Hi Friends,

I am sorry that I haven't communicated, but getting to blogger has been very hard on very slow computers that are also in French.

Below are the last two messages I was able to get out to our family. It will give you an idea of what's going on.

We are healthy and being filled to overflowing with experiences that will take much time to process.

The Burundi part of our trip was wonderful. We saw all the houses Miriam grew up in and where she went to school. David Niyonzima's hosting was wonderful and we deeply appreciated getting to know him as a person and seeing his vision for trama healing ministry in Burundi.

Worship at Keminga (sp?) Friends was like no other worship experience I've ever had. And it was fun connecting with Derric Lampson from West Hills Friends, who was doing music ministry at Keminga Friends and Miriam's friends, Millie and Ken Johnson,who have a ministry to orphans.

I'll let the following email messages take it from there.

Enjoy reading.

Blessings,

Paul










4/4/07

Hi All,

We are back in Kigali with the Thomases. We had a great day at Kumbya. Incredible. Wonderful swimming. That was Saturday.

On Sunday, I went with David Thomas and some others to a church outside of Kmembe (I apologize if I'm butchering the spelling of these towns) and attended worship. The pastor there was named Girard and said Dad Thornburg has been very important in his spiirtual life and nurturing as a pastor. Worship was great, but the preaching was very loud and so was the music that was mainly a synthizer and taped background music. I brought greetings from you, Dad. Miriam stayed at Kibogora and relaxed with the other Thomases.

On Monday we traveled back to Kigali and stretched a normally 5 hour trip into 9 hours by stopping to shop for veggies, eat at a restaurant, look at a Rwandan historicial museum, buy some pottery, look at monkeys and...yes...take pictures.

When we got to Kigali, Debby went to the butcher and cheese maker and finally home in the dark. How cool to have a housekeeper and cook that had dinner waiting for us.

Yesterday was given to visiting genocide memorial sites. Two of the sites were catholic churches outside of Kigali in which thousands of people were killed and the third site was the museum/memorial in Kegali. We had a Rwandan young man travel with us to these sites. We lost his parents in the genocide and shared his story with us as we traveled. He had never been to those sites and it seemed to be pretty hard on him. The pictures I'll be bringing back are beyond words.

This morning has been given to being with Debby Thomas as she shows us the gardening/farming work that she is doing. She took us to a pastor's church here in Kigali. The pastor's name is Jonathan, and is another person who knows Dad T. and sees him as an important person in his spiritual journey. Now he is experimenting with some of the new gardening methods Debby is introducing to the area. Then we came back to the Thomases where Debby showed us around her gardens. This afternoon is shopping and then meeting with the missions team here to talk about building community among themselves.

Tomorrow we get up at 4am to travel to a wild game perserve. Friday we meet with youthworkers in the area and meet a woman called Jemima who was a woman how did house help for the Thornburgs somewhere along the line.

We fly home on Saturday and Sunday.

I'm giving you the basics. To start on telling you what is going on internally seems overwhelming. The cultural experience is overwhelming, physically, mentally,socially, and spiritually, and yet it is so good and rich. We are greatly enjoying talking with Thomases and having good times of prayer.

I have over 400 hundred email messages waiting to be addressed. Many if not most of them are spam, but many remind me of what's waiting when we return. Where will the internal debriefing time come from? Please pray.

Also, pray for my time with the youthworkers out here. I feel very inadaquate in light of the cultural differences, but we will keep it open and interactive.

Pray also for David Thomas who may have an amobea and is not feeling well at all.

