Road Trip (by Kristen)

Today we took the 7 older kids (Isaac, Fabiola, Innocent, Sande, Lionel, Kayitesi and Marie Rose) on a road trip to see Kibeho. It is a site where The Virgin Mary appeared to three young adults twelve years prior to the Genocide and foretold of its coming. It is considered a blessed site. It also happens to be a four hour drive from Kigali, each way. It also happened to be the day after a torrential rain storm, meaning the last 27km of dirt road would be tough and precarious. Have I mentioned the kids are never in the car more than in 10 minute increments? Despite all these red flags, we ventured off anyway. Might I add, with minimal supplies (two pineapples, 10 mini granola bars, 2 boxes of raisins, 3 bottles of water and a batch of mini bananas. We figured we’d eat along the way. More on that later. In the first 20 minutes, we’d stopped 4 times for bathroom breaks and gas. To fill a quarter tank cost $65 US dollars. Nature supplied the toilets. The drive was beautiful. The farm land is terraced up the mountains and everything is green as we’re in the rainy season. The primary crops were corn, bananas and chai tea. The rural people were thrilled (I think) to see us and would literally run beside the van laughing and yelling. They call us Moozoongoo (white person). In one village the kids had homemade scooters. They were crafted from wood and a grocery cart wheel. Really impressive creativity. We saw many goats, some pigs and a few cows. The pigs live in mini huts (like dog houses) in rows on stilts over water in the middle of crop fields. I asked Sande “Why do pigs live on stilts over water?” and he replied “Because that’s the way it is.” He looked at me like I was stupid. Good answer, I said. The first 2 hours went smoothly, except for one child who unexpectedly vomited in the car on my foot and Donna’s leg. Bless her, she smiled right through it. I, however, dry heaved a few times. Then there was the mad dash for the side of the road for a potty break. Liles couldn’t understand why it was such a stunning revelation that the kids had to pee, but we were never given more than a minute’s notice. Their bodily functions were always a surprise to them and us. After 2 hours of paved roads, the last 27 kms were uphill, windy, muddy and with steep cliffs. Large cavernous holes were abundant. Bridges were crudely built from a handful of logs. I won’t lie. It was exhausting. I don’t know what we were thinking. Keep in mind we’re in THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. Being stuck means…being stuck. Kids did seem to materialize out of the forest whenever it happened. It was oddly reassuring. Once they helped us by laying logs and stones in the holes to help us navigate through. It worked. We were all cheering and high fiving. It was as good as any winning pitch day. Liles decided to get out and run in the mud at one point. I think he was just antsy. Many people smiled but some thought he was odd. Our car cheered him on. The kids loved it. Donna’s snow experience came in handy when she asked the driver to get out so she could maneuver once when we were stuck. We passed prisoners (called Genocide Heirs) working in the fields. They wear bright pink coveralls. Four hours later, we finally arrived. I must add, the kids never complained. I tried to compliment them on that, but they said they didn’t understand the word ‘complain.’ I just smiled. What an amazing thing. They also shared our minimal food so willingly. The two boxes of raisins fed 10 of us. I’m not kidding. Everyone got 5 raisins and said they were satisfied. “Thank you very much” was echoed 7 times. I’m sure the kids were starving as much as we were, but not a peep from them. Liles mentioned it about 15 times though. The Holy site was interesting. At its high point there were many pilgrimages and hundreds of people there with frequency. Today it was mostly deserted. The mission long ago left behind. The church and memorial were beautiful. For Donna this was a special experience. She spent a quiet moment in the chapel saying thanks for her father’s healing two years ago. She got amazingly close to talking to one of the three people who “met” Mary, but the woman had just left. There was a clinic there for those who came for healing. The people were nice and I sensed we were the most exciting thing to happen in quite a while. Liles trekked to find a restaurant and our hosts were gracious. They brought out a plastic basin with a bar of soap and water in a jug. We washed our hands and said a prayer. Then we bought everything. I mean everything. We ate 20 Samosa’s and bought the remaining 18 for the ride home. The chai tea was warm and sweet. The rice and sauce plates were spicy and good. The chips (fries) were yummy. It was a feast for kings.To feed all 10 of us cost $20 US dollars. That included a generous tip. The bathroom out back was another thing all together. It was basically a hole in the ground in a hut. It creaked and the planks were unsteady. It smelled awful. I dryheaved about a dozen times and Donna laughed so hard she nearly peed her pants before entering. Upon departing, we met the owner, who showed us his plans for a new bathroom and outdoor kitchen. They were hard at work. I didn’t have the heart to mention he’d placed the bathroom hut upon higher ground, draining into the kitchen as the waste water flowed down hill. Our last stop at Kibeho was a gift shop. Donna bought a ton of rosaries, candles, charms and other holy items. Kristen bought 4 packages of chocolate cookies and some toilet paper for the ride home. Clearly only one of us is guaranteed a spot in heaven. The ride home was faster. We found a new road down the mountain which took an hour off the trip. I kept wondering where this road was all along. The mud on the road was literally being smoothed by Catapiller machinery on the way. It was as different as night and day. The first road could have been in an episode of Man Vs Wild, while the latter road was nearly civilized. We stopped one last time for chicken feed on the way home (I’m skipping the 5 potty stops bc you get the idea by now). The chicken coop workers live at the coop with the chickens. Not surprisingly, we spotted lots of wine bottles. I’d drink too if surrounded by 2000 chickens for 24 hours a day. Liles pulled a bag of feed from a building with no lights. Dark and remote. Luckily Donna had a headlamp. I don’t know anyone else in my life with a headlamp. While it’s not fashionable, it has come in handy more often than I’d like to admit. After another potty break and a third vomit experience (“are you ok?’ “yes” “are you sure?” “yes…blaaah”), we were back in the car for the final 30 minutes. We couldn’t get the air to work and the car smelled. We were all sweating. It was the longest 30 minutes of my life. Donna and I broke into a fit of giggles. We were both crying from laughing. The kids didn’t understand but were relieved when we explained that we were ok. Ahh, it was a good time had by all. Quite possibly the high point of my day was driving into New Hope Homes at 8pm at night. The gate opened and we were greeted with cheers from 21 kids and 10 adults, all standing in the driveway. Hugs followed, as if we’d been gone a year. We danced to the car radio and shared the remaining chocolate cookies with the smaller kids. It was an outdoor party for 40 minutes. The mommies gave us each a jug of hot water for a bath tonight (Yea!!) and some warm tea. What a homecoming. (See photos below)