Made it into the New Times!

Just recently some of our KICS students played the Saturday camp kids. It was a great time. The New Times, the local Rwandan paper, was there to interview and write an article about the community development event. It made it into this weeks paper with pictures and all. Unfortunately the pictures are not on the actually website and can only be found in the local printed paper. Definitely check out the article below. http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=13480&article=624&week=13

Attack of the Baboon!

Oh my did I have a hilarious weekend.... So my friends, Justin, Amy, Paul, and I all decided to take a little road trip adventure to Akagera the Safari game park here in Rwanda. We wanted to go camping and thought it would be fun to camp in the park. I did this last August, so I knew it was safe and we wouldn't get eaten by a lion or something. Anyways, so we showed up at 7 p.m. to find out that the park closed at 6 p.m. and that we couldn't camp. After finally getting a room at the hotel (thank you Justin), we slept and then woke up nice and early to drive around the park and check out the animals. So... after seeing pretty giraffes, zebras, wart hogs, and lots of deer looking things, at about 10 a.m. we came across some very friendly Baboons. Being the young, adventurous people that we are we decided to stop and take some pictures and try to get close to them, maybe even a little too close. Well, actually, first before I got out of the car, I was just sitting there looking at the pretty baboons when all of a sudden one decided to come a bit too close. The baboon who saw me looking at him decided to come get a closer look at me! He decided he would do this by jumping on the hood of the car I was driving and then climb onto my mirror and then into the window that I was FRANTICALLY winding up!

(picture of the baboon, if only they had gotten me screaming from inside the car, I think this could have made for a better picture!) I definitely screamed and freaked because no way, no how did I want a baboon on my lap! Of course I got made fun later for the little incident and my girlish freaking out scream. So... after my friend realized he was not coming in my window he decided to get off the car and just look at us from a far. So... Paul and I decided to get out of the car and get a picture.

After the picture, we noticed another Baboon had decided to climb on the hood of the car again.
(I must admit, not the most flattering picture of me and I think the Baboon has fleas or just really bad exma). Before I go on, let me just say that our guide was with us this whole time and kept saying its okay, its okay.... so of course if our guide said was okay then we thought it was okay. Anyways, so mr. baboon decided to climb onto the hood, so Paul decided to go pose with it, which is the picture below.
As Paul was posing, the Baboon who seemed to not like Paul being so close and wanted to let Paul know who was boss decided to climb down off the hood and attack Paul. Like any grown man would, Paul screamed and threw his bottle at the ambushing baboon. Once the baboon realized he had won the chase he walked away or should I say strutted away with pride. Then... as I was standing there taking in what just happened I looked over at my driver side door that was open and before I could scream baboon there was one CLIMBING IN and onto my seat!!! There was a baboon in the car!! He wasn't there long because his main goal was to just do a quick snatch and steal. He was on a mission to steal our one and only loaf of bread that we had brought on the trip. Why he didn't steal the pringles, popcorn, or cookies is beyond me. Because if I was a baboon that's what I would have gone for. The baboon saw what he wanted and went after it. Before I could do anything, the little booger had snatched up the loaf of bread, jumped out of the car, and into the trees. Not long after his quick exit did he wander his way back onto the road to taunt us and rub in our face that he had snagged our lunch, the little punk.

So... I think it was after the third incident that we realized the best place to observe baboons was probably from inside the car, not outside. Plus, we were tired of getting bulled around by a bunch of baboons, so with our heads hanging low, we headed off. I think I might of even looked in the rear view mirror and saw them cheering and doing what looked like a touch down dance as we drove off... moral of the story... don't mess with baboons or just do what my roommate Amy does when a baboon climbs onto the car, just yell at them.

What's Been Going On in Rwanda...

I have not given an update on what has been going on in Rwanda in a while. So here we go...

There is much to be said. Since returning from the U.S. almost three months ago, things have begun to pick back up. At first when I returned, I tried to ease my way back into life here in Rwanda after spending one month at home. The slow, easing process was good both for me physically and emotionally. It was really hard to return after spending great quality time at home with many people I love. It was hard on me emotionally because I was missing home, even though I was and am confident of my call and where I am suppose to be, here in Rwanda. Yet, calling or not, moving away from friends and family is never easy... Now that I am back in the swing of things and past the transition, everything has picked up.

