Meeting the Sponsored Children (Kelly Boyle)

Hey, it’s Dave,  again. Well I am playing a bit of catch up now that we are back in the good old USA.  Actually, I am in Minniapolis, MN Airport on my way to Topeka, KS for business.  Yes I am sick of traveling!  We all hope you are enjoying to blog.  As I recall Kelly’s time leading up to meeting his two sponsored children, I know he was very excited for this moment.  I don’t recall the their two names, but they are both girls.  One was given as a’ gift’ from James and Elizabeth about 4-6 years ago.  As I recall James and Elizabeth provide the monthly support, and Kelly and Heidi (Kelly’s wife) provide the prayer support and consider this child their Sponsored Child.  Anyway, prior to leaving home, Kelly was had taken the time to bring many needed gifts for his two girls.  He brought: paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, books, stickers and a few fun games along with soccer balls.  Educational materials are very desired and needed with the children in the area.  It means the world to them and the family as they are eager to learn.

After meeting Ryan’s child, we piled in the Land Cruiser and headed to the first child of Kelly’s.  We had hoped to purchase a goat for each of the sponsored children that day (Monday) but were informed that the ‘market’ to buy and sell goats and cows was only on Wednesday and Friday.  We were a bit disappointed in that we had hoped to pack four goats plus ourselves in the Land Cruiser and deliver them to each of the children’s home.  Bhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!  It is a big deal to have a goat or a cow in the villages where the children live as they cost about $40 to buy and the average annual income is around $200.  A goat will provide fertilizer to grow crops,  and one can breed it with others to have more goats.  Rwandans don’t drink the milk from goats but they will eat them.  Just the culture there.  As it turned out, we were able to leave some money with Samantha and she was going to have the World Vision Staff purchase and deliver them on Wednesday.

Kelly was very eager to meet his children.  He mentioned on a few occasions that every night as he and Heidi say prayers with their two boys Esra  9, and Zachery 7, (their daughter, Gabriella is a bit two young to understand yet)  for their two girls in Rwanda.  It’s like the Boyle’s have an extended family in Rwanda.  We had to walk about 200 meters down ad narrow, steep, slippery trail to get to the first house,  as the group of ‘Mazungas’ (white people) made there way through past houses, other kids began to follow and group around us.  The home was not much of one; a mud and stick house with maybe 15-20 feet with a couple of rooms.  The mother came to the door to greet Kelly with a big, long hug.  I could see Kelly was greatly moved.  His already big smile got bigger as he came face to face with the people he loved and prayed for for many years.  He embraced his little girl, whom I would guess is about seven or eight years old.  As we all sat down on some benches in the main room, the translator conveyed the excitement that everyone had.  The little girl, we found out, had a learning disability but was still managing to do fine in school.  We had also learned that this mother had five other children and the father had abandoned the family within the last couple of months.  He just left one morning and never came back.  For a Rwandan family without a father or husband, it can be extra difficult to survive.  She was a grateful woman, and one thing she kept doing was getting up and giving Kelly and Samantha (who was sitting by her) hugs and saying; “sawah, sawah” (Thank you).  As Kelly brought out the school supplies and fund stuff, his child was giggling and smiling from ear to ear.  Kelly would say; we “just love you” again and again, and to the family and each time she everyone would just smile.  At one time, the mother stood and raised her hands high to the sky as if she was praising God for us.  One of her other children who was sitting by Samantha had a fever so we were able to pray for him.  After we all prayed together, we walked out of the house and again, just like Ryan’s child’s home, there must have been about 20 children and about 10 adults that had gathered outside the home from a near distance.  What were these Muzungas doing at this house.  We took some pictures outside (sorry, they are on my camara, not my phone, so I will have to upload them later) and said our goodbyes.  As we walked  back to the Land Cruiser on a different  trail, most of the people who were watching followed us.  We tossed them a couple of freebies and enjoyed their smiles and waves as we drove off.  Kelly was so glad to put a face with sponsored child and could not wait to show the pictures and video to his family once he returned home.

I will talk about meeting his other child when I have a few extra moments.