Team Rwanda

Continuing

2008-08-21T08:15:00.001-07:00

Wednesday August 13th

Today we got up and packed out from the guest house. (We being Mark, Jeremy, Steve, Matt and Me, Jules.) After a bumpy ride down the dirt road we unloaded and got to work building on a new house down the hill a bit. This site was beautiful, overlooking a valley. Instead of each worker running in their own direction, today we took a lesson from Henry Ford and made some assembly lines.

Or rather, mud passing lines. The Rwandan women were good at making little balls of mud out of the big pile, so we just stood to receive and pass along to the necessary spot.

After all the needed mud had been applied, our assembly line would pass bricks along, which was considerably more difficult. It was amazing to watch these 4 foot women tossing these 35 pound bricks along like champs.

We worked hard all morning and the walls rose more rapidly than yesterday. It was great to work alongside the people as a team.

Around one in the afternoon the rest of the team arrived, they had driven up from Kigali to see us and to meet the pygmies and the local church. They piled out of the vans all neat and clean. Our response? Grab handfuls of mud and run at them like dirty banshees.

John, Marie and Bob were quickly in the mudpit. Of their own volition, I might add.

Then we were welcomed into the church for an introductory service of the clean half of the team. This time the pygmy choir sang for us. They were amazing. Their harmony was the best I heard in all of Rwanda. Here we presented the clothing to the pastor to be distributed to the pygmies.

Then we presented the soccer balls as well.

By that time it was around 3:30 in the afternoon and we all needed to pile back into the vans to drive the 5 hours back to Kigali before dark. We did have a minor roadside detour because one of the vans had some trouble with gears. We stopped by a smoking truck that was being worked on by some maintenance men. The men helped us out and just as dark was falling, we pulled off and got back on the road.

This was an answer to prayer, because being stranded in backwoods Rwanda at night is not a safe situation.

After a very late dinner we all collapsed into bed.

Thursday August 14th

We had a nice breakfast together this morning. Around 9 we packed up and loaded all our bags into a van once again. We all headed to Remera to Esron's church to see the completed internet cafe! After much sweat, prayer and innovation, the cafe came together. When we arrived there were 5 Rwandans there working away online.

Marie was very relieved and thankful that God worked it all out in the end in His perfect timing.

We were able to have a nice team de-brief time in the sanctuary. Kevin Conklin and his wife met us in Remera that morning, so it was cool to meet with one of the EFCA leaders to share our trip with him. This was a nice time for everyone to talk about what God had shown them during our time in Rwanda.

Our translators were greatly appreciated and we thanked God daily for their selfless help. This is Vincent administering an eye exam on Terrance like so many they had translated for Dr. John:

Then we piled into vans once more to drive to the airport to catch a flight to Nairobi. We left Gary, Mark and Jeremy behind. Gary had another day of meetings with the Rwandan pastors. Jeremy and Mark were driving out to see a potential future location for work to be funded by Valley.

The flight went without any great incident and we had dinner in Nairobi and spent the night at the same Mennonite guest house we stayed in our first night in Africa.

Friday August 15th

Today was largely a play day as we had a red eye flight that night to catch out of Nairobi. We had a leisurely morning, eating breakfast and packing up for the trip home. Then we met again for devotions and another time to reflect on the trip. We talked about the characteristics of God we saw pour out during our time in Rwanda. Patience, Generosity and Thankfulness were mentioned several times.

We spent our day in a large mall in Nairobi bartering with merchants to buy traditional African souveniers: woodcarvings, beadwork, paintings and pottery.

By this time it was around 3 in the afternoon and we decided to try a walking safari the Richersons had mentioned would be worth our money. We arrived at the site and realized it was basically a glorified zoo. Our tour guide was named Elly and he strolled us past caged pygmy hippos, monkeys and hyenas. We were not particularly impressed.

Until we saw the white rhino.

Until Steve to Elly how much he had always wanted to touch a rhino.

Until one by one we hopped the fence and patted the Rhino. Then all of a sudden Africa has the coolest zoos ever.

Then we trotted over to the lion paddock to see the two lionesses and the male lion who had the most gorgeous dark mane I had ever seen.

He came right up to the glass so we could take photos with him. So kind.

By now it was closing time at the zoo and we were really the only people around. The zoo keepers asked if we would like to see the lions be fed. We said "Heck yes" and proceeded into a side paddock beside three feeding cages and the lions entered to their dinner which was a huge slab of raw meat. The zoo keepers banged on the cages and lunged at the bars to get the lions excited and they started to roar. Let's talk about an adrenaline rush, I had never heard anything like the roar of a lion two feet from my face.

