It's time for a Saturday update. I just met a pastor for Bukavu, Congo who works with orphans and widows, mostly from AIDS. It looks like Ian and I will be able to visit him, if I can get permission from Jean to go to Congo. This part was a little dangerous a few years ago but it's much safer now. I really want to go to Congo and Burundi when I'm hear since the conflicts there are related to Rwanda.

Also, I finally took my mother into the center of town. We took a mini bus in so she could experience a crowded bus. We walked for a while before we found the gift shop run by Caritas, a Catholic organization. My mother got 10 creches and we're getting more before she goes. We had to take a private taxi home, $5 instead of $.20 for the minibus, but I think my mother appreciated the extra room.

I also hired my 2 translators for the summer. One will interview orphans who are survivors of the genocide and the other will interview orphans who are not genocide survivors. Each translator is interviewing people from their own group so the orphans feel safer and more free to speak. It can be hard to talk in Rwanda if you do not know who is listening. I have even been very cautious about who I talk to and what I say because you do not know who is around.

Tonight Jean and Viviane, my Rwandan parents, come back from a month in Switzerland. They were visiting people who are donors for Solace. The whole family is coming into town to greet them so I get to see my sisters who live in the south and north. Once Jean is here I can start doing my research. I know I've only been here 5 days but I'm ready to start working.