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At our church's Halloween/Harvest Party, there is traditionally both a chili and a soup cook off.  Last night I won 1st place in the soup category!  This means I get to keep the ward's 'rotating' trophy for the next year!

I do love to cook and I really love soup.  I have multiple recipes that involve cooking turkey or chicken for many hours before straining and picking the meat off the bones.  Some recipes call for me to make roux or roast peppers in my oven, to chop multiple vegetables, or to make a bouquet garni with fresh herbs.

Shh....don't spread the word about my prize winner!

First you brown a pound of hamburger meat and then add

2 cans of Progresso Minestrone Soup

2 cans of ranch style beans

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1 can of Rotel

Simmer it all together and then add some Italian Seasoning!

That's it!

Simple and easy is often best huh?

When my Aunt Mary Finch was sick in 2008, Mrs. Lucille Nix, a friend of hers, brought this soup to our family.  It was a favorite so she shared her recipe.  I wonder if she had any idea that it would be a prize winner in Eagle, Idaho.

Thanks Mrs. Nix!

 

Woo Pig Sooie!

 

Almost a year ago when it was announced that the Arkansas Razorbacks would be playing Brigham Young University in Provo, we got a call from George's BYU roommate Eric asking if we would like to go to the game.  Of course we did!

Eric and George have been friends since high school (almost 60 years) and were roommates when  George and I were dating.  Eric and I became close friends too.  Eric and his wife Joanne raised their family in California so we did spend quite a bit of time with them when we lived there in 1977-78.  We've only seen each other sporadically since then but you know how it is with close friends, it's like no time has passed since the last time we saw each other. You just step right back into that friendship!

Do I look a little confused?  BYU hat and razorback shirt!  I have been a Razorback fan my whole life but I'm a BYU grad????  No confusion for Eric.  He is a BYU fan through and through.

   While it was overwhelming BYU fans, there were some Razorback fans in the mix.

My plan to cheer for both teams quickly went away as I got caught up in calling the hogs.  I know it might sound weird but it made me feel close to my parents!  They were big Razorback fans.

I loved calling the hogs with the fans that were there but it is much more impressive in the stadium in Fayetteville with close to 80,000 people chanting

Woo Pig Sooie!

Woo Pig Sooie!    Woo Pig Sooie!

Razorbacks! 

Some of my Boyle cousins were also at the game.

Cousin Scott says he cheered for whichever team had the ball!

We had a theological discussion concerning if our parents were able to watch football in heaven.  If they were, then they were calling the hogs.  Or maybe in heaven you do cheer for both teams equally!  One of the mysteries!

Scott's Grandson Will even wore one of the Razorback hats!

And got a photo with Big Red!

Final score BYU 35 - Arkansas 52

I love high scoring games!

What a fun day!

Woo Pig Sooie!

Hotel Rwanda

Did you see the movie 'Hotel Rwanda'? It was released in 2004 and tells the story of the Hôtel des Mille Collines (the Hotel of the 1000 hills)  in Kigali where over 1200 Tutsi men, women and children were saved during the Rwandan Genocide.

The hero of the movie is Paul Rusesabagina who worked tirelessly, putting his own life at risk, to save the people who had sought refuge in his hotel.  One of the actual refuges in the hotel said, "Nobody had been killed, injured, beaten, expelled or retrieved from the hotel during the whole time we were there. Paul managed to do the impossible to save our lives at the moment when others were massacring their own children, their own wives."

The movie has generated both critical acclaim and criticism in Rwanda.  Some say that he extorted money from the people he saved and others say that since the genocide he has been involved in terrorism.  I don't know what is the truth but he is in prison in Rwanda right now.  Possibly this happened because of his opposition to the political leadership in Rwanda but I do know that he was at least part of the reason that over 1200 people were saved.  

On our last day in Rwanda we spent the afternoon at this hotel while waiting to go to the airport.  

It's beautiful...definitely a 4 star hotel.

FYI - the movie was not filmed at this hotel but in South Africa.

We enjoyed a really nice lunch.

And I even had a massage in this little hut.  Very nice before facing the LONG plane trip home!

You can even relax in their gorilla room!

I have a hard time picturing what it must have been like during those 100 days in 1994 - 7 April to 15 July when death was all around them.

