The entire IJM Rwanda field office recently went on retreat to Akagera National Park (well, really just the lodge). This part of Rwanda borders Tanzania by a series of lakes and Islands, and is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. We ended the retreat off with team building activities, which was as hilarious as you can imagine. Favorite new French phrases:
Laissez le bon temps roulez! – “let the good times roll”
Je suis une etoille d’or- “I am a gold star”
C’est degoutant- “That’s disgusting”
J’ai besoin de caffé chaque matin- “I need coffee every morning”
Recent discoveries:
A restaurant that serves strawberry sorbet!
How to buy an entire crate of Fanta
That just because you ‘send’ a package doesn’t mean it actually leaves the floor of the post office
That when you are not a clubber in America, you’re probably not a clubber in Africa
Recent thoughts:
IJM Rwanda in its initial months of case work had several successes! I see these people’s heavy burdens. And my easy load, and remember why I wanted to come in the first place.
When I was in training in HQ the intern director had this to say about working for IJM:
“When I first heard about the work we did, I thought ‘I need to work harder.’ Then I thought about my hours, and realized ‘I need to work smarter.’ And finally I realized what I can do to actually help add more goodness and justice and mercy to world. I thought ‘I need to be a better person.’