Peyton's Memoirs from Rwanda

Game Plan for Life with God

// July 2nd, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized

I’ve been reading through the book of Psalms these days. I love it. David is the man. This morning, as I read through Psalm 37, I couldn’t help but notice a simple formula for how to do life the right way. Lying within Psalm 37:4-7 is a wealth of knowledge and what I consider to be a game plan for life with God.

Psalm 37:4-7

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…”

First, we need to delight in the Lord. I love John Piper’s take on the matter: “That God is most glorified in you, when you are most satisfied in him.” Piper believes that the priority of our lives must be to maximize our joy in God. I agree wholeheartedly. We should cultivate a life of joy with God through worship, giving thanks, and just plain enjoying His splendor. He loves it when we love him. He is satisfied when we are satisfied in him. By delighting in him, we will get what we truly desire, what our heart truly needs to fully enjoy him.

Second, we must commit & trust in Him. Whatever we are doing, whatever our job is, whatever big decision we are struggling to make, we need to commit it to the Lord and trust him with it. We need to give him complete control and believe that his plans are the best for our lives. Our plans are never better than his. We are far better off living our lives according to his will. By doing so, he will act on our behalf.

Third, be still and wait. Patience is the key here. We are on his time. God will provide on his own terms and according to his will. This is the perfect opportunity for prayer. Be still, pray, listen, believe.

Delight, commit & trust, be still and wait. These simple ways of responding to him provide a game plan for life with God.

Donald Miller – The Power of Love

// June 28th, 2010 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

From Donald Miller’s blog, his view on the importance of love. Check it out.

http://donmilleris.com/2010/06/28/they-will-know-us-by-our-love/http://donmilleris.com/2010/06/28/they-will-know-us-by-our-love/

Putting on love

// June 26th, 2010 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Colossians 3:12-14

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Since I began my journey in Rwanda, it has been my constant prayer that God would help me to love with compassion and to be patient with others. I have been so humbled by the stories and people and sights I have seen here. Still, I find it hard to put on love every single day. I have been dwelling on compassion this week, as I listened to a favorite sermon of mine, by Brennan Manning, on what it means to be “In Christ”.

I find myself asking often – What in the world am I supposed to be doing with my life? What is my purpose? I’ve come to realize, and Manning states this also, through the words of Paul, I exist for the sake of Christ. He states that to be “In Christ”, means to have in you the mind of Christ Jesus, to replace all our natural human responses with the responses of Jesus. Wow. Imagine what that would look like, to respond to others in the same manner as Christ. To live a Christocentric-life – to love what he loves…to hate the things that he hated…to make his thoughts your own. It is no easy task, that’s for sure. BUT, IT IS WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO DO. “Be merciful(compassionate), even as your Father is merciful(compassionate).” – Luke 6:36

How do we do this? How do we be compassionate? By accepting others, for who they are, where they are in life, no matter their circumstances, no matter how dark the road is that they have traveled. Isn’t this how Jesus loved us? Why then is it so hard to replicate this kind of love? I try not to judge people. I look at their faults and failures, then I am reminded of my own, and I can no longer criticize or judge them for that reason. God doesn’t love me anymore than He loved anyone else. He fiercely loves us all. He could never love us any more or any less. And this is characterized by His compassion. Manning says this, “That you are never more Christ-like than when you are choked with compassion for the brokenness of others.”

That’s how I want to live – putting on love, daily, through compassion.

Gorilla Trekking

// June 17th, 2010 // 8 Comments » // Uncategorized

This past Sunday, Lindsey and I got to do one of the wildest things I’ve ever had the opportunity to be a part of …Gorilla trekking! What we thought was going to be a somewhat difficult walk through the woods to see some mountain gorillas, turned out to be a 3 1/2 hour hike straight up and down hill, on all fours at times, through dense jungle and stinging nettles. We were led by our trekking guide, Patience, and a few other Rwandan guards who cleared the way with machetes. The hike itself was an intense romp through the wilderness of Sabyinyo, one of the five volcanoes surrounding Musanze. Getting to see these mountain gorillas was a rare treat, since there are only about 900 left in the world – most of which inhabit the mountains and volcanoes that border Rwanda, Uganda, and the Congo. We were literally feet away from them. No zoos, no bars, nothing…we were in their habitat. It was spectacular. The family of gorillas we visited, the Hirwa group, were led by one gigantic silverback male, six females, and lots of baby gorillas. We sat and watched in amazement as these incredible creatures played, relaxed, and went on with their wild every-day lives right in front of us. It was an experience I will never forget.

