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My sixth visit to Rwanda convinced me (not that I really needed it) that the first five trips were not successful by chance, but by the grace of God. It is truly amazing what God is doing in this country, and I am blessed beyond measure to be part of it.
My friend Nico van der Merwe, who is now the Chairman of the WordFAN Board of Directors, invited a friend of his from Singapore to visit Rwanda with us to see the work that we are involved with, and to experience firsthand what God is doing in this country. Needless to say, his friend was deeply impacted as we visited the Mukono Secondary School water project and saw the video we produced about the plight of the children spending nearly five hours a day collecting water.
Three catchment tanks had been installed since November 2011, supplying 20% of their needs, but 12 more were still needed, along with the funds for purchase and installation. The money was donated on the spot by Nico’s friend, and I could place the order for the tanks today! God is really amazing. More projects at the school will be assessed and funded in the near future.
A visit to a health clinic that our church has been raising funds for over the last five years or so also touched this dear man’s heart, especially as he became aware that more than $100,000 is still needed for completion before it can be recognized as an Anglican Church hospital. We met with the Director General of Health Clinics in Rwanda; later I followed up with research and meetings with government and church officials in Byumba. The final plans and costs will be ready to be presented for consideration in about two weeks. Pray with us that funds will be released to complete this much needed health care center in a very poor area.
A visit with Prison Fellowship Rwanda to the Kimonyi Village of Practical Reconciliation in Musanze also profoundly affected all of us as we were once again faced with the abject poverty there. In spite of their poverty, the people were dancing and laughing as they welcomed us. We visited the women’s sewing co-op (funded in Nov. 2011) in a tiny, tiny little room where they were producing their first garments, bags, etc. They presented me with a shirt for myself and one for Celeste. Wow, what an amazing gift.
Our guest saw the hard work, the optimism, and the needs, and it all deeply touched his heart. I have since returned to the area to speak with officials and the villagers to build a community center for meetings and rooms for the co-ops to do their sewing and weaving, etc. The government agreed to donate more than a hectare of land, as we also have further development in mind in the future as we assess the needs there. The architect/engineer that accompanied us and who will draw the initial plans knows this lava terrain well and built all the 183 houses in the village. It is a really exciting project that will uplift the entire community.
