Beginning Preparations
It has been challenging trying to simply stay open to every learning experience that will come my way as I journey to Rwanda. I’ve done a fair share of reading and study in preparation. I’ve had to complete a lot of paperwork and pay attention to medical details. I’ve felt quite overwhelmed by this Rwandan opportunity. I am grateful.
Today I am flying to Washington, D.C. and will meet my traveling family in less than 48 hours. I’ve spent quite a bit of time trying to fathom some numbers.
• Land Mass: Indiana has 4 times the land mass that Rwanda has; that means if you would draw lines from East to West across our state, roughly 30 miles North of Indianapolis and 30 miles South of Indianapolis you would an idea about the size of Rwanda.
• Population: Rwanda is home to 8 million people; the entire state of Indiana is home to a little over 6 million people.
• The Genocide: 937,000 people were killed in 100 days in 1994. That is about the equivalent of everyone in Indianapolis and in Hendricks County being killed in 100 days.
• Orphans: Rwanda is home to about 1 million orphans or 12.5% of the population.
I am overwhelmed as I make my preparations to learn, to grow and to discover. I invite you to spend some time today with these numbers. I really do appreciate my surroundings and I hope you do too!
Ben Keckler
08.13.08
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