One day in seven we take a day off. Not to say that we're on task every moment of every other day, but Mondays are our day to relax, explore, recreate and enjoy. We're lucky here to have Sister Bird who before being an English teacher in China had an event planning business. She lines up fun outings for the senior couples and Elder Bird graciously drives, usually the 12 passenger van through horrendous Rwandan traffic.
Sister Bird told us about a "canopy walk" bridge that was not a known tourist attraction. The Birds and the previous Member and Leadership Support Missionaries, the Glaziers, had gone looking for it, but hadn't found it. Luckily they knew in advance it would require their truck to navigate the country roads. We bought a picnic and set out.
The road wound up a nearby mountain and Kigali was quickly out of sight. Pines mix with banana, mango and papaya trees. We had gone about 15 miles when the GPS directed us to turn off onto a dirt road.
She was using her GPS setting on her phone.
The roads became rougher, the farther we went. We saw this man with goats on leashes, and this pretty little mountain stream.
But no indication of where the suspension foot bridge might be. (Before you ask, yes, right up where the creek bends around the bank, I am pretty certain I saw a fish splash.)
Little children gawked...and then waved eagerly as though they had never seen a white person before. Surely that's not true, but the nearby village is pretty remote and we didn't see any motorized vehicles.
Elder Bird suggested that a man walking along the "road" that really had deteriorated to little more than a trail, might be able to give instructions in English.
"Yeah, what are the chances of that?" we commented.
But the young man spoke pretty good English. He wasn't certain how it was accessed but suggested we go back to the main road and ask directions again.
So we did that and the next person told us to go down to the roadside cafe and ask.
Sister Bird isn't at all shy, and soon met Danny who not only knew how to get there, but offered to take us there. He didn't seem to expect any payment, but said, (also in English) "Come, follow me."
Sister Bird told him that those were the words Jesus said and asked Danny if he knew about Jesus. As we walked along the paved highway, (receiving stares from everyone we met,) she talked to him about Jesus. I want to be more like Sister (LeAnn) Bird!
When we had gone about half a mile, Danny turned off on a rough trail leading down the moutainside.
We expected Danny to just say, "follow this trail and you'll come to it," but he took us all the way down the STEEP path, probably about a mile down. He shook hands all around (Sister Bird slipped him a 5000RWF note, (about $4) and we ventured onto this bridge called the "Bridge to Prosperity."
Elders (Doug) Bird and (Jeff) Stephenson on the Bridge to Prosperity.
Once over the bridge, (neither a toll nor a troll bridge) we sat under some banana trees on a grassy bank to eat our picnic. Immediately the lady visible over my shoulder and her 5 or six year old child came and sat down behind us. They didn't attempt to interact, but the Birds offered a muffin immediately, which the lady declined. The child wasn't so scrupulous, and after he had eaten his second one, the lady relented and had one too. Another lady joined them, just watching us eat our lunch.
Soon there was a crowd of four or five others watching us from the near end of the bridge. I think the idea of a picnic, eating outside in a remote place just for the fun of it, is a new concept. But it certainly made for a guilty meal. We had bought roast beef sandwiches on big, buttery croissant rolls. I had brought brownies to share, and we all had our water bottles. The sandwiches were truly delectable. But how can you enjoy it fully when people are watching you eat it? I'm confident that these children of the same Heavenly Father had never had anything so delicious in their lives. On the other hand, I had eaten very little and it was late. I was famished, so I gobbled it up and saved out one measly chocolate peanut butter cookie to give the late-coming woman behind us.
The pictures tell the story of the place: The birdsong mingled with the watery sounds of the creek and the lowing of cows under a thatched shelter. The verdant smells of moist earth and green growing things nearly covered the distant scent of woodsmoke.
We sat for awhile before starting back, enjoying the peace and beauty. . .just feeling grateful. . .and watched.
The trail back would have been easier to go up than down had not Sister Bird and I had too little to drink. We both felt a bit dizzy and out of breath too easily. But once we hydrated, we felt much better and hiked back to the truck.
The weeks are flying by, but every day I have moments of deep joy and gratitude. We're getting busier and busier as we add classes in Temple preparation, music conducting that will soon commute to piano lessons, English lessons using English Connect, training leaders, and speaking and teaching in the Sunday meetings, mission meetings, leadership meetings from time to time.
With all the busy-ness, our hike to the Bridge to Prosperity will always be a fun memory shared with fun friends. Another blessing of missionary service!
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