Off To Work

A thought came to mind one day, early in our mission work, while I was working with the team helping build Joseline’s house. The work was quite demanding. I just finished hauling a bunch of mud bricks that weighed about 30 pounds each to the masons who were framing up the walls. I wondered quietly, when during your time on earth are we finished doing God’s work? This question that that tugged at my consciousness was more than likely posed because I was exhausted and I felt I knew first hand how difficult sometimes it can be doing God’s work. Fortunately I knew the answer before I finished asking myself the question. We are never finished doing God’s work. The beautiful thing about doing God’s work is at the end of the day it always leaves us wanting to do more. We realize the reward we receive far outweighs the benefit we give. So tonight I will go to sleep. But my alarm is set. See you in the morning.

Tim Colgan

Getting in touch with your inner child in Rwanda!

· Creating mud from the earth: using a hoe to loosen the dirt/clay and mixing water
· Playing in the mud hole… making mud balls with our hands
· Getting gooey mud on our gloves, or with no gloves, deeply into our hands and fingernails, looking at it with curiosity, feeling its cool texture against one’s palms, and smiling

· Slapping smaller parts of that mud ball against the side of the house [like throwing ripe tomatoes up against a barn!]
· Putting lots of mud into a ‘form’ to make a 30 pound mud pie!
· Getting ‘down and dirty’, messy and getting even more messy
· Playing and singing with others – “Hokey Pokey”, “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, “Iyo Mana Nzizi”, lots of ‘oldies’ and more

· Reciting our “ABC’s” and “Numbers”
· Slapping cement onto the mud walls and laughing as the wet cement splatters all overthe place and on one another
· Lots of laughter… and even more laughter
· Playing ‘Fooootball’ [soccer], baseball, catching and running after the balls that got away
· Skipping, dancing and singing while holding hands


· Hugging, smiling & more laughter

· Eating Dum-Dums and loving those sweets, more dancing and singing
· Reaching out to touch and hold someone’s hand, to experience the feeling of white skin next to black skin, to embrace another tentatively one moment and with abandon in next moment -- giving and receiving love unconditionally

“Truly, I tell to you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
"...Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." Matthew 19:14

We were blessed to enjoy the many ways we connected with the children and they connected with us. And as we shared these times with one another, we experienced the joy of being unencumbered and childlike ourselves. And perhaps in those shared moments we caught just a tiny glimpse of heaven right here on earth.
Peace, Stacy

Responsible Children

I have been home just over a week and have been thinking about the journey to Africa and how it impacted me. Today is my son, Josh's, 19th birthday. My thoughts go to the number of heads of household in Rwanda younger than Josh with tremendous responsibilities for themselves and their siblings. Thanks to the Giving Hope program, Epiphanie and her staff, they joyfully accept their responsibility and all that is rewarded to them as a result of their work. In many cases, they will take in another orphan. These children truly touched my heart and soul by their beautiful smiling faces and their prayers for God to bless us. We were there, many miles from home, to help them, to reach out and share God's love with them and yet, as I have experienced in the past when I am obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I am the one who is blessed beyond belief.
We visited one of the genocide memorials the last day we were in Kigali. There were around 300,000 people buried there. As we journeyed through this memorial, there were pictures (faces I could put with each of those numbers). I must say this experience broke my heart. Rwanda has come a long way since the genocide and is on the right path. I was approached by a couple of people prior to the journey who questioned my motives for going to Rwanda when there is so much to be done in our own back yard. I believe God calls us to be aware of the pain and suffering of His children all over the world. My eyes were opened and my heart touched so deeply by this journey. I will continue to pray for these wonderful children and the Giving Hope program. I ask that you do the same.
I appreciate the financial support of our family at HBUMC and especially the many prayers lifted up on our behalf. THANK YOU. Peace, Donna

God at Work.

Hello,
I will do my best to keep this to one stream of thought as I try to harness everything I'm feeling since leaving the beautiful country of Rwanda.

