Break time stories... Then & Now

When living in a place where you have little or no choice on things as food or items that bring comfort or convenience to your life. You learn to just live simple! After a while you almost forget what your missing...
While visiting the west again boy were we bombarded with choice ! We would walk in to stores and start crying, or we would have a list of items in our head to get in and get out again but then walking into the store we would find our mind just go blank and would just walk around in a daze and finally leave with nothing.
When eating in restaurants we found it easier if the menu had pictures and we would just tell them to bring what we saw in the picture. I know it sounds ridiculous but you try living three years with no choice in what you eat. When you ask for chicken you get chicken if they even have it, unlike, would you like baked, fried, deep fried, boneless, skinless, honey glazed, barbecued, etc. etc..
Your body is no longer used to all the added things in the food, artificial colors etc.. We found that hear in Rwanda we eat very organic. The first few days in the States our girls loaded up on one of their favorite cold cereals called fruit loops. One of the mornings when we were cleaning up some toys that were on ground some from our girls and some from our host families little dog. There was this little bright green, I mean florescent green thing on the ground. thinking it was one of the dogs toys we went to pick it up and realized that in fact it was one of our little girls that had an accident. Only a few moments later our daughter Nani comes running down stairs saying "Mom, Dad, this is so wicked cool!!! My Poop was bright blue with other colors to..."

It has been a little tough on the girls being back when they were so getting use to choosing from 100 different cereals, muffins of all sorts, bagels, etc.
Breakfast was and is a big meal for them. Now they get to choose between Cheri o's, cornflakes, fruit and fiber, or cocoa crispies, and thats it.... But with a box costing any where between $6 to 10 dollars they dont get much of this either.
It wont be long before we settle back into the simplicity of life and once again adopt the phrase TIA (this is Africa)... A few days ago I was sitting in a office to pay for my internet bill and found myself laughing so hard as I was on my way some two hours later.

On the way home I run into much traffic due to a car broken down in the middle of the road. This greatly holds up traffic but no one seems to care but me for a moment. I first thought was that of any of you.... If you would just move the stupid car to the side every one can pass with out holding up traffic!! But When in Africa one must think like an African, It is broken and there for it does not work so it is stupid to try to move something that doesn't work. In a short moment I find myself laughing again and thinking to myself it is so good to be home!!!

Deepest Apologies...

I realized while We were on our break in both Europe and the States that it was not going to be possible for us to see and spend time with all our friends. We simply did not have enough time between fund raising and visiting.
In total we were out for about three months and all over the place. It was a whirl wind of emotion I must say!! Of course we loved being out after not having a break for almost three years but oddly enough even after three short weeks we found our selfs longing and wanting to be get back to Rwanda again. I guess this is proof that it is home!! We would frequently contact our staff here on the ground to be updated on the progress and wellbeing of the children we were caring for. This of course kept also our minds and hearts here.

I would like to send our deepest apologies to those we did not get to see or spend much time with!!

Quick Review

We have come to the end of our break and now are back in Rwanda just as God promised…

I don’t even know where to start. It has been so long since I have written anything and I realize that there is probably a lot of people who don’t know what has been happening.

Let me start from the beginning:

March31,2008

We were up North of the country to see the Kids, are car broke down again and while trying to fix it we received a phone call from one of our staff telling us that many of our things in our house had just been stolen. We abandoned the trip to see the kids and after fixing the car headed straight home to see what we would find. It was late when we arrived home and what we found was very shocking!One of our house staff had gone and taken everything he could from our house; Computers, cameras, power point projector, ipod, etc. etc. anything electronic plus much more. If that is not enough, I had stopped by our office to check on it in rout to file the police report. Everything was gone!!!! Electronics, tables, desks, chairs, curtains, toilet paper, you name it, it was gone…. All in all we figured it to be about $13,000 to 15,000 to be taken.

The next morning while taking more of an exact count of everything that was gone, I received a phone call and was told to come for a meeting where I was told we had to go out of the Country in 48hours.
I went and broke the news to Astrid and immediately we started to make phone calls to everyone we knew to ask them to pray. After this point I don’t remember many details because everything moved so fast. What I remember is never seeing my family for the next three days due to having meetings with any one I could who I thought might be able to help us. Astrid was at home packing up everything we had left. Our friends both local and from the international community, really gathered around us to support us and pray. The night before we had to be out we decided through the advice of a very good local friend to have a night of just worshiping God and lifting him up high. Once again putting the focus off of what Satan was trying to do and putting it on the very one who had brought us to Rwanda in the first place.

