Wednesday June 2nd

Yesterday, Tuesday while taking the taxi to Rwamagana I keep thinking about this hotel in town that is kind of a nice place to go have a cold drink or a meal. Melissa who is one of the other interns with AEE asked me if I wanted to grab lunch. I said yes and we both decide that we would go try out this hotel restaurant that I was thinking about earlier in the day. As we were walking into the restaurant I notice two women looking at me like they knew me. We stopped and introduced ourselves they were from Texas. They hadn’t seen anybody with white skin for 4 or 5 days. The daughter looked like she had been crying a lot. As we talked with them the daughter was to be here for two months teaching a girls school in Rwamagana but was having a real hard time being there. Which I could totally relate to, because a week earlier I was feeling the same way. So, Melissa and I were able to chat with her and her mom for awhile over lunch trying to reassure that she would be ok. We prayed with them for awhile and then they had to get back to the school. I left feeling encouraged and very blessed by the time God gave us to spend with this girl and her mother. The girl is a senior at Texas A&M and was just going to be out here for the summer.

I had lunch with them again today at the same hotel and they told me that she isn’t going stay which made me sad but I get it at the same time. A positive that is coming out of this is that they brought a whole suit case full of food that they are going to give so I am pretty pumped about that. J I spent about 10 minutes this afternoon helping the students cut grass with a machete. I don’t know how they cut grass for as long as they do. My arms are SORE tonight. I then jumped on my good old taxi bus and headed back to Kigali. As I was walking home tonight from the taxi stop I met a man on the side of the road who greeted me in English, which I was surprised about because most people don’t acknowledge me unless I saw something first. I just get starred at a lot which has been uncomfortable but I am learn how to embraces that. Anyways this man introduced himself as Dr. Paul and invited into his home to show this book he was reading so I went in and he showed me his book. I didn’t speak to much English so our time was brief but was encouraged by him making the first move and saying hello. Now I am home and I am about to go have dinner. I am enjoying what little time I have with the students and the teachers at the Center. Thank you for all of your prayers. I have felt them all. I feel God’s presence everywhere I go.

Prayer request: Continued prayer for the Center and the students

Leadership at AEE

Samantha from Texas who will be going home and her mother

My taxi rides

The people I continue to come in contact with

In Him,

Mark Grayson