Our group:

Our group after seeing the lions feed:

We left the lion area walking on air. After this we saw some antelope.

Then made our way to see Milo, the cheetah. Elly informed us that she was quite nice and that we could pet her if we tipped the zoo keepers. Our response? "How much do they want?"

Kneeling eye to eye with a cheetah was a mixture of fear and wonder. I was thinking how amazing she was and marvelling at her huge yellow eyes all the while knowing she could snap my jugular in two seconds flat.

The walking safari was the perfect farewell to Africa and we entered the Nairobi Airport with some spring in our step. Unfortunately 27.5 hours of flight will take some spring out of one's step fairly quickly.

But God was faithful and brought us home safely. Mark Nelson still hasn't gotten his luggage, so you can pray about that for him.

Last words:

We all agree this was an excellent but exhausting trip. It was great to be part of the global church. I loved standing beside my brothers and sisters in Christ and singing and praying for each other. I was blessed to meet the Rwandan pastors and see their passion for ministry.

One of the best moments in the trip was in a dark mud walled church. We were being introduced to the congregation and one by one we got up and said our names and a quick blessing. Then Gary, through a translator, told the congregation that we wanted to send blessings from one final group. He told them how a big group of people at home in Valley Church had sacrificed to send us here to Rwanda. Gary said that the people who sent us were praying for the Rwandan people and we were only there because of them. This got the biggest cheer by far. The Rwandans were on their feet clapping for our senders. Rightfully so. Praise God for his church.

The Rwanda team thanks our senders, I have never felt so well covered in prayer as my two weeks in Rwanda. Thank you for that.

Catch up

2008-08-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry the blog just dropped off after day three. I got to go with the construction team into the backwoods of Rwanda where there is no internet connection. I am sorry to leave you hanging while we were gone. But now that we are home safe, I have great images and stories to tell so keep checking back and I will keep up with the story of our trip.

Saturday August 9th

Today Gary and I drove out to hook up with the construction team and see their progress putting a roof on a church. The construction site was up in the mountains near a few volcanoes. The road was covered with chunks of volcanic rock. We had to abandon the car and walk the last ten minutes to the site.

We arrived at the church to find the local children singing to our team. Their vocal strength and harmony is amazing. The Rwandan's singing and dancing became one of the highlights of my trip.

The drummer is the only background to the singing:

The initial goal of the construction team was to finish putting a roof on the church, but that was deemed unsafe. The wood used to make the trusses was too heavy to be safe for us to put them up. This was no huge problem, because we got a call two days later telling us that the Rwandan's successfully put the trusses up themselves. We are hoping that they put up support poles from the floor, so that the trusses don't fall.

Here's a shot of Mark with the local pastor Jean Baptiste at the worksite.

The team built scaffolding out of eucalyptus trees:

The church building was made of mud bricks and the children peeked in the doors and windows to watch the work being done on the trusses inside.

Before leaving we presented some of the soccer balls to the pastor for his congregation!

Apparently this old woman with the stick was into hitting people until they paid her off to leave us alone.

An example of the crazy things they balance on their heads. This woman had a huge bundle of sticks was just walking down the highway.

Sunday August 10th

The entire team drove way out into the mountains, past the volcanoes to an outdoor church service. The service was huge, with probably 300 people in attendance. It was the annual gathering of all the congregations in the region. The service was scheduled to start at 9:30 but we didn’t actually arrive at the site until 11:00. The service didn’t start until we arrived and we were the guests of honor.

We were swarmed when we arrived.

Pastor Jacob was presiding as the head pastor.

Jacob is Esron’s father, and Esron is the pastor of the church where we are assembling the internet café. There was much singing and dancing from several choirs. We were all individually introduced and we each had to come up with something to say to the congregation. Then Jeremy preached an awesome sermon on Nehemiah 1. Esron acted as translator.

The service was probably two hours long, so not bad. We were worried about rain, as you can see by the clouds over the crowd:

The singing and dancing was amazing.
Esron's church choir from Remera:

A local college choir:

We got rained on toward the end and the wind was pretty cold. The solution? Grab a kid!

After the service we were served lunch with all the pastors and their wives. We had rice, plantains, potatoes, goat meat, bananas, rolls and the ever present Fanta Citron.

