Yesterday we visited the refugee camp just outside of Goma. No photo, no words, no film can describe the level of dispair we experinced. It has to be smelt, seen, felt and heard to begin to understand the concentration of hopelessness in this place. It is enough to bring the hardest of hearts to its knees in tears. We all stood speachless as children began to gather are stare through us. No words were exchanged just blank looks. Our guide eventually walked us through the area. Large speakers echoed the voice of a political leader telling the people it was now safe to return to their homes. After the arrest of the rebel leader it seems people are trying to get back to life.

In the distance of the camp there is a volcano with smoke pouring out the top of it. When we toured the schools in the city we had to drive over cooled lava rocks from an eruption that happened in 2001. The city was destroyed and they are now rebuilding onto of the lava rocks. Even the floors of the schools are these hardball sized rocks.

Today we gave out the food to families. Again this expeince is very difficult to place into words. It was extremly joyful yet had an overshadowing amount of dispair. We had to select familuies who were in the most need and mee them in a church 15km away to give them the dry food. If we would have drove into the camp and begun distributing food we would have been trampled and killed. The good news is that it went well.

We will leave monday moring back to Rwanda to give the Bridges of Hope seminar. Other than that and my lack of clean underwear and new liking to goat meat there is not allot else new.

-Shawn ard