Brooke Fraser - Albertine video

My super cool friend Kelcy sent the group I went to Rwanda with this link to a music video done by Brooke Fraser. I absolutely love this song (and her)! I just bought her new album and definitely recommend it! A review from Watchfire Music says, "Much of the inspiration for the album came after a 2005 trip to Rwanda when she met Albertine, a young orphan girl who was heroically saved from genocide by a fellow Rwandan. Brooke stated, 'Albertine is alive today because of the selfless, sacrificial love of another. Funny thing is, so am I [referring to Jesus]. And I know I want to know what it’s like to love other people like that, so I have decided to spend my whole life on the experiment.'" What beautiful words! I felt totally inspired by this song, and it was so cool to see scenes from Rwanda where we visited a few weeks ago! Enjoy!

Lyrics:

I am sitting still**I think of Angelique**Her mother's voice over me**And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent**And on a thousandth hill**I think of Albertine**There in her eyes what I don't see **With my own**Rwanda**[Chorus]**Now that I have seen**I am responsible**Faith without deeds is dead**Now that I have held you** In my own arms**I cannot let go 'till you are** No no, yeah**And I am on a plane** Across a distant sea**But I carry you in me**And in the dust on, the dust on, the dust on, the dust on**The dust on my feet**Rwanda**Now that I have seen**I am responsible**Faith without deeds is dead**Now that I have held you** In my own arms**I cannot let go 'till you are**I will tell the world**I will tell them where I've been**I will keep my word**I will tell them, Albertine**Rwanda**Now that I have seen**I am responsible**Faith without deeds is dead**Now that I have held you **In my own arms**I cannot let go 'till you are**Mmm**And I am on a stage**A thousand eyes on me**I will tell them, Albertine**I will tell them, Albertine

Futbol

We played soccer (futbol) with kids from the community in Kigali and at Sonrise School in Musanze. The field in Kigali was about a mile from our hotel and one of the days we were in the middle of playing a game, and it started pouring rain. It was such a blast to slip around while we played with the kids and got soaked and muddy. I ruined my shoes (4 pairs of shoes to be exact), but when you see kids playing without any shoes on their feet to begin with, yours don't really seem to matter.

Coolest moment playing: All the kids in Africa called our group "Muzungus." It means white person or Westerner. We all kind of liked it and found it endearing. It was especially precious when toddlers would start jumping up and down screaming "Muzungu" and waving whenever our van would drive by on the streets. Anyways, after we had been playing soccer for several days, we were on the field and a Baylor student yelled out "Muzungu" to be silly and one of the locals smiled and said, "There are no Muzungus here, we are all one people now." So cute!

African Orphanages

Here are some of my personal photos from my time in Rwanda, Africa. I went on a business as missions trip with Baylor University's Social Entrepreneurship team! Our focus was on microfinance and how to help people help themselves, but I especially loved visiting the orphanages and playing soccer and other games with all the kids! All the children were so adorable I just wanted to take them all home with me!


We visited Rafiki Village in Kigali, and I was blown away by the level of discipline and organization that the staff had that ran this Christian-based orphanage. The kids there were so polite and happy and they were extremely intelligent. The school taught them both English and Kinyarwandan so that they could retain their Rwandan culture, and they integrated local children into the school so that the orphans could be exposed to life outside of their village. The school also stressed the idea that they did not want to see a "brain drain" and wanted to raise good Christian workers that would stay in Rwanda and be the leaders for the next generation.

We also visited another orphanage that took in street children in Kigali. It was an all-boys facility. They didn't have any silverware to eat with, some slept two to a bunk bed, and the building was literally falling down. It was so sad, but the work they were doing there was so noble. They could definitely use more support and funding. The youngest child was 8 and they basically let the children govern themselves by electing a slate of young directors that made all the important decisions. This bottom-up approach was really interesting and for the most part fairly successful.

Support a Cause

Looking to buy cool cards or stationary? Visit http://www.cardsfromafrica.com/ to learn about a company whose mission is to "improve quality of life for orphaned youth in Rwanda." They run the business because they feel "God has a heart for the poor and that faith requires action." I got to visit their card factory in Kigali, Rwanda, and it was so neat! They use discarded paper and recycle it into a completely hand-crafted work of art! They have cards for all occasions, and you can even design your own! Check it out and help make a difference in the lives of African orphans!