6 Years old!

Excited and shy she cam into the living room, after all it was time to open her presents. A quiet "wow" broke the silence. Zoey was completely speechless when she saw the Polly Pocket house. Gently she touched it and climbed on the table to get a closer look. Another "wow". She then gave her big sister specific instructions; Only watching, NO touching!

Zoey wanted her best friends to celebrate her birthday with her. From the left to right are: Casey, Nani, Rebecca and Ruth. It was a sleepover birthday party, so much fun!
Happy Birthday to you!

6 Years old! continued

Rainy season in Rwanda did not limit our joy. Zoey took her friends to a Mexican restaurant close by our house. Though the playground was muddy, the girls played African style. When walking back it was dark already and we made a long train singing: "chooc-a-chooc-a-yack-yack" as we were all slipping and sliding on the road.

The girls soaked in the bath and were ready to wind down with a movie in the living room. Popcorn (popped at a friends house who has a microwave) made for a special treat.

The next morning; the girls got up with the roosters and played all morning, only to completely crash in the afternoon. It was a fun time though. Zoey had lots of fun and so did the other children.

Surprise Surprise !

Yes I did it again. I build another house. This time it is a mall: Pocket Plaza and an appartment building. Though Kigali is developping rapidly, paying $10 for a Barbie the quality of those from the dollar store is still not in my budget. So what choice is left...

Zoey is turning 6 tomorrow. She once mentioned how she would like Polly Pocket house. After all I made Nani a Barbie house for her birthday. Hmmm..... Good point. Especially as the girls will have their own rooms in the hew house we will be moving into soon. I thought I would give it another try.

I am impressed I must humbly admit. I never thought that I could work out the ideas and imaginary rooms I saw in my head.

The elevator at the front of Pocket Plaza will bring Polly Pocket from the parking garage to the shoe store, clothing boutique or the roof level where she can relax at the pool side.

At the left building: Coffee shop with terras and two studio apprtments and a helicoptor landing spot on the roof. The mall has the garage, shoe store and boutique with the pool on the roof.Polly and her friends enjoying a cup of coffee.

Surprise Surprise! continued

By elevator Polly and her friends can come all the way to the roof to relax at the pool.

The helicoptor car can land on it's designated helicoptor landing spot.

Steps lead Polly, Pia and their friends to the studio appartments above the coffe shop.

The latest fashion displayed in this way hip store or should I say boutique?

Looking at this house I wonder why I am such a sucker for building these things. Remember Nani's barbie house back in September? I thought I would have learned my lessons then. The wood here is wet and crooked. I do not have he right tools, nor any real skill nor any example to go off. Just my imagination.

I must give a lot of credit to Jenni who send me a hot glue gun, felt and loads of other craft items. Thanks Jenni, without these items I would not have been able to make this house. Tomorrow is the big day. Zoey will be 6! Will she like it? Does she have a clue what happened behind the closed door of our guestroom during the past two weeks? Tomorrow we'll know. This time I am serious... Never again such a project!

It's a Baby Girl 1.

Here she is a cute baby girl, Born on Tuesday May 8th to our friends Uwimana and Denise.We went to visit them in their house out in the village today. The name of the baby will be announced during a naming ceremony in a week. We brought them gifts from both cultures. In RWanda the woman gets the Nido powdermilk to help with her own milk production... We also gave her and the baby lots of cloths.
Jasmin and Yaida loved the baby and gave her many kisses and empty bottle caps from the soda's we shared with Uwi and Denise.
Denise and the baby. It is great to celebrate life and birth in a time of sadness. I think this baby girl will look a lot like her mama. Such a princess.

It's a girl 2.

New cloths for Furaha. She was so excited about her new shoes she had to go outside and show them off right away.
I am always amazwd at the generosity of the poor. Uwi and Denise had a big Rwandan meal for us and blessed us with lots of plantines (Trav and Uwi carry them). It is amazing to me, the riches of the Rwandan culture. The friendship and relationship as priority and the commitment and joy that comes from it.