IS KIGALI WOMEN' TEAM....
First, a huge prayer was answered. About a month and half ago, I ran into the assistant coach to the women's national team, Grace. Her and her professional women's team were practicing. I went over and talked with her and through that conversation I was invited to join the team. For over a year, the soccer federation along with the German football federation have been trying to get women's football up and running.
It has honestly taken this entire last year for something to be organized. When I ran into Grace they were just starting the league and had their first game of the season. Coincidence? Or answered prayer? I think I choose answered prayer. Since the day I arrived in Rwanda I was told that I would be able to play, but since then ever opportunity has fallen through or doors have been closed until now. I have played in four games since running into Grace and been able to meet/ play along side some of the most serving, loving girls. I really enjoy the girls on the team so much and I think for them they love having a white girl on their team. This past weekend we had an away game in a district called Ruhengeri. We always get to play in different stadiums around and so this past weekend we got to play in the Ruhengeri stadium, which one of the best in Kigali. (Ruhengeri Stadium)
We unfortunately lost the game 2-1, but still it was fun to travel all the way out there just to play and get the experience of what football is like in Rwanda.

SEWING PROJECT...
There has also been a lot of preparing and preparation for what is to come. I am greatly looking forward to May when my mom and seven others from her church come to Rwanda for a sewing and construction project. For the construction project, the team of four men will be traveling three hours west to Lake Kivu where they will help build shelters, work on plumbing, and carpentry tasks at a retreat center. The sewing project on the other hand will take place in Kigali at a sewing co-op called Amahorro, which means peace.
This place is one of my favorites. The women make amazing products and have really built a life for themselves in a country that is not easy to make a living. So, the four American women and the four Amahorro women will be partnering up to work with eight Rwandan street girls to teach them how to sew.
All of them will also be spending time in prayer and worship together encouraging one another and sharing what it means to have a relationship with Christ. Our hope is that the street girls are able to walk away not only with a relationship with Christ, but renewed in hope that they can as they pursue the task of sewing make it just like the older women at Amahorro have. Just two weeks ago another big step was taken towards organizing the project. Through the help of some generous friends back home we were able to raise money to buy five sewing machines, which will all be used for the project!

KIDS ACROSS AMERICA CAMPS...
Just last week, I had a meeting with a man named Gregg Bettis who is the President of an organization called Kids Across America. This organization reaches out to youth for Christ through sports. Their main focus in America is on inner city kids. To help get these kids out of their environment for a week they bring their leaders and the kids to a camp in mountains where kids are free to be kids and enjoy sports. They also use this time to share about the hope and freedom found in Christ. Kids Across America's first international effort will be called Kids Across Africa and will happen in Rwanda. Just recently Gregg and his team have been working to buy a 100 acre lake front property in Ruhengeri to build their first ever African camp. The camp will not be build for another year. Even with the camp not being built, KAA wants to start reaching out to Rwanda and this July will hold it's first soccer camp. During my meeting with Gregg, he asked me to help organize the camp on this side in Rwanda while working with some of his team back in the U.S. It should be a HUGE event with one of the U.S. national coaches, some professional, college, and high school players attending. These coaches will be partnered up with Rwandan coaches from all over Rwanda and together they will reach out to a group of boys to help them grow both in their soccer skills and knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is and his sacrifice for us. The camp will also be held in Ruhengeri in the stadium!