You've been reading about our experiences in Rwanda and a few reflections since we've returned. Friends, this is where the mission truly begins. Our mission now is to spread the word: God is doing amazing things in Rwanda, He's doing amazing things through the ZOE ministry that we all support and He's working in a truly amazing way through our beloved Epiphanie. A HUGE "thank you" goes to all of you who support HBUMC missions, without you these experiences would not be possible. So, thank you! Ok, there's one stream, now let me row my boat to another...
I have been very blessed to take part in several missions through my school and the church, each experience holding it's own place in my heart. One of the greatest gifts is the team itself. We are 14 people (some of us knowing each other, some not) called out of whatever we were doing here in our own lives, to be a part of each other's lives in a foreign land. It amazes me the bonds and relationships that can form within two weeks. Bonds that last the rest of our lives. It speaks volumes about God's work within each one of us, having the ability through Him to drop all sense of being an American, and just being a human. Being real. Real with one another, having that great power of humility and being open to the new experience each day brings. That opens us up to form similar bonds and relationships with the people in Africa ("stay with me!"). Language barrier? I don't think so. The children, the adults, we, everyone was on the same page over there. It's a line of communication that only receives signal through Christ.

As we all know, we have a true blessing in our pastor, Rick. I think I take for granted his spirit, the way he's able to communicate with people in our church, his love for everyone and his ability to recognize the spirit in other people. Folks, I can't express in words what it is to watch him "minister" to the people in Rwanda (but of course I'm going to try). You think he inspires you on a Sunday morning? He takes one of the children aside and within 2 minutes their faith is restored, hope is in their eyes and Rick is beaming, tears in his eyes, over-joyed with the love of the Lord. It is a true gift to be able to have any spiritual connection with anyone, but the power to be able to reach someone who knows nothing of the words you speak, only of what you hold in your heart is what being a MINISTER truly is. I think Rick would tell you that it works both ways. Be on the lookout for his new reality show, filmed in Rwanda. We're calling it Pastor Ricky Loves The Kids! Ah, c'mon, gotta throw a dig in there just to keep him in check.

Secretly, I'm trying to see if I can have a longer blog post than anything Will Bynum has written. Maybe next time...
-Michael

Everybody Works

My mind is still somewhat in a jumble (not a jungle) from the 22+hour trip home and all of the wonderful children, countryside, sounds and colors that we experienced for about two weeks. Quite honestly, I was ready to get home, but let me assure you all that your prayers and funding have been well appreciated and carefully spent.

I'm happy to report that your generosity will help to build two more homes that we hadn't even counted on. Way to go! This was a real bonus for the ZOE program.

Our team of 14 people from our Church worked on two different houses that are being built for the orphans of that horrible Genocide and deaths due to AIDS. Just as important, we visited other homes that had recently been constructed. Anything these "family" units receive has to be earned. The community works together to build houses, fences and look after each other. Too many heart-touching stories to relay here, but trust me, you should all feel proud of yourselves to be a part of this effort by the Zoe Ministries.

One story that typified the "everybody works" approach follows:
We were helping to dig the foundation for a larger house that would house the 63 children ( I'm not exaggerating) that were sleeping head to toe like cord wood on straw mats in a much smaller house. After the digging was done (all work is by hand with some hand tools), everybody daisy-chained small stones like rip-rap to cover the bottom of the foundation ditches. Next step was to cover the stone with moist clay that had been mixed on site by hand. The women started carrying "hub caps" or anything else to move the mud (as we called it) to the masons. The mud pit was pretty far from the foundation. At home, I would think in terms of using a wheel barrow to make the most of my trip. here's what got me....I looked up and noticed a woman carrying one shovelfull of mud at a time. To top it off, a baby was strapped to her back. Talk about dedication...that sight still gets to me.

Again, thank you all for helping us help these children. If you could see the smiles on their faces, you'd know that there is hope in Rwanda. Best regards, Mac

Coming Together

As reality sets in, the transition from Rwanda to Raleigh feels like a jigsaw puzzle; all the pieces are there but now the time comes to fit them all together. Thoughts and images are constantly surfacing about the incredible bonds that were made on our mission trip. As a team of 14 we are ready to share the experience with you even further through the blog as well as conversations. God was surrounding us at every point of our journey and we have all of you to thank for the continual prayers.

The last image that comes to mind from our trip would be Joceline’s house as the orphans ran barefoot across the dirt path toward the white bus wanting just one more glance at the Muzungos! As a piece of our hearts were left with each orphan, we took with us their stories to share. As you can read below from other members, all of us experienced different God moments during our journey.

