tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83670566546694239302011-11-17T17:30:34.297-07:00Featuring Where's Wally? Follow us and Wally as we travel through Rwanda, and meet some of the children World Vision Canada serves.Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.comBlogger281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-74973505036912174562009-09-16T16:05:00.006-06:002009-09-16T16:27:28.826-06:00

I was fortunate on my trip to Rwanda to participate through World Vision in a day in the life of a Rwandan family. We arrived at Alice’s house which was built for her by World Vision, she has two daughters and Alice herself is a survivor of the Genocide. She and her youngest daughter are both HIV positive and life has been a real struggle. Upon on our arrival we were greeted by a woman who was

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-8653774184623170602009-09-11T09:45:00.004-06:002009-09-11T11:01:33.600-06:00

This morning I made myself a cup of Rwandan coffee, as I raised the cup to my mouth and breathed in the aroma I was instantly transported back in time and a wave of memories washed over me. It was a good feeling, I experienced so many wonderful things while I was there and it was nice to have those memories come flooding back.There are people that I met who inspired me and challenged me to

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-81441379412484573542009-09-04T14:05:00.007-06:002009-09-08T12:17:17.500-06:00

It's been a few days now since I arrived home from Rwanda, the jet lag is starting to subside and Stephanie is back at school. The quiet inside my house is deafening and the sadness in my heart at times is overwhelming. Has this journey changed me as a person? I'd have to say no -- I changed many years ago, or maybe this is who I always was and I let life and circumstances get in the way. I knew

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-6583064864432048632009-09-03T21:47:00.003-06:002009-09-03T22:39:51.914-06:00

We made it home Sunday night and our return has been bitter sweet. We both missed our husbands,families and conviences that we had to live without for a month, but I know that we also left a huge part of our hearts in Rwanda. The last few days have been hard trying to adjust the internal clocks in our bodies back to Edmonton time, and for me, to try to adjust myself accordingly to what people

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-57760290600845639312009-08-26T10:06:00.002-06:002009-08-26T10:27:58.842-06:00

Since being connected with WV it has been very hard to stay in touch with you on the other side of the world. Not only are our days extremely long and tiresome, but the internet connection in the reception area where we have to log in now is very disheartening to deal with. Just to get here today has taken me over 30 minutes and when you are tired, dealing with a slow connection is the last thing

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-39454305643157128952009-08-22T01:46:00.005-06:002009-08-31T14:56:29.148-06:00

This trip has been a roller coaster of emotions, when I left Canada I was filled with so much hope for this little country in the heart of Africa. Within a couple of days I was plunged deep into the abyss of despair. All the work I had done personally to find a way to view both the Hutu's and the Tutsi's as victims went floating out the window after visiting the Genocide memorials and hearing our

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-26699022584602982872009-08-20T13:45:00.005-06:002009-08-22T01:46:21.141-06:00

This has been the first time this week I have had 5 minutes to even think about posting to the Blog. We leave early in the morning and get back just in time to go to bed. I was able to meet my own sponsored child on Monday afternoon and it was so amazing! She is beautiful just like her picture, I also met her whole family and got lots of pictures and video. I was very fortunate to have with me a

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-80374109814881932242009-08-15T23:17:00.012-06:002009-08-16T11:12:58.954-06:00

We just wanted to let you all know that we are running at least a day behind right now because our days are getting very long and there has been little time for writing. We will now try a catch you up on the last couple of days.Two days ago we left Kigali around 7:00am to travel to a place called Bisesero, also known as the Hill of Resistance. It was a very long journey that took us through some

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-20926601926147795072009-08-14T23:29:00.005-06:002009-08-15T16:19:07.235-06:00

Our time here seems to be flying by in a whirl wind of activity. Dates and times have all melded into one. A couple of days ago we traveled across this beautiful country to visit the memorial site in a place called Murambi. We have read about it, and watched documentaries on it. We thought we were prepared to see it, we were not. It has been a couple of days since we were there and we still

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-23324556627449989572009-08-11T06:15:00.012-06:002009-08-12T13:27:27.282-06:00

