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
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GIVING HOPE
Our team with Joseline & family in front of her new home
Our Team in Raleigh
WELCOME
He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep." John 21:17
As Christians we think of Jesus' last charge to the disciples being in Matthew 28:9-20 "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations . . ." Yet, the writer of the gospel of John offers us the same message but in a much more commanding form. The writer, in a manner consistent with the major theme of his gospel, does not leave room for doubt. Jesus' message rings loud and clear, if you love me you will feed my sheep. You cannot belong to me and love me and not tend my sheep.
Hayes Barton UMC in Raleigh, NC believes that all people are created in the image of God and that we are all God's children. Hence, Jesus' message to tend my sheep applies to all people because we are all children of God. In July 2009 a group of fourteen will journey to Rwanda to align our professions with our actions. While in Rwanda, in partnership with ZOE Ministries, we will serve the orphan children there by assisting in the building of some houses for them.
Yet, there is much more to the journey than what we are able to accomplish by building houses. We will serve these children in the name of Christ and let them know that they are loved by God and by others. What is more important than the building of houses is the building of relationships with these children and letting them know that they are loved and not forgotten by God or by others. Just as Peter responded so we respond, Yes, Lord I love you, we will tend the sheep. Like Peter we are commanded to 'tend my sheep' and in the name of Jesus we will demonstrate his love for these children.
Love without action produces few results. We hope to be able to be an extension of God's grace and love to the children of Rwanda and believe that they will be a revelation of God's love to us as well. I anticipate that as we tend them they will tend us in a powerful way as well. We look forward to being able to share the journey and our experiences with you. Please pray for the team members and the children of Rwanda and for all of God's sheep. Contemplate what Jesus' words might mean to you and how you can tend my sheep. May God continue to bless you on your journey of faith.
Blessings, Ed Kuczynski
Rwanda Team co-leader
As Christians we think of Jesus' last charge to the disciples being in Matthew 28:9-20 "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations . . ." Yet, the writer of the gospel of John offers us the same message but in a much more commanding form. The writer, in a manner consistent with the major theme of his gospel, does not leave room for doubt. Jesus' message rings loud and clear, if you love me you will feed my sheep. You cannot belong to me and love me and not tend my sheep.
Hayes Barton UMC in Raleigh, NC believes that all people are created in the image of God and that we are all God's children. Hence, Jesus' message to tend my sheep applies to all people because we are all children of God. In July 2009 a group of fourteen will journey to Rwanda to align our professions with our actions. While in Rwanda, in partnership with ZOE Ministries, we will serve the orphan children there by assisting in the building of some houses for them.
Yet, there is much more to the journey than what we are able to accomplish by building houses. We will serve these children in the name of Christ and let them know that they are loved by God and by others. What is more important than the building of houses is the building of relationships with these children and letting them know that they are loved and not forgotten by God or by others. Just as Peter responded so we respond, Yes, Lord I love you, we will tend the sheep. Like Peter we are commanded to 'tend my sheep' and in the name of Jesus we will demonstrate his love for these children.
Love without action produces few results. We hope to be able to be an extension of God's grace and love to the children of Rwanda and believe that they will be a revelation of God's love to us as well. I anticipate that as we tend them they will tend us in a powerful way as well. We look forward to being able to share the journey and our experiences with you. Please pray for the team members and the children of Rwanda and for all of God's sheep. Contemplate what Jesus' words might mean to you and how you can tend my sheep. May God continue to bless you on your journey of faith.
Blessings, Ed Kuczynski
Rwanda Team co-leader
OUR TEAM MEMBERS
Courtney Bell
Anne Bryan
Alyson Clayton
Rick Clayton, Sr. Pastor & co-leader
Tim Colgan
Claire Cosgrove
Ellie Cosgrove
Stacy Grove
Ed Kuczynski, Mission Leader
Mac Newsom
Joe Parker
Michael Pratt
Donna Seligson
Andy Wright, co-leader
Anne Bryan
Alyson Clayton
Rick Clayton, Sr. Pastor & co-leader
Tim Colgan
Claire Cosgrove
Ellie Cosgrove
Stacy Grove
Ed Kuczynski, Mission Leader
Mac Newsom
Joe Parker
Michael Pratt
Donna Seligson
Andy Wright, co-leader
WEBLINKS:
Please follow our sister medical mission team serving during this same time in Zambia.
http://hbumc-zambia2009.blogspot.com/
Hayes Barton United Methodist Church http://www.hbumc.org/
ZOE Ministry http://www.zoeministry.org/
http://hbumc-zambia2009.blogspot.com/
Hayes Barton United Methodist Church http://www.hbumc.org/
ZOE Ministry http://www.zoeministry.org/
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- Results of Faithfulness
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- Hope in the Making
- God is good!
- It cannot all be written in the blog - it is too e...
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