It was a very cool day getting to meet new people and experience a Rwandan church service.

Monday August 11th

I joined up with the construction team and we took a five hour drive across the country to the site where Valley has funded 5 houses for the Pygmy people. This day was mostly spent driving but we did meet the pastor of the local church and he showed us around the village.

One of the unfinished houses Valley has funded:

We were warmly welcomed by the congregation and ushered into the church for a short service. There were introductions and singing and a challenge to help build the houses in the coming days.

We left the village around five and made our way to a Presbyterian guest house on Lake Kivu.

This guest house was so nice and so ideally located that it felt criminal to be staying there on a missions trip. My balcony overlooked the lake. It was quite idyllic.

Tuesday August 12

Down to business. We got an early breakfast and made it to the village around 8 AM. The drive from our guest house to the village is just over an hour on a very bumpy dirt road. It was always a relief to get out of the van.

Our work was a totally new experience for all the members of the team: building mud houses. Mud bricks had been made the previous week and had dried sufficiently to be used. The first step in building the house is making the foundation, which is essentially a rock and mud grid where the walls will be placed. The floor of the rooms is left as dirt. A thick layer of mud is used for mortar. This mud is made in a pit by the side of the house and is presided over with hoes and water buckets by a few workers.

People run back and fourth with bricks and handfuls of mud. Skilled bricklayers arrange the bricks and level them along a string guide.

This man was one of the skilled bricklayers:

The foundation and some random bricks waiting to be laid.

The bricks were pretty dang heavy and we all felt accomplished to work so hard. But then Jeremy made a good observation: "Man I don't feel so strong because all these women are doing this same work barefoot with a baby strapped to their back."

Too true, this women were the strongest I have ever met.

The team’s work mostly consisted of running back and fourth with mud or bricks. It was awesome to see the walls rise around us.

The drying bricks:

A machete was used to shape the bricks:

There were some mud fights and at the end of the day, I taught some of the kids how to make clay frogs.

One of the pygmy men helping build:

The houses are being made for the pygmies, who are currently living in stick shelters up in the mountain. The houses that are being made for them are down in the village, interspersed among the Rwandan villagers. The government wants to end the segregation between the people groups, hence the mixing of communities.

The hardest question the houses raise, is who will live in them? There are 14 pygmy families, but only 5 houses are being built. Their question to us was, “How do we decide who lives in the new houses?” This was something we could not answer.

Check back soon for the continuing story...

Day 3

2008-08-09T01:10:00.000-07:00

August 8

Today was our first day of ministry. This account will be about the Cyber Café and medical teams. Tomorrows post will be about the construction team.

We got up at 6 to have group devotional time at 6:30. Our passage was Colossians 1: 1-12 talking about Paul’s affection for the church and how he prays for them. We all marveled at his ability to pray for the whole body of Christ, even those he had not yet met. Katie pointed out how important it is for the Church body to pray for each other, even if we have never met.

Breakfast was toast, eggs, tea or coffee, and Rwandan tomatoes. After eating we loaded up into the van and made the ten minute drive to Remera, clutching the seat in front of us for dear life as we plunged down the bumpy hill.

Michelle spent her day fellowshipping with "her people." She always has an entourage wherever she goes. She taught the children some english songs and spent time in homes in the village.

The medical team had an excellent day, they were able to see 68 patients and dispense care to practically everyone he saw.

Registration:

The line:

Katie and Jess worked in one room, fitting people with reading glasses. Their favorite part was picking out frames that matched personalities. After a few tries, one woman picked out some sassy purple frames that absolutely fit her personality.

Looking out at the line:

John and Bob worked in another room administering more extensive eye exams. The room had to be light tight for some of John’s tests, so the team hung black plastic over the windows.

The glasses dispensed here were largely for nearsighted people. Some patients John saw suffered from more allergy induced eye problems. Care for these people meant giving them some antihistamines to ease the troubles.

Bagged glasses arranged by prescription to be handed out:

One of the best part of the medical team’s day was when a load of people from Bugesera came to be fitted with glasses. This is Gary and Marie greeting the group.

We first met the church members of Bugesera a year ago when Jeremy, Gary and Katie Rodgers made the trip to Rwanda and visited the church. They discovered that the church only had one bible for the entire congregation. In February, Gary, Pastor Dan, Marie and her husband distributed bibles to the church, which were gratefully welcomed. The problem arose that some of the congregation couldn’t read their new bibles because of poor eyesight. Today, a dozen people from Bugasera came to see Dr. Rosten and be fitted with reading glasses. It was such a blessing to see how our connection with the Bugasera church has developed.

