I Thank God Every Day Now with Grace

After traveling to the land of a thousand hills, my life perception changed. As the new decade enters, I am now striving for resilience, forgiveness and grace by being closer to God. The people whom I have met, such as the family whose house was destroyed by order, taught me with grace, we can move forward in life. During my trip, I faced struggles, such as the cultural differences, boundaries and idea clashes, but through it all, I made it home safe. I could go back and rewind many instances where I felt I could do better, but instead of seeing negative lights, I see my trip as an experience that taught me that we must be grateful in life and count all the blessings we have. I now try to worry less about the future, my classes and the past because I want to move forward. Every morning when I wake up, I count all the blessings that I have in my life and thank God every day.

With each blessing, there comes each reflection. After counting my blessings, I wonder if I have the capability to go reporting abroad again. I kept thinking if I had more experiences back home, would my reporting go smoother? The answer is I don’t know. Despite the struggles, I loved meeting my characters and the people who call Rwanda home. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know for now that I want to continue storytelling for people from all over the world. I would like to continue writing and telling stories of voices that may not often be heard. While Rwanda will hold dearly near to my heart, I want to continue exploring shedding light on issues in different countries, specifically my homeland Indonesia. I also want to acquire multimedia skills so that I can integrate different mediums, from photos to videos, to tell stories. This experience has not changed my mind that I would still like to explore reporting opportunities in the future, but this experience has taught me more about life and more reporting experience that can prepare me for my future careers. The future may be uncertain, but with God’s grace, I am ready for whatever the future adventure may hold.

People are passing the traditional Nyabugogo market in Kigali, Rwanda on Dec. 28, 2019. Every day, Rwandans go to the market to buy daily food and supplies, and some also make a daily living by selling vegetables, fruits and other necessities.

Fred Nzabana, a college student, stands on his uncle’s property with his mother, Zaninka Bridgitte on Dec. 28, 2019. The family evacuated from their old house, but the two still believe that God will help them get through life. The family goes to church every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

A child is walking in the hills of Kigali, Rwanda on Dec. 28, 2019. Many areas in Kigali, Rwanda are in a dangerous zone where landslides are more likely to happen.

My bio: https://medium.com/university-of-nebraska-lincoln-global-eyewitness/mia-azizah-2a139536d02e

Week 1 — What I’ve learned I:https://medium.com/university-of-nebraska-lincoln-global-eyewitness/what-ive-learned-in-the-land-of-thousand-hills-a-little-kindness-goes-a-long-way-c95efe9fc382

Week 2— My highlight of the week: https://medium.com/university-of-nebraska-lincoln-global-eyewitness/my-highlight-of-week-2-happiness-is-near-and-dear-to-us-6a72b2db5d39