Perfect Rwandan weekend

I could not of dreamed of a better first weekend in Rwanda, craft markets, back alley deals with bead traders, the nakumat, dinner under the stars, jam packed car rides, 4 hours at church this morning all in kinyrwandan (okay could of done without that) no for real though, church here is quite an experience lots of amens, hallelujah, amazing singing and ecstatic dancing throughout, the only issue though is it is a thousand degrees and you can't understand a word anyone is saying, I left smelling like a dirty elephant, and finally broke down today to buy some deodorant. This afternoon though was amazing, we went to visit a women's cooperative made up of 77 women who have all survived the genocide but are now all widows and many are living with HIV/AIDS due to being raped during the genocide. The women meet 4 times a week and raise cows and goats as a way to support one another and earn an income. These women exuded the most amazing strength, hugging each of us and singing and dancing just because we came to learn more about their cooperative. One women stood to tell her story, her name was Marianne. Marianne lost several of her children during the genocide along with her husband and is now living with HIV and diabetes, but she was the leader, so grounded and confident in herself. The women of Africa are my greatest hero's, continually teaching me time and time again the ability that we all to heal and support one another and the power that is created when women join together. The only downside of the visit is I think I am going to have to stop eating beef again because I have fallen in love with these cows, feeding them from my hand and petting a three week old calf, makes it really hard to enjoy a cheeseburger. As we left the women presented us with a gift of a gallon of milk, yes they gave us a gift, just for coming and listening to their stories. Africa has taught me that each one of us just want to be heard and feel supported, and the greatest gift that we can give one another is an open listening heart. I will never forget today.