Road to Rwanda---- Home for Disabled Students

 Yesterday we visited a home for disabled students with the preschool teacher from our school.  She had attended a Baptist church at the invitation of one of her students, and at this church was a group of handicapped students.  When she mentioned wanting to visit the home, we said we would go along. 

What a blessing.  There are about 20 students ages 6 to 35, but most of them were teenagers.  After a horrifying ride over roads as only Rwanda can produce, we came to the gates with an English sign outside: "Disability does not mean inability".   The buildings were crude and some of the rooms were open air and tent like structures. But the kids swarmed us to give us hugs and greetings.  The older client, a 35 year old abandoned lady with no family, greeted us with "God bless you" in English.  They then sat down in an open air classroom, crowded onto benches and very quietly waited as we were shown the bedrooms, and other classrooms.  The pastor's wife from the church had come with us and translated the questions for the teacher/caregiver.  Beside the lady who was showing us around, we saw some men carrying in huge boulders for a foundation for a building and one other female staff member.  It was unclear if there were other  people who worked there or not.  After being introduced to each student individually, we then served the milk and biscuits (cookies) that we had brought.  Some of the students were verbal and some were not.  Maybe one of the more disturbing aspects were two brothers, ages 6 and 11, who were of normal intelligence.  They were orphans abandoned at the home when their parents died.  They looked like they were of help in a general way.  At one point, they both got up and chased the chickens out of the area where we were.  They were the only ones who had the presence of mind that this might be something that should be done.  I will do some asking around to see if there isn't a more appropriate placement for these 2 brothers. At all times the students were so exceptionally well behaved.  I have rarely seen kids anywhere sit so quietly and seemingly contentedly. We were working through a translator and we still do not understand really how the home/school is funded or what happens to the students after a certain age. We were told most have family that they visit at times.  We left some money for blankets with the pastor's wife.  That was the one need that really touched us.  The buildings were very crude, but clean.  The beds were lined up beside each other in small rooms, but we saw only a few blankets and throws and nights here are in the 40's and 50's F.  I keep hoping the blankets were just being washed, but I was worried about the lack. 

We are very involved and busy with our own school, but this was a poignant reminder of the need all around us.  There are so many.  It can be overwhelming.  But God.