If you have a few minutes, check out Todd Brogdon’s blog. It’s just getting started, but there’ll be much more to come. Todd is from my hometown. I never knew Todd very well growing up since I was 5 or 6 years older than him, but my family knew his family. Todd also is an elder at my church here in Little Rock, and so I’ve managed to visit with him a few times over the last six months.

Todd and his family felt called by God to take a bold step in their lives and so, just last month, they moved to Rwanda. In Rwanda, Todd is working with Opporutnity International to start a bank which will offer loans to the poor in order to help grow small businesses and the Rwandan economy. In Fresh Point of View, he posted some good comments earlier this week about some of the differences he’s observed regarding the idea of community in Rwandan culture verses U.S. culture.

Speaking of Rwanda, I’m in the middle of reading An Ordinary Man : An Autobiography by Paul Rusesabagina. Paul is the man who sheltered over a thousand people at the hotel where he was assistant manager during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. I’d read a little about Paul in Philip Gourevitch’s book last year, then saw his story as portrayed in the film Hotel Rwanda, so I was looking forward to this book. It’s been very good so far.

Most interesting thus far has been his writing about his background, how he grew up, and what shaped his life. It’s already evident that he was prepared to do what he did in 1994 by the life that he’d led up to that point. I’ve just finished the first few chapters, which have led up to April 1994. Along with his own history, he provides some Rwandan history and some background of what led to the genocide. I’m now looking forward to reading his own words about his experiences during those few months. While I haven’t finished it yet, I’m already willing to recommend this book (as well as Gourevitch’s book that I mentioned.)