We are a little behind on posting yesterdays blog. We were having some technical issues with the internet and our skills or lack thereof, as bloggers. We were frantically trying to get the pictures from yesterday (I just told her to "photoshop" my whole face!!!)to catch up to the blog. Our day (Tuesday, August 11th)started at 8:30am we both had a pretty good sleep last night and logged about 5

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-24397368510170901732009-08-10T14:12:00.005-06:002009-08-11T10:17:17.065-06:00

Today Carol and I were off to Gihinga so that I could meet my little boy Ishimwe that I have been sponsoring for 4 years. Ishimwe is the first little boy I have ever sponsored in my life and I never in a million years thought I would get the opportunity to meet him. Today when I laid my eyes on him I fell madly in love and when he came up to me for a hug, I am pretty sure that I squeezed the

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-810570066092240722009-08-09T12:04:00.008-06:002009-08-09T22:27:24.735-06:00

We made it! Today was our first full day in Rwanda! Things sure have taken a turn for the better, as of last night we were both wondering if we needed our heads examined. Both of us are suffering from major sleep deprivation and Carol is black and blue from our experience in London, upset stomach's, headaches, blah, blah, blah. This has felt for me to be one of the longest trips ever! I don't

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-19359476593745494362009-08-05T14:18:00.005-06:002009-08-05T20:56:38.849-06:00

Well this is it, tomorrow we will be on our way! For two people who couldn't wait for this day to arrive, now that it is upon us all that excitement has been tempered with with the reality of this being the last night we will spend with those closest to us. These past few days have been filled with last minute details to take care of and the saying of good byes to friends and family -- I think it

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-1153355419225664162009-08-01T20:14:00.003-06:002009-08-01T21:04:09.589-06:00

Today I have been busy running around and getting last minute things done since we leave on Thursday. Much like Carol, these past few days have been very hard. I am trying desperately to not let the tears come, because I am afraid that they might not stop. I am going to miss my amazing husband and family like I never have before, and have felt very selfish in this because I know at the end of it

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-76782699151077226392009-07-29T09:21:00.008-06:002009-07-29T16:20:40.279-06:00

We are really getting down to the wire now, just 7 days until we leave and the reality of it is finally sinking in. I'm finding it quite difficult to talk about leaving my family for the month of August -- when people ask me how I feel I try to avoid the subject, it instantly brings me to tears. Stephanie had a really good cry last night, I tried so hard to be strong for her but I felt like my

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-87348604768144719992009-07-18T13:02:00.003-06:002009-07-21T13:36:40.418-06:00

I am always asked why I am so passionate about World Vision and how did I first become involved with them, this post is about what led me to them. Back in 2004 I read a little book called "The Power of Generosity" written by Dave Toycen, the President of World Vision Canada. After reading the first few pages, I remember putting the book down and thinking to myself what an amazing human being he

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-62521482267653214662009-07-09T22:43:00.006-06:002009-07-10T14:14:24.589-06:00

I should be sleeping right now...early curtain call tomorrow at the gym, but I can't lay my head down yet because the most incredible thing has happened. The last little while there has been some upset in our lives because of some family things going on and on top of that alot of repeated rejection with the child sponsorship. So needless to say my flame and passion were nearly extinguished. I

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-72531178867804041212009-06-30T10:23:00.000-06:002009-06-30T12:13:33.474-06:00

Very soon now we will be leaving, and with alot of mixed emotion. I am already trying to stop myself from tormenting about coming home from Rwanda, and we haven't even left yet. Most people cannot understand, and never will, what a profound eye-opening, heart and soul cleansing experiance it is being in Africa....and thus for me the anguish. On Sunday we met two men from Rwanda, one of whom is

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-85731461060241071842009-06-21T11:49:00.000-06:002009-06-23T12:17:02.836-06:00

Hello to our followers, time is really winding down -- my list of things to do seens to be growing instead of shrinking! We still have not nailed down a car and driver, which has led me to the conclusion that we will arrive in Rwanda with nothing booked and everything up in the air -- all I can say is, in the words of Frank Costanza "SERENITY NOW! SERENITY NOW! It's all good - really. We were