Queens Day - Koninginnedag

Over 55 kids and at least the same amount of adults spent last Saturday in my backyard. April 30th marks the birthday of my queen. The Queen of The Netherlands; Beatrix.

Many Dutch and Belgiums living in Rwanda came with their children to celebrate this event.

Our oversized compound and even the color of our house were perfect for the occasion.

Orange is the last name of the Royal Dutch Family, explaining that though our flags colors are red-white-blue, we dress orange for special national events.

Nani is playing the game "bottle-peeing" an all time favorite. Zoey was very competitive to make her team win and acted like a pro on the cow-milking game.

Queens Day - Koninginnedag 2.

The party was complete with Poffertjes, Kroketten and Erwtensoep! It was great to be in such a Dutch environment for a day.

It was a day with lots of fun, food and people. But the great thing about hosting Dutch people is that they take full responsability in cleaning up after themselfs! It made me feel blessed!

Zoey's team won by the way, good job Zoey! Happy Birthday BEA!!

Family Picture

Easter 2007.

Nani & Zoey (7,5 and almost 6 years old)

Us... well, we're as young as we feel... right?

Yaida and Jasmin both 14 months.

Mourning, Trauma and Dispair

Saturday April 7th at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali

Thousands of people had gathered in the stadium for the opening of the week of mourning. Now that Rwanda is my country I came to express my support to all who were grieving.

When I entered the stadium I felt a heavy depression come upon me. I did my best to stay above it as I tried to have light hearted conversations with those around me. But it just wasn't right. The atmosphere was sorrowful. More and more people came. Some had red eyes from crying others sunglasses on though it was early evening. The feeling of sadness and depression became stronger with the minute.

The ceremony started with silence for those who had died during the genocide and the years of killing prior to the 1994 outburst. It was an eary silence.

Ministers and other leaders of Rwanda lit their candles and walked a silent walk on the tracks. I recognized some faces and felt a glimpse of hope knowing there would at least be some people I could share this experience with.

A man had been asked to share his testimony of survival. He was in Kibuye during the genocide and shared how he had been beaten severely then nailed on a cross, then with cross and all placed in a fire, left to die. When he shared these details all around me people who had been crying silently started screaming. Some jumped up and looked as if they were fighting, screaming like I had never heard before. The more details on what the man had been through he shared the more people started screaming and crying hysterically.

Men who stiffened up and just fell to the ground, women who were kicking and screaming and carried off. Others who seemed to gain control over their tears then in a sudden moment completely losing it and yelling things while acting hysterically.

My heart ripped inside me, the screams were unbearable, they cut through anything. While tears were streaming down my face I whispered; "Jesus, oh Jesus, have mercy, come and heal, come and heal, come and heal". There would be moments of calm and quiet followed by outbursts of screaming and other post traumatic manifestations. The lady sitting next to me cried quietly and I found myself snuggled up to her holding hands as the night progressed.

This whole week as been of a week of weeping. As our friends come and share their stories there is nothing I can do, but sit and cry with them. The screams are still in my head, I wonder if they will ever go. The stories of my friends, to horrendous to repeat are written in my heart.

The Lord gently reminded me of the reason he brought me and my family to Rwanda; to bring wholeness... This experience in the stadium has enlarged my heart even more and stretched my compassion for the wounded and lost beyond my imagination.

There are very few doing trauma relief in this nation, we have the tools but need to train and equip the willing. When my friend tells me that when she hears a knock on a door she freezes because someone might want to be there ready to rape her or take her to be killed, when my other friend walks on the streets of Kigali and has regular flashbacks of the days when there were roadblocks at the places he sets foot, roadblocks made of dead people, his people, his family members....

Are you willing to help us get all the equipment we need to start training Rwandans who the lord has set free to lead their own people into wholeness from their trauma? We need a power point projector, training materials and some documentation copied. Please contact me at Astrid@SoZoMinistriesAfrica.org if you can help!

Forever 29

Can you believe it, I am still 29... It's ok I don't believe it either.

