Our grandson, Tony, got home from his church African trip yesterday at 2 o’clock in the morning.  He slept most of yesterday but when he awakened at about 4 PM, he got up and came right over to tell us about his trip.  Sandy and I listened to him for about an hour as he described all he could remember.  Since Tony is black, he was the main attraction of the group.  The Rwandan children flocked to Tony everywhere they went because, for the first time in most of their lives, they saw an American their same color.  Keep in mind, we live in a totally different culture here in America.  The word for black in much of Africa is nigger; a word we consider here as profaned.  It is the very word Rwandans use to mean brother.  When they would get off a bus, for example, Tony sat at the front and was always the first person to disembark.  Children would run to him, they would slap hands, and hug each other and say, nigger.  Tony said, the look on their faces were of astonishment that he was their same color and came from America.  The rest of the Christian teenagers on the trip asked Tony one day, Why do all the kids come running to you first and clap hands and hug you?  Tony said, Because I’m their color.  Sandy asked Tony if it bothered him they called him nigger.  Tony said, No, because that’s the African word for black and they mean it as saying, brother, to people their own color.  Tony was proud as a peacock telling us about it all and he is already talking about going next March to Central American on one of the church trips.  Boy, is he ever pumped up about it all.  Spiritually, he is already considering if God wants him to be a missionary.  I am so thankful for this experience he has had.  I wanted him to get a good impression of his heritage and he is proud he has met his brothers and sisters from Africa.  They took a  safari bus tour and saw, in the while, elephants, giraffes, snakes, birds of all types and many other animals.  The mostly ate beans and rice, which Tony said was very good, and a couple of times they went to restaurants for meals that had meat.  I am sure he will have more to say as he remembers.  Thanks to all who prayed for him.

Phil.