Over all, the God moment that is most prevalent in my mind would have to be seeing God through them. God was in their touch, their smiles, their laughter. The children’s eyes would speak to me and move me in a way that is almost impossible to describe. Their smiling faces and kind spirits were a true act from God. When holding the children they would wrap themselves around our bodies as if we were one. Arms were clinched together around our necks and legs were tightly crossed in the back. When it was time to depart for the day, the children would hold on for that extra second to feel that security one last time knowing we would be leaving. God was continually holding all of us together as we are all children of God.

Please pray for the continued success of the Giving Hope program. Incredible things are happening in Rwanda and we are excited to share more stories with you.

God Bless! Alyson

Back Home and All Is Well

Our team arrived in Raleigh on schedule at 1:30 this afternoon, happy to 'touch down' and be back home, greeted by family and friends. It has been quite a powerful journey to this 'land of a thousand hills'. Our team will continue to blog here in the coming weeks sharing reflections of our experiences with the Giving Hope mission.

God is at work in profound ways. Part of our mission was to witness the many ways in which our support of ZOE's ministry is truly Giving Hope, making a difference in the lives of these orphans and vulnerable children. It was an opportunity for these young people to personally offer their gratitude, through us, to you for your support of this worthwhile ministry.

On behalf of the team, thank you for your prayers. It has been a privilege for us to serve. Blessings, Stacy

Results of Faithfulness

The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value,went and sold all he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45

Today was our last day at Joseline's house. This morning we had a short dedication service at the home. The house is having the finishing touches put on it in the next few days and Joseline and her sisters will then move in. The team will share more of her story when we return but it was a powerful experience to see and feel the power of God at work in her life. During our time in Rwanda we have found many pearls of great value. We eagerly await our chance to share these pearls with you. We have now returned to Kigali and will begin our flight home on Friday afternoon. As one of the team leaders I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and prayers for the team. This mission would not be possible without the love and support of the members of Hayes Barton UMC. Please know that because of your contributions the team was able to build this house for Joseline and will provide the nmaterial and skilled labor necessary to build two more houses for orphans in Rwanda. We are grateful for your faithfulness to the gospel and anticipate our reunion with you and our families.

Blessings,
Ed Kuczynski

Wednesday in Rwanda

We began Wednesday with a home visit to Jean Claude's home. His home is possitioned on the side of a mountain with unbelievable scenery all around. Jean Claude is nineteen and caring for two sisters and a brother. Today at his home we again were able to witness Giving Hope mutual assistance at work. Yesterday, through Giving Hope, Jean Claude recieved a goat and today along with other group members he was busy building his new goat a shelter and a toilet for his family. At Jean Claude's, he shared with us his Giving Hope dream and also held hands with us in prayer. After leaving Jean Claude's we returned to Joseline's and the construction site of her new home. I am not sure how much background you have on Joseline from other posts, but since we have been working on her house almost everyday I thought I would give you some more insight. Joseline is nineteen and cares for her two younger sisters, her dream is to have a house of her own. This week our group has been helping make that dream a reality for Joseline and her sisters. As soon as our bus turns onto the dirt road to Joseline's home, children are comming from every house or field around with smiles and waves. These children run along side or behind the bus all the way to Joselines and everyday are there to great us. Following hugs and a few rounds of head, shoulders, knees and toes or they hokey pokey its off work. There are a wide variety of jobs on the worksite. On a typical day, we have group members, making mudballs, passing mudballs or mudding the side of the home, while others hoe, carry concreat, work on the roof or just spending time learing the Kinyarwandan words for head, shoulders, knees and toes from the children. I know other posts have touched on this subject but it is amazing that even though we have a huge language barrier with the people we are working with in Rwanda it is evident that we are all able to connect on a different level. I am not sure if that level is one of human beings, human kindness, love or a greater power. Tomorrow as our group departs Butare we will journey down the dirt road to Joselines home for one last time. On this last trip we have a special purpose. We will say goodbye to the now familiar faces and be there to help Joseline and the other members of the Giving Hope group dedicate Joseline's new home. As we leave tomorrow, I expect there will be one last singing of a song that our group and those we have met in Rwanda both understand...Iyo Mona Ni Nziza, Iyo Mona Ni Nziza, Iyo Mona Ni Nziza, Ni Nziza, Ni Nziza Pe - God is Good, God is Good, Good, Good, So Good.

