Le 13 fevrier My parents arrived on a Sunday. They are avid church-goers. This leaves a bit of a question – do you try to test your fatigue from travel at a three-hour-long mass in a language you’ve never heard before or do you just go to Adoration, which happens to be in English?
As we were hoping to visit the sisters at Rugunga (in Kigali) anyway and Sunday is the least busy day, we opted to go for a prayer and rendezvous there. We were able to sit a while and talk with Sr. Mary (who is not known for having time to sit still), and she welcomed us as would any host in Rwanda – with a Fanta. (Fantas are shared at every occasion, big and small – including weddings!) Truly, we were lucky to have had this chance to talk with Sr. Mary (who is both the superior of the house and headmistress of the school) and is an absolute angel.
Afterwards, we headed down to where the entire community had been saying the rosary in the chapel. As we walked in, my parents got their first sight of the little “sunshine faces” that live with the sisters. They were all sitting among the sisters in the community and sweetly reciting their rosary in English – with their adorable accents.
We were only able to catch the last decade of the rosary before the whole group of them burst into a traditional Rwandan song of praise, including rhythmic clapping. The girls were then headed up to the gymnasium to play while the rest of us had Adoration. There we three sat, close to the door of chapel, as no less than fifty sweet girls came through. As I’m a frequent visitor to Rugunga, they all know me pretty well. I’d also told a few of them the day before that “some special guests” would be coming to see them.
Without a “hello” or a question, these sweet little angels walked right up to where my parents and I were sitting and hugged us. Right into my dad’s arms – a “hugger” himself, feeling so welcome and loved. Into my mother’s arms came some of my little girls, some turning to say, “is this your mom?” Without hesitation, my parents were welcomed into Rwanda by fifty some angels – with hearts full of love and acceptance.
Though I’m accustomed to this love-fest, I still love each and every hug. My parents, however, were pleasantly surprised by this and moved beyond words.
The sisters, my parents and I then had Adoration, thanking the Lord for all that we have, for finally being together, and for the beauty of the Rwandan people that was already so evident a short while after landing at Kigali International Airport.
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