Fathers perspective

I believe that every Father and Mother does or should desire the very best for there children, even to some what dream for them. We all wish great things for our children. We want them to have a better education than our selves, perhaps even a better life than we have lived or are living.

This Blog is about a parents wish, particularly from a Fathers perspective.

I like all fathers deeply desire to see my children succeed! I have been blessed with four beautiful girls and I adore each one of them. It scares me to think about them growing up! Going from little girls to young women, Oh please don’t make me think about it…
My house of girls is such a joy, I must say!!! Much better than a house of all boys (what my mom was blessed with). My goodness what me and my brothers put my parents through.. How did they survive?

Allow me to share a little about one of my daughters, she came to us when she was only three weeks old.

Yes I am talking about my little Yaida. Astrid and I always wanted and had the desire to some day adopt a child but never thought it would be possible. Well we were wrong, where there is a will God makes a way!!
Some one once told me before I came to Rwanda. Travis don’t be surprised if you and Astrid are not the ones to see every thing that God is doing, it just might be for your children to see.
At first I did not understand this statement, I thought it might be a way of saying don’t get your hope’s up.
But since We have gotten little Yaida, there have been so many strange things happening some of witch I can really not understand.
You see Astrid wanted to breast feed her the same as our new biological daughter Jasmin. This is what we thought would be common sense as we know that breast milk is always best for the baby. What happened next really shocked us. People’s response to us having Yaida was really odd. Every where we went we would have people asking us why we had one black and one white baby. After telling them that we had adopted her and are raising them like twins, many women would burst into tears. They would say over and over again “God bless you!! Oh my God, bless you!!” when women would see Astrid breast feeding Yaida they would stare in shock, some would come and ask why. We told them that she (Yaida) is just like any other baby and needs the breast milk. They would break down and cry saying over and over God bless you!!

One evening we had some of our local Rwandan friends over visiting. I was sitting back with Yaida laying on my chest, as I cuddled with her one of the guys with his eyes tearing up said to me. “Travis you have no idea what it means for me to see you holding Yaida and giving her the same love that you give to all your other children…” I didn’t know what to say, I could see he was really touched. I told him that all children need to be loved and that I consider her the same as any of my daughters, to the point that I would die for her.

I really wanted to understand why every one was making a big deal out of us having Yaida. It is not like we are the only ones that adopt children. There are even two other couples here in Kigali that have Adopted kids as well and one of the kids is also Rwandan. I proceeded to ask our friends this question, hopping to find an answer.
They told us, it is one thing to care for and or adopt an orphan child. But you adopt a baby! People look at you and they see you have a baby already so why would you want another? Then they watch as you care for the baby the same as the other baby giving the same breast milk, the same love. The only people who adopt babies are those who don’t have the possibility to have one of there own. Don’t you see what you are doing is unheard of in this culture. Even if some one takes in an orphan, that orphan will never be looked at as the same or have the same benefits as other children. What you are doing is a Miracle!!

(No photo's please!)

As Yaida has been growing and is now a year and a half the responses have not stopped. We heard through a good friend of ours who is working with another organization that she was meeting with a Rwandan Woman and her husband to talk and do some counseling or some thing. Some how Astrid and I were brought up in the conversation, the woman not knowing that are friend knows us begins to tell her that Astrid is changing the face of motherhood in this Nation. Obviously she was very touched some how by knowing of us and Yaida’s story. When we were told this by our friend, I didn’t know what to think, even now I feel like crying! Every where we go we run into people that say, oh you are that couple who has the two babies one black and one white.
My friend was right, I don’t think I will ever see all that God is doing through our life here in Rwanda!
My little Yaida is such a joy and if I could I would take hundreds of more children to love on and call my own….Who knows perhaps I just might!!

From a fathers perspective I can say that little Yaida is the best missionary in all of Rwanda. May she continue to change the hearts of her people!!!

Daddy loves you Yaida!!!!

I HAVE A DREAM... Part 2

I am sorry, let me correct my self. The dream I had was on Nov.26, 2004 not 2003.

It started off at this big piece of land that had palm trees on it. I could see this really huge building and also a bunch of small houses every where. There were lots of little black children running around.
The land was located at the water front. I saw Astrid and I, standing around us were two or three black women and one black man.
In front of the huge building laid a large tree on the ground and on it sat a bunch of black children and also some white as well. They had apparently just arrived at the place and we were going through the process to decide who we could keep and who we would have to send away. They had walked for about 10km to get to us. The black man that was with us began to explain to me that we could only accept 8 to 9 children. On the other hand Astrid and the black women with us strongly disagreed saying, it would not be fair and that we should not have to choose…Astrid then told me that I could not turn any away that we have to keep them all.

It seemed like the right thing to do so I told every one they could stay. At this the black man became very forceful and kept insisting we can only accept 8to9. at one point I actually had to fight him forcing him to leave.
I remember that in one part of the dream I saw this black woman and with her were two military guys.They kept going into bad situations and taking or ripping the little children away from the situations they were in then would bring them all to us.

Now this is where the dream had stopped for now. I had woken up around two in the morning.
While I was lying there I began to pray over that dream asking the Lord that if this is him, then please let it come and may nothing hold it back. I remembered back to a vision I had once had about a city filled with children. It was called Miebobo city, or street kid city. I asked the Lord if this was the place he just showed me in the dream. Is this the city filled with the least of these? I asked the Lord if he could change the name of the place because “street kid city” just sounds so negative. There has to be some thing better than that.
At this I drifted back to sleep and was taken to where I could see a sun set over lake Kivu (the lake that runs between Rwanda and DRC). I kept hearing over and over again the words “Where Heaven Touches Earth”.Then I woke up and immediately praised God, knowing that this was to be the name of that land in the dream.

Since that time the Lord has taken me back to Heaven Touching Earth on more than one occasion.

One time I happened to be inside that huge building that was on the land. It was filled with children and people, all were worshiping God intensely many on there faces weeping. Then I saw Jesus, he was walking among them. He started touching them, and I could see bondages, sicknesses, and trauma just falling off of them.

Right now this place is a dream, it is a vision that has been started by God him self.

But one day, one day soon Heaven Touching Earth will be a reality and I’m not talking about one location but the Lord has shown me that he is going to place them in four locations around the country. Places that will facilitate his presence to come down. Places where Heaven will touch earth and all who are there will be made whole!!!!

Rwanda prepare your self!! The Glory of the Lord is coming! He is going to bind up the broken hearted, bring recovery of sight to the blind, bring freedom to the captives. He is coming, and all who call on him will be made whole. Oh Rwanda don’t get weary, though it teary wait for it. For it will surly come!!!!

You know what’s scary? What is really scary? To many this is a huge thing but believe me this is just the beginning of the Lords plans. I am forever humbled to think that he is even allowing me to participate in such a thing. Then he tells me that if I want, I can have front row seats… Part of me wants to pack my bags and run. The other part sits and cries out to God. Why me???? What do I have??? What the hell do you see in little old me??

The Lord tells me, “Because you dare to dream with me! The pages of your life are blank and you don’t try to fill them in your self but allow me to write what I want. Now you must trust in me, that what I write, I will make come to pass.”

You know the truth is that Most of the time, I don’t know how to go forward. Yet some how some way the Lord is getting me from step to step, and I stand amazed in his Presence my Jesus the Nazarene.

So at this I bid you a good night, it is late for me now and I am going to get some sleep.
In Kin Rwandan you would say “iroti mana” or “Dream God”