The Rwandan Adventure Continues – Day Two Postscript
The Rwandan Adventure Continues – Day Two Postscript
Here are some visuals that are striking.
A volcano with smoke coming out of two places. It destroyed the city of Goma in the Congo in 2002. I saw homes, built since, upon the cooled lava. Occasionally you can hear gunfire form where I saw the home. I did in 2009. The perpetrators of the genocide continue their work right alongside other thugs in this lawless nation (the Congo).
A man and three sons pushing a bike loaded with five gallons of water up as steep hill. They probably had five miles and twenty hills to go. The things people must do to get “clean” water we wouldn’t call potable.
A man carrying a SUV size battery upon his head. You see woman every day balancing goods and produce upon their heads as they walk. Occasionally men. But a car battery? That’s a first.
A refugee camp. When the genocide people fled the Congo for a variety of reasons. Some were fleeing prosecution. The gig was up and justice was coming. Many fled persecution. Not knowing when the genocide would end, people took up residence in neighboring countries (just like people are fleeing Uganda and Ebola as I type). A great number have remained there since 1994. The violence is now so great there that people are fleeing here to this peaceful country. The camp was probably some 25 miles inside the border half way halfway between Kivu and Musanze.
People navigating mountains on bikes. I know. I know. I have a dear friend who rides regularly. And the hills of Birmingham provide considerable challenge to him. But rarely (actually never) does he navigate 4200 feet in elevation with hundreds of pounds of goods being taken to market or purchased in the market and being brought back home. Did I mention the 53.5 miles in between?
Today I made my way through the Kigali Genocide Memorial once again. It will take a bit more time to put those more somber thoughts together. I posted three photos on Facebook. Those alone are griping. Imagine what it was like to walk over the 259,000 bodies buried there in no more than a couple of acres. The last vault remains open. It was covered in fresh flowers. Man’s capacity for evil is infinite.
Covet your prayers!