Back in Musanze // Iby’iwacu Community Walk

// June 10th, 2010 // 5 Comments » // Uncategorized

I arrived safely back in Rwanda last Saturday, excited about the next 5 months in Musanze. I didn’t come alone though! Lindsey made the trip with me and is visiting Rwanda for a short period of time…getting a taste of the sites and sounds and what makes this place so special. This past week, I have been showing her a few of things that I have seen and experienced so far, in hopes that she may leave this place as enthralled as I am. On Wednesday, we shared an incredible experience at the Iby’iwacu Community Walk, where we took an engaging guided tour and learned all about traditional Rwandan culture. We dressed up as the king and queen of Rwanda, learned about holistic medicine, tried our hands at being a blacksmith and grinding grain, shot a bow and arrow (Lindsey beat me…), joined in on a drum line, and took part in traditional Intore dancing. It was the best cultural and historical experience I’ve had thus far here. I HIGHLY recommend going to Iby’iwacu if you want a true taste of Rwanda…

Consistent Discipline

// June 3rd, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized

Consistency and discipline. These are two areas of life that have always been a struggle for me. I don’t think that is uncommon for many people, but it is definitely common for me. I am good at starting things. At pioneering projects and beginning them with excitement, devotion and an air of commitment. But, where I struggle is in the middle. I’m not saying I’m not a finisher. I do finish whatever I start. However, the middle of the road is where my struggle lies. I’m the type of person who needs a specific set of directions, a narrow description of what needs to get done, in order to be put to best use and work most effectively. As long as I have specific jobs, dates to meet, criteria and a direction to follow, I am completely engaged and doing an effective job. Give me a job with no description, and I will more than likely become bored and complacent with it. Give me a specific task to do, and I will sit down, with some music on, and grind it out. It’s just how I am. How I’ve developed. How I work.

This blog has been no different…

I apologize to you. To my readers. To those who follow me. To my supporters and those who have sacrificed to get me here. When I started this website/blog, I believe I had intentions of updating it for you. However, looking back now, I realize that it was more for me. Somewhere for me to write stories down in case I wanted to remember them. I had no specific goals to meet, and that is where I began to veer off the path. I realize now, with a great deal of help from someone who constantly challenges me and holds me accountable, that this blog is NOT for ME. It is for you. So to those who constantly check it, daily, weekly even, only to find a post from a month earlier that is growing stale with days passing, with nothing new to report, I am sorry. It is because of you that I am here. It is for you that I should be writing, not myself. I owe it to you. I am responsible to give you insight into my life. Insight into how I am doing emotionally, spiritually, mentally, physically, in my work and time in Rwanda and in everyday life. How can I expect you to be able to pray for me if I can’t even let you in on what’s going on in my life? And I want your prayers. I need them. Badly. I enjoy writing. I think I’m a good writer. I struggle with being consistent with it, because every time I write, I feel like it needs to be perfect. That whatever I write down needs to matter, needs to be written well, needs to be perfect in my eyes, so that it can be perfect in yours. Well, not anymore…

I am vowing to be more consistent. To be disciplined about updating you. I am setting a goal this time. I will write on this blog at least once per week. This is a realistic goal. A parameter that you can see and hold me accountable for. This is my email address – peytongreenwald@gmail.com. Now you have it. Email me about anything. About life. About Rwanda. I ask you to get in my face and call me out about writing. About life. About me. Here is what you can expect to see in the future from me: stories about everyday life, stories from Sonrise, stories about people I meet and know and interact with everyday, stories about me (good and bad), opinions, beliefs, hobbies, what I’m into, music, movies, books, pictures, theology, spiritual matters, my struggles, my triumphs, truth and honesty, what makes me tick, what makes me ME. Anything and everything. I ask you to be engaged. To ask me questions, to comment, to tell me how you really feel. Because I am going to tell you how I really feel. I will wear no mask or hide myself from you. I am naturally an introvert, but it will be no excuse for me to hide behind. I am going to have to get over that. I want to be here for you to see, plain and simple, Peyton Greenwald.

