Bad Boy Bennie Bites Back

I received this email today from Bad Boy. Sorry about photo - but I think Bad Boy is on the left, then Roger, Gus and Mark (our minister)

The email speaks for itself and I have copied it to you with his permission. I phoned him tonight and apparently he is working on another epistle. In the meantime here is the Word of Bad Boy Bennie Chapter 1.

'Hi Garlic. Bad boy here , great to follow your holiday exploits whilst relaxing is sunny Chryston.

I was not in the least surprised that you and Roger were having difficulty with exact locations, as past experience has given plenty examples of this in various hill walking expeditions that I have been involved in. Good to hear that all has been resolved and that you know exactly where you are once again.

After an emergency meeting of the Session it has been decided that on your return, you and Roger must spend a period of three weeks quarantined at Gartcosh parish church, before being allowed to rejoin the caring sharing church family at Chryston. This decision was taken over concerns that personal hygiene issues brought to light in a recent blog i.e. lack of showering facilities ,could put the session in breach of certain health & safety regulations when you return.

I tried to argue against the decision stating that this was actually normal for Roger and that we have not had any recorded instances of footrot within the congregation for several years now, but I was shouted down by a group of outsiders led by Malcolm who insisted that rules are rules and that furthermore he could recommend a security company to enforce said decision.

After some consideration of the costs involved the session refused this suggestion, and instead have set up a committee to look into ways that the congregation could be encouraged to take part in providing resources for this very important task.

The only concession I could win on your behalf is that you will be allowed to drive past the church on your way to Gartcosh in order for the congregation to wave to you from an appropriate distance still to be specified.

Be assured that I will continue to defend vigorously any attempts by the outsiders to impose further sanctions against you and will keep you updated on developments.

I must go now as I believe my internet transmissions are being monitored by someone hiding in the graveyard, these are dangerous time’s we are living in .

Give my regards to all.

Bad Boy Bennie.'

So Bad Boy tries to make things better, but just manages to ensure that our return to the fellowship next week, will be marked by concerns about our cleanliness and huggability - yes folks, we have learned how to hug - you too are in danger!, And we hug good. Perhaps Sunday week we will dance in Chryston too.

Bad Boy will undoubtedly raise the matter of dancing at the next session meeting on Tuesday - are we allowed to dance to the beat (sorry hymns) or not - Roger needs to know!

Could I apologise to all those not from our church for the direction this blog has taken. I will try and regain control - must stop eating those bananas!

Miracle Mutesa

Now John is the next person to be blighted by Garlic's obsession to get revenge by giving people nicknames.

This is Miracle John Mutesa.

John is our can do/will do guy. He greets you with a wild swing of the arm, which seeks out your hand to give it a firm welcoming shake, and then either slaps you on the back, or gives you a big hug.

It was he who came to collect us at Kigali Airport; he who delivers a printer to my room when I desperately need one; he who plays the piano, guitar and leads the singing at church, fantastically well; he who is our material negotiator and sorter of deed plans; he who stands beside the Ugandan preacher on Sunday and interprets a twenty minute sermon with brilliant vitality.

John does things, does them very well, he anticipates your needs, and wants to make sure that everything is ok for you. He will even phone you up while you are in a taxi and advise us of what fare to pay - so that we do not get done.

But there is more to John. He has very little family - no-one close. I suspect the genocide is the cause of this. I think about asking why no parents or brothers and sisters, as we walk along the road, but I bottled it - probably to protect both of us from the answer I suspected.

Instead he tells me of hard work at school, scholarships to Bible Training College in South Africa, and when I ask him his plans he says he is content to just continue the work that God has given him here in Kigali.

John is a pastor in L'Eglise Vivante Church. His main role, is to support the work with the orphans, street children, and homeless. He spends lots of time with individuals teaching about the Gospel. This week he is deep in translation and organising a course for an invasion of Rwandan and international ministers.

