Update from Lane in Rwanda

Dear Friends and Family,

A local Rwandan meal. First you pile rice,
then add"chips" (french fries),
then matoke (a cooked banana dish),
then usombe (spinach-like), then beans,
and finally beef in sauce. Tasty. All for $2.

Has it really been since August that we last sent out an update? So much has happened that we really need to fill you in on things. As a quick recap or for those of you new to our family updates, Anna, the kids, and I spent 10.5 months in Kenya as I (Lane) served as a volunteer Legal Fellow for International Justice Mission (IJM). The mission of IJM is to protect people from violent forces of injustice by securing rescue and restoration for victims and ensuring public justice systems work for the poor all in the name of Christ. You joined us in this fight, and for that I am very, very thankful. Shortly after we returned in June, I interviewed for a long-term, paid, leadership role with IJM and in August, I was offered the role of Field Office Director in Kigali, Rwanda.



As of October 26, I (Lane) came to Rwanda to begin this new job. After the six weeks apart, I will return to Texas on December 7, spend Christmas with our families, and then return to Rwanda with Anna and the kids on December 27. In my month in Kigali, I have settled into my new role with IJM, acclimated somewhat to life here (it is a safe, clean, and beautiful city), signed a lease on a house, and shopped for a car. Life has been full! But, I am absolutely loving it. The IJM Rwanda staff have had some amazing breakthroughs in our casework while I have been here and everyone is excited for what 2011 can bring for our clients. The Bible makes clear that God loves justice and we believe he wants to bring His justice to Rwanda through human hands. I am honored to serve alongside my Rwandese, American, and Austrian colleagues in being His hands in this fight. And, you are right there with us. Thank you.



View from our new house

 As you think of it, here are some things we would appreciate your prayers:

• for a wise and discerning heart for me (Lane) as I lead this team;
• for Anna and the kids in the remaining 2 weeks I am away;
• for our clients to experience God's healing from the trauma they have suffered; and
• for favor with the government authorities with whom we interact.



Thank you again, my friends and family, for standing alongside these girls and boys who have suffered so much. As James said in his epistle: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Crowned crane or 'Umasambi'
in the yard of the guesthouse
where I am staying

 

p.s. Grab a pen...we have our new mailing address for Rwanda! It only takes 3 stamps to send a plain letter from the USA to Rwanda. We'd love to get your Christmas cards even if it takes 4-6 weeks to get there!

Lane and Anna Mears

Post Office Box 3354

Kigali, Rwanda

Peace,

Lane

A Glimpse into Our Life in Nairobi

http://brownfamily.blip.tv/file/4403317/

This is GREAT!! This was our life in Nairobi, at least the traffic and driving in the city part! I learned to drive these exact roads and did almost everyday, on the "wrong side of the road" I might add.  This guy goes by the turn to our house on Waiyaki Way and then takes you all the way to Caleb's old school, Rosslyn Academy. So, Caleb saw this everyday on his bus to school, actually you can see some Rosslyn buses in the video.  He goes by ABC Centre where I shopped for fresh veggies at Zucchini and meat at Gilani's every week, then Sarit Centre where we get water and groceries at Uchumi. He even took my shortcut behind Sarit Centre to Lower Kabete, love it! On the right is a furniture maker on the side of the road where I bought some bookshelves for our house. Then he goes by the hawkers road with the puppies for sale that Abigail loved and my friend Caroline who sells kids clothes everyday and bargained/bought some for our kids while stuck in traffic. Then West Gate Shopping center is on your right, where we might go for a date night to see a movie and eat at Art Cafe. Then up the hill, through the 4-way stop with chickens and fresh cut flowers for sale and where I often saw my friend Laurie coming from her house on the way to school.

Then Forest Lane, which we called Monkey Lane, because Abigail saw a monkey up in the trees one day and I passed a dead monkey with flourescent blood on the road. Up the hill, where the semi truck got stuck and started rolling backwards in front of me, but I quickly decided I didn't want to be there to see if he got unstuck and swerved around to pass him.  He passes the lady on the side of the road where I bought plants. I can even tell you where some of those big, doozy potholes are on these roads. You have to learn where they are or else you hit them and pray your car doesn't fall apart or flat a tire, which did happen to us, but not on this route he drove on this day.  He passes the UN compound where we would go to play ultimate frisbee sometimes and then the US Embassy which we never actually went into, but knew tons of folks that worked in there. Then he stops the video a few minutes short of Caleb's school which we LOVED!

The traffic is crazy in Nairobi and many times I got stuck in this traffic, and several times it took me an hour to get to his school, and once it took us 3 hours to get home from the airport returning from a 90 minute flight. Oh, I will miss many things about our life and friends in Nairobi, but I will not miss the traffic. I am glad to hear that Lane can already say that Kigali traffic is a sunny day compared to Nairobi. Whew, thank goodness! Secretly, I have to admit that many times I did enjoy, yes that's right, have fun driving these roads. Of course, not in the beginning, learning to drive in a right-side driver car but once I started learning my way around, finding the shortcuts to avoid big "jams", and driving like a local, I felt a wave of success! And, I did learn when to stay off the streets because I knew what traffic was out there if I decided to get in our car, like on rainy days or the first of the month when folks got paid, put "petrol" in their cars, and decided to drive. The end of the month believe it or not has less traffic for this reason.