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-16235064839232807372009-06-11T11:03:00.000-06:002009-06-11T11:25:01.762-06:00

The time seems to be flying by now; I can't believe how many little things I have to take care of before I leave. We have really been struggling to hire a car and driver for our time in Rwanda. There are no car rental agencies -- and the ones they do have are all privately owned and operated. Vickie has been sending emails to various places in Rwanda but no one ever responds back! Except today

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-7889086784503703502009-06-05T07:20:00.000-06:002009-06-05T07:33:20.969-06:00

I want to thank Diana from the Bookworm in Sherwood Park for her amazing support in our adventure. I am just a customer at the Bookworm, but because of a simple conversation I had with another customer and Diana, she has generously asked if she could help our cause. Her store which is located at 62 Athabascan Ave is displaying some information on our trip and taking donations for the Nyamata Area

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-63017994901552596872009-05-29T09:45:00.000-06:002009-05-29T10:05:13.174-06:00

Good morning to everyone! Today it is absolutely brilliant out, the sun is warm and shining there is not a cloud in the sky. I shall go and buy some flowers to plant in my back yard. But before I do that I want to share this video with you, not only because it shows the beautiful people of Rwanda but also because of the song that accompanies it. It brought tears to my eyes, not because it is sad,

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-81045851031089397452009-05-27T13:29:00.000-06:002009-05-27T13:51:49.888-06:00

Hellooooooo! I was feeling particularly upbeat and hopeful about our world today and wanted to share a video with all of you. Sometimes all we see are images of sick and hungry children living in hopeless situations. It can be overwhelming at times and make you feel like nothing we do will really make a difference, this just might change your mind, it did for me -- it gave me goose bumps knowing

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-20816530850863776652009-05-26T10:29:00.000-06:002009-05-26T14:46:11.001-06:00

Hello everyone, I have to tell you about a young man I met from Kenya. Last Thursday my door bell rang and after I herded my two small beasts into the den I answered the door. Standing on my doorstep was young black man with the most amazing limpid, sparkling eyes you could ever imagine, (I swear they twinkled like little stars!). The moment he opened his mouth to speak I knew he was from Africa,

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-77006772479915873702009-05-22T08:39:00.000-06:002009-05-26T12:19:16.707-06:00

Morning Everyone!!! Just checked our count down timer and my heart is racing....75 days till we are airborne and 8 kids to get sponsored! I am feeling alot of anxiety as the timer gets smaller. It is hard to explain all the mixed emotions about the trip. It is hard to weigh what is causing the most anxiety for me, being away from my husband or trying to get people to understand how hard World

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-56167910545022688962009-05-19T19:51:00.000-06:002009-05-26T12:20:22.136-06:00

Well my tooth is still aching! I sure hope I won't need a root canal on top of it, actually scratch that I just got back from the dentist and yes I now need a root canal!!! Anyway on to better things, it's hard to believe that May is almost over and we have snow on the ground, This is a picture of my niece Alexis and the giant snowman she built this morning! I am beginning to think the only

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-12184373105120702932009-05-16T13:08:00.000-06:002009-05-26T12:20:47.089-06:00

Some times we get caught up in our everyday lives, and forget how we as individuals can impact the lives of those around us. Some times the problems in the world seem too great for us as an individual to do anything about them. Some times all it takes is a simple reminder to show how easy it really is and how much power we as individuals really have. Some times we are given the chance to really

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8367056654669423930.post-36792350400411849032009-05-15T19:51:00.000-06:002009-05-26T12:20:59.631-06:00

Well as part of my preparations for my Rwanda trip I went to the dentist today to have a crown put on one of my molars. It had broken in half 2 years ago (swallowed the half that broke off) and I had to go to an emergency dental clinic on a Saturday, the dentist filled it and sent me on my way. Well now the filling cracked and was really deteriorating so my dentist and I thought it prudent to fix

Carol and Vickiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04749677638165894384noreply@blogger.com0