He is so busy that we have not really had long enough to find out what he is thinking, except I know that he likes preachers who teach from the bible verses, and make Christ relevant to ordinary people like you and me. Rog and I were just saying today that we need to sit down for a couple of hours with this 24 year old, and get to know him even better.

John Mutesa, we hope, is coming to Scotland next June. Roger and I are going to take him sailing and kayaking at Arisaig. He is going to 'love it'(!) and we are going to love having him over, as are all his many friends in Scotland.

So given all of the above - its Miracle Mutesa from now on. I would like to say that he is one in a million, but I am increasingly finding here that there are loads of great people to meet and chat to out here. But John is really fantastic and a great blessing to his church, and all the visitors who come out here

Interesting - me and you are learning more from them, than they from us!

Stats, CADs, KIST, and BBB

Hi to all you watchers, and bloggers.

I finally found the stats tab on the blog - it had gone walkies. Various emails and texts were telling me there were a few sad (like us) people out there with nothing better to do than watch our progress, and other things.

Well the stats are showing 98 hits yesterday, and 1124 over the last month. Great to have people's support and interest. We have had hits from USA (about 45 - who are all you guys?). Then there is someone in Singapore, a few in Germany. Would be great to know who is watching.

Nice to know from Fiona that the Braehead office is enjoying the occasional laugh re the blog. I hope Chris has got that ice just perfect for my first curling practice when I get back. Pamela - has David McAdam booked practice ice for Mon 13th at lunch time - for him and me - he is a bit silent about it - let me know, but do not tell him I was checking up(!!).

What I particularly liked about the stats was that the top post so far is the one of Roger on his knees. I shall let him know in the morning - he's gone to bed. He's an early bedder - I'm the owl!.

The second biggest number of hits was Roger and the cow - he is obviously becoming quite a celebrity - I mean Roger - not the cow.

Today we were worried about the land deed and eastings and northings. Thanks for those trying to get us information about this - please relax. Having had 3 different readings from land surveyors, some in Congo and others a mile west of the site, we finally managed to get the matter settled, and the land deed has gone off to be registered.

Another problem was the extent of work being requested for the planning application which included an engineering report on all 4 buildings in the site masterplan. We had to visit another architect with much experience of working in Kigali, and have clarified what remains to be done. So we are back on track with deadline of planning application going in on Monday, which we should achieve, though Rog is once again going to be very busy.

This afternoon Paul the Pastor, Roger and I spent about an hour and a half talking about what we need to do to set up the College. This will require some transitional staff, and a gradual growth of courses, probably starting with construction. It is very early days but we need to make sure the staffing and financial plans are in place as soon as possible. Good to get the discussion started and particularly regarding the people with skills that might have a heart for this work.

Tomorrow I have to try and do some CAD drawings and see if I can produce a polished 3D front and back image of the College. Failing this I may have to phone up Gordon Yeaman and ask him to some work again - hopefully not Gordon.

I also want to make appointments with the Rector for the Kigali Institute for Science and Technology - Abraham Atta Ogwo. Abraham has close links with Glasgow, and I met him in Whiteinch in July, and we agreed that we would would spend a bit longer talking about lots of stuff! More of this when I have seen him.

I have to relate that I am pretty grumpy regarding my new nickname. When Norman Cathcart sends me copies of emails marked to Garlic M I know that my concerns re this nickname sticking are coming all too true.

So from Garlic and Roger to all of you - God bless

PS - We are thinking up lots of nicknames for each of you - How about Bad Boy Bennie!

Rain in Rwanda

So yesterday during the church service, it rained for the first time since we arrived 10 days ago.

The rainy season is September and October and then April. I am told that you know when it going to rain because around lunch time a wind will get up, and can be quite strong and then suddenly a really heavy shower starts. When it is at its worst the very deep flood troughs on each side of the road flow very fast and quite dangerously.

Yesterday was really quite mild. When the first rains start the roads get quite slippery, and Pete says loads of cars end up in the ditch - so we drove carefully. Well thats a bit relative. We were coming down this steep hill, when we came upon this guy on a bike. We clocked him doing 70 km per hour! - not bad considering the amount of bananas on the back of his bicycle (no its not a motorbike) and the wet surface.

