Chickens and attack helicopters!

Hi people!

I have to say that I had the most unique and probably most fun Easter sunday that I have ever had yesterday. I woke up early so that I could slaughter chickens! I told some of my African team members back in Rwanda that I wanted to learn how to kill a chicken and they let me kill five of them and then I defeathered them and learned how to cut them up. I won't go in to more details for those of you who are grossed out but any of you that want to know the specifics for killing a chicken just ask me when I get back:) I have pics of it up on facebook for those of you that can access that but I couldn't post them here.

Then I went to church and after it was over the guy who was giving us a ride back to base gave us a tour of his flight academy. We went up into the control tower and since the military also uses that place we got to get a tour of a military attack helicopter. It was really cool. It was loaded with rocket bombs and had a 30-mm gun in front. I am hoping that tomorrow I might get to go back and sit in the planes that the school uses. I also got to learn how to make chipotis that afternoon which is a bread type thing that is absolutely delicious. All in all it was a good day.

Time goes so fast. We have less than three weeks remaining in Uganda and less than two months until we graduate. I will be happy to go home and see people and to be totally honest I am looking forward to a Dunkin' Donuts medium french vanilla coffee almost as much. At the same time though I will be heartbroken to leave. I keep leaving bits of myself all over Africa. I guess every time I do God replaces what I lost with Himself so that I am never depleted or running dry. It's better that way. I'd rather lose myself even though sometimes it hurts if it means that I get to feel more of what God feels. And I will need His strength because coming here is not always easy. I really enjoy it sometimes and I joke about how fun it is to kill chickens but the truth is that in the long run I will only be able to last in Africa if God keeps pouring Himself out into me. I find it amazing that He even does but I am so grateful. The Johanna Beachy that I am on my own cannot deal with little children, even babies, who are slowly dying. They seem just like ordinary kids sometimes until they suddenly throw up or I see a kid that I think is maybe a few months old until I find out that she is over a year old.

I also am incapable of dealing with the amount of inside pain that I have seen people living with. It will sometimes just rise up and smack me in the face when I am not expecting. Someone will be talking and the next thing you know someone else makes a remark about how during the genocide they fell down a hole while running for their life and broke their back and that they had to lay there covered with a bag of beans to try to hide since they couldn't move. It's a whole different world and I don't know how I'm going to go home. Sorry I didn't mean to get all depressing but that is what it is like to live with Rwandese. I would love them so much if only for how much they have survived and God has protected them through. I love this God who keeps people alive when it is humanly impossible to do so. And He is the same God who then sustains me when I am facing the pain that comes as a result of their experiences. How amazing is that! Every time I see how big and powerful He is I am so honored that He cares for every little thing about me.

Yeah, if you want to see some more about the God who cares for you come to Africa, especially Rwanda, and you will be blown away. I think a lot of people in America have this view of God as our Father and best Friend which is totally true but sometimes we can forget about this whole other side of Him. He is the Defender of the weak and oppressed, a Warrior King, and all-powerful in everything He does. I've gotten some awesome glimpses of my Lord in that role here and it gives me goosebumps. Actually, it drives me to my knees. You don't stand in the presence of a King like that. And if you really want to be in awe of Him take a look in the Bible about what he says regarding the widows and orphans. I have learned a lot about His heart towards them in the past few months. He loves them alright but I was amazed and scared to see the way He will act against those who abuse them. He has such a tender spot for orphans and widows that anyone who dares to hurt them or even to just not help them out should be really scared.

OK, I love talking about HIm but I am running out if time now. I will see and talk to you people in June. Bye!

Ndagakunda cyane! Imana ibahe umugisha!

Isimbi Johanna