UPDATE: I have been back home in Little Rock, Arkansas in the good ol’ USofA, for the past month. I have loved it. I have loved being with friends and family and those who I hold dear to my heart. I have road tripped to North Carolina, gone to the lake, eaten out too much and gained a few pounds, and done things that I have missed doing the past 4 months in Rwanda. But now, I am heading back. I am leaving tomorrow morning at 6 am and flying back to Rwanda, where I will be serving for another 5 months. I am excited about it. I love Rwanda. I am ready to be back with those who are special to me there and in whom I am investing my time and energy.

Here is how you can pray for me right now:

• In being consistent
• For discipline
• For my heart
• For patience
• For safety – flying
• For Lindsey – She is traveling to Rwanda with me and will be there for a few weeks visiting Sonrise and getting a glimpse of this wonderful place. I ask that you would specifically pray for her flights home, for her safety, and that she would be moved by the people there
• For these next 5 months – that my work would be engaging, fulfilling, specific, and that I would be able to fully devote myself to whatever tasks are presented to me at Sonrise and for Bridge2Rwanda
• For my team on ground in Rwanda – Mark, Kat, Griffin, Anna, Kelly, Bob and Tom

Imana aguhe umugushi (God bless you),

- Peyton

P.S. – This is what I was listening while I was writing this:

a progression of things

// May 23rd, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized

I am on a personal break right now. The first half of this wonderful journey is over and I am spending some quality time with loved ones in Little Rock. My time in Rwanda has been incredible thus far. My work, relationships, and personal and spiritual growth are progressing daily. I am being fulfilled in ways I never could have imagined. God is good.

Speaking of progression…I thought it would be fun to look at how my appearance has changed over the past 4 months.

Day before leaving.

First visit to the village with my new friend, Jean Lambert.

First week in Kigali with Mark and Griffin.

Valentine’s Day with the crew.

Ready for school!

I could grow a beard. Who knew???

Many Rwandans told me I looked like a disciple, a young Jesus, a pastor, and a Frenchman.

Ma’am…can I see your license and registration please?

Worn out in Uganda. Two 10 hour bus rides, with no AC, will do that to you…

The family +1 (Our new friend, Simon) out in Uganda.

Back home.

Back to normal.

So which look do you think is the best?

What a ride…

// April 23rd, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Uncategorized

My goodness, it has been a while since I’ve updated you on life here in Rwanda. I assure you that I am still alive and kicking! Life is good. And here is the latest reason why…

This past Wednesday morning, I got to do one of the coolest things I’ve done since my arrival in Musanze/Ruhengeri. Take one trip through the countryside that surrounds the town, and you will surely count 10x the number of bicycles than vehicles crowding the roads (10x is a gross understatement by the way). Rwandans use bikes for EVERYTHING. They are a huge part of the culture here, necessary for life in fact. Bikes are used for self-transportation, business (taxi-services – people literally dangle off of a small seat behind the rider), and moving cargo and important goods. People will stack anything and everything to their bikes, strapping it down with lengths of rubber rope if need be. I’ve regularly seen men pushing bikes loaded with gigantic sacks filled with potatoes, tomatoes, onions, anything, six feet off the ground. I’ve seen a bike with twenty foot long metal poles strapped to it. Ten feet ahead, ten feet behind. Heck, I’ve seen a man riding a bike with another guy on the back, holding a goat. Rwandans may know how to use their heads wisely, but they know how to utilize two wheels even better.

Many of you get into your cars every single day and drive to work, the grocery store, whatever. It takes you what? 5 minutes? 10 minutes? 30 minutes? Big deal. Men, and women alike, will push their loaded bicycles a good 5-10 miles, maybe more, to the market here in town. That’s also without the promise of even selling any of their produce that day. Some of these loads probably weigh a good 100-200 pounds, easy. If that weren’t enough…there’s a reason that Rwanda is referred to as the “land of a thousand hills”. They haul and ride their bikes up and down these hills the entire way. Oh, and they have to make the trip twice…back to their respective villages and houses.

