What a blessing of a time this past week has been. My mom and a group of eight people from Friendship Baptist Church came all the way from Maryland to Rwanda to serve in sewing and construction projects. For the projects the men of the team traveled about six hours away to an area called Changugu.
There they painted, built dorms, and roofing. The women stayed in Kigali and participated in a sewing project between Amahoro a sewing co-op here in Kigali, Children's Voice that works with girls in difficult situations, and Friendship Baptist Church.
The goal of the project was to reach out to, love on, and share Christ with the Children's Voice girls. We also wanted to provide them with training and skills in the avenue of sewing, which has the potential to become a life trade for them.
The project was five days long and required five sewing machines that had been donated months prior by a donor in the U.S. During the five days there was morning and afternoon sewing sessions. Also, during out time all women were able to share in a morning worship time as well as an afternoon small group time.
Currently Rwanda is involved in what is called the PEACE plan. It is a joined effort to help Rwanda deal with reconciliation and move in the direction of peace through the use of principles set up by Rick Warren and the Purpose Drive Life. The ENTIRE country is currently doing the 40 days of Purpose and are going through the book. Every church, government officials, and organizations are encouraging people to read the Purpose Driven Life and consider what it is saying.
Even the newspaper is posting daily the principle of the day or week. It is unbelievable. So... during our time with the girls we also went through the Purpose Driven Life and shared about God's purpose for our lives and how we were not created by accident. Each girl walked away with a bible and Purpose Driven Life book in hand, as well as other things such as health kits, skirts, clothes, etc.
Praise the Lord for that! Also, during our time we shared lunch with the entire team (Amahoro, Children's Voice, etc.) and just spent time together. There was also one day where we showed what is called the Jesus film.
It is a film about the life of Jesus that has been translated into Kinyrwanda. What is even more amazing is that Mrs. Mazie Bell asked at the end of the video if there was any girl(s) who would want someone to pray with them to ask Jesus into their life and EVERY ONE of the girls, ALL of them stood up and walked over to her to pray.
Everyone of us in the room was so full of joy and excitement because the girls got it and just wanted Jesus. There were so many days like that that we celebrated with tears, dancing, and singing. Thank you Lord!
I think the most beautiful part of it all was just watching everyone together. Since this was a group effort with Amahoro sewing co-op allowing us to use their facilities and a few of their women and Children's Voice allowing us to work with eight of their girls, as well as the American women from Friendship Baptist Church it took so much patience, flexibility, and teamwork on everyone's part.
It was just amazing to watch it all come together. The idea for the project began many, many months about eight or nine when my mom said she was interested in coming to Rwanda to visit. Her simple desire of wanting to come turned into a big mission trip where she invited others from her local, home church.
She then mentioned she wanted to do a sewing project, which none of us have any experience in doing. It was completely a gift from the Lord how he took our willingness to serve and create a project and molded it into something beautiful and impacting.
It was completely the Lord and his grace. He gave the idea of asking Amahoro to partnership, he gave the idea of reaching out to the girls. He gave the ideas. It was just time before all the pieces of the puzzle began to come together. If there is one thing I continue to learn during my time in Rwanda I think it is that.
The things of the Lord happen in their timing. Some times their fast, some times their a bit longer, but no matter what you will know by how you take your steps and how you are lead to take your steps. You can feel the Lord in it and he is not hidden, so he also lets you know he is in it.
He also gives ideas, visions, and a sense of love and unity for all involved. I also think God is a God who desires to see people working together despite their background or experience. God is the God of reconciliation and unity.
He loved to see all his Children whether they are American, Rwandan, Kenya, black, white, dark skinned, light skinned, etc. all coming together for one purpose. I think that was it. It was beautiful because it was about the Lord. It was for His glory. It was also His children reaching out to others in His name.
There they painted, built dorms, and roofing. The women stayed in Kigali and participated in a sewing project between Amahoro a sewing co-op here in Kigali, Children's Voice that works with girls in difficult situations, and Friendship Baptist Church.
The goal of the project was to reach out to, love on, and share Christ with the Children's Voice girls. We also wanted to provide them with training and skills in the avenue of sewing, which has the potential to become a life trade for them. 
The project was five days long and required five sewing machines that had been donated months prior by a donor in the U.S. During the five days there was morning and afternoon sewing sessions. Also, during out time all women were able to share in a morning worship time as well as an afternoon small group time.
Currently Rwanda is involved in what is called the PEACE plan. It is a joined effort to help Rwanda deal with reconciliation and move in the direction of peace through the use of principles set up by Rick Warren and the Purpose Drive Life. The ENTIRE country is currently doing the 40 days of Purpose and are going through the book. Every church, government officials, and organizations are encouraging people to read the Purpose Driven Life and consider what it is saying. 
Even the newspaper is posting daily the principle of the day or week. It is unbelievable. So... during our time with the girls we also went through the Purpose Driven Life and shared about God's purpose for our lives and how we were not created by accident. Each girl walked away with a bible and Purpose Driven Life book in hand, as well as other things such as health kits, skirts, clothes, etc. 
Praise the Lord for that! Also, during our time we shared lunch with the entire team (Amahoro, Children's Voice, etc.) and just spent time together. There was also one day where we showed what is called the Jesus film. 
It is a film about the life of Jesus that has been translated into Kinyrwanda. What is even more amazing is that Mrs. Mazie Bell asked at the end of the video if there was any girl(s) who would want someone to pray with them to ask Jesus into their life and EVERY ONE of the girls, ALL of them stood up and walked over to her to pray. 
Everyone of us in the room was so full of joy and excitement because the girls got it and just wanted Jesus. There were so many days like that that we celebrated with tears, dancing, and singing. Thank you Lord! 
I think the most beautiful part of it all was just watching everyone together. Since this was a group effort with Amahoro sewing co-op allowing us to use their facilities and a few of their women and Children's Voice allowing us to work with eight of their girls, as well as the American women from Friendship Baptist Church it took so much patience, flexibility, and teamwork on everyone's part. 
It was just amazing to watch it all come together. The idea for the project began many, many months about eight or nine when my mom said she was interested in coming to Rwanda to visit. Her simple desire of wanting to come turned into a big mission trip where she invited others from her local, home church. 
She then mentioned she wanted to do a sewing project, which none of us have any experience in doing. It was completely a gift from the Lord how he took our willingness to serve and create a project and molded it into something beautiful and impacting. 
It was completely the Lord and his grace. He gave the idea of asking Amahoro to partnership, he gave the idea of reaching out to the girls. He gave the ideas. It was just time before all the pieces of the puzzle began to come together. If there is one thing I continue to learn during my time in Rwanda I think it is that. 
The things of the Lord happen in their timing. Some times their fast, some times their a bit longer, but no matter what you will know by how you take your steps and how you are lead to take your steps. You can feel the Lord in it and he is not hidden, so he also lets you know he is in it. 
He also gives ideas, visions, and a sense of love and unity for all involved. I also think God is a God who desires to see people working together despite their background or experience. God is the God of reconciliation and unity. 
He loved to see all his Children whether they are American, Rwandan, Kenya, black, white, dark skinned, light skinned, etc. all coming together for one purpose. I think that was it. It was beautiful because it was about the Lord. It was for His glory. It was also His children reaching out to others in His name.
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