Sunday morning facts and figures.

Rwanda was formally given to Germany as a colonial state in the mid-1800s. Belgium accepted rule over the country at the time of World War I. Rwanda regained its independence in 1962. It's about the size of Maryland with a population of 13 million, the second most populous country in Africa. Predominantly Christian, the Catholic, Pentecostal and Adventist churches are most common.

Rwanda gained its independence in 1962. But the lessons of hatred had been deeply ingrained by then. It was the "tall and lean" against the "shorter, robust" peoples....the Tutsi verses the Hutu. In 1994 a genocide erupted in which millions of people were slaughtered in just 90 days. I hate to say it, but prejudice is found everywhere on this planet. We have a knack for creating differences rather than finding the common bonds that unite us. Not the way God intended it.

As we visited families yesterday that are sponsored by Summit Church, their common bond was the love of Jesus and desire for education. Those kids LOVE school and have grand dreams for their future despite living in extreme poverty. One home had three small rooms, one of which they rented to someone else to enable them to stay there. The room was maybe 10 x12 with three pieces of furniture and seven people. But they were clean and dressed in their very best to honor our visit. So many smiles, and laughter in abundance. Hope seems to fill them in a way that I can't understand. We delivered food packages, consisting of large bags of rice and beans, oil and flour. This will sustain them for a month. And I whine when Albertsons is out of some little thing I want.

I'm on my second cup of coffee (watered down or else the spoon would stand up by itself), then will be off to church.

Breakfast consisted of the Rwandan version of lefsa (for you Norwegians) or tortillas, only sweeter.

And the lovely view of the city from the upper terrace. I sat out there and absorbed the view as I visited with you last evening.