A little history lesson for you, also. In the past, and still very much in the present day, Africans have created bicycles from carved wood, bamboo, etc. If it is pliable and sturdy, they can use it. Well, the bikes they created were used for all of the same purposes. But, as you can imagine, a wooden bike has no mechanical parts. No gears, no breaks, nothing. They can be very dangerous, which is why they are outlawed in Rwanda. So, as a Rwandan citizen living in a remote village, what can you do if a bicycle isn’t within your means?

One totally awesome organization is out to solve this very problem – Project Rwanda. In an article from their website, Doug Grant writes, “Project Rwanda takes the dream of a farmer owning a bike with an extended strong metal chassis, brakes, a seat, gears, and modern wheels and makes that dream a reality. The bike is ordered from a company in South Africa and shipped to Rwanda. In Rwanda, the bike is assembled and tested for quality. The farmer arrives to pick up the bike and a loan officer arranges a micro-loan with the farmer. A mechanic instructs the farmer how to properly care for the bike. The farmer enjoys the reality of having a vehicle to transport products, goods and people. And the world of that farmer and his family is transformed. When the micro-loan is paid off, there is money to buy a new bike and another dream becomes reality for a new farmer.”

Check out the rest of the article here.

Check out the Project Rwanda website from my links|sites of interest located at the side.

Mark and I got to be a part of this incredible mission. Project Rwanda has distributed bikes to the village, that our crew frequents often, through a micro financing program. The role that Mark and I got to play? Delivering the bikes!

We were to deliver two Project Rwanda cargo bikes to the village. So, Mark and I woke up, put some fuel in our bodies, a little water in our bags, and headed out for an unforgettable ride. We departed from the house at 7 am. The weather…perfect. The scenery…unreal. I mean UNREAL – clear blue skies, fluffy white clouds, the sun out in rare form, volcanoes (Muhabura, Sabyinyo, Karisimbe) on our left, each with a halo of cloud around their peaks, green hills, fields of banana trees, and beautiful people. The ride in total was about 12 miles and took about an hour or so. I admit, I had to stop to push the bike up a few daunting hills (it is heavy…and I’m out of shape…there, I said it!). About two miles from the road leading to the village road, we spotted Christophe (the head of the village). I stopped and he hopped on the back of my bike and we headed down the road! I felt like a bike taxi! Once we reached the road up to the village, it was another story though. I say “up to” the village because the rocky road literally winds up the side of a mountain. There were a few stretches of riding, but for the most part, we pushed the heavy bikes up the two miles of rocky terrain. We made it, delivered the bikes, Christophe signed the contracts, he showed me his cow, and then we began the trek back down the mountain to the main road. Christophe accompanied us, it rained on us a little bit, and my-oh-my was it beautiful. The village is the most beautiful place in the world. The view in one direction is the volcano, Muhabura. In another direction, valleys of green farm land. Another, a breathtaking overlooking view of Lake Burera. After making it back to the main road, we walked about a mile before a taxi bus (that had room) picked us up. We crammed into it with 19 other people and made it back to town. Happy. Exhausted. Grinning. Fulfilled. Blessed to get to be a part of something great….

Bridge2Rwanda Borrowed Talent

// March 20th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Uncategorized

Here’s the newest video / update from the B2R borrowed talent here in Rwanda.

Don’t know what / who borrowed talent is? Want to know more?

Check it out here – http://www.bridge2rwanda.org/get-involved/borrowed-talent/

God bless,

Peyton

The Craziest Experience of My Life – Part II: The Recovery

// March 16th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized

I thought that for this second part of the story, I would let you see the account through the eyes of someone else who was there. Kelly is a gifted writer and her painstaking attention to detail is amazing. She has an astounding memory. In fact, the rest of the house often refers to her as “Google”…or “Googs” in short. Ask her a question and she will undoubtedly have an answer for it. So without further ado, picking up where I left off from the robbery, here is Kelly’s account from our crazy under-cover police operation in Gisenyi.

http://kellyuosdwis.blogspot.com/2010/03/fateful-day-in-march.html