by the Dr. that depending on the tests required, potential surgery to remove the lump, etc. we should allow for 4 – 5 days.  That was a bummer, particularly with the kids back in Kigali and us feeling badly about Aunt Erin and Uncle Levi in the position of managing the three of them.  We walked into the waiting room for our 9 a.m. appt and the nurse said we were late. “But it’s not yet nine.” “The doctor was here at eight.” “But you told us to come at nine.” “I will call the doctor – You will have to wait.” But of course. :-)  At long last the Dr. came in, an American that was highly recommended and whom we really enjoyed.  It was funny, how Africanized he had become in the three years he had been there – as in, casual approach to things.  First we talked about the various test available to determine the severity of the lump, malignant or benign, options for needle biopsy, mammogram, ultrasound, etc, etc. Kristen is a pretty bottom line type of person.  “How long will the tests take, and will you be sure of results?”  Dr: “Well, it will take a day or two and I would be 95% sure.“  Kristen: “And could you just take it out completely right now?” Dr.: “Sure – then we would be 100% sure.” Kristen: “Take it out.”  Dr.:  “Give me a few minutes to collect my equipment, etc and we’ll do it now.”  Wow – they don’t mess around here.  We are in an office, and staff and others are coming in about every two minutes or so.  The doc has Kristen behind a half curtain for the exam, and these people keep barging in to collect files or ask when the room will be free.  Kristen is on the other side of the curtain (prepped for surgery as it were) saying to the Dr. “You mind if we close the window curtains given the workmen outside.” HELLO!! He has his instruments set up and scalpel in hand when he says “Hey Greg, mind giving me a hand, this isn’t really regulation, but I forgot the betadine – can you pour it for me.  I come around the curtain and he has no gloves on, a moth is circling the light he has aimed over the surgery area, the scapel is poised, and people are continuing to barge in and ask questions every few minutes. Why shouldn’t I join in, I’ve seen doctors on TV before    Long story longer, Kristen was a champ, never made a sound, and we were out of there and heading back to Nairobi within 2 hours.   Problem removed and tests of it showed it was benign and nothing to be concerned about.  Just another adventure!

On the business side, we have had our fair share of excitement as well over the past two months.  The most recent that you may have seen me comment on in our last Karisimbi Partners Newsletter referenced this seemingly “hero investor” from Belgium who was intent on taking on and building up several of the businesses we have been working with here.  In particular, one agricultural processing business we have been working with since the fall, and which supports thousands of farmer families’ livelihoods, was a primarily target for his investment.  This would serve as a fantastic capital infusion to help put the company on firmer ground and set it up for future success.  The farmers had not been paid what was owed them for over 5 months, and had been burned by different promises that did not come true over the years.  We had completed a two month feasibility study and plan for the current shareholders, and were hired by this new majority investor, who was brought in by one of the shareholders, a well known Rwandan figure, businessman and former politician.  He is a great friend, advisor and client to us as well, and the Belgian investor attached himself to this Rwandan via a family connection, and was consequently introduced all over the business community and within the government.  We worked to get things in place for restructuring the company, getting new equipment, paying the farmers, and proposing partnership agreements with the government and development banks to support the success of this business which affects so many lives. 

Red flags started appearing after a month and half of working with this man, and upon digging deeper into his claims and the documents he had provided to validate his background and financial situation, everything fell apart.  He turned out to be a con man that was wanted in Turkey and in his home country, and had been working an elaborate plan to resell shares in the companies he was pretending to take majority positions in, receive down payments from the various people he was targeting, while delaying providing the actual money for his own equity positions.  As the French speaker on our team, I was the one who spoke directly with him most often and served as translator for my partners.  As such, once our advisor and friend realized he had been tricked, we began to involve the police, Interpol, and the local Criminal Investigative Division (CID) here in Rwanda, and in our interactions with the Belgian investor, kept up our own charade that we were unaware of his fraud, in order to buy time for the evidence case file to be put together.  That took about a week and I was sure he was going to realize we were all acting differently and was going to run.  Our advisor assured me that all the borders and airport had been notified to stop him if he did, and then a formal request was sent to him from CID asking him to come into the station to answer questions the next morning at 8:00.  He called me as if nothing had happened asking if I had been able to secure the signing authority he needed on the company bank account.  I could hear he was in the car and I knew he was likely heading for the border or airport.  Sure enough, he was heading for the airport and was picked up there.  That was a month ago now and he is now (still) secure in a Rwandan prison. 