Uganda - The Pearl of Africa

My heart is definitely in Kenya.  To be specific I love a dry, dusty area of Kenya near Mombasa just off the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.  The scenery there is desert-like even during times of good rains.  This year when there has been an extended drought, it was extremely dry.

This was in Tsavo National Park.  

The elephants are in the greenest part of the park....and it isn't very green!  Truthfully the elephants were kind of skinny.

The goats and cows in Taru were also looking quite thin.

The lack of the normal rains makes it tough for people to produce enough food.  The majority of the people are subsistence farmers....they grow what they eat.  The norm seems to be one meal a day for everyone.

Just about a thousand miles to the west Uganda seemed like the Garden of Eden.

So green and lush!

Average rainfall in this area of Uganda is 55 - 74 inches per year.

In Taru it is 2.5 inches per year.

For comparison, average rainfall in Portland is 36 inches per year.

In Boise it is abut 12 inches per year.

All that rain does make for some beautiful scenery.

Kenyan Friends

We carry a little piece of each other in our hearts, and that is what we really care about, not this distance. 

It's a great privilege to have so many Kenyan friends!

Let me introduce you to a few of them.

First Joseph Mwengea, the Executive Director of Kenya Keys in Kenya.  Along with Rinda Hayes, he is a founder of this organization that has been such a force for good in the Taru area.

He is one of the most brilliant people I have ever known, with an interest in everything from construction to politics. I honestly believe that he could tell you the life story of each of the 900 sponsored students from the last 17 years.

Every team member who has ever gone to Taru will tell you that Joseph's wife Mwaka is a brilliant hostess, a caring mother, and a truly beautiful person.  Can you imagine preparing food for groups of foreigners who have totally different tastes and preferences from what is normal in rural Kenya?  She does it with grace and a smile.

Everyone falls in love with her!

We all agree that Mwaka is awesome!

Behind Mwaka is Gloria Hope, once a shy secondary student now an African celebrity who ran for political office, went to Cairo to an African Leadership conference and works hard to improve lives of girls and women in Kenya and the Sudan.

It is a privilege to know her.

Mwaka doesn't make our stay in Taru so pleasant all on her own.  Masaika and Rukia also help to cook and clean and wash and make us feel so at home.  These two have also become friends and we love to laugh and have fun together.  They are the two women on either side of me.

Mariam and Ann - both Kenya Keys board members in Kenya.  

Ann is a secondary school principal who has turned Taru Girl's School into something to be very proud of.  The campus is beautiful with new buildings and a verdant garden. The students are happy and achieving great success.

Mariam is a widow who has become a very successful business woman.

Stephen, a formerly sponsored Kenya Keys student, he is a very successful business man in Taru who employs several people.  I love the advice he shared for others who want to be successful in business.

Start small and be patient.

Be consistent and willing to sacrifice.

Look for opportunities

Connect with people

Learn to communicate

A young man who is definitely going places!

Daniel, also a Kenya Keys board member.  He is a pastor who has gone through many hardships but is now studying computer tech and has started a tea shop with his wife.  Their hope is to have a TV so that during the World Cup, customers can come in to drink tea and watch games.  If I were in Taru, I definitely would.

And his little girls are just the cutest!

Halima was also a sponsored student.  During the summer before she started the university, she volunteered at the Kenya Keys Community Library and we became friends.  Now she owns several successful businesses.  I love her mega-watt smile!

Iris - a nurse and a long time friends of Kenya Keys.  Her adorable little girl was abandoned at birth.  A policeman found her naked in a field with the umbilical cord still attached and took her to Iris.  It was that little baby's lucky day to be taken in, loved and cared for by Iris. The little girl's name in Swahili is actually Malaika, which means angel! Iris has some major health challenges but still has a smile and a warm hug for everyone she meets.

Raphael Mangisi - another Kenya Keys board member.  He was the driving force behind the only stand alone library at a primary school in the area.  Anyone who loves books and supports the reading culture is a friend of mine!

Do you see that small man on the right side of the photo in the light colored shirt?  That is Charles, one of my heroes.  He and his wife left their jobs in Nairobi to start an orphanage for AIDS orphans. Currently several of the children were rescued from human traffickers. I admire how he makes the children at the orphanage feel like family. They are his family.