SATURDAY SOCCER CAMP...
Saturday Soccer Camp continues to run. It is amazing to see how how far we have come. At the beginning Kent and I ran most things, but that was not our goal. We wanted in time for us to take a step back and for the Rwandan coaches to be able to run the camp themselves and take ownership. This past week, I just sat and watched and felt like God had heard our prayer and answered. I just sat there and watched as all the Rwandan coaches ran the drills, stretched and warmed-up the players. They ran everything! It was truly encouraging to see! Also this past week I was encouraged by a conversation I had with one of the Rwandan leaders Charles. Charles is a great Rwandan man who works with us at the camp. He was talking about how he loved coming to camp to work with the kids and at first it was not "his" camp, but not him and the other Rwandan coaches are able to call it "their" camp. He was saying that when they can't come they miss it and for those like our friend Calixte who go to school in Butare (two hours west of Kigali) will often drive two hours just so they can be there on Saturday. I think that is pretty phenomenal and such a testimony to God's doing. Kent and I can only encourage ownership and a love for the kids and camp, but in my opinion, it is only by God that those things actually become a reality. Thank you Lord. Also, just this past week the goalies started to receive training. My friend Paul who has been in Rwanda for a little over a month, played soccer in college. He has been coming to the camp and just this week started to work with the goalies on footwork, ball control, and composure.
Most of the goalies here have never had anyone work with them, so they were really thankful to receive any training Paul could provide them. (Using our free time to take pictures with our friends) Definitely a blessing, because it is not always easy to find someone who knows how to train goalies and can really provide them the training and encouragement they need to get better. Hopefully, in the next few weeks Paul will also have the chance to work with the goalies from the IS Kigali women's team.

KICS SOCCER...
Last, KICS soccer will be starting up next week. From the first day of the semester in January the students at KICS having been begging for soccer to start. They really do enjoy it. Next week is our tryout and we will have our spring season go from April until June. This season we are trying to play other schools in the city such as Eco Belge and Greenhills. Both very competitive teams. Just last week, some of the soccer players from KICS came to Saturday Camp. They are involved in a Community Development class here at school. They decided one way for them to reach out to kids in the community would be to go and play soccer with them. So, they came to Saturday Camp and played against out 14-16 year olds. The camp kids beat the KICS students 4-2, but I think most people really enjoyed themselves and it was a great opportunity for the KICS kids to get out in the community and play.

KIGALI INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL...
At school, I am still teaching K-12 Physical Education, 6th grade History, and 4th-5th Science. Definitely a fun variety. In science, we just began learning about the plant and animal cell. (4th and 5th Science Class)
In history we just finished the long interesting unit of Roman & Byzantine history and will be starting a fun new unit of African civilizations. This will be really interesting teaching about African civilizations while living and working in Africa.... and in P.E. we are just finishing up the unit of stations and circuits and will be beginning American Flag Football, which is one of their favorites.
(Middle School Physical Education Class)
(Caleb Jenkins and other Middle School students)
(High School Physical Education Class)

VISITORS...
Actually, there is a few more things to tell you. I have many things to celebrate and to get excited for. Just this week, one of my very best friends, Liz, booked her flight to come to Rwanda!!! She will be in Rwanda for about two and half months working and living with me from April until June. It will be such a joy to have her. I am confident her time here will not only bless her, but grow her as well. It will be nice to have a little piece of home here with me in Rwanda. Also, as I mentioned my mom is coming from April 28th until May 8th with a group of people from her local church. Along with her will be one of my favorite mentors and role models, Mrs. Mazie Bell. She is always so encouraging and always seems to have a word of encouragement or scripture. Along with those visitors one of my best friends and long time friend from high school Drew will be coming to visit in July. He has never been to Africa and therefore jumped on the opportunity. I am really looking forward to the next several months. It will be such a joy to have best friends and family here. It will be even more a great joy to see how Rwanda impacts them and hopefully changes their perspectives on Africa and the world.

Stashes and Wells.

So, I have some pretty phenomenal friends who wanted to do something different to raise money so they could buy wells through an organization called Blood Water Mission (http://www.bloodwatermission.com/) that creates well and fights AIDS in high poverty locations and countries, more specifically Africa. They just wanted to do something unique that would raise money for their cause. So, a few guys put their heads together and came up with the idea of a "Stash Bash." Now this is no ordinary fund raiser. It is a fund raiser where grown men grow out their "stash" or mustash in hopes of having the longest or best one. After a few months they all come together and are judged. In order to raise money, for the cause, they go around asking supporters and sponsors to support their cause and/or their stash that will be judged. After raising enough money to buy several wells last year, I think five, they decided to do it again. The Stash Bash was held this past Saturday at a place called Mt. Washington tavern. There were over 225 people who came out to support both the men who grew the staches and their effort to help fund clean water wells in Africa. To their surprise they raised over $10,000!!! I think that is pretty unbelievable! What is even more unbelievable is that our friend Ryan Casey even had a chance to speak, right there in the bar about the ultimate purpose and reason they were raising the money. He got to share about Jesus. Overall, it sounded like it was just an amazing event and people were able to hear the gospel both through actions and without having to go to church on Sunday. In other words, those of my friend Mark, who with his amazing stache is pictured above....it's was also a great opportunity for us people of the church to start being the Church.