It was my birthday a few days back and a very special one. We took Nani and Zoey and went for a delicious breakfast to a 5 star hotel in Kigali. The girls fell from one amazement to another, starting after driving into the parking lot. Wow they have a fountain and it works! The one yelled. Wow and they have cool lights outside the other noticed. When we went in I felt highly embarrassed. Both Nani and Zoey stopped in the center of the lobby just in pure delighted amazement of the beauty of the place. Look at all that tile, so shiny... Wow and they have real furniture Zoey said will jumping in a very beautiful lether chair... And a real piano, Nani noticed. When we entered the restaurant it was all ooh and aah... Both girls sat down real proper with the napkin in their laps and straight backs. Yes they wanted coffee please when asked what to drink. When they saw coco puff cereal, cheeses and BACON, they just could not control themselves. They were jumping with excitement!

After a wonderful breakfast we took the girls to the new coffee place in the city. Again this created many oohs and aahs. I looked at Zoey and noticed her standing in the middle of the room. Her foot slowly slipped out of her flip flop and unto the floor, her toes started to wiggle. With twinkles in her eyes she said; Naan, feel this!" while bumping her big sister with her elbow. Both of them were standing there, in the middle of the store without shoes enjoying carpet...

This was such a fun time, what a great birthday! Thanks Trav for saying it was mandatory for us to celebrate this day! I love you.

I believe...

Another one of those needs... Those where my thoughts after my Rwandan friend asked me to help a single woman about to give birth.

I prayed and asked God if I were to take any responsability for this need. Before I knew it I went through the boxes with baby cloths, diapers and receiving blankets. I looked in my closet to see if I had any cloths I did not favor and knew to be better used by a woman in need. On top of that the Lord impressed on me to add nailpolish and lipgloss. I searched my kitchen and ended up with a nice amount of food.

Honestly I was suprised at my response for I had not heard God say a yes or no about this particular need but yet an urge to go visit this woman and help with what I had.

I walk through some back ally's into an area that smells horrendous, open sewage, garbage, half dressed children. Yet this place is only a 5 minute drive from my home. ( see photo below)I enter a little corridor and stand face to face with a beautiful young woman. Obviously pregnant she comes and greets me. We enter her home; a small room with a bed and some chairs. I notice an old radio in a corner and a Kinyarwandan bible next to it. The walls are cracked and the only tiny window in the room barely gives enough light to see anything. (the very back area of this house is where Tatiana lives)

Tatiana slowely opens up and tells me her story.

She lived a life of plenty. She had her own clothing store, was preparing to marry a nice man and was loved by many people. She attended church and thanked God for the blessing life.

A little over six months ago she found out she was expecting. Her husband to be seemed to withdraw himself from her, eventhough this was his baby. Within a week he had taken all her money, her clothing, her juwelery and left her, to go to another woman. Tatiana was left with no choice but to ask for help. Her friends turned her down, as she had become a single mother to be... a disgraceful position to be in. Her inlaws who used to love her refused to speak to her. She had no-where to go and no-one willing to help her. She could no longer afford her previous lifestyle. In one day she turned from a middle class citizen to the poorest of the poor.

Robbed, completely robbed from opportunity, dignity and choice.

My heart was in turmoil listening to her story.

She continued to tell me that she is blessed to be alive and have shelter. But many days she stays in her room and just sleeps the day away, no food, no friends.

Tatiana proudly tells me the baby will be a boy, she'll name him KWISERA (trust). But her countenance changes as she shares that she even considers to give her baby away after she delivers, as she does not know how to provide for him. I fell tears welling up in my eyes and with a deep sadness I watch her as she keeps grabbing her bible expressing how God has been the only thing that has kept her going. How she keeps holding on to him, knowing that He knows of her and her situation. How this very moment is and expression of God to her. This women expresses such a faith and security in God. He was all she had left! I know that if I would not know God as my Lord and Saviour her testimony and her solid faith would make me cry out; "Yes Lord, I believe!"

Everything within me wants to grab her and tell her everything will be just fine... but will it? Could I make such a promise? Instead I grab the bag with items I brought for her and as I give her the items she just looses it and grabs me, she cries and cries uncontrollably, thanking God for listening to her cries for help. As I hold her I cry with her. And I come to the humble realization that my only reason to be with Tatiana is because God desired to express His love for her, and I just happened to be the tool he used. This was a Tatiana-God moment and I better not get in the way of it.

