Umuhoza

When you go abroad, you get called many things - adventurous, lucky, even crazy. But when you get abroad, you never know what you'll be called.

In Rwanda, we hear 'muzungu' a lot! Basically it means white person, but the alternative definition is thief. As we drove up country when the class was here, we heard it every time we passed a village - "Muzungu! Muzungu!" It was usually accompanied by children waving or asking for something. You get used to hearing it because it's at least one word in Kinyarwanda that you understand.

You never really get used to it when you don't hear your name anymore, though. They can't really say Brittany. The sounds just aren't in their native language. It makes it very difficult for them to use my name, so other than my husband and our lead facilitator at the BDC this week, I haven't heard my name much.

For several weeks, I've been on a crusade for someone to give me a Rwandan name. No one has taken the challenge until two nights ago. I was at the Business Development Center spending time with our entrepreneurs and mentioned my crusade to one of them. He thought for  minute, ripped a paper out of his notebook, and started writing - "Umuhoza".

I asked what it meant and when he began to describe it, I couldn't believe it. Umuhoza, in English, means someone who give hope, someone who gives moral and emotional strength, a counselor, and even better, a consoler. he said that he thought of it after watching me interact with the other students.

This for the same girl who scored the lowest possible on the compassion scale her freshman year in college. I think that God has has answered my prayers about growing in compassion and grace. Maybe marriage has helped. Maybe maturity has helped.

All I know is that I have a new name, and the more time I spend here the more I have a new perspective, a new appreciation for home, and a new character.

Umuhoza... I think I like it.