Rwanda Post 2!

Our primary task in Rwanda was to teach English to the students at NUR. This was an incredible opportunity to meet students. We had many conversations with them, sharing stories, fears, hopes, it was incredible to be let into their world. Many of them shared their stories of 94, but to my amazement, they walk with hope! They look to the future of Rwanda, and feel that it is their responsibility to bring the future they so desperately look for. Please pray that these students would look to God for their strength and for wisdom in leading Rwanda.

This is my class pictured below.

This is the school where we taught. Notice how green everything is? Rwanda is beautiful!
This is one of our students. He and his fiancee came to visit Taylor and I on the weekend. They are getting married in November, please pray for them as they will need God to miraculously provide in order to do this.
This is Patrick, my teaching partner. He was so fun to work with and a HUGE blessing for our team.
These are my students. Look how close they are sitting to the front, they were so eager to learn.
This is our team. More about them to come in a later post...
At the end of the week we had to grade all of the tests we had administered, there was an essay for each student, quite a task! This is Andrew and Tiffany, they were teaching partners.
This is Pat and I with our class.
One day one our way to NUR we encountered terrential rains! We literally had to hide for several minutes until it passed. It was so fun.
And that's all for post 2 for now!

Rwanda Post 1

What an overwhelming task...describing Rwanda...how did it change me? How do I see things differently? How did it affect our marriage? How do I see God differently? Did I leave my heart there? Oh yes, no, and in some ways to all of those. :)

So I guess I will start with the reason we wanted to go to Rwanda in the first place, because of the first 12 Rwandan students I ever met. I've known them for 2 years now, and have loved them from the beginning. This trip we were blessed to see all 12 of our students, and we were even privileged enough to meet many of their families. These students have been such a blessing to us and I am honored to continue to work with them.

Here is Alex with Taylor and I. He lives in Kigali so he met us at the airport.
This is Emmanuel (right) and his cousin Prosper. Emmanuel is an amazing student and I have no doubt he will do amazing things in Rwanda.
This is Marcel. He is one of our International Student Ambassadors, and one of the kindest men I know.
This is Desire and his brother. Desire is also very smart, he's a critical thinker and will accomplish much.
This is Lea and Paulin. Lea works incredibly hard at everything she does.
This is Paulin (right). He and his friend took us on a tour of NUR. Paulin will do great things for God one day.
This is Emmanuel with some of our team and some of his friends, he showed us the dorms at NUR.
This is Modeste and I. Modeste is very focused and kind.
Most of the gang all together at Patrick's house where we celebrated my birthday Rwandan style.
These are 2 of my favorite girls, Faith and Val. They have allowed me to know them, they have let me hear their stories, and I have grown and learned by knowing them.
This is Patrick. He is a strong leader, a hard worker, and a good friend.

This is Bertrand. He is our good friend. He has one of the greatest smiles of anyone I know.Paulin and Desire and I at the party.
Taylor and Emmanuel. Check out the beastly beard Taylor had.
This is Alex, and his mom. We were so blessed to be able to meet his family and to be welcomed into his home. We had our first taste of real cow's milk here...it was good. :)
This was on our last night. Alex, Bertrand, and their friend Bob took us for the best Rwandan brochette in Kigali. It was delicious and a night we will never forget.

Sisters

I was looking through my pictures and came across this one from April and I thought I would share it. I am so blessed to have sisters. I used to say, you don't really know me until you know my sisters. In some ways, they complete me. :) I love them dearly and cherish each moment God has given me with them.

I hate Riverside in the summer

Here is Bailey, on the couch, panting, staring up at me as if to say, "Don't you know I was bred for the Swiss Alps?"

Bailey's Beach day

So a couple weeks ago Taylor got a day off for being employee of the month at CBU, he's gonna kill me for writing that but I'm proud of him :) Since he was off, I asked for time off, and we got away to the beach. We had so much fun walking around and enjoying the beautiful view. Something about the beach always leaves me in awe of our Creator. So here are some pictures...

Me and my girl

She loved the water this time, it was so cute.

Family shot...

After the beach we met up with Brooke and Trever for dinner, and then went to their house for tea. Bailey and her cousin Grey got along very well that night, even cuddled a little.

Our friends Bryan and Natalie live right down the street from Brooke and Trever, and they are also Auggie's parents. Auggie is Bailey's boyfriend, he's much bigger than her as you can see!

The Hoehne's...

Good Friday

This week we walked Mt. Rubidoux on one of the windiest days I've ever seen in Riverside, and Taylor made us walk the long way up and back. Despite myself, we had a good time.

Today is Good Friday, so we didn't have to work. But, I am working on my thesis while Taylor and Bailey are napping...4 more weeks! Yikes!Happy Friday everyone.

BBQ's, Bailey's haunted house, Birthdays, and Bees!

Yes, we survived comps! The perfect weather we got for spring break was just in time to celebrate. We've been pretending it's summer, bonfires outside, drinking iced tea in our rocking chairs, lots of yummy food, it's been wonderful.

Here's Bailey in front of her haunted house. It's actually a dog house that Taylor and his dad Mike made her, but Bailey HATES it. Taylor will sit in there with treats and she still won't go in. Bahahaha.

Family pic using the timer. :)

Then we celebrated Natalie's birthday. It was some much need time with our best friends, minus Sam :(

Classic

Bailey, always exhausted after we have friends over

My husband, took on the most vicious nest of bees I've ever seen! We were just having a simple BBQ outside, and he notices the GIGANTIC bees coming out of our patio roof. With nothing but a frisbee and a dust pan to use as weapons, and with the help of a little Raid, he began battling them. Bailey and I cheered him on from inside the kitchen, behind the safety of the screens.

Final score: Good guys-4, Bad guys -9.

Sick!