Tatiana is precious to me, very precious, because I know God wanted her to know that He hears her and cares for her. A friend recently sent me newborn baby boy cloths, just to give away. Christine, thank you, know that God used you to provide for Tatiana's baby boy!

Please pray for Tatiana, her due date is April 25th.

Be encouraged! Just as God listens to the prayers of this young mom-to-be, and expresses His love for her, He does the same for you! He listens and knows of your every need.
Today the Lord did a miracle for Tatiana. He can do a miracle for you!

Heaven Touching Earth to be...

Bossi, Bossi, amakuru? (boss, boss, how are you?) We're out in Kibuye on some hidden mountains by our property. The view is breath taking as always. The desire of living on our property with 256 orphans and at least 32 widows gets stronger as I notice this young boy and his friend. Their cloths were ripped, the zipper of the boy's pants did not even close. I wonder what kind of life they live and if they even have parents or hopefully at least a mom.

Bossi... bossi... he yells. What will he say two years from now when he will see us there 24/7?

He makes me smile and the excitement of Gods purposes for this place bubbles inside of me.

We took a boat and went to see our land from the water. As you can see it is huge! All the land you see is for HTE (Heaven Touching Earth!) I remember when we had the dream, visions and the scriptures all referring to this place at the water with orphans and widows living on it. A place where heaven touched earth. Where the presence of the Lord would be so strong. Where people all ages would be on their faces before the Lord, where he would restore them and make them whole...

And now here we are... communicating with architects, writing the plan for this place, meeting with ministers and leaders of big organizations to learn from their experiences. In the mean time I feel so humbled by the greatness of this project. The logistics scare me, the funding needed makes me want to run from it all... I fee like king Salomon when he took his father, David's, place. He cried out to God and said; Oh Lord I don't know how to be a good king help me. Give me a heart of wisdom.

...yet the Lord keeps opening the doors before us. Showing us we are to keep going, step by step obeying him as He leads. It sounds so easy...

We were welcomed to our property by these kids and the cows!

Beautiful wild flowers on our land.

Land Identification in Kibuye

Today was a big day! So we dressed all nice as we would be meeting several government officials. I came with high heels and all! In my excitement I focused on the "looking good" for the occasion to much. We drove with some of the officials in the direction of Lake Kivu. We turned from the mainroad unto a rocky road. After about 10 minutes the road came to an end with the announcement that we had to continue by foot....

What was I thinking... So there I went for another 20 minutes on my heels, sliding over the rocks due to a lack of grip... Feeling like an old woman when Travis grabbed my arm preventing me from falling I wondered why I wanted to look so nice. Wasn't the special occasion Identifying land? DUH....

When we arrived at the suggested land I was ready to set up camp and stay forever. The beauty of this place... The lake, the mountains, pretty birds and butterflies, gorgeous flowers. I was humbled at the sight of such beauty!

The land the government wants to give to SoZo Ministries Africa for the development of an orphan childrens village goes from the boats in the water following the treeline up. The whole area in the photo including the scrubs in the fore ground are part of the land.

The trees in the very back are that same tree line again, all land seen is part of it.

The photo's above were looking southwest. This photo is looking north. The second point from the left, the ending of an island would also be partof SoZo Ministries land....

The land is not ours yet, paperwork and other logistics are still part of the process. Pray fot Gods will to be done and for us to find an architect who can draw plans for rough terrain! God has been amazing us. Today was one of those days where I feel so tiny in comparison to His Masterplan. God is good!

Till Death Do Us Part.