April 3,2008 ( the morning of departure)

The Girls went off to school. I went for more meetings and to deal with our daughter Yaida’s visa for the Netherlands. Our flight is leaving at 8 in the evening meaning we need to be at the airport around 5. At 4:30 I am told that there had been a big misunderstanding and that we did not have to go but could stay.

Praise God!!!!! Unfortunately we had tickets that could not be refunded. I asked if it was ok that we still go out for a holiday and come back to start fresh again. I was told “Of course, no problem!”

WOW!!!!! GOD IS SO GOOD!!!! He has done the impossible!! Thank you for all your prayers for us, our God has heard and has answered!!! We are back and more excited than ever to see God move in a mighty way through this nation.
There is going to be a revival coming to Rwanda and an out pouring of God’s presents on his people here like no one can imagine. Please continue to pray for us and pray for this great Nation, it’s leaders and all that God has planned.

All things New...

About three days ago we were able to get Jean Paul out of the Hospital. The Doctors said that he is strong enough to go out but they had great concern to where he was going to go. They informed us that he was not quit strong enough to go back to the village yet but needed to gain some more weight and still be monitored for a couple of weeks.

There was not much choice for us but to keep paying the hospital and bringing all his meals or to take him home with us so we could watch over him. So we chose to bring him home. He was very excited to know that he was going to be out of that place and even more excited to find out that he would be staying with Mama & Papa Nani.
I was made very aware that this poor boy knew nothing of city life but only that of the village. When we got him from the hospital it was about nine o’clock in the evening and very dark, as we took the twenty min ride back to our house the only expression to explain what I saw was that of a deer staring in to the head lights of a car. Jean Paul’s eyes were so big as he looked around at the lights of the city and those off in the distance. He asked in amazement “are those all lights??” It dawned on me that the only light he was used to at night was that of a candle, lantern or flash light.
Before arriving at the house I made sure that it was explained to Jean Paul that the house was very big and very Muzungu (white person). But it was not Mama & Papa Nani’s house. We were renting and living in someone else’s home. I told him that we were just like him and the other kid’s, we did not have our own home. That is why we want to get the land so we can build homes for all of us to live together.
When we got to the house I guess you could say he was shocked and speechless…. We sat him down and went through some rules of the house. The cute little guy could only node his head and stare at every thing.We got him some thing to eat and I sat with him observing as he looked at all the decorations and photo’s on the walls. He looked at the tile floors and the detailed wood work on the ceiling with the fancy lighting.
I know he is really observing us to as he now sees us in our own surroundings eating strange foods, the children running around dragging all these toys every where. He sat yesterday watching Jasmin & Yaida play in a big inflatable swimming pool we have. I thank God for our Rwandan staff who can explain these strange things that he is seeing. Last night he sat down and watched Nani & Zoey as they played with lego after dinner, slowly we watched as he began to also interact and try to build some things.
All in all he is recovering very well and getting a little stronger each day but I wish I could hear and understand what must be going on in that little head of his as all things in his life are so new now.

Thank God for saving him from Satan’s grasp!!!

ORPHAN BUISNESS...

The following is a real life story of a eleven year old boy by the name of Jean Paul.

Hi my name is Jean Paul I am a eleven year old Rwandan boy. I live in a village very near one of the Volcanoes. I have seven brothers and sisters and we live with our mother and father.
One day I was walking on the road near our house and was approached by this nice old Nun. She asked me to help her to carry some things to her place. When we arrived there I saw many other children on the compound. I understood that they were orphans and that the old woman was caring for them. I was asked if I could help out around the place, doing little jobs like fetching water, gathering grass for the animals, etc..
I happily accepted, thinking that if I would work it could help out my very poor family as they could not always feed and care for us. My older brother also got a Job there helping to feed the animals and cultivating the land around.

Little did I know that this was going to change my life for ever!!!

Over a period a time I would see Bazungus (white people) always coming and going. They really loved to visit the place. They would very often bring bags of food like beans, rice, potato’s, and assorted veggies…I don’t know what would happen to the food because the children nor I ever got to eat any of it…
Even on some occasions people would put money into the old woman’s hand. The old woman gave a place for both my bother and I to sleep. I learned later that she had gone and talked to my parents about her caring for me and wanted me to stay there with the other children. My parents accepted as they could not care for me any ways… Life on that place was very hard!!! They would only give us sweet potato’s once per day and if we were lucky twice. When the white people would show up we would all of sudden get special treatment.
On very special occasions we would receive alcohol to drink and some kind of herb to consume which I believe was marijuana…
The children and I were trained in what to say when asked certain questions by the people visiting. If we were to say any thing different we were then later beaten and punished. We were told to tell people we were orphans and had no family at all. Also that there was no one helping us or the old woman in caring for us!We were always supposed to let people know that we ate three times per day and we all went to school. None of which was true.

