Rwanda Beautiful Rwanda March 2010

Shyogo Village

Further down the village we walked to another family home, the parade of women and children remained with us. They welcomed us with a full audience and a dozen more neighbors came out. There was just this great sense of love and excitement filtering around us. We left them after a long conversation

moving on...

Our second visit was to the home of the poorest lady in the sector. She is widowed with six children. We walked to her hut with a parade of children and women. So surreal. The sector leaders introduced us to her and explained that we wanted to address her need for a home. She was weighed down with this gesture and didn’t quite know how to respond. We left her with her eyes bright and glossed over with tears and her smile big..

Shyogo Village - Lolance's New Home

Today we visited the Shyogo Sector in Kayonza – we purchased the home for the Refugee Woman from Tanzania. Sector leaders greeted and welcomed us. Our sponsor son, from Tanzania, was with us and to his surprise and ours – she was in his village and he knew her. He was overwhelmed with gratefulness for the gesture and so happy in his heart!

Dancing together...

In celebration of International Women's Day!!!

Finding HOPE in a broken world.

Family Love

Sunday Butare

Spending the day with Esther’s family in Butare. They have finally shifted to their new home… They are overwhelmingly happy and feel so very blessed. After 16 years of separation, this family is now complete and together. The transformation of these lives and the new beginning for this family is so significant and powerful.
A big thank you for goes to Robert and Violate for their work and efforts with this. Thank you to Loice for creating a space of trust with them - giving them a voice and listening. Once again, an emotional and heart filling day! ♥

Meet Lolance...

In honor of 50 years of marriage - my brother and sister-in-law wanted to share their blessings of life and marriage. To honor this, they have bought a home for a woman with four children. She is a refugee from Tanzania, who came back to Rwanda and instead of going with the other refugees to Kageyo refugee camp she went to Kayonza to look for her land - which was no longer. She was given a small parcel to settle on, so she built her thatched hut out of banana leaves - where she now resides with her family. Her children are with great hunger and malnourished. Her eyes held great sadness. Our hearts were torn and our eyes were filled with tears. Robert translated to her that she will be in a home soon before the heavy rains commence and that this was a gift of great love from Duane & Mary… Thank you for making a difference in the lives of this family! I am a proud sister! Thank you Loice for your compassion and for creating a save and caring space for her to share her story. Thank you Robert for finding this family in need and for leading us to her.

Damalisi

Meet Bunny’s sponsor family. It started with a new roof, then two parcels of land, and then a new little hut was built on her property so she can rent it for income. She has been lifted out of poverty and is now providing food for her family. She lives with HIVAides and has progressed to a balance state of health. Our eyes held such sweet tears as we visited about Bunny. She would have been proud that her empowerment of this woman has lifted her and her family to another level. Bunny you continue to make a difference and your work is not finished here on earth!

Kayonza March 2010

Saturday March 6, 2010

We had an awesome greeting at Kayonza when we picked up Esther at the orphanage … Sweet Esther – it was so wonderful to have her in our arms and with us again!!! Lots and lots of hugs going on here!