Reflections from Liberia.

This is from my friend Allen. He just spent eleven days in Liberia helping to run a Young Life camp. I think his words and thoughts just speak for themselves. Just another glimpse into some people's lives in Africa...


How do you put into words the moments and people that mold your heart? My last day in Liberia i sat and had breakfast with Marvyn, a 21 year old 11th grader. See in Liberia you must pay to go to high school.... so you go when it is possible to do so. He shared with me about the time he heard his first gun shot..... which was the time his mother and father were taken from him by the Rebels during the war.... his attempt to run away and escape that night was a failed one and Marvyn was forced into being a child soldier at the age of 15. For 3 years he was treated terribly, under nourished and forced to be a soldier or lose his life. He has seen things i can not fathom. he has done things that may never leave his mind. All of which helps to build up the amazing faith he has. As a student leader for Young Life in Monrovia, Liberia.... Marvyn shares that faith and the amazing story he carries with other students daily. He has a deep love for God and said "if it were not for God, i would be dead". Chilling truth and said so matter of factly. Marvyn is one of the brightest 21 year olds i have ever met, and has a future with no ceiling, i can not wait to see how God uses this incredible young man. "I want to be a Doctor" Marvyn told me, "Or a Pastor"..... He isn't sure yet. But, one thing for sure, how blessed i feel to have encountered this man of God.

I wish i could sit here and tell you all the stories i have. To let you for a few moments enter my brain and pick out the ones that i know would melt your hearts. I am so thankful, so humbled, so filled with faith that there must be a God who can create such loving people in the face of such seemingly unlivable conditions and periods of time.

As i sit here and stare at my computer, thinking back on my 9 days in Africa, it seems so much longer, it seems like a month or so, feels like i learned more in that brief period of time than i have in my 26 years prior. Grace takes on new meaning after living with people that have hurt so deeply. Love takes on new vehicles.... when eating camp meals with kids that may not be garaunteed meals outside of camp. Smiles seem to mean more to me now, after sharing them with a war torn country. Camp was tough, no sugar coating. But camp was incredible. As Dave and i stood infront of the kids for the first time staring into blank faces after we attempted to crack jokes, we difficulty blow in to camp like a warm breeze grazes your face on a hot summer day. A simple week later we had learned how to speak their language....(broken english as it were).... not even really sure of the things we wwere saying at times but seeing them revel at the chance to laugh at us, at the chance to teach us, and for once in their lives be served..... be treated truely like Kings and Queens.

Things taken for granted by me...... Bible, running water, food, electricity, parents.... things that are not a sure thing for most in Liberia.
Allen

Today.

I read this today....

"Too many Christians are simply dissipated and drained by the attractions and surpluses of our prosperous society. Let me assure you, most of these things are not evil in themselves, especially when accommodated in moderation. The deception is in our definition of moderation, for what seems like a modest lifestyle to us would be excess and luxury to NINETY PERCENT of the world..."Francis Frangipane

Big Step.

There is a big team coming here in April/ May to do a sewing and construction project. I am beyond excited about it and greatly look forward to it. With any project there is always many steps that have to be taken to organize everything. First it was housing, then it was schedules, flights, transportations, etc. Also, a step in the process was finding donors who wanted to contribute money towards the five sewing machines needed to run the sewing project. This was a huge step and with the help of some pretty generous, amazing individuals the money was donated. So just the other day, with money in hand, Grace, one of the project managers, and myself went to go buy the five machines!! After arriving at the store and expressing that we wanted to buy not one, but FIVE machines, and negotiating the lowest price the machines were finally purchased. We only had to wait about an hour before we saw four men coming down the road carrying four of the five machines on their heads! It was quite the sight to see as they weaved through mid-afternoon traffic with big sewing machines on their heads. Once the machines made it to my friend Justin's truck, we packed the machines tightly into the back and were off. Right now the machines are just in waiting until May when they will be used to teach sewing to eight girls from the Kigali community.