Love, Claire

Hope in the Making

In July 2008 I was able to travel to Rwanda to assist in the building of homes. We worked on a home for a young girl named Angelique. She was an orphan who was raped at 16 and became pregnant as a result. During the time we worked on her house she was always crying, ashamed, and covering her head with a sweatshirt. I did not see this young girl smile the entire two weeks I was there. It was obvious that her spirit was depressed and could not rise from the depths of her despair. Just a few days ago I was able to visit this young girl one year later. When we arrived at the house I was a bit nervous about what I might see. Upon entering my eyes could not believe the sight I saw. Angelique had the biggest smile on her face and was holding a beautiful baby boy. Her face was beaming like that of an angel as she stood in the doorway of the new home ZOE had built for her. As we stood and talked with Angelique it was apparent that God was at work in her life. She was joyous and happy and even blushed when I commented on the beautiful smile on her face. The defining moment for me was when she asked to pray for us. Here this young girl who had risen from the depths of despair prayed for us, those who had come to help her. It was a moment I shall not forget. Sometimes people ask me what can I hope to accomplish in Afrca? The answer quite simply is to see the face of God. God is at work in the lives of these children and it is quite apparent that their love for him is deep and strong even in the midst of all the adversity they face. May my faith be as deep, vibrant, and strong.

Blessings,
Ed Kuczynski

God is good!

This morning we returned to work on Joseline's home. The ride to and from her home has become somewhat familiar to us. Yet the children who run alongside the bus to greet us with hands outstretched is a warm and welcoming sight to behold each day. They call out to us 'Muzungo, Muzungo' [ghost traveler] running as fast as they can, so excited that we have returned.
We continued some of the same work as before, some new jobs as well. The tin roof is being placed and inner walls completed. But the beauty today is the way in which we engaged with those working and with the children, even though we did not always understand the language. Some of us were holding and hugging the children, others were working side by side, playing ball, or singing.
We then traveled nearby to see a group of young people who are new to the ZOE Giving Hope program, only 2 months. It is a special day for them and we are blessed to see each of the 90 households receive a goat. Their goat will provide income and security as the manure will be used to fertilize their crops; later they will sell the offspring. They are proud of this opportunity and express their appreciation for ZOE ministry.
The song that rings in our ears each day as we sing with the children -

Iyo Mana Ni Nziza, Iyo Mana Ni Nziza, Iyo Mana Ni Nziza, Nziza Nziza Pe.
God is good, God is good, God is good, Good good good, so good!

Simply being present today with one another is enough!
Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another..."
Blessings, Stacy

It cannot all be written in the blog - it is too emotional, too raw, and filled with the spirit of God.

Just an inside view of one of our families. It's the home we are building and will dedicate before our departure from Butare on Thursday at noon. Joseline lives with her 3 sisters Jovine,18, Annonciata, 16, Nyirangirente, 12. Joseline became the head of her household when she was 11 years old. Her mom died of AIDS three years after her father died. All the children dropped out of school-and the home they were living in caved in - January 2009.

Joseline envisioned a home, a place of shelter and refuge for her sisters - and started making bricks 8x16x10 - weighing 30 lbs each. When we arrived the foundation was layed and the walls were being constructed.

Each day as our van traversed up the red dirt road winding the hill of Kigoma in the Huye District, children gathered around the van and joyfully welcomed us to their community. Quickly they found a place in our hearts as we gathered at the Lord's table spread on a pile of bricks made by Joseline. On our second day, Joseline and her sisters, had turned one of the incompleted rooms into a sanctuary - fully designed with a homemade hanging cross, and an altar covered with a home sewn altar cloth. The children pushed and shoved to listen and hear as we stood together to receive the bread of life.

Quickly everyone dispersed to daily tasks of making mud balls that are transported to the masons. Bricks lugged across the yard and stacked to be layed for the shelter of this family.
Team members side by side with the masons - building the inside structure of the home. Mingled among the laughter and outbreaks of the team singing "Gilligan's Island" - one can see
Courtney kneeling down with ten children loving all over her. Then there is a break and Tim and Andy take off with a group of kids running up the hill yelling with a soccer ball flying in the air. Mac teaching boys how to play baseball.

The day of working is complete with the passing out of dum-dums. It is a snap shot of
God's love at work through every hand. Joseline's dream of a home is becoming a reality before our eyes and young and old, American and African work side by side to provide hope for this family.