Gertrude was a woman from Bugasera:

When Gertrude was fitted with her reading glasses, her first reaction was to throw aside the eye chart and pick up her bible to check her vision. She left the exam room and went to find Marie. She told Marie, “You gave me my bible, and now I am able to read it!” This was quite a moving moment for all of us and will become a trip highlight.

The children are all so beautiful:

The cyber café team encountered some roadblocks and their first day was a bit frustrating. The network itself worked perfectly. Marie and Brian laid out the laptops and each wireless printed to a remote printer. Everything communicated well.

The network itself was a total success.

The command center:

The problems arose with the electricity itself. The power flow into the cyber café room is not a steady flow, and this is dangerous to the equipment. We are working with an electrician to try to iron out this problem.

Another problem was the internet connection. We were able to connect for a minute, but then the internet failed. After a few hours, many phone calls and some gnashing of teeth, the internet provider sent out a technician to diagnose our problem. I will spare you the technical details, but in the end of the day the internet is working.

Katie got a new hairdo:

Jess taking photos:

The teams headed back to our lodging at ALARM for a nice dinner of rice, potatoes, fish which we mistook for chicken, and bananas. We spent a nice evening chatting around the table and went to bed early.

Most of our jet lag is gone, praise the Lord. John is suffering from lingering bronchitis and he coughs a lot in the morning and evening. Please pray for healing for him. Pray for smoothing of details for the construction team, who is finding their site to be difficult and ultimately will not be able to complete the roof. This is tough to walk away “unfinished.” Pray for joy and patience, as things move slowly in Africa.

Lastly, Bob would like to send a shout out to his family. We are now calling him Dr. Bob and he is our “visual acuity engineer.”

Much love from us all!

More pictures

2008-08-09T00:25:00.001-07:00

I wanted to post more photos on day 1, but my internet connection was very slow and I had to cut my time short to get on the plane. So here are more photos from Day 1 in Nairobi.

Around the Mennonite guest house compound where we spent our first night:

Tristan almost broke the playground:

Driving through Nairobi:

Giraffe Park!

Apparently their saliva has sanitizing properties.

At RVA on the Richerson's front lawn.

Kids at RVA hitching a ride across campus:

Day 2

2008-08-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

Day 2
August 7

This morning we got up at the crack of dawn, largely because we are jet-lagged, but also to catch an 8 o’clock plane to Rwanda. The airport in Nairobi was insanely busy, there was a huge line out the door and down the block for Kenya Airways. We were 45 minutes late for our flight by the time we got through immigration but thankfully the plane waited for us.

We were greeted in the Rwanda airport by at least 8 church members. It was a very warm welcome, lots of hugs. We loaded all our bags into some cars and drove into Kigali and our first stop was a hardware store. The construction team needed around 112 bolts and we were able to find 12. We decided they would have to place them very strategically.

Lunch was a buffet of typical Rwandan fare. Tristan and Matt were the eating champs by far, stuffing down more food that should be humanly possible. The pineapple was perfection.

After lunch it was farewell time and the construction team gathered their luggage for their two hour drive to Ruengherytown where they will be putting a roof on a church. The cyber-café and medical teams drove about 15 minutes to Remera, to see the compound where they will be working. The hill down to the church was steep enough to make San Francisco proud, riddled with potholes and comprised of red dirt. The vans that cart us around are like trusty burros as they grind us up the hill. I had visions of losing traction and plummeting down the long hill. These proved to be unfounded worries.

Remera Compound looking toward where the optical team works:

The kids love to have their photos taken and then swarm the camera to look at the photo:

Looking out across the valley:

This was a wonderful time to meet some of the church members and see the area.

The compound where we will be working has several buildings: a pharmacy where the medical team will see optometry patients, a sanctuary, a large primary school building and the cyber café. Thy cyber café was rather barren except for twelve beautiful desks and chairs which will soon become workstations.

Some of the children in Remera:

This is Gary talking with Vincent, who acts as part translator, part planner, part organizer and all around good guy.

After spending a few hours in Remera, the cyber café and medical teams went for tea at a nice hotel in Kigali. We are staying at a large facility named ALARM. The rooms are large and clean and the showers are warm.

We are all very tired and are struggling to catch up with Rwanda time. Please pray that we can get good sleep and be refreshed and ready to work tomorrow.

