Sunday, June 14, 2015

Uganda/Rwanda Sunday June 14 -- We're Home!

Rwanda - Saturday June 13 - New Hope House

Before we left Musanze we went to visit Chantal and her kids, orphans, at New Hope House. We enjoyed playing with the kids and left them with some puppets, frisbees, and balls including a tether ball now installed on a basketball goal.


Desamies 


They loved the puppets, especially the one that squeaked.


We also enjoyed the farm and the animals like these.






Rwanda - Sunday June 14 - Ready for Last Leg

Thank you for all the prayers. Our flight from Brussels arrived 30 minutes early which means we have 30 minutes to rest and refresh rather than panic at our final gate. Our God is a good and gracious God!

Before we left Brussels we were able to pray together as a team, Gary encouraged us to fight the good fight, 1 Timothy 6:12, 1:18, and our new friend Laura Conway, who leaves us here in Newark to travel home to the DC area shared the verses God gave her for this trip, Isaiah 58:6-12. 

One more almost 3 hour flight to go and then we will be back in Memphis. 



Brussels worship time.


Rwanda - Sunday June 14

Flight landed in Brussels from Kigali. We will worship in the airport before leaving for Newark. We are due to land in Newark around 11 am Memphis time. We have a short window to deplane, go through immigration and customs and get to our Memphis flight. Please pray it goes very smoothly. We are all ready for our own showers and our own beds, especially the twelve who left all the way back on May 29.




Saturday, June 13, 2015

Rwanda - Saturday June 13


Packing up. It is Saturday morning. After our devotional, our team is busy with last minute shopping and packing. Soon we will load the bus for a visit to New Hope House, Chantal's home for orphans. Then after one final stop at Sonrise to drop off some donations, we will head to Kigali. Everyone is excited to see the countryside. Most of our travel has been in the dark since the sun sets early here in the Southern Hemisphere in June.

In Kigali some will visit the Genocide Museum while others who have been before will do some more shopping. Soccer jerseys, coffee and pottery are on a few lists. 

We will arrive at the airport this afternoon to start our travels home. We are scheduled to leave Rwanda about 8 pm local time. Please pray for safe travels and fun fellowship as we conclude our trip. Murakoze!

Friday, June 12, 2015

Rwanda - Friday June 12 Pt 2

Friday we saw an open call at the Cathedral for our medical/dental portion of the day. Congregants of the Cathedral could choose to have their vision screened (most popular), see our medical  team, or see our dental team. We saw over 300 people during the day. An amazing day full of people from the Musanze community.


Clinic.


Allison's best friend

Also during the morning Diane and Jessica worked with the ladies weaving baskets for sale at the Mother's Union.




Cannon and Gary finished the Pastors Conference. And in the afternoon Diane and Lisa had their final Bible Study with the ladies.



We have loved our time and our friends in Rwanda. Tomorrow we will start our travels home. Please pray for our safety and health as we travel. See you in Memphis on Sunday.

Rwanda - Friday 12

Quick blog update. 

Thursday we finished up at Sonrise Primary School seeing an amazing 184 students, all of grades 4, 5, and 6.



 
We so enjoyed our lunch break with the kids.



After work we went back to the high school to worship with the students. The music was beautiful and the message meaningful. We were thanked for coming and presented the headmaster with a gift to thank him for his hospitality.

We finished the day with a wonderful meal at Virunga Lodge near the national park. We were able to watch another guest celebrate her birthday with a parade and chants of "Hakuna Matata,"

A very busy and satisfying day!


Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Rwanda - June 10 - Milly's Surprise


The students at Sonrise High School surprised us with traditional music and dance to thank us for the time we spent with them. In addition to the students you may recognize a few of the dancers.








Rwanda - June 10 Medical/Dental

We saw every child in grades 1-3 at Sonrise Primary School.

The clinic team. Emmanuel, in the plaid shirt has been so helpful all week. He finds and lined up the kids we need to see and keeps them in order in line.

Waiting with Miss Allison.

Lunch break

Our new friends
Our clinic room, medical and fluoride stations 

Amen, Jessica and Shandya


Mel, Emmanuel and the school nurse 






Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Rwanda - Tuesday June 9


After another long day serving in Rwanda the team cleaned up nicely and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with Rwandan friends  at the Hotel Montana Vista. 

Monday, June 8, 2015

Rwanda Monday June 8

Quick update -- busy but exciting and fulfilling day. 

Elizabeth and Julie met with over one hundred women who came to learn a skill to earn money to support their families. They will continue to do that Tuesday and Wednesday.

In the afternoon Diane net with over one hundred women to do a Bible Study. That will continue the rest of the week.

Gary and Cannon began meeting with local pastors to discuss theology. That too will continue all week.

The rest of us saw 134 7th, 8th and 9th grade students at Sonrise School.

We did basic medical screening.

We applied fluoride varnish to protect their teeth.

We also provided dental care and vision and hearing screening. We will continue that work with 10th, 11th and 12th graders tomorrow.

Please pray for the health and safety of our team. Please pray we will rest well. But most of all pray that God would be pleased with our efforts and that they would bring him glory and grow His Kingdom.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Rwanda - Sunday June 7

Everyone arrived safely in Kigali Saturday night and traveled safely by bus to Musanze. All 17 of us plus our friend Milly, bus driver Eugene and ALL of our luggage fit like a Tetris puzzle in the Sonise School bus.





We were greeted upon arrival by the staff of The Garden Place hotel, the new hotel owned by Shyira Diocese located behind the cathedral. Those coming from Uganda were especially delighted by the comfortable beds and even more by the hot showers. They also appreciated the tile floors of the bathroom in contrast to the mud surrounding their Uganda shower.

Sunday morning we met with Bishop at breakfast. He was on his way to the Phillipines, but we got to visit with him if only briefly.

We were able to worship at the Cathedral from 9am until after 12:30 pm. Our own Gary Clowers encouraged us as well as the Rwandan congregation that we are all called to full- time ministry no matter what our day job may be. As the apostle Paul called us: "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV)



We begin our work in the Lord in earnest tomorrow. Please pray that God will be glorified in all we do and say.