Just about caught up! :)

So Elijah and I wake up around 5am when the sun came up. We ate breakfast, shot photos, read Gods word, and just were overall psyched to be in Africa. The mornings are crazy cause as soon as the sun comes up its "GO TIME" for everyone here. People are singing, jogging, fighting, and just going crazy. I love it. Its sooo ALive here.

Random Thought: Listen to Hillsong Uniteds new album. :) Soo good!!

(CITY HOPE)So we meet everyone around 8am and hop in a bus to meet up with some people that are connected with Palau somehow. It was a really cool experience cause it was the first time we really were able to drive through the city. I had a smile from ear to ear the whole time. My first favorite thing of the morning was watching this lady sweep a dirt road. haha My thought "Do you know you are sweeping a dirt road"? Cool, our first stop is at this place called "City Hope". Its like an orphanage, but they house beaten women and pretty much whoever needs shelter. We showed up and kids started chasing our bus. It was soooo rad. They gave us such a warm welcome.
After meeting the directors of City Hope, they released us into the area where the kids were playing. They awaited us at the entrance. As soon as i walked through the gate, i was bombarded with kids hugging me, looking at my tattoos, smiling, playing, holding my hand, and overall just psyched that we were there. I stand out like a sore thumb also. haha This is when i started to believe that I was going to be ministered to! My heart broke for these kids but at the same time it was rejoicing for them because they all were so happy and had such child like faith! :) :) :)

Play time ended!! :( They brought all the kids in this room. Probably around 300...maybe not. They shared a message with the kids and then we were able to introduce ourselves to the kids. They were so quiet and obedient. Shortly after our intro, Elijah and I did a mini demo. These kids have never seen skateboards so us just doing an ollie or even rolling for that matter made these kids faces glow. It was funny cause Elijah wanted me to hippy hop (board goes under and i jump over and land on my board) over him so when he arched his body on the ground i decided last moment to coffin (lay flat on my board) and go under him. The kids were estatic!!

Lastly to end off our City Hope experience the kids sang this awesome song and danced for us! It was like a huge party. The kids were dancing so good...dang they have skill. ha I was dancing and having a blast. Soo amazing! We prayed and we're on our way. So sad...i could've hung there all day and played with those kids.

(Hotel Rwanda) We piled in the bus to go to "Hotel Rwanda". The real one. It was pretty intense. I didn't know too much about the hotel but was definitely excited to be in a place where so much history happened.

(City Tour) We meet up with the Mayor of Rwanda and he sent us on a tour of the city with one of the people that works for the city. His name was "BRUNO". Yes, like the new ridiculous movie that just came out.
Bruno showed us the first building ever built in Rwanda. It is exactly in the center of the country. We didn't get to go in cause the are renovating it but i got a photo. Next stop was the site where while the genocide was going on the Prime Minister and 12 Germans (i think) were gunned down. That place was super heavy....Man, the things that Rwanda has been through is ridiculous. Thats why i don't understand why they are soooo friendly and are always smiling!!

I know that this sounds like a cliche thing to say, but AMERICA.....We have it sooo easy!! My heart breaks for this country. This is something that i think everyone needs to experience. It makes you examine your heart and put yourself in check. Soooo intense!! Thank you for following this blog!!

Staytuned!!

Zac


(OUR TP)


(Our Balcony overlooking some of the city)


(My phone Shoots Panoramics)


(City Hope Center)


(City Hope Kids)


( :) )


(These kids are crazy!! haha)


(Climbed a tree and hung out with this kid!)


(Eli, Vic, Uli, and I @ Hotel Rwanda)


(Lady Sweeping road)


(Genocide Spot: Where they killed the Prime Minister)


(People Killed inside)

Okay so i'm a few days behind.....So what!! haha

So i leave for Africa @ 8:30am on Saturday, July, 12th. Friday night i stay up pretty much all night. I was nervous and excited. Seriously was like that Christmas Eve feeling. Couldn't sleep at all. I'm the kind of person that when i fly somewhere, i'll show up to the airport 3 hours early just to make sure i make the flight. Stresses me out soooo bad. :( So 5am rolls around and Mr. Nicely was kind enough to roll out of bed and take me out to coffee and to the airport!! PS. the Nicely's are the family that me and the boys live with!!

So like i said in the previous post. I spent over 20 hours in the air. This trip was so chaotic. Long story short. I made it to Newark fine, but almost missed my flight. Sucked because I had to wait in line to get my passport checked before i got on....My stomach was aching sooo bad! All i wanted was a McD's burger. Ewww gross...but good! haha

The flight from Newark to Brussels was really good. When we were a few hours away from the airport i started stressing realizing that my bags didn't get checked all the way through to Kilgali. So this meant i had to leave the airport, go through customs, find my bags, wait in line for an hour and check my bags and myself back in! Thought for sure i wasn't going to make it. I was praying soo hard. God kept saying "just trust me"!! Thats all that was going through my head. Especially since i wanted to butt my way to the front. haha

I made it 30 minutes before the flight left to Kilgali. Found Uli, Vic, and Elijah!! Thank God...Man it was nice to have some company!! The flight to Kilgali from Brussels was like 8 or so hours i think. Couldn't sleep....didn't eat! We made it fine though and checked in to the airport, got picked up in a dope euro van that said "almost tours"...don't ask! Cruised to our hotel and was amazed at how chaotic the traffic was. Checked into the hotel, ordered food, waited for an hour, watched animal rescues on TV, watched Vic get mad, and went to sleep!


(This is Mr. Nicely Taking me to the airport!!)



(This is the sunset on the way to LAX)



(LAX Airport)


(Airplane)


(brussels Airport)


(Walkway to Tarmac)


(Found the Black man known as "Elder SKate")

Thank you Jesus for our safe travels!! I pray that this trip will open my eyes to the African culture and that you'll break my heart for these people. I know that i'm going to be so blessed.
Thank you!! :)