I will admit to feeling a bit sorry for him now (having seen that environment) but also feeling a satisfaction that justice was served.  I have left out many of the sordid details of his schemes, but suffice to say, he has damaged the lives and businesses of people in many countries. Just an example, he claimed to be the owner of a large meat processing company in Belgium that he had agreed to sell for $30 million (proceeds to fund his investments here). In reality, he was an recent employee of the company (which was a smaller family owned business – husband/wife/2 daughters) and was hired 6 months previously to represent them as a business development representative in Africa arranging contracts for their products. They lost over $2 million dollars through fake orders he claimed to have arranged for new clients in Rwanda, and were on the verge of bankruptcy. I would have much more respect for him if he just robbed a bank vs manipulating and exploiting people (especially the already impoverished).  Needless to say – we worked for “free” given that reality, (ouch) and are again working hard with the original shareholders to restart the work, secure a true investor, and move forward with rebuilding the company.  Two words:  Never dull. 

Lastly, my folks came to visit us here over the past two weeks (Easter break) after spending 8 days working at an orphanage in Kenya.  It has been great having them here and we headed into Uganda (also with the Crocketts & Fletchers) for a long weekend to do some glorified camping on Bushara Island in Lake Bunyoni.  

Lake Bunyoni, Uganda

Doug + Polly Urquhart, Lake Bunyoni

Boat to Bashara Is., Lake Bunyoni

Sunset from Bashara Is., Lake Bunyoni, Uganda

 If you wanted a hot shower, you ordered a jerry can of boiling water about 4 hours before you want it to be delivered (then add an extra hour or so cause it’s Africa ;-) ) which is poured into a giant “watering can” shower. 

"Watering Can" Shower

 It was awesome.  They got to experience daily life (like paying too much to fix the car yet again, and replacing a dead washing machine bought new 6 months ago with another new overpriced option. Awesome.), and do a 1 day safari drive one weekend as well. My mother went back to Kenya for another 8 days at the orphanage, and my father was supposed to head back to the states 5 days ago, but the Iceland volcano has kept him prisoner to our hospitality for an extra week.  We had another grenade attack in Kigali while they were here (that makes three in two months) and the tension seems to be building with the new presidential election coming in August, but hey we trust God and don’t worry.  This still feels like the safest place in Africa. 

Work is moving quickly and we love the variety of our clients, opportunities, and surroundings.  Example: We went on a field visit to the Southern province to view some coffee washing stations and a honey production facility, including the bee keepers on the edge of Nyangwe forest.  We get out of the car to hike up to see the traditional hives, and the bees are already visible and present as soon as we step out of the car.  Our guide looks at me and says: “Oh, short sleeves,  – you don’t have a jacket?  Unfortunate  -  African bees are aggressive.  This way!”              Wait, WHAT?! 

We are currently trying to manage our time to address the client opportunities we have in front of us (a good problem). The roller coaster continues and if anyone is feeling their own job is boring and wants to take a short term trip to lend some expertise in Rwanda just let me know  

 I think this picture from Lake Buyoni sums up my feelings about this experience:

Just make the leap, do something out of the ordinary, it’s a bit scary, certainly exciting and fun, requires letting go of the safety rope, and trusting God that the landing will be safe!  

Leap of Faith!

 To that end – I’ve never felt closer in my walk with Christ, and that alone makes it all worth it.  Nothing like changed circumstances and living by faith to bring you closer to Him.  And, if we are able to also do good and make a difference here – bonus!