Audrey - We became friends when I met her son way back in 2012.  5th grade James had read every book in the community library. You can read James's story. A great investment  After I met him, he went home and told his Mom that he had a white lady who was his friend.  Now we chat on Facebook and always make it a point to see each other when I am in Taru.  Currently James is  studying water management at the university.

Another good friend is Abdallah Ruwa.  He was the very capable teacher/librarian at one of the primary school libraries.  We got to know each other years ago at library meeting and felt an instant bond because of our dedication to our two religions.  You can read about this first encounter here.  Their Story is my Story

On this last trip I had the privilege of going to his home and meeting his family.  It meant so much to me that he took public transportation from the new school where he now works back to Taru just so I could come over and spend some time with his wife and children.  Abdallah recently got a promotion and now has his dream job teaching humanities at a secondary school about 30 miles away from Taru. 

Such well behaved, friendly children and a wife who is also a teacher!

I consider it a blessing to call them all my friends. 

Last but not least - Joseph Mbotte - our driver and safari guide. 

He stole my heart on my first trip when I arrived alone in Mombasa late at night after 20 hours of travel.  I walked out into the chaos and heat, not sure if someone would be there to pick me up.  As I scanned the crowd, I saw a big smile on a man wearing a Kenya Keys T-shirt!  Trust me when I say that I wanted to hug him! And I have felt that way ever since!

This trip it was a pleasure to introduce George to him and to also be introduced to his wife Mary! She's a primary school teacher/principal so we felt an immediate bond.

Rwandan Genocide Memoriał

 I am almost ashamed to admit that I have very few memories of news reports about what happened in Rwanda in 1994 when about one million men, women and children were murdered.  I don't believe our western press gave us very accurate details about what went on.  I do remember seeing the movie Hotel Rwanda and being horrified.  I also read a couple of books about this atrocity.  I reread one of them Left to Tell to give me some context before we visited the Genocide Memorial in Kigali.

Truthfully I was a bit apprehensive about visiting this site but I also knew that I couldn't miss it on our visit to Rwanda.  It was definitely sobering.

250,000 people are buried here in mass graves.

The graves are under the concrete.

The museum describes the events leading up to 1994 as well as graphic details of what happened.  The actual genocide lasted only 100 days but is one of the most notorious modern genocides.  During this period between April and July, nearly one million ethnic Tutsi and moderate Hutu were killed as the International community and UN peacekeepers stood by. 

Photos weren't allowed inside but I found this one on the internet to give you a taste of what it was like to visit.  These are photos of some of the people who were killed by their neighbors and former friends.

It is worth reading through these 10 steps to genocide to be cautious of some of the polarization that is happening in our society right now.

While the museum was unbelievably heartbreaking, I take comfort in how well Rwanda is doing right now only 28 years later.  It is actually illegal to ask anyone their tribe.  Before 1994, a tribe was designated on every national ID card.

The economy is growing rapidly as is evidenced by all the construction.

Tourism is booming.

The city and countryside are clean.

The people are friendly and seem happy.

I love this symbol at the museum.

It stands for UBUMUNTU or GREATNESS of HEART.  In context of the genocide, this word refers to those who selflessly risked their lives to rescue or help those who were being persecuted.  

We can all be champions of humanity by standing against division wherever we live.  

This sentiment gives me hope.

Kwibuka means to remember.  

This made me think of being at Masada in Israel where the motto is

NEVER AGAIN.

Let that be be true in Rwanda and throughout the world.

Our Three African Sons

 We are blessed with three sons here in USA - Matt, John and Scott.  I feel doubly blessed to also claim three African sons - Tsuma, David, and Clement 

In 2012 on my first trip to Taru, Kenya I met Tsuma Jira.  His life plan was altered because he happened to be wearing a Real Madrid jersey on the day this FC Barcelona fan visited the school where he was a volunteer teacher and that jersey caught my eye.  You can read the story here. La Liga in Kenya. We were proud to sponsor him through his college years.

Flash forward 10 years, Tsuma has now graduated from the University with a degree in Secondary Education specializing in mathematics and physics.  He is teaching at a secondary school, is married and has a two year old daughter.  

His wife has a small business selling food stuff.  As the firstborn of 8 children, according to Kenyan culture, he is responsible for his parents.  Because of his success, he was able to build his parents a house in Taru and has started building his own home.

If anyone ever doubts the value of an education, just look at Tsuma!

