Mwa-Ra-Moot-Say (translation: “good morning”) from the Wellspring 2017 Vision trip.

Morning birdsong gently fills the air. Yellow cascading flowers drip off of the trees just at the periphery of your field of vision. African pop music pulses in the courtyard below. The air is full of humid warmth and the room is full of the brightness of mid morning. More importantly, the room is full of laughter.

This is day one of the Wellspring Vision trip and we are in the capital city, Kigali. We sit around in a circle at the hotel and share our worries and excitement about the days ahead. Contemplative silence fills the gaps and then, yes, lots of laughter. The group is mixing very naturally and finding many subjects of shared interest to bond over.

“Hydration = Happiness” Jeff tells us and he lightheartedly punctuates the day by regularly passing out little of bottles of water.

On a more serious note, he tells us wholeheartedly that by travelling from Canada to witness the work of Wellspring, we are giving dignity to those we meet and demonstrating the importance of their stories and their lives.

We eat lunch at a breezy open air Italian restaurant which appears architecturally inspired by Tuscany. Vibrant paintings are hung on the walls, the high ceiling is supported by big wooden beams, and the backdrop is a 180 degree view of the hills of Kigali. The pizza tastes just like home (as does my Greek Salad) and if it weren’t for that warm air and the aforementioned hills, I wouldn’t know where on earth I am. We all acknowledge that jet lag is dragging on our energy and creating a shared fuzzy sense of reality.

After lunch we take a beautiful driving tour around the city. We see many notable buildings and hear historical stories explaining their significance. Our attention is drawn to the different styles of housing and to both the prosperity as well as the vast amount of poverty. This city is pulsing with hope for the future. Modern urban development is sprouting up everywhere right alongside the little fields of corn and mud-sided houses. How does this surge towards a modern urban landscape and economy affect average people as they look to the future for their children?