I had become one of them!! An orphan, a liar… Not by choice!! My family could not care for me nor wanted to in my eyes! I was taken to join the ranks… Trained, abused, and beaten until I submitted to the (way)… I was now part of the orphan business!!!

The old woman would always tell the whites all these crazy stories of how she picked the children from the dead bodies from the genocide victims, running with them, hiding and then finally settling here. She would talk about how she would find us abandoned under bushes or that others from the community would find us and bring us to her. She would tell them how she never receives any help from the Government or the church. The white people would always leave there contact info with her and her big girls (those secondary age kids she used to help her care for us.) The big girls knew how to speak some English so they would always help in communicating with the whites.

I learned that they to were telling the same stories that we were told to tell and had been doing it for a long time. One day one of the big girls left to go see her family in Kibuye (the east of the country). When she returned she had her little sister with her. It did not take long until her little sister also was one of us!!

When any of us got sick, more often than not the old woman would use traditional medicine on us.
When we got very scared some times at night the old woman would come around burning some thing in our room and saying some strange things. She would many times invite one of the community witch doctors to come around to say things to us and scare us.
Every time some one would come and begin to ask strange or pressing questions the old woman would chase them from the compound.

When Mama and Papa Nani (Astrid & Travis/ SoZo Ministries Africa) started to come around we (the children) saw that they were not like every one else… they seem to really care. We slowly started to share more of the truth with them. We saw that they were fighting for us, they were trying to give us a voice. Some thing we have never had. Finally some one we could trust!! Some one who really loves us!! After a while they put one of there staff up here to help us, her name was Stella. She is also Rwandan but not like any one I know. Just like Mama and Papa Nani she really loves us, she fights for us and has now been trying to care for us in this very difficult place.

Mama & Papa Nani have now brought our case to the Rwandan Government which now know the truth about our situation and our trying to stop this orphan business…

About a1 ½ months ago the Gov. came here to visit us with Mama & papa Nani they had a 7to8 hour long meeting with the old woman. After every one left many of us were beaten very badly with sticks and told that it was because of us that the truth was known.

Shortly after that I got very sick!! Days went by and I continued to get worse and worse. Stella took me to the clinic but they could not help me. Finally my family showed up, but it was obvious they couldn’t do any thing for me nor did I want any part of them. They transferred me to the hospital in town. There my bother and sister came to watch me because Stella had to stay with all the other kids. they were given money to help me but my sister bought her self food with it and my bother used it for prostitutes.
I had to have two surgeries on my stomach. They found maggots and little black things in my lower intestine. After the operations I was sent to recovery but due to no money there was no medicine for me and I had not eaten in 6 days.

Some point in time Mama & Papa Nani found me and said that I needed to be transferred to Kigali. They told my brother and sister that if I stayed there I would probably die. So they worked on transferring me.When arriving in Kigali the doctors confirmed that I would have most likely died in a few days. My sister came also to Kigali to watch and care for me while my brother went back home.
The doctors confirmed that the problem was most likely related to witch craft!!!
My sister never did anything to really help me and after a few days had come down with Malaria so mama & Papa Nani got her some medicine and sent her back home to rest and recover.

I have been in the Kigali hospital now for 11days and each day I’m getting a bit stronger. I can finally get up to use the toilet my self and walk for some short distances. Mama & Papa Nani have given me some one else to care for me they also bring me all my food.

I thank God for saving my life, I know that Satan was trying to kill me but the Lord has got other plans for my life… I think quit often about my friends up there in the village with Stella and pray that one day the orphan business will be put to a stop and that Justice will be served!!!

This is one Story out of hundreds if not thousands or millions in the world!!!

There are people out there that prey on the weak and needy! People with cold hearts and corrupt minds!!People who are in it for only fast cash and personal gain…It’s big, it’s nasty, it’s wrong!!! To exploit the least of these…

BEWARE OF THE ORPHAN BUISNESS!!!

Things that you can do to be careful and cautious so that this type of corruption is severely limited…

1. Never just dump money!
2. Only give after doing lots of home work on what and who you’re giving to!
3. Always check on your donation! Follow up is essential!! Accountability!!
4. Ask lots of questions!!
5. Is what your giving to creditable??
6. It sounds bad, but don’t trust so easily!!!

1ti 6:10 = For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Jean Paul is getting better each day and we hope to have him out of the hospital soon! As well as getting Stella and the other children out of that place and into a safe location.

Scary but Normal...