Several years later I was again in Taru and was ready to take on a new student as Tsuma had graduated.  We met with a group of young men at the boys's school.  Rinda knew how shy they often are so she reminded them that if they saw any of us on campus, they should tell us hello and talk to us. It is readily apparent who the visitors are!  No blending in here!  Many of these young men had never spoken to a white person before so being courageous enough to initiate conversation was a scary request.  Later that day, I was walking on campus and saw that I was going to pass by one of the young boys we had seen earlier in the day. I literally saw him square his shoulders and prepare to say hello.  We had a short but pleasant conversation.  Later I learned that this was David, a freshman whose widowed mom was no longer able to pay his school fees.  He needed a sponsor.  Again a match made in heaven.

We sponsored David through high school and through college where he obtained a degree in Tourism Management and was an intern for Natural World, the safari company that Kenya Keys uses for all the US teams.  He had a promising future with the company, unfortunately he graduated in 2020 just as the world and the tourism industry fell apart.  Two years later, he still doesn't have a job in his chosen field but because he has an education he has been able to support himself through a series of part time jobs.  Once again, education has contributed to his success. I am sure that when the tourism industry rebounds, he will be employed in his chosen field.

One funny thing about David, he loves my camera and often asks to borrow it for the afternoon.  I gave it to him during the 2019 Girl's Conference.  When I looked at the photos he had taken, my memory card had MANY photos of cute girls!  Boys will be boys!  He took this photo of me meeting his Mom in 2019.

Our 3rd sponsored student, Clement, was one of the founding members of the Save Our Brothers Club which is the group at Taru Boys School who meet to encourage each other to study hard, stay safe from drugs, alcohol and early sex, and to stay in school.   While his test scores qualified him to study engineering, he made the decision to study secondary education with an emphasis in chemistry and physics because he wanted to be able to mentor other young men from humble backgrounds like his.  Impressive young man!

He is in his final year of the university and will graduate in May.  We will be praying that he gets a teaching job quickly but normally it takes several months, or sometimes even years.  While he waits for his dream job, I have no doubt that he will be able to be employed at some type of job to support himself.  Again, education matters.

This is Clement when he received his Kenya Keys laptop computer.  A happy young man for sure!

Kenya Keys motto is 'unlocking potential'!  I have certainly seen the potential in these 3 outstanding young men! I'm happy that we could in some small way help to 'unlock' it!

George in Kenya

 This was my 6th trip with Kenya Keys to Taru, Kenya but it was George's first - and hopefully not his last!

I loved showing him a place that means so much to me and introducing him to people that I love.  

First we did get to play tourist at Haller Park in Mombasa 

And stroll by the Indian Ocean.

Then it was off to Taru to get to work.  We did 90 interviews of sponsored students during the first 2 days that we were there.  It is one thing to read about or hear others tell the students' stories, it is quite another to listen to them describe the challenges in their lives.  I know he learned a lot and has new appreciation for the hardworking Kenya Keys students. And for the staff that coordinates it all.

George's knowledge was invaluable to the two executive directors as they met with the builder who will build the new Kenya Keys Meeting Hall, Library and E-learning Center.  Here we are walking on the land where the new building will be built.

It was a good reminder to me of just how brilliant George Lewis actually is and what a wide breadth of knowledge he possesses. 

Of course he also met with the Kenya Keys staff to streamline the lap-top program that he coordinates from the US side.

He rocked his new African shirt, a gift from one of the staff members.

 He made time to play games and eat ice cream with Joseph's cute boys!

Nothing like a game of 'Go Fish'!

Also loved having him on our 1 night safari at Tsavo East where we saw lions and giraffes and elephants to name a few!

He had lots of technology discussions with the two executive directors.

Most exciting of all he got to meet our 3 sponsored students. 

David - recent graduate in Tourism Management

Clement - in his final year at the university studying to be a physics and chemistry teacher

Tsuma - our first student who is now the head of the mathematics department at the secondary school where he teaches

Like all first time team members, he received a tribal name.  I think this his is especially fitting. It's

Ngao which means, a shield.  That name was selected because of his skills with technology.  He protects Kenya Keys from cyber attacks.

George proved himself to be an invaluable member of Kenya Keys Team September 2022.  

I'm lucky to have such a partner by my side in Kenya and through eternity.