When we moved to our apartment in Kabgayi, on the grounds of
the Saint Leon Minor Seminary, we were in a much smaller accommodation. The bedroom was just large enough to fit the
bed and a free-standing closet. The
bathroom was very small and up a short flight of stairs from the bedroom, the
living-room/office was about 8 ft. X 15 ft. furnished with very uncomfortable
chairs, and the kitchen was barely adequate.
There was not much sunlight, and there was frequent noise: of farm
animals, pumps and generators, crowds of university students, and church bells.
Some of those students would stand outside our place conversing loudly, and sometimes
idly peer in through our windows. As far
as transportation, we walked a lot at first, but soon we purchased a car. (A
Toyota Corolla, of course. Most of the
vehicles here are Toyotas, even the buses!)
I still walk a lot, while Anne drives the car to the School of Nursing
and Midwifery, where she teaches. Still,
there were many things to be thankful about that living accommodation: it was a
10 minute walk to Anne’s work, the people at the Seminary are very friendly and
went out of their way to make sure we were happy, I could walk to the market,
there was frequently live entertainment of one form or another, and we had
security within the compound. Also, when
compared to the living conditions of the majority of people in this country, we
had considerable material wealth and comfort.
Now, we have moved into a house in the adjacent town of Gitarama
(AKA Muhanga). We have 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms,
(including a 230 square foot master bedroom with attached bathroom), a living
room that measures 18 feet by 21 feet and is furnished with comfortable couch,
love-seat and chairs, dining room with a table that can seat eight, gardens, a wall
around the property, a security guard at night and a woman during the day to
clean, do laundry, and possibly to cook. I can still walk to market, it’s just
in the opposite direction, but our housekeeper does most of our shopping for us
now. So be happy for us: we can afford
to live in this degree of luxury here.
We are most thankful to have all of this luxury, but if I do
not make good use of all that we have, I will commence feeling guilty soon. After all, 98% of the population here (that’s
a guess) have much less. Many families
here live in very small houses made of mud bricks and sleep on mattresses
stuffed with straw. Some have to walk
for hours to get water and carry it home. Some have little or no free time, while others
seem to have little to do.
I seem to have a lot of free time, and I intend to do
something useful with it. I believe that we - all of us humans - are destined
to develop a world civilization in which each of us has opportunities to
develop to a higher degree of functioning than we have seen. I believe that the day will soon come when all
of us will be striving to work together in harmony to accomplish great
things. So, if I am now in a situation
where I don’t have to worry about the basics of life, it behooves me to devote
my life to working at a higher level and striving to contribute towards the
fruition of that advanced civilization. Therefore,
I have a plan to follow, the means to put it into effect, and confidence that
sticking to the plan (which includes quarterly course corrections) will make a positive
difference in many people’s lives. That
plan includes learning the local language, Kinyarwanda. It also includes making friendships around
conversations and shared interests that are meaningful and enlightened. It also
includes keeping you, my friends and well-wishers, posted about what we are
doing. All of it requires prayer,
spirituality, and focus.