Jess summed things up pretty well this evening when she exclaimed, “I love Africa!”

Day 1

2008-08-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

We made it!
After 19 hours of plane rides, 3 hours in vans, a breeze through customs and one minor incident with a baggage official…we made it onto the ground in AFRICA!

The first thing we did? Went to bed. And Showered.

Day one began in a Mennonite Guest house in Nairobi, Kenya. We hade a lovely breakfast of toast, baked oatmeal, tea and some fruit that I couldn’t actually identify. (Papaya I am informed.) A few of us suffered from some vertigo and so breakfast wasn’t a success but we did enjoy the scenery on the compound. And we enjoyed the play equipment.

At nine we were picked up by Brian Richerson and his lovely family and taken on a driving tour of Nairobi. We saw nice houses, slums, roadside fruit markets, and an occasional cattle crossing.

Our first stop was at a Giraffe Center where we heard an informational talk about the Giraffe population in Kenya. The center was home to ten Rothchild giraffes which are characterized by their “white socks” up to their knees and a darker and well defined spot.

We got to feed the giraffes from below and from a raised platform, so we could see each other eye to eye.

Oh yeah, and we got to kiss them.

After a good tooth brushing and sanitizing session, we hopped back into the van and toured a bead factory nearby. Some souvenirs were purchased and then it was back to the vans to get lunch at the Junction, which was a mall. Personally, I had a chicken sandwich and fries. Unadventurous, I know.

Then after an hour drive we made it to Rift Valley Academy where we were given a fabulous tour by Brian himself. Dinner was at Mama Chicu’s, a building about the size of standard American bedroom. We crowded around tables and ate some of the most amazing food I have ever tasted. There were samosas, cooked greens, goat stew, brown rice, irio-a bean paste, and plenty of chipatis to hold it all up. I ate too much, I admit it.

We burned off the food hangover with a drive around Kijabe and then had an early bed time. All in all it was an excellent first day…except for the sleeping. That hasn’t been going so well for me.

It is now 5 am on Thursday and we are driving to the airport to catch a plane to Rwanda. More photos soon!

And We're Off!

2008-08-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

In approximately 12 hours the Rwanda team will be in vans, steaming toward San Francisco International Airport. We fly from San Francisco to Chicago to London to Kenya. At that point, Jeremy and Mark will head straight to Rwanda to get ready for construction while the rest of the team will spend a day in Kenya before continuing to Rwanda.

We are all very excited for the trip and very much dreading meeting at 4:45 tomorrow morning at the church. We would be happy to see all your shining faces there to send us off!

(Yeah right)

Please pray for travel safety and that our luggage will arrive when we do.

We are very thankful for all your love and support.
My next post will be from Africa, so check back soon!

Devotional Schedule

2008-08-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

We thought it would be a good idea to post the Rwanda team's devotional schedule here so that if you like, you can read along with us in the scriptures.

Date Passage Team's Location

8/6 Psalm 138 Nairobi, Kenya
8/7 Psalm 133 Rift Valley Academy
8/8 Col 1:1-12 Rwanda
8/9 Col 1:13-24 Rwanda
8/10 Col 2:1-15 Rwanda
8/11 Col 2:16-23 Rwanda
8/12 Col 3:1-11 Rwanda
8/13 Col 3:12-25 Rwanda
8/14 Col 4:1-18 Rwanda
8/15 2 Cor 5:17-21 Nairobi, Kenya

Devotional questions:
1. Observations: What is the passage about?
2. What verse or Biblical truth stands out most to you?
3. What characteristics of God (attributes) are apparent in this message?
4. How is the passage relevant today, and how will you apply it to your life?

In Case We Were Worried

2008-07-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

I just received this photo of our fearless leader as he labors on our behalf in Africa.

Hopefully he brushed his teeth.

Clearly Gary is doing well in Rwanda, but please keep praying.

He has left the Building

2008-07-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Gary is officially on his way to Rwanda! He left Monday early morning to arrive in Rwanda a week before the rest of the team. Gary will be meeting up with old contacts as well as smoothing out plans getting together supplies for construction etc.

Please be praying for his health and safety as well as for his family in his absence.

Survey

2008-07-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

As our departure date looms closer I decided to take a quick survey of our team members to give the church a better idea of the overseas experience of our team members.

Katie Friedrich

1. Have you ever been to Africa before? Ever been overseas before?
I have been overseas several times before, but never to Africa.

