Open doors in Rwanda!

Dear friends,

Thank you so much for your prayers!  I am very pleased with the amount of planning we could accomplish with our partners in Rwanda during this week.  I am encouraged by all the doors the Lord has been opening in such a short time. Rejoice and continue to pray with us as we see these dreams become a reality.

1. Prison Fellowship Rwanda

We agreed to a one-year pilot program at Bugusera Prison, expanding the ministry beyond preaching to include the training of two outside Chaplains to implement a discipleship course with recently converted prisoners and a leadership training course with our current leaders inside (prisoners).  Additionally, we will strengthen the current vocational training programs in partnership with the authorities to enhance to ability of prisoners to be reintegrated into society and become contributing members, with a hope and a future. These courses will include woodworking, sewing, farming, electrician training and others as we establish these. The officials have also requested help with small children who are I’m prison with their mothers, to supply hygiene items, mosquito nets, baby food where necessary, etc.

The WordFAN is appointing someone in Rwanda with extensive experience in this field who has the ability to meet with high-ranking officials, do research, write proposals, and do high level evaluations.

This pilot project will serve as a template for implementation in other prisons from 2015.

2. Byumba Diocese and PEARUSA (Anglican Church Mission in the USA of the Rwandan Anglican Church). We envision:

A. Ambassadors to assist each of the Bishops of the 11 Dioceses in Rwanda.

This is a project that comes alongside the Bishops to evaluate the needs in their Dioceses, and to assist with planning and evaluating projects that will make the Church less reliant on outside financial assistance. I work with Peg Henjum  who is the appointed ambassador from IAC in Colorado Springs. A more comprehensive report will be published on this project as it is further planned and developed; it’s a long-term project in the making with many facets.

B.  The WordFAN will partner with Pastor Justin in Kibali to train their newly appointed home group leaders how to study, live, and teach the Scriptures. This will serve as a pilot program as well, as all the Parishes are now starting home groups in an effort to decentralize, and to transfer spiritual ownership and the running of the churches to the locals. Our training program will be essential to the success of this program and one of the pillars of its long-term success.

C.  The country-wide program of starting Socio Therapy groups in communities to foster reconciliation and community development has started this month. Groups of facilitators are being trained in various districts and the community roll-out is targeted for April 2014. See the separate blog from Bishop Emmanuel Ngendahayo of the Byumba Diocese for more information on the goals and content. This program was implemented with high acclaim in Byumba, hence the grant from The Netherlands government for a country-wide impact.

Again, thank you so much for your partnership in prayers in giving. You are a part of this vital ministry in Rwanda. More to follow after my work here is done on Wednesday and I return to SA.

Regards,

Gerrit