Satanic opposition, yes indeed this is what has been happing since the Lord has called us here to walk out his plans for his beautiful people in Rwanda. Some one once told me that you know you must be on track when Satan is doing every thing he can to stop you. Well Praise God!!!

I can’t help myself I must name a few, in order for you to get the full picture…

1. Two and half years with out neither visas nor having our organization registered. (still on going…)
2. A season of extreme financial trouble!!! (by season, I mean months)

3. A season of extreme sickness (every one in our family)!!!

4. Constant vehicle trouble, almost literally with every trip to see our kids in Rwaza, either on the way or on the back the vehicle would break down. (Going on 6months now… Is that normal???)
Did I mention that we go up at least once per week... You can do the math...

5. Not to long ago a very good friend of ours contacted us and told us that she was praying for us and wanted to warn us about another attack she believed that we would soon be seeing… She told us Satan has been trying every thing he can to get to us and thus far has not had any success. From finances to attacking our family with sickness and now the next would be an attack on our marriage, little did she know we had already entered it!
Her message could have not come at a better time!! Astrid and I saw this as a perfect opportunity to stop Satan from what ever he has trying to do to us… We sat down that night and talked and talked cried and cried, then rejoiced together as we had just finished with another season of attack and did not fall…

6. A while back I wrote about the shaking hands with the witch…. Hold that thought…. The last three weeks we have been taking a mission team from YWAM Hawaii (Youth with A Mission) with us to Rwaza to see our kids. They have been putting on a VBS (Vacation Bible School) for the kids every Saturday for a month.
You will never guess who shows up on the third week…. Yes the Witch!!!
I saw her coming up the walk way to the building where the team and the children are having the program.Quickly I told all the team so they were aware of what was happening. One of the girls with YWAM Rwanda and I went out to greet her and block the door of the entrance. She was very bouncy and smiley, laughing and blabbering some thing. She took my hand and staring into my eyes began blabbering…. The Rwandan girl turned to me and said “what is she saying she is not speaking Kinyarwandan or any language I know”? I told her that the old woman was chanting and trying to cast spells, it was very obvious.
I turned and looked the old witch in the eyes saying “Mukecheru (old woman) I rebuke you in the name of the Lord Jesus!!!”
Immediately she jerked her hand away shouting Oya (NO)…. We told her that we and the children were busy at the moment so she could not come in but would have to leave. Smiling and blabbering away she turned and walked away.

What was it that God’s word says about Consider it pure joy brothers when you go through hardship/ opposition, for God is treating you as sons. It is not pleasant at the time but painful, yet for those who endure, it will produce a harvest of righteousness in their lives.

All this said, God must know what he is doing!!!

Its scary... But hey it’s normal right…..

Table and D.U.I

For those that have not heard over the new year God blessed us with a wonderful, much needed office space. We are very excited, as now we can keep work, work and home, home….. It’s a small three bedroom house, in a prime location, close to public transport and even with in walking distance from our house. Praise God!!
Much of the month of Jan. we spent cleaning, painting and setting it up. I must say it is really looking good and we feel good about it.
One of the last pieces of office furniture we really needed was a very large table. We are turning the master room into a conference room. I went down to the local (Fundi) carpenter and explained what we needed then negotiated for a good price. All said and done we would be getting our 3m X 1.5m (6ft X 5ft) table in about two weeks time for $200.

It came time to pick it up, so I went down checked it out to make sure it was exactly what I ordered. It looked great! They had to make it in two pieces due to its size and being able to get it into the back room.
I watched as they loaded it into the back of the truck then we headed out. They were going to follow me to the office. About half way to the office I noticed in my rear view mirror the guy was all over the road. I thought to my self, man this guy is either a sucky driver or he is drunk. I began to pray, God please let us make it to the office.The next thing I know the truck is pulled over by a police man on a motor bike. Low and behold the driver was wasted and was in the process of being arrested for D.U.I (driving under the influence). The truck is now going to impounded with everything in it..
I went to the police man praying that he would understand English as I tried to explain to him that the table in the truck was mine and that I had no idea that the driver was drunk. After talking to him for a while I was able to convince him to not confiscate the table but only the truck.
With some help of the locals around enjoying the show being put on by the old drunk Muzee (old man) we removed the table from the truck.Speaking with one of the guys there he told me not to worry, he would phone some one and get another truck to come to take the table the rest of the way.

So there I sat on the side of the main road with my huge table, legs dangling down as the public skeptical for the next 45+min. What could I do?? Get angry? Cry?? I just laughed… thinking, wondering, what is going through every bodies mind… After all it is not every day that you see a Muzungu (white person) just hanging out with furniture on the side of the road in Rwanda.