2. What are you most nervous about? Most excited about?

I don't know if I am really nervous about anything yet. I may become more nervous as our departure date draws closer, but for now I'm mostly excited! I think I'm most excited about working with the people in Rwanda and having fellowship with Rwandan believers.

3. How can the congregation be praying for you as you prepare to go?

Prayer is so vital to the success of our trip! I think a few things the congregation can pray for specifically are health and safety for the team, open hearts of the people we work with and minister to as well as open hearts of our team, ease in communicating God's love, and that God's presence will be felt throughout the trip.

Matthew Barr

1. Have you ever been to Africa before? Ever been overseas before?
This will be my first time to africa, but i have been overseas before to Spain, and i went to the Rock of Gibralter, where i could see Morroco across the channel. So i dont know if that counts as going to Africa, all i did was see it.

2. What are you most nervous about? Most excited about?

I am extremely nervous about this mission for it will push me to my limit, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And i am nervous because i dont know if i am ready for it. i am the youngest person on the team, and i dont know if i'll be prepared. I am most excited for the work that we will be doing, building, and communicating Gods love through that! it is going to be a rush and i cant wait to see how God will work through me! I will not be able to do it on my own, and the only way to make it will be to rely on God for everything! And going to Africa in general is cool, that alone just pumps me up!

3. How can the congregation be praying for you as you prepare to go?

You can be praying for me by asking Gods protection over us as a group and keeping those spiritual battles that lie ahead at bay, and for me individually, pray for strength for me and that i will truly give my all for the people and whatever task may be handed to me. That i will not give up, and keep God my center focus. and that i will go with the right heart, that i am going not for me and my benifit, but for Gods.

Bob Gentili

1. Have you ever been to Africa before? Ever been overseas before?
No I have never been to Africa, but I did watch Tarzan as a kid on our black & white tv on Saturday mornings. Yes , I have been overseas. Last year I went to Papua New Guinea with the Valley team and in the early 70's Vietnam, Thailand, and the Phillippines.

2. What are you most nervous about? Most excited about?
I'm not so much worried about the trip; although, I think about the travel glitches and language barriers.

3. How can the congregation be praying for you as you prepare to go?
The congregation can pray for our team's health & safety and that we are able to work well as a team so we will be a good example of Christ and His love for the people of Rwanda.

Jules Hays

1. Have you ever been to Africa before? Ever been overseas before?
Yes, I spent a month in Swaziland, which is down in southern Africa, as an AIDS educator in 2005. I have been on other missions trips to Mexico and Costa Rica as well.

2. What are you most nervous about? Most excited about?
I am worried that I won't be able to keep up my energy level. I take a medication that slows me down a lot, and being lethargic in Africa sounds frustrating. (Also, I am dreading all the hours sandwiched into a plane seat.) I am most excited to meet the people and hear their stories. I am excited for the photographic opportunities Rwanda will present.

3. How can the congregation be praying for you as you prepare to go?
Please pray that I can relax and trust in the Lord to provide for all my needs.
Pray against Satan and his power to work evil in our lives, please pray that the Holy Spirit will protect and keep us!

Aimee Hendrick

1. Have you ever been to Africa before? Ever been overseas before?

This is my first time to Africa. I've been overseas a couple times - once to Thailand in '03 and once to Papua New Guinea in '07.

2. What are you most nervous about? Most excited about?
At this point I'm not really nervous about anything...I am most excited about coming alongside of the Rwandan believers in what they are doing in ministry, and to work with the team!

3. How can the congregation be praying for you as you prepare to go?
Pray for a flexible heart & willing, humble attitude to be used however, wherever, whenever the Lord gives opportunity. Pray for personal growth & understanding of God through this experience. Pray for unity & effectiveness of ministry of our team. Thank you!!

Soccer Ball Update

2008-07-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

Valley's kids (and parents!!) really stepped up to the plate for our soccer ball fundraiser for Rwanda! In Gary's previous trip, he brought along a few soccer and volley balls, and they were a HUGE hit with the kids! What a great opportunity to draw children in, give them something fun and constructive to do, and to share Jesus in a very practical way. Fun is something to which our own kids can relate, so we asked interested children to pay $1 to sign one of the 20 soccer balls we had purchased for the Missions team to take to Rwandan children. What an opportunity for Valley kids to get involved with missions-ministering to children thousands of miles away!! Children wrote endearing messages to their new friends on the other side of the world, and a number of adults joined in the fun, sending greetings and blessings as well.

