greetings

One thing that we were told on our first walk about town was that greetings are extremely important to Rwandans...when you go to a party, you must greet everyone in the room upon arrival...so when I get to work, it is best for me to do the same. And then you say goodbye to everyone before you leave a place...

Yesterday, the hubbs and I went on a "cultural tourism" outing that Azizi Life is refining as one of their products. We traveled about 10 minutes by car and 30 minutes by foot (down a path that we were not looking forward to hiking back up) to a villiage where a cooperative of Azizi Life weavers live...the women who make up the Abarikumwe Association (meaning, people who are together), were our hostesses for the day.

Our activities included such things like fetching water from the community pipe in large (and small) water containers...carrying rocks (on our heads) to a house that one of the members was building with her family, sharing a meal, and learning how to weave with sisal.

You probably know me well enough to know that the weaving was my favorite part :)

My finished ring! Florida (sp? sounds like "floor ee da"), my teacher, made me a beautiful one as well.

I think my favorite thing about our trip to visit Abarikumwe were all the times we prayed. When we arrived, we prayed. Before we ate, we prayed. And then, before we left, we prayed. I love that. It was as if prayer was their greeting. 

Praying with visiting friends before they set off for home is a beautiful tradition...one that the hubbs and I may want to make our own.

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth