An Unforgettable Christmas... cont.

These children were looking like VIP's in their new outfits, and they knew it!

Thank you Julie and your team that came to Rwanda earlier this year and blessed us with cloths for the children!

The Team helping us with the children were such a blessing to us and the kids! Thanks Guys!

After watching a slide show about Jesus' life and why we need him, we ministered to all the children. All of them gave their lifes to Jesus, including our 5 service staff that work with the children!

An Unforgettable Christmas... continued.

After much more singing and dancing a buffet was ready for the children. Fish, French Fries, Meat, vegetables, soup and soda's as much as they wanted! These children of the King ate a royal meal! Just as they deserve!

The children had no space in their tummies left, they all ate so much. Tired but happy they waved goodbye as the bus brought them back to Rwaza. They sang all the way home:"Come to Rwaza and see, see the good things that are happening to us, come...."

Still hearing their shouts of joy, their laughter and songs in my head we drove back home also. It has been a a very long, but unforgettable day!

Those who have bought SoZo Bags; this party was made possible because of you! Thank You!

Rest at Kumbya 1

The day after our break down we tried again. This time we succeeded. W took the necessary coffe breaks and had a beautiful drive to Kumbya. Coffee break in Butare at the national museum.The cabin we rented has no running water nor electricity. The nights were cold, a good excuse to start a fire and lite many candles.

Rest at Kumbya 2

When the rain went we quickly headed out to the beach area and enjoy the sun. We relealized we were all exhausted and needed lots of sleep.

Our 12 hour breakdown

When I think of a vacation or break, I think of a smooth transition from home to the place of destination. With snack in the car, excited chatter from the kids, regular stops for little ones so they can get rid of their energy.... When this does not happen it definately crashes the party! Here some pictures of our 12 hour breakdown in the midle of nowhere a good 2 hours outside of Kigali.

In order to get to the broken waterpump many parts were taken out.
The attraction for the local community.

We would still have drive another 4 hours to our destination part of which would be through Nyungwe rainforest where militia is known to still be hiding. We had no choice but to return to Kigali where exactly at midnight we entered our home.

You Gotta Love it!

Some things become so common until you bring someone with you into this common thing who is not used to it and reminds you of how it goes where you are from! This happened to me last week as I took my friends Ruben and Christine to a local market. Mind you, this is a very nice and clean one, actually much nocer than the one I go to for clothing shopping. Have a peak at the market and great items you can get here. A considerably clean butcher has been at work.

Flour.Clothing and African material section
One of the many seamstresses awaiting a job Souveria's or cooking pots, any size you need!
And even if you need to buy bulk... Welcome to the Kimironko market. The place I enjoy hanging out. Great Kinyarwandan practice grounds and perfect people watching entertainment. I love the place! But I guess Christine is right, it is a bit much to have to negotiate about even a bag of flour!

Friends and Rwaza

Ishimwe, almost 2. Found abandonend on the Rwaza compound.

You know, when other catch your vision and come along side you... it is awesome.

We were blessed with a team from Windham, New Hempsire who brought an amazing amount of blessings for the children in Rwaza. From toys and crayons to t-shirts and crafts. The children had so much fun getting their nails done, making their caps and playing soccer. We had brought food as usual and the team had bought extra beans and rice! It was a true party! Thanks friends from NH, you blessed not just the kids, but also us as you have come along side us and catch on to our vision! God bless you for your love for the children!

General Life

Just a few shots of images and places part of our day to day life.

People are always everywhere, carying water, fruit and other items on their heads. In the villages people sometimes have to walk more than an hour to get some decent water. Those who have bikes are able to transport larger amounts and earning some money as water fetchers. It is rainy season again. This time we are dry inside the house and do not have to move our furniture around as we did last season. Never the less the rains come so heavy that the road (the one below is right by our home) turn into rivers. This was after 5 minutes of rain!

But when the clouds part... Beautiful Sunshine...

"My Children"

It is always with excitement and joy that I prepare to visit "my children". Yes the 21 orphans in Rwaza, have captured my heart. They have called me "mami" for awhile, everytime it cut through my heart when they would say the word. I tried to protect my heart and not get to attached to these children. I tried to ignore the mother in me screaming at me to release my heart to love them.

The words of my teachers go through my head; "you should never become too attached to those who need your counsil and help, it dilutes your professional observations and diagnosis". Studies have proven that children who received motherly love develop better in over all life and will have healthier families of their own. There are the statistics of those who have grown up under institutional care and the lack of motherly love, they scare me. And I realize that I cannot get attached enough to these children. They need my motherly love, I might be one of the only mother who can give it to them on a consistant basis. They need my heart to be open for them. They need me to teach them the things only a mother can teach. It hurts because I am fully aware of the sufferings these children endure. The lack of basic love, care and food. My heart aches, it would be so easy to remain detached, but I made the choice, my heart adopted 21 children.It was a special day today as we had received care-bears from ...... The children in the vacation bible school had made these bears with the my Rwaza children in mind. Little notes were placed in a pouch on the bear speaking of Jesus his love for the child and a small note from the child who had carefully made the bear. My kids could not comprehend that American children would care for them to make such bears! They clapped for joy and excitement when they realized they are known, they matter and other children pray for them!

Nani and Zoey gave all children a bear. Seeing their servant hearts without any jealousy or envy of the blessing they gave away blessed me all the more!
"I will sleep with my bear tonight 11 year old Emmanuel exclaimed. My note came from Alex, can you send him my photo, I love him so much, you must tell him thank you from me, 14 year old Gilbert was so sweet and excited to know that someone loves him!
Little Otis, 4 yrs old is always playing with a knife. He is such a tough boy, a fighter for sure, yet he embraced his bear and did not let go. You see, boys like him need mothers who love them, even if that means a knife in one hand and a bear in the other.

Though there was great joy, lunch made me wanna cry. Sweet potatos with may be 15 beans per child... A good filler, but no nutrition. The children were sure glad to see the sambosa's (big meat filled dumplings) and banana's. For dinner we had brought them more banana's and eggs.
Nani and Zoey are serving the children banana's.
My noughty daughters made a little fire with some of their friends. It cracks me up to see children are chidren all over the globe. They all do the same things and all have this noughty side to them!Ishimwe, this precious girl never smiled or laughed, today she did not stop laughing. She was so joyful!Julia and Sam, our friends from the U.K. came along for the day. I felt proud to show off my children to them. It was such a joyful day. Surprised we realized we'd better jump in the car and head back to Kigali to make it before dark. My children, that is who they are, they will be in my heart forver!