A few days ago I stumbled upon a Medium post on something fun called the 100 Day Project. It came to me like a beam of light in the darkness--in the midst of my post-Rwanda adjustment period. It comes to me as a gift because of the length of time it requires. 100 days. This is how long the 1994 Rwandan Genocide took place. 1,000,000 lives lost in 100 days.

a morning view from one of the guest houses at which we stayed last week (Copyright Heather Drew 2015)

For two decades now, the mourning period occurs during those same 100 days each year. This period of time is very important for those who survived. It is a time and space for deeper memorializing and feeling, grieving and paying honor.

The 100 days of mourning mean something very different to me. It is perhaps a second degree grief. I mourn with and for those who I love in Rwanda who still remember everything. I consider my friends and colleagues in Rwanda some of the most courageous people in the world.

As I considered what to do for my personal 100 Day Project, I knew I wanted to make it about Rwanda since I am fresh off my most recent trip there. And what better way to process this learning experience I've just had than to take 100 days (so appropriate it's almost palpable) and every day document one brief lesson I have learned from the Land of a Thousand Hills and friends there who serve as my teachers.

photo courtesty of The Great Discontent, where I first discovered the 100 Day Project

So without further ado, I bring to you 100 days of "Lessons I've Learned from Rwanda." One lesson per day starting August 1, 2015 (tomorrow) and ending November 9, 2015.

I hope you'll journey and process with me, however that looks. I'll be posting each day's entry/lesson on my Twitter account (@hlhdrew) with the hashtag #100daysofRwanda, then will highlight a few per month here on my blog, maybe ellaborating on them a bit.

If you plan to come with me for this process, thank you. I am grateful for the space to do this in a creative, special way and look forward to sharing it with you.