Noeli Nziza (Merry Christmas)

This year marks a milestone for me: my first Christmas not celebrated at home. Although I wish I could have been with my friends and family on this holiday, I’m happy that I had the chance to spend it with my boys in Rwanda. Many boys at the center went home this week to celebrate the holiday with their families. However, there are some boys at the center who cannot go home. Some are orphans, some have families that live in refugee camps in Uganda or Congo and are unable to accept them, and others simply don’t go home because the living situation cannot support them. 

I spent the day with the 40 boys who did not go home. It was almost like a regular day at the center. We played billiards, colored, watched movies and talked. The most exciting part of the day was lunch because it included meat and Fanta. Overall, it just seemed like a regular day.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s that Americans make a REALLY big deal out of Christmas. It’s supposed to be a day of family and friends and celebration together, but it has been built up to be more than that. Perhaps you feel a bit sad for me because my day wasn’t marked with presents underneath a Christmas tree. But what I’ve come to realize is there is no need to mark Christmas as a day more special than any other because every day in Rwanda is full of friends and families celebrating. There is always time for others. So just imagine the feeling we get on Christmas happening every single day. My Christmas in Rwanda doesn’t sound so bad after all, right?

Thanks so much for following my blog and adventures this year. And there’s still four months left of this amazing journey so stick around! And for everyone who purchased an item from the Amazon Wish List, thank you so much! The project has been so successful! The gifts for the boys will arrive on January 13^th when Ally Bataille will join me in Rwanda.

Noeli Nziza to you and your family during this holiday. Blessings from Rwanda.