We’ve Been Really, Really Busy…Really!

Wow…we have been really busy since the last post and there is much to share.  We ventured to a Game Preseve for an overnight and arose early Friday morning at 5:30 AM for a trip into the park to see the wild animals.  We were not disappointed!!!  Within a few minutes of our early morning adventure our expert guide had us looking at impalas, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, baboons and hippopotamus (at which point Meredith Holley erupted in singing I Want a Hippomotamus for Christmas) and  all sorts of African landscape.  It was breathtaking. 

Upon our return, we had breakfast at the lodge…an extended quiet time with the Lord, and lunch before the nearly 3 hour trip back to Kigali.  That evening we planned our Saturday AM activity with the sponsored children of Africa New Life at the Dream Center.

Saturday AM, we headed out to the Dream Center and, upon our arrival, noticed immediately that the kids who were sponsored were in much better condition than the street kids that we ministered to earlier in the week.  It was a powerful demonstration of the work that Africa New Life is doing here with these kids.  In fact, we found out that one of our translators named Robert was one of the first sponsored children of Africa New Life Ministries. 

We spent about 4 hours with a huge crowd of kids playing games with them, sharing our testimonies and the Gospel, and helping to make an impact for Christ.  We also distributed gifts that had been sent along with us by sponsoring families from IBC and other families from Northern VA.

While the IBC students were with the kids, Pastors Connor & Holley and Pastor Charles met with Dr. Otto Helweg who is working with the Rwandan government to get water to Rwandans.  Pastor Charles has been trying to get water to the New Life Christian Academy at Kayonza.  Dr. Helweg (a classmate of Ed Britton’s at the Naval Academy)  also is the Rwandan Director for Living Waters…a ministry that our VeNture Ministry has linked with for projects in Central America.  Long story short…he offered to personally be involved in the project and even offered to pay for it.  PTL!!!

Saturday afternoon, the team put together another impromptu community gospel presentation with another academy award winning performance of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. 

 Later that evening after dinner, we met with Pastor Charles, his wife Florence and Pastor Emmanuel (our trip coordinator) and asked them to share their stories of how they came to Christ and how they were led into ministry.  The room got very quiet as Charles shared how he faced persecution and beatings from a church plant effort that he was involved with in Uganda.   We have learned much from these godly servants of Christ.

This morning Pastors Steve and Michael preached at New Life Bible Church and Divine Dynasty Church, respectively.  Once again, we were ‘wow’ed by the full and active worship!  When they praise God, they sing with all they have, they dance in place in time to the music, and make sure that each verse is sung 10 times.   Our pastors were tired well before they preached.

This afternoon Tim Pinkard and Jonathan Dancy ventured over to the stadium to hear Rick Warren speak.  Meanwhile, Pastor Holley returned to speak to the African New Life Youth Group (and no…he did not out draw Rick Warren)…but he and our music team (Josh Johnson, Ben Hayes, Carly Warden, and Paige Terry) had a great time!

Tonight, our team entertained the Kanombe Boys home and taught them “Wiffle Ball” the precursor to our great American pastime, baseball.    

 This next week, we will enter into the toughest part of our work.  Our VBS program in Kayonza will have us ministering to 700 children and have us leaving our guest house at 7 AM and returning at 6 PM…we will have a one hour-twenty minute commute. 

Several on our team have had some allergy problems caused by the dusty roads and have experienced hoarseness. So it would be important when you pray to remember that aspect of our experience. But, aside from that, we are in good health, good spirits, and look at the next four days to really stretch as we serve the Lord.

Thanks for your prayers…your support…and your love.  We will probably not be able to get an update to you until Tuesday or Wednesday…but we promise to take lots of pictures.

 Blessings to All!