Kumbya

Mwaramutse (Good Morning),

Yesterday was an adventurous day for us. We made plans to leave Kibogora and hike to a local mission retreat about 3.5 miles away. This retreat is named Kumbya and is located on 10 acres of land that comprises a peninsula on lake Kivu. We left for our hike mid-morning carrying along with us a few snacks and plenty of water for the day. Our hike took us through an amazing landscape between the lakeshore and the surrounding mountains. The countryside contained many small huts built from mud bricks which sat on parcels of land covered with banana plants, coffee plants and various other crops. To add to the picturesque countryside we had the opportunity to interact with many people along the road. Many adults responded well as our group made attempts to greet them with in the native language of Kinyarwandan. Yet, some of the younger children would greet us in English with an enthusiastic, “Good Morning. How are you?”

We arrived at Kumbya around noon and found an open area along the lakeshore to relax and take in the scenery. We enjoyed a mid-day meal of snack bars as we watched the locals paddle canoes and fish in the lake. Our conversations drifted away from the usual subject of the economic and governmental hardships that plaque the history of this nation to the beauty of the countryside and the environmental wealth of this place.

We watched as an ominous appearing cloud approached yet refused to cut short our time on the lakeshore. As the rain began to pour down several made a break for Kibogora while a few of us stayed behind. We sat on the covered porch of an uninhabited house on the lake as the storm moved in. We laughed and talked as the storm moved though. As the rain stopped we set out for Kibogora and enjoyed a somewhat dry walk home.

- Luke