goodbyes

We pass by LWF (lutheran world fund) on the way to Gacaca court meeting and I found the computer lab disassembled. As I told John, my voice a little rough, I was "of course disappointed, but I knew this was the risk when your bring something they didn't necessarily ask for." John apologized, insisting that he had asked for them. I appreciated his apology and this interest he expressed, but the issue is that the people who work at LWF on a daily basis weren't necessarily invovlved in the process. I admire John and how hard he works and with so many different groups. I hope that the people at LWF will find a way to use the computers and that I will find someone to work with in developing a web page, but if the interest isn't there then I can't force it. And i don't know that John can either.

"Gacaca" is a revioval of the traditional justice system, necessitated by the great number of cases in the formal legal system. The case we watched involved a man who was accused of killing his brother-in-law during the genocide. The victim's wife, i.e. the accused's sister was among the accusers.

We return to Kigali and shared a goodbye dinner at Cozy. There were many goodbyes-- Luther Place to the staff at Cozy, LP to Pastor John, myself to everyone. I feel some regret at separating myself from the others. Community is important. But I know that my choice-- to see friends in Kenya without spending an excessively excessive time away from home-- makes sense. I miss my people at home so much.