As the Vision Trip team heads West, Wes shares about the journey

After spending 4 nights in Kigali, we began our trip to Western Province where we planned to stay one night on the shores of Lake Kivu, right on the border with Democratic Republic of Congo. Knowing that the comfort facilities along our 4 hour trip would be limited, and somewhat primitive, Jeff outfitted his truck with a portable, private facility to ensure a readily available “water closet”.

Today would be a day of travel, in full tourist mode, so we can be ready to check out Wellspring’s newest area of ministry, on Thursday, in Western Province. We headed out of Kigali, starting up the first of many rolling hills that made up today’s adventure, never exceeding the governed 60kph that the bus was capable of. Truly today gave us a window to look into what the country is so well known for: terraced, green, lush rolling hills, growing sugar cane, cabbages, corn, acres of tea, as far as the eye could see. We saw rivers, snaking through valley floors hundreds of feet below the road. Farmers, old and young, using bikes, sacks, their heads and their backs to transport the day’s goods to market: Sugar cane, corn, charcoal, potatoes, and even rocks, being transported along the side of the highway.

We saw evidence of Rwanda’s pursuit of a brighter future by the way the people experience safety and security, by the way the communities are kept so clean, and by the commitment to good governance practises. We hear about how the country continues to grow, and how the Rwandan people experience improved living conditions, better access to infrastructure like electricity and sanitation.

After a brief stop in Nyirangarama for a variety of traditional roasted snacks, we head for our final destination at Lake Kivu, where we checked into our accommodation, just before a predictable thunder storm rolled through. All in all, we had a great day seeing the beautiful Rwandan countryside. Tomorrow, meeting with Wellspring’s team in Western Province. I am looking forward to more insights into Wellspring’s successes in providing better educational outcomes for the youth of Rwanda.