Thanks Brown family for sharing this with us! What a fun walk or should I say crazy ride through memory lane.

Enjoy,
Anna

Plane Tickets Back to Africa

It's Official...we have plane tickets back to Africa!! Our time in Austin is now closing and wow, has it flown by fast.

Oct 25 - Lane flew to Rwanda to start the new job as Field Office Director for International Justice Mission's Rwanda office.
Nov 2 - Anna packed the shipment of our family household items that will travel to Africa by boat.
Nov 17 - Lane signed on a house for us to rent in Rwanda
Dec 1 - Lane moves into our new house in Rwanda
Dec 7 - Lane flies back to Austin
Dec 16 - movers will pack the items in our house for long-term storage in Austin
Dec 17 - last day of school for Caleb & Abigail
Dec 18 - pack up house in Austin & hopefully drive to Dallas
Dec 25 - Christmas with both families in Dallas
Dec 27 - fly from Dallas to Rwanda
Dec 28 - arrive in Kigali, Rwanda and sleep in our new home

Our house for rent and adopt a dog

Dear Friends,

In preparation for moving back overseas we are looking for someone to rent our home. It is a  3 bedroom/2 bathroom house in Westcreek neighborhood near Mopac, William Canon, and 290. The house has been well-maintained and offers a refrigerator, full-size washer & dryer, a back porch, well-landscaped backyard, and 2-car garage. Great for a family or a group of single folks. Move in as early as December 20th.  Please contact Anna at 512-665-3599 or lmearstx at yahoo.com if interested.

**UPDATE 11/21 - WE FOUND A HOME FOR LIZZY!!***Lane's mom & dad want her back after having her last year while we were in Kenya. We are so thankful!! ****

We are also looking for someone to adopt our sweet dog named Lizzy. We are hoping for a wonderful, loving home for her. She is about 12 years old, white lab mix and fantastic with kids. About 2 years ago she lost an eye so we joke that she is our Pirate dog. :-)

Thanks and please forward this on to anyone you know who might be interested in either renting our home or a great dog!

Anna and Lane

Packing for Africa

Today, November 2nd is my birthday and what better way to spend it than with movers in my house packing up 1975 lbs of our stuff to take with us to Africa. We are so blessed and thankful to be allowed a shipment of household goods to be send from our home in Texas to our new home in Rwanda.

There is only one catch, it will take 2-3 months to arrive. To help in deciding when to send this shipment someone asked me "Where will you miss the stuff the most, Texas or Rwanda?" That was a quick answer - Rwanda. So, since we are planning to arrive in Rwanda on Dec 28, I decided our shipment needed to go out on/about November 1st so that it will arrive in country shortly after we arrive. Lane and I made this decision in late-September. So, I had about 6-weeks to prepare for my November 1st "Packing Day".

The ball began rolling to start setting aside all of the items we would like to take with us in this shipment. I started making list, lots of lists. Actually, I started an Excel spreadsheet. That is just the way my brain thinks - lists and spreadsheets :-)!! I knew we wanted to pack things like kid bikes, rugs to cover the tile floors overseas, curtains, framed pictures, etc, etc, etc. It also meant for me to start buying supplies that we would need until our next furlough a year from now - things like medicines, vitamins, next size clothes for the kids, etc. But...the big trick was staying within our allotted 1,975 lbs.  Now, raise your hand if you can tell me how much space 1,975 lbs takes up? I had no clue.

So, the moving company so graciously sent out a "Moving Estimator" to help walk through our house and help us estimate the weight of the items we want to bring. This meeting was really helpful as I opened every cabinet of the house and pointed out what items we wanted to bring. Actually, after this first visit from the "Estimator" we were way over on our allotment amount. So, I started trimming the list. I also, began contacting people we had met during our scouting trip to Rwanda back in March about what things were important for me to bring and what items I can get there and not need to bring. I also searched the web and found a few blogs of ex-pats living in Rwanda and contacted them randomly to ask the same questions. (I am post-writing this entry - and can say that I have now met two of those blogging families in person!).

After 6-weeks of preparation the big day finally arrived.  Thankfully, packers came and did all of the packing for me (if it is not packed by the movers they will not insure it - ok by me!!). Did I forget to mention that Lane left the week before to begin his new job with International Justice Mission in Rwanda, so I was doing this solo. Well, not really. A BIG thanks to Corey and Shannon for coming over the night before until very late to help me inventory every single items that was going on the shipment.  A BIG thanks to Emily and Lori who brought me food and helped by taking the kids all day for playdates so I could be with the movers at the house and be able to focus on all the details.

**The latest update we have is that our shipment split into 3 crated boxes is on a boat in the ocean somewhere and expected to land on the Tanzania coast on January 9th. Then it will travel by land to Rwanda. Not sure how ling that takes, but I am looking forward to seeing these items soon!

Enjoy the pics from the "Packing Day." :-)
Anna