DAY 13 – Journey from Bukavu/Congo to Kigali/Rwanda
December 12th, 2017
Today is the day of our departure from Bukavu, and we finish packing this morning, because there was a power outage last night, and we couldn’t see anything. Several brothers are helping to carry the luggage those 120 steps down and after a quick breakfast, and thanking the precious saints here for accommodate us so graciously with prayers of thanksgiving, we are taking one more time some photos, before we are heading with several cars to the border.
When we entered the Congo last week, they had cancelled all our visas for Rwanda, and we had to start applying again. However, their website didn’t work properly and it took some time to apply. We all had received the confirmation that the application was received and paid for. But it takes 3 days to receive the visa and we don’t have received it yet. It gets difficult at the border, because they frustrate us by trying to keep us in the Congo until we receive the visa. They ask Timmy to prepare a list with all the names and tracking numbers from the visa application, and they don’t seem to want to cooperate. After we explain that we cannot miss our flight to Nairobi tomorrow, they finally agree to contact the embassy and tell us, to wait another 1 to 2 hours in the bus. At the time I am writing this, we are sitting already here in the brazing sun for more than 2 hours, but at least they have already checked every single piece of luggage.
We left the hotel around 10 a.m. and the drive to the border is only 20 minutes, but by now it’s already 3 p.m. and they are still holding us. We finally are called to get our passports and after prayer for a safe journey, we are leaving at 3:55 p.m.
This time we take a different route and drive through the mountains, where we were hoping to see some animals.
We are all of good spirits, stop on the way for some photos by a big tea plantation.
For a couple of hours now we didn’t see any villages, but only vegetation. The scenery is absolutely beautiful, especially now as the sun is slowly setting. We are climbing higher and higher.
By 7 p.m. it is pitch dark, and now we are passing by little villages and arrive around 10:30 p.m. at the Guest House in Kigali, that precious Pastor Balinda so generously opens to us for one more night. He and his wife are happy to see us again, and we take the same rooms as we had before. They even have a dinner prepared for us and our two cook-friends Didier and Emmanuel are serving us one more time with such joy and respect.
The night is short, but it feels good to have a warm shower after those scarce resources in the Congo. We fall asleep right away and are extremely grateful, that we are so well received and treated here. The Lord will bless these precious believers here abundantly.