Monday June 14th

Hey Hey

I had an ok weekend. I went out to the Center for Champions on Saturday to help out with keeping an eye on the students because they were short staffed. I ended up playing A LOT of basketball. So by about 2pm I was about done. I was told I could leave so I did because I knew that the World Cup games where going to be starting shortly. I have been watching a lot of soccer which has been fun. I think that my evenings for the next months will be spent in front of a tv watching the games either here at home or at AEE with some of the staff.

Sunday I slept in. I have been super tired at the end of my days. I think the heat, the basketball, the walking, the taxi rides and 150 kids a day saying Teacher!!! Teacher!!! Teacher!!! wears me out. I go to a 6pm service here in Kigali about a 25 min. walk from my house so not too bad. I had a great time in worship this week. The pastor just returned from the states from visiting his daughter and he preached about bring in the word. He gave us 5 steps: Read

Study

Meditate

Memorize

Proclaim

It was good for me hear. After the service Melissa and I decide that we would go visit one of our friends who was feeling down. We just should up at his house unannounced which is the African way. Just show up without being invited. We brought him a cold COKE and watched the second half of one of the World Cup games. He was very thankful for our visit.

Monday (today) was up early to go to devotionals at AEE. Today Melissa taught me how to take the taxi’s into town if I ever needed to go to town on my own. We went to Bourbon coffee to have well some coffee and I had some fresh banana bread. So good!!! We then went to buy some stuff for the Center. One of the projects that the high school team will be taking on when they get here is painting the outdoor basketball courts lines. So today I bought a small thing of paint to do some test on the court to see what it would look like. We finally got out to the Center and everybody was like” you guys are late!!!” I was thinking” I don’t really report to anybody so NO I am not late.” The Center needed some papers taken back to AEE and they needed them there by 5pm so that only gave me a short time at the Center today. I grabbed a COKE on my way to the taxi and like 10 guys were crammed in this little gas station mini mart watching the Netherlands game. Wherever there is a tv people are watching the game here. I wish I could have stayed to just watch with them. At this gas station mini mart I also found some Dill Pickle flavored Pringles. AMERICAN FOOD!!!! I was so pumped so I bought a can. Lately I keep thinking about all the different kinds of American food that I miss. I got to AEE by 4:30pm handed over the paper work that I had been asked to deliver and then watched the second half of the Japan/Cameroon game with some of the AEE staff. I am now home watching the Italy/Paraguay game and waiting for the water to heat up so I can take a warm shower.

I am enjoying my time very much. My girlfriend put together a box of encouraging notes from some of you and they have been very help for me when I have been missing home or if I am feeling like I don’t know why I am here. SO…THANK YOU for all the support. I am very blessed. I already have some great friendships with the students at the Center and I still have 4 plus months. I am very excited about what God is doing here.

Prayer Request: Prayer for AEE staff and leadership

Prayer for the students at the Center

Prayer for the upcoming elections

Prayer for a girl from the UK who goes to my church, she has Malaria and has been feeling super sick. So prayer for healing. Jenny is her name.

My taxi rides J

In Him,

Mark