Daniel! :-)

 It was a picture perfect day: the sun directly overhead, the water frozen in time; not a wave to be seen, the mountainous hills cresting up and above the horizon. If it had not been for the roof above our heads on the boat, acting as a sun block, we would be sweating. Kids who saw us on the shore would run along side us as best they could, waving and shouting. Their voices were filled with laughter  while they shouted their favorite word: "muzungu, muzungu!"

Today was going to be nothing super extroidinary. Just some friends and family that wanted to pretend to be typical tourists for a day and take a boat ride tour of the lake. 

I guess you're wondering why im telling you all this. Well, a few months ago, our very own church visited us here in Rwanda!! It was a time of joy and learning, and we were very sad to see them go. While they were here, they accomplished many things. But, sometimes the simple things are the ones that can mean the most. While they were painting schools, handing out food and clothes to old people, visiting poor children, and praying over people that desperatley needed it, they were also doing something that would last much, much longer. 

Forming relationships.

And one of the most rewarding, best relationships that was made in this action packed week was with sweet Daniel.

Jaycee and Daniel!!

Daniel, from what we learned, was a lively 10 year old with a machete wound on his ankle. He never changed out of his school uniform (probably because that's the only thing article of clothing he owned) and never, ever stopped laughing. His smile lit up the room. We instantly fell in love with him. He was so much fun to be around, from laughing at our failed attempts of speaking Kinyarwanda or teaching us new games. When the church group had to leave to go back to the states, there was more than a few shed tears while they said their goodbyes. Just a few short days later he left the hospital unannounced and my heart broke in two because I never got to say goodbye!
 Jaycee and I had talked about visiting him ever since he left. We only had one piece of information: he lived at Shara. Shara is a remote village, and to get there you had to 1) get a boat somehow 2) go all the way there and 3) climb up the biggest hill in the entire world (seriously... it might as well be Mt. Everest)

Fast forward to today. My dads parents being here, he really wanted to take them on a boat ride. Today we packed our bags and hiked down to the waters edge before boarding.  One of the stops along the way: Shara!

So, as our shaded, more than perfect boat sliced through the crystal blue water, Jaycee and I were bouncing up and down. We didn't think we would actually find him! We didn't really have a plan, either. 

We neared the town and all the kids in a seeing distance began to run down the hill like ants. Their smiles were huge and they were awe struck as we got out of the boat. Wow, white people!

Jaycee immediately went up to the first group of kids she saw and started asking them if they knew were Daniel was in Kinyirwanda. They just laughed! So, Jaycee and I began up mini Mt. Everest.

20 years later (okay... 5 minutes) we reached the top. We were so out of breath that we could barely even talk. There was a woman standing right next to us and we decided to ask her. Maybe she knew Daniel? 

Jaycee pulled up an old, dark photo of him on her phone and said his name, again asking where he was in kinyirwanda. It wasn't much, but it was all we had. The lady seemed doubtful and was about to hand the phone back when she goes, "OOOH!" and waved her buddy in a beanie over. They spoke in Kinyirwanda for what seemed like ages before they started saying "yego, yego." (yes, yes). Then the man in the beanie began to lead us farther up the hill. Our hearts soured with possibility! We only hoped that he wasn't going to take us a few miles down the road, and that Daniels house was instead close by. 

We followed him and our new little group of kids followed us. We were probably such a sight! We wove in between houses, corn fields, and big roads. At one point the man stopped and asked someone else something and we weren't even sure if he knew exactly where he was taking us. But, finally, he stopped in front of a small house and pointed and did the little Rwandan eyebrow raise thing which basically can mean anything, but in this case was, "we have made it. your friend is here and your long awaited search is over!" 

We looked around but didn't see Daniel anywhere. My heart fell. I should have known that he wasn't going to be there. He was probably miles off, getting water or feeding the cow or something. Just when my heart hit the bottom, someone in the front yard of what I assume is his house yelled down the road.  Jaycee and I rounded the corner and.... there he was!!!

Our Daniel! Jaycee yelled "Daniel!!!" and held out her arms. He immediately dropped the stuff he was carrying and ran into Jaycees arm and then mine, all the while with the biggest smile I've ever seen on his face. Jaycee started tearing up and I was so happy I couldn't be still. We had found him! Against all odds, we had really found him. 

some village people that came to see what was happening

The next 10-20 minutes were a blur, but I know that we somehow made it back to the main part of the village and met up with my parents there. My dad was running around pretending to chase the little kids, and my mom and mimi were shaking hands and laughing and taking it all in. Daniel was laughing and Jaycee and I were still astonished. Our hearts were overjoyed!! 

We made our way back down the hill after spending a few short minutes with him. It was too soon, but we had to go because the boat ride was paid by time. As we gave our last hugs goodbye, it was with a full heart. This time we knew we would definitely be coming back to see him again!!

Brandon and I on the boat

on the boat to Shara

they loved Jaycees phone!

Brandon and Ildephonses son, Kristoff

walking back from Daniels house after we had found him

Brandon feeling the cool water on such a hot day!

Getting on the boat

So happy, but so tired!

Daniel and I :-)

The main road in the village

I cant wait to go visit him and all the other little kids in his village again. I am so, so grateful that God brought him into our lives and that the church group took the time to form relationships during their stay!! Without them, we probably wouldn't know Daniel at all.