Our goal was 20 soccer balls or around $200. Over three hundred and seventy dollars was raised!! Isn't God good? We did buy the 20 soccer balls, but that's not all! Here's a list of additional items we were able to buy with the extra money:

6 volleyballs

8 ball pumps and extra needles

200 CD-R's for the cybercafe

Flash drives

Rubber erasers

Mechanical pencils and replacement leads

Chalk

We know these items will be appreciated and cherished. We look forward to the pictures of all that happens while our team is in Rwanda. Thank you children of Valley for your love and compassion for the people of Rwanda.

Sewing Again

2008-07-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

On July 22^nd Jim and Marlene Meuleners hosted a small group of believers who prayed for the ministry in Rwanda, then got busy sewing 20 skirts for the pygmy women. Marlene dubbed the effort :Project Skirts for Pygmies. The skirts will be added to a duffel bag full of clothing that will be delivered by Rwandese pastors to the Abatwa people of the Lake Kivu region.

Clothes for Pygmies

2008-07-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

Some Valley Church members have been busy looking for bargains, and this is what they’ve found so far. As part of our ministry to the Abatwa (Pygmy) people, we are responding to their request for some western clothing. Team Rwanda members will carry these clothes, which will be distributed by the Rwandese pastors.

Soccer Balls

2008-07-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Valley Church Children's Ministry leaders have made a way for kids to get involved in Rwanda 2008. Sunday school classes have been raising money to purchase soccer balls to be given to kids in Rwanda. As kids and parents donate money to buy the balls, they are allowed to write a personal message on the soccer balls, which will be presented to school kids in Rwanda this summer.

If you would like to donate towards a soccer ball that will be taken to the children of Rwanda, visit the Small Small House in between services on Sunday.

Glasses Cases

2008-07-11T09:47:00.001-07:00

In preparation for our eyeglass ministry in Rwanda, a group of lovely ladies from the church are sewing soft cases to protect the glasses we transport. The traditional hard side case is not space efficient. The soft cases that are being sewn are small so as not to take up too much of our precious luggage space. The new cases are also very good looking. The fabrics are full of color, with a matching lining.

Let's walk through the steps to the creation of a glasses case.

Step 1: measure and cut fabric

Step 2: iron edge piece

Step 3: fold fabric into proper shape, sew seam with a tight stitch approximately 1/2 centimeter from raw edge of fabric, tack on edging

Step 4: chat with the woman across the table from you

Step 5: insert glasses into finished case!

(if confusion remains about process, refer to photo below for all 5 steps in progression)

These stitching sensations are working to finish 300 glasses cases before we leave on August 4th. They will be having another work time to continue making cases. If you are interested in helping out, talk to one of the women pictured here and I am sure they could give you information. I will post an announcement when the next work time is planned.

Pygmies

2008-07-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

One of the people groups to whom we will be ministering are called Pygmies. They live in isolated communities which are separate from other Rwandan communities. Some Pygmies don't even have clothing, furthering their isolation because they are ashamed of their nakedness. They live in mud huts with thatched roofs made by hand and machete. They are behind in that their children do not go to school, and when they are sick, they don't go to a hospital. They are short in stature, around 4 1/2 feet tall, so for once I will be a giant at 5'4."

Here are some photos Gary had from a previous trip and his description of their contents:

"In the lower photo, the person in western clothing kneeling next to the pygmy women is Pastor Emmanuel, a good friend of mine. It appears this may be where we help build the shelters. Please begin praying for the CEER leaders as they continue with the initial contacts there. Also, pray that their hearts will be softened to hear the gospel. Pray that we are open to the Lord's leading and will should the ministry emphasis change again. Pray that our service there will be done in humility and with a burning desire to glorify Christ."

Introductions

2008-07-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

Our team members and a short bio about each:

AIMEE HEDRICK:
I am really looking forward to this opportunity to work with the team going to Rwanda, as well as the believers there. It’s exciting to work together as the Body of Christ in a global way. I hope to continue this kind of partnership as I pursue career missions with New Tribes Mission in Papua New Guinea.

BOB GENTILI:
Who--Bob Gentili, member of Valley since ' 94, What do-- currently a member of the worship team, Why I want to go to Rwanda--I want to support missionaries from Valley and apply Matthew 28:18-20 to my life. Thank you Valley Church for your support on past trips and your support on this one.