Brutus and Darlene Simpson. Brother and sister of the groom. Dressed to go the wedding of our beloved brother Stanley and his not so loved wife to be Becky, we received our instructions. Brutus was not fond of Becky as she controlled Stanley and wanted to take over the travel agency that Brutus and Stanley had set up together. I, Darlene could not stand Becky as she interfered with the close relationship I had with both my brothers.
Becky came from a wealthy family yet we had to work hard for our money. She was favored by her dad, a maffia boss and her mom over her little sister Gina. Gina could not stand Becky. Becky had dumped Ken over my brother Stanley, poor Ken was heart broken yet attended the wedding, hoping to move on and love again after the wedding was over. I really liked Ken and made sure he had all the support he needed during the wedding. My dad though, he had just sold a serious life insurance policy to Becky, She was worth at least one million dollars. Though I tried to warn my brothers Stanley (groom), Brutus and my parents that this wedding should not be happening, They did not listen well to me.
To top it off I found out that Becky had been unfaithful to my brother and her lover was at the wedding also with his new girl friend. I could not resist telling her the news, and oh was she furious!
Yes many people, many motives to kill, but really who did it. While listening to a speech from one of my brother's friends the lights turned of... the sound of a shotgun went off and... the bride was dead on the floor. Panic, accusations and criesof shock went through the room, who did such a brutal thing! Before I knew it people surrounded me with accusations. No I did not like Becky and I did not want to see this marriage happen but still... to go to this extreme?
My brother Brutus was very concerned for our brother Stanley. Poor Stanley was heart broken. While people were trying to figure out who killed the bride, they even bribed each other. People were yelling at each other calling eachother names. it was quite the scene.
To my shock my brother Stanley "fell" of the balcony... dead. My world collapsed, I lost all self controll, oh my dear brother, was this suicide, an accident, murder?
The police officer came to release all evidences and inform us who had murdered the bride. I could not believe it when I heard what happened. Because of the threat to my brothers business, Brutus had killed Becky. Thinking this would save the business and save our brother from a broken heart later in life. Stanley really had to much to drink as he was heart broken over the loss of his wife and got to close to the end of the balcony...
And no, I really did not have anything to do with either death...

We had so much fun last night as we dressed to match up for the role we played. There must have been at least 50 people all playing a part in this mystery murder game. Some people I will only know by the name of the role they had as I have no clue what their real name is!
Not much happens in Kigali, and there are no theatres or movie places, so this was definately a wonderful event for us!

Our last GFR village day

A day of mixed emotion would best discibe today. It was our last day with GFR in the village. A wonderful day with a touch of sadness.

The YWAM team from Hawaii joined us again. The minibus they were in broke down nearby the meeting place in Mutete. Jumping on top of the landcruiser was not a problem at all making it quick and easy to get them all to the location.
Our Muzee Vianney had been released from prison and was officially re-instated into his former position as field director. The families welcomed him with open arms. We all know it was an act of God to have him back with us so speedily! Thank You Lord!
As I mentioned, today was our last GFR village day. Febr 8th will be our last official day with GFR. Allowing us to focus 100% on our own ministry SoZo Ministries Africa. I started our meeting with the Rwandese proverb; Imihini Mishya Itera Amabavu. Meaning; A new hoe handle causes blisters (or translated; change isn't easy). As I explained our departure I noticed many sad faces and I couldn't help but to feel a lump in my throat and I wondered who the change would not be easy for, me or them. After all I have spent at least 40 hours per week doing research, learning Rwandese culture, listen to government oficials brainstorm with my staff all with these precious people and their journey out of poverty in mind. I looked and remembered how we found some of them in small bush homes. Rags on their bodies and now, they look healthy and have a smile on their face. Some of them will never leave my heart, their faces will forever be in my memory.
I officially introduced them to their new GFR Country Director; Cyprien. We prayed for him as a GFR team, it was a powerful moment. The families welcomed him warmely. I felt a relief coming knowing that Cyprien loves his people and knows them well! After all he has been my main teacher!
The YWAM team did some drama's for the families all focusing on the power of the cross and Jesus! The people loved it, laughing loudly where they recognized things from their own life yet having a silent respect where Jesus was displayed.
The drama's were a great opening to Travis his teaching on wholeness in Christ. "Everything is possible with God" he said. "Freedom from trauma, healing of your body, salvation of your soul, persue God and he can do it!" Travis mentioned several scriptures about people persuing God out of desperation and God bringing wholeness.