We load the van with the children running beside us - knowing that we will return tomorrow to draw closer to the completion of this home of hope.

Thought for today: We're all in this together
" Be devoted to one another. Honor one another. Live in harmony with one another." Rm 12:10,16

The Great Langauge of Faith

Many different languages are spoken here in Rwanda. Kinyarwanda is a popular one. There is also French, Swahili and English to mention a few. Despite the language barrier between the team and the families we are visiting and working with we have been able to connect through a language that bridges that divide. From the beautiful smiles we are able to share the language of love. With the singing and dancing we are able to share the language of joy. By working side by side with the famlies that live here in Rwanda we share the language of hope. By praying together we share the language of Jesus. For it is from the language of Jesus that we are able to enjoy the language of love, joy and hope. May you continute to pray with your fellow man and both enjoy and spread that greatest language of all, the language of Jesus. - Tim Colgan

Today, Sunday, the Rwanda team worshiped in a Pentecostal church in a near by village. Before entering we could hear the voice of the congragation as they danced, sang and clapped their hands. Following church, we dedicated a new home to twenty year old man, who is the head of a household of four siblings. After the dedication we attended a celebration with the particular Zoe group and to show us their successful harvest they shared a meal of rice, cassava, goat, turnips and fruit with us. During the celebration we watched an anti-aids group dancing and singing.

Blessings

Our team has been blessed to witness the success stories of Zoe Ministry during our visit. Over the past several days we have seen children that had no hope, that were hungry, that had no home have their lives changed through the Giving Hope program of Zoe Ministry here in Rwanda.

Imagine a girl that last year would not talk to anyone, that cried every day, who had no hope. On Saturday, we visited the same girl now with her own home and able to support her siblings, smiling, laughing even blushing.

Imagine a little boy near death from starvation a year ago, now healthy with baby fat and big beautiful brown eyes that shine the light of God.

Imagine a group of young boys working diligently to produce Zoe Ministry Christmas cards - yes those same Christmas our congregation purchased last Christmas, as a way to support their young families.

Imagine a group of young famalies all working together to help build a fence around the house for a young boy age 14 that is the head of his household.

Imagine these and additional families and faces of the children of Rwanda that are now smiling and giving thanks to God for the blessings they have received.

All of these families are passing on their thanks for your support of Zoe Ministry!

Yours In Christ,
Andy Wright

God's Language

On Wednesday, I along with my fellow missionaries from HBUMC were standing near the top of a mountain in Rwanda. The local boys and girls say a prayer. It sounded beautiful but I didn't understand a word of it. Then Pastor Rick followed up with a prayer. It too sounded beautiful. I understood every word Pastor Rick said but I felt certain the local boys and girls did not. The local boys and girls were smiling and nodding their heads in agreement just as I did when they said their prayer. Two prayers spoken in different languages, but somehow you knew both prayers were saying the same thing. The language we all heard was God's language. It transends all cultural and language differences. We all know what it means to forgive and be forgiven, to inspire hope in others and to instill hope in self, to give love and be loved. All this is possible throughs God's grace no matter who you are or where you're from. God spoke to everyone today. God spoke through everyone today. But for the grace of God goes I. We all felt God's grace today near that mountain top. The local boys and girls of Rwanda said a prayer today. I understood every word of it.

Tim Colgan

Cornerstone

"built upon thefoundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." Ephesians 2:20

This (Friday) morning we traveled to a small home in the countryside which housed sixty-three orphans. All the children had lost their parents in genocide when they were one to four years old. They were returned to their native community when the orphanages closed. The government provided this small house for them. ZOE will build a bigger house for them. As we dug footings and placed each stone in the foundation a sense of excitement filled the air. Once most of the stones were in place we set the cornerstone for the house. As I watched this historical event this passage in Ephesians came to mind.

You see each of these orphans spoke of their love of God and what he had done for them. As we set the cornerstone I REALIZED that all of us have a hand in this foundation. JESUS is the cornerstone of the church and the reason we are all here to help these children. Just as the prophets and apostles helped to build the foundation of the church, so all of us who have been involved in this mission are helping to build the foundation of this house and to spread the love of God to these children. It is quite significant that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the church and Christ's love for these children is the cornerstone of this house. Thank you for your care of the children of Rwanda.

Blessings,
Ed Kuczynski

Holy Ground

Internet availability is an issue in Rwanda, regular communications is not always possible.