GARY RODGERS
Gary hasn't given us a bio yet, maybe I should just make something up...

JEREMY WHITE

JESSICA MILLIGAN:
My name is Jessica Milligan. Im 18 and just finished my first year of college. I will be transferring to George Fox University in Oregon this fall to pursue a career in nursing. I feel God has called me to that field to meet the physical as well as spiritual needs of people. I will be serving on the medical team in Rwanda and I am excited to see how God will use me on this trip and if His will permits it, open doors for future medical missions in my future as a nurse.

JOHN ROSTEN:
I'm John Rosten, and I've been a part of Valley Church for 28 years. I really enjoy being a part of missions ministry, especially through providing eyecare and donated glasses to those in need. Combining evangelism, church planting, and eyecare minstry has been a personal passion. I'm excited to be a part of the Rwanda team, and look forward to seeing God at work as we reach out to others in His Name.

JULES HAYS:
I am a professional photographer. I graduated two years ago from Biola University where I developed a heart for social justice and a love of travel. I am going to Rwanda to document the work done by the team. My prayer is that God might use my art to tell the story of the places where Valley Church has a ministry.

KAT BITTLE

KATIE FRIEDRICH:
My name is Katie Friederich and I just finished my first year of medical school at Loma Linda University, in southern California. I hope to one day become a pediatrician in a yet to be determined sub-specialty.
I am 23 and the second of four children. I have attended Valley Church since my family moved to CA in 1990. While I have found a wonderful church to attend by my school, I still love Valley and enjoy coming back to the church I called home for so many years.
I have been on several missions trips in the past and absolutely loved the experiences. Meeting believers from different countries, who speak different languages and have different cultural practices really serves to remind me of the diversity of the body of Christ. What is more, I am always encouraged by the common faith in our Lord and Savior shared by myself and those I am working alongside. How exciting to think that Christ's kingdom expands around the world! And how exciting to be able to share the truth of Christ's message with people who may have never heard it before!
I have been looking for an opportunity to travel to Rwanda since my sophomore year of undergrad. When my dad called to tell me Valley was traveling there this summer I knew I had to go! I am very excited to see how God will use me and the rest of the team. I hope to be able to share the love of Christ and the joy I have found in Him with the people we will be working with. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you when we return!

MARIE HEILMAN
MARK NELSON

MATT BARR

MICHELLE WRIGHT

STEVE TREASURE

TRISTAN NORRIS

Also attending, but has not yet given us a photo:
Leonard Schilling

Why Hello!

2008-06-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Valley Church's Rwanda missions team blog.

We will be using this space to post information, prayer requests and photos about our upcoming trip to Rwanda.

Here's a quick list of vital info about our trip:
-Dates: August 4th through August 15th
-Location: We will be all over Rwanda, some people will be in the Capitol city of Kigali, the Remera district, and some will be in Ruhengeri Town. In case you don't know, Rwanda is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Africa:

-Ministry: Broken into three teams. 1. Vision care-lead by our Optometrist, John, will be administering eye exams and handing out glasses. 2. Cyber Cafe-an ongoing project for Valley, this trip we will be bringing 12 laptops for the computer lab, which will be connected to the internet. This team will train Rwandans on basic computer functions as well as internet use. 3. Outreach-This team will be putting roofs on churches, building shelters and engaging the community with the love of Christ.
-Team Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." ESV

We have been meeting together to plan and ready ourselves for the upcoming trip. Our meeting for Sunday, June 29th included some instruction from Gary, our fearless leader:

Then we were able to help John sort through boxes of glasses to be cleaned. In our sorting process we came across some fabulously retro frames. Of course, we had to try the most outrageous pairs on, and take pictures. So meet some of our team:

Tristan and Bob
John.

Kat.

Jess and Tristan.

One of Four boxes of donated glasses. Believe me, we have a lot of glasses.

John, Mark and Kat cleaning some of the donated glasses.

Jess and Tristan sorting single vision lenses, bi-focal, tri-focal, reading glasses and sunglasses.

Lastly, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Jules and I will be the blog's moderator. Basically, that is a sophisticated way of saying, "I'm in charge and don't you forget it." Here's a photo of me trying on my favorite pair of specs:

Thank you for visiting the blog, we appreciate the interest and support. Please check back weekly to catch up on our latest updates. We would like to turn this into a collaborative space, so feel free to post comments. We want to hear from you. My next post will be a thorough introduction of our team. We will also post our prayer requests, because prayer is the most important preparation of all.