Blessings,

Paul

From: thornburgfamily@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Paul BockSent: Sat 3/31/2007 2:27 AMTo: thornburgfamily@yahoogroups.comSubject: RE: [thornburgfamily] Rachel


Hi Folks,
We have arrived in Kibogora. Oh, do we have a story to tell you about getting from Bujumbura to Kibogrora. Much of our last days in Buja were spent relaxing at the guesthouse. Last I wrote to your was from Ken and Mellie Johnson's. Great time and family.
Miiram and I did go walking in Buja one morning and then the next morning I walked all the way into downtown Buja by myself...in sandalls. Which has now resulted in a tender right heel.
David Niyonzima had guests from Kenya and Germany, so he couldn't be with us much Wed. and Thurs. He did drive us around Buja some on Thurs. night, showing us the duplex the folks and family lived in for a couple of years while living in Buja. Then showed us a view of the city, Lake Tan. and Congo at sunset. Then drove us down to the lake, but pretty dark by that time.
Next morning, after prayer with David, we headed off with a driver and traveling guide who spoke english for Rwanda. At the border our driver discovered he didn't have Rwanda car insurance and they wouldn't let him cross the border. We thought we might have to turn back to Buja. Then a taxi cmae along with a French couple who were not allowed into Rwanda, so our guide (Valerie - male) talked the taxi who could cross the border, into taking us from there and the french couple took our car back to Buja. So after about an hour and a half of watching ouur guide and driver talked to all these military people at the border, we transfered our luggage from our car to the taxi, we finally were allowed to cross. Also, at the border, our guide told us he needed money for the insurance. So I gave him a $100 bill. After we crossed the border, Valerie said that he lost the bill.
Our driver took us to a town called Kimembe, but didn't want to go further. So all of a sudden, in pouring rain, we are transfering our luggage again and jumping in a packed van and heading off to Kibogora. Fortnately,our guide stayed with us, even though he wanted to turn back at Kimembe. About an hour and a half later we drove into Kibogora...with our van driver driving into the middle of a wedding. Unreal.
Last night, after all this adventure, we found ourselves watching the movie Oceans 12 with Thomases and some other friends. Wierd transition.
In ten minutes we're off to Kumbya to enjoy the beach and a cook out.
Oh, by the way. I've taken over 300 pics. Get ready.
God is good. Africa in beauty beyond my expectations. The only frustration is that I am not driving so we can't stop whenever I want to take a pic. Otherwise I would easily have over 400 pics.
Both Miriam and I are healthy.
Blessings to all.
Paul....and Miriam

Hi Friends,

I'm emailing you from Dav id and Debby Thomas' house in Kigali, Rwanda. Incredible. Our flights were great and I didn't even use drugs on the San Fran to London leg. We slept bits and pieces on the plane and in Heathrow and the Nairobi airports we also napped some. But after a great dinner with David, Debby, Chrissy Muhr and the Thomases kids, we're looking forward to a good nights rest. Tomorrow we fly to Burundi.

Kigali is warm and cloudy. Debby has already showed me around her garden, but Miriam missed it while she was napping.

Thanks for all the book ideas. I read about one chapter of one book and I'm not telling you which book.

Oh...I don't like Heathrow airport. We got excercies walking all over the place. It took us two hours to get from our arrival gate to our departure gate and spent about $30 on a deli lunch before getting out of that airport.

More to come. We are blessed. Oh...did you know that the Thomases don't have water due to road construction? Ah...life in another country.

More later...and Miriam is even beautiful when she is sleep deprived.

Blessings,

Paul

PS - And if you find typos, deal with it. I'm not doing my regular correcting thing while on this trip.

And So The Adventure Begins...Saturday...

Hi Friends,

Miriam and I take off Saturday for Africa. Unreal. I don’t know how often I’ll get to a computer, but I will try to type a bit every chance I have. So you might want to check it out from time to time.

What’s this trip about? It’s about Miriam reconnecting with her childhood history. My plan is to wake up every morning and ask Miriam, what do you want to do today?…and then do my best to make it happen.

Oh, and you can pray for the flying. As many of you know, just getting on the plane is a significant act of sacrifice for me. I have my plans of how to deal with 22 hours of flying, but your prayers might make the friendly sky more friendly. That and the drugs the doctor gave me.

And who knows, maybe I’ll even ask the beautiful Miriam to write, and then you’ll get the real story.

God is good. That we get to take this trip is an amazing gift. We are so grateful. And Jesus, may we be good stewards of this gracious gift you're giving us. May we receive all that you want to give us.

Paul