Rwanda is a beautiful country - although it is the dry season, the hills and valleys are still very green. On Wednesday, we arrived at the work site of Joseline's house. Joseline is a 19 year old that cares for her three sisters, ages 18, 16, and 12. We began the day outside the house with communion. A large crowd of children began to come to the work site to see what the white people and their bus were doing at this construction site.

We are working on the external walls with mud bricks and morter. Some of the team will carry mud mortar in their hands, while others are carrying mud bricks, and others are using mud to finish the outside of the walls. At breaks we play with the children, many of them have never seen a white person or a camera before. We've brought along some soccer balls which are great ice breakers!

Andy Wright

Rwanda - The Journey Begins

We gathered in the Reid Street parking lot at 3:45am for a prayful sending forth. All our connecting flights went flawlessly. We arrived in the beautiful mountainess terrain of Rwanda and were warmly greeted by Epiphanie the director of Giving Hope Ministries.

We loaded all our bags including all the Dum-Dums provided by VBS and enjoyed a lunch at Iris Guest House in Kilgali, Rwanda. After lunch, we began our 3 hour journey from Kilgali to Butare through the winding mountainess countryside where we were greeted by stark reminders of regional genocide memorials lining the road.

We arrived at our hotel, the Le Petite Prince and enjoyed meeting the staff of Zoe Ministries. Following our evening meal, we retired to our rooms after our long 25 hour trip. We eagerly await all that God has in store for us in this beautiful land among God's people. Pastor Rick

Team commissioning and packing

Both our Rwanda and Zambia mission teams were commissioned this morning at the 11 o'clock worship service. It is a humbling experience to stand with fellow team members at the chancel before the congregation as we commit ourselves to this journey and they to their support of us in our mission to serve the children of Africa.


We completed our packing this afternoon, with all checked bags loaded on the bus. We will meet at the church at the '0-dark' hour of 3:45 am. and ride together to the airport for our 6:10 flight to DC. Tim Smith has graciously assisted us with loading the luggage and will drive us to the airport. This is a true act of service for which we are most grateful!


One of the more important words in mission travel is 'flexibility'. It is already at work as we adjust to last minute changes in our team. Due to personal reasons, Bob Morrison will not be traveling with us, though he will be with us in spirit. He has been and is a blessing with the many ways he has supported this; he will be missed. We welcome Michael Pratt to our team. He has been most flexible in last minute preparations to be present with us. Another seasoned mission traveler, he was an important part of the 2007 medical mission team to Zambia.


Tuesday afternoon we will arrive in Rwanda. It has taken many months of planning to get us to this point. Thank you all for your prayers and support as we embark on this journey of Giving Hope. Blessings, Stacy

Final Preparations - One Week

Our team is in the final stages of preparation before we fly to Rwanda early next Monday morning, July 6th. For many on the team it is their first international service mission experience. For some this is a second mission in service to ZOE ministry, having participated in the 2007 medical mission to Zambia; for our team leader, Ed, this is his 3rd mission and a return to serve the youth of the Giving Hope empowerment program in Rwanda founded by Epiphanie Mujawimana.

We have been preparing for several weeks now: team meetings, physical exams, shots, paperwork, prayer, as well as taking on team assignments so the work of this team is shared amongst us all. While we prepare individually and as a team, our families and friends, along with the church, are supporting us in this journey as well. We are most grateful, as it takes the support of many to bring these mission efforts into form so we can actually do the work on site. Both our team and our sister team, returning for medical mission to Zambia, will be commissioned this Sunday at the 11am. service.

Our journey begins with a series of long flights from Raleigh to Kigali, Rwanda followed by a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Butare. This location will serve as our destination as we move from there to the on site locations each day. Through the generous gifts of church family and personal friends, the church is able to support ZOE ministry and Giving Hope project by purchasing the building materials we will be using to build the homes for some of these vulnerable children.

Since our priority is to be fully engaged in the mission work, detailed postings to this blog may not be practical. Many of you who are following this blog want to keep up with our team and our work. We will do our best to honor that interest. We intend to use this blog to keep you informed and to share our experiences while in Rwanda.

Thank you for your support and for your interest in our journey. We trust that with adequate preparation and so many prayers we will travel safely to do the work we have been called to do for this mission.

Blessings, Stacy