Anyway, while I am on bananas, the Rwandan bananas are really great, and we are consuming several each day. A fact I learned yesterday, is that bananas are hallucinogenic - which would certainly explain some of my strange blogging, and the movement in Rogers feet during the service - definitely looked like dancing feet to me, but I must be just seeing things - hope the video upload to You Tube goes well! See Rogers dancing feet - click here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iotyW3qr2Q

Better Blogging

Hi All

I had heard that quite a few people were struggling to make comments on our blog.

Now this might be a bit risky, but I have changed the settings in the hope that you can really tell us what you think.

Have a go in the comments box underneath

Mucina Kids

Today we got the chance to travel an hour and a half northwest of Kigali to a new church in Mucina. The journey started on pretty good roads, but then we turned of onto dirt track for the next 15 miles. Basically we were taking a track which journeys over the top of all the hills with outstanding views of the surrounding area.

Mucina does have a town centre and a medical centre - looked like one consulting room to me, and a new church that is not quite finished - no doors or windows.

On the way we picked up a small group from another church on the way - I think we had 8 in the back of the pick up, and 6 inside, plus the very 3 large speakers, and the electric piano - just the usual load really.

When we arrived at the church we were greeted by this large crowd of very welcoming children, and were sat as guests of honour at the front of the church. This was the usual 3 hour service with lots of dancing and singing - from both the adult choir in great red and white dresses, and the junior choir, who also provided the drum beat.

I have to announce to the Chryston folk that we have now gone through 6 hours of services without Roger or I being forced to dance - I bet that stimulates a few emails this week. However I do have a piece of video of Rogers feet - sorry to bring them back into the frame again - but this time the video shows them tapping away to the rhythm - evidence enough I think!

It was a great experience, and my best memories will be of the fun and brightness in the childrens faces - sheer joy on earth. Hallelujah - Amen!

Tomorrow its back to deed plans and masterplans, and a meeting with Pastor Paul to discuss clearing the site of foliage, and arranging our meeting the curriculum people at WDA.

Anyone good at producing eastings and northings on a map of Kigali - we need a bit of help on this one! - just email Gary on garymacfarlane1@me.com if you have knowledge of this - Thanks

Best wishes to everyone back home - we are both very well and in good spirits - hope you are enjoying our blog and the experiences we are relating. God Bless

What do you mean we are in Congo?

Sometimes I feel this is project is back to front. Yesterday we were completing the plans for planning submission. Then we go to a meeting on Friday evening, and learn that the new deed plan shows that the size of the plot is 20% less than we had based the masterplan on. Even worse the site is too narrow to put the building on!

At this point the project manager is having kittens, and would prefer a three round fight with manic mosquito than this news. Cries of incompetence ring around my head. As soon as we get home, we plough through the eastings and northings figures. Why is that different, how did this angle change, how do we sort this.

After spending half the night downloading google earth, trying to recalculate eastings and northings into latitude and longitude, and eventually doing our own drawing of the site using the angles, the team (Rog and I) cried out - That cannot be right! - not really having a clue what was right.

So, only thing we could do was to demand a further site assessment, find the concrete blocks (see photo - not easy) that detail the land and get a guy with a GPS to rework the positions and a new deed plan.

The summary, - they had not noticed that the dirt track down the side of the land had widened significantly, by the effect of torrential rain, and they therefore discounted 10 x 100metres of our land, as well as forgetting to include the exact corners of the site. Never trust a surveyor unless you are there and double check everything he does. Further deed plan arrives tomorrow - we will check it very carefully!

Oh, and why Congo. Well when we were going through the readings and comparing the GPS results on the deed plan, the surveyor announced that the plan related to GPS readings in Congo, which unfortunately for us is a long way north of Rwanda. Don't worry - we checked that one on Google earth as well.

Boy are we having fun!