Ten years in the making...

When we say that God has His own timing or that He doesn't forget the desires of our heart... well I'm testimony to that today.

 

Ten years ago, on my first trip into Rwanda, God put the women of Rwanda on my heart.

There were all these women walking around with baskets on their heads - just trying to sell enough to feed their family for the day. Not to think about paying rent or school fees, or clothes... I was moved.

The dream of a coffee shop was born (there was none in town at the time!), where I could employ women, train them to be successful entrepreneurs and send them back out into the world to better equipped to stand, to support their families and with their life transformed.

 

Well... I've carried that dream for ten years.

 

Today, it started to become reality.

I have 8 days to learn a business.

May 1st is when we officially own J.Lynn's - the business part, and start Komeza Women, (meaning strengthening or to move forward) the ministry part. 

It's twofold.. make money for ministry and train entrepreneurial women.

 

There are 14 women who are already part of the existing program.

They make bagels, pizza, tortilla chips, salsa, hummus .. and donuts to sell.

We'll be adding cake, cupcakes and cookies as well.

 

Who knows where this journey is going to go but I can tell you this... I have a VERY good feeling about it. So many pieces have come together over the years to make this possible and it basically landed in our laps about a month ago.

 

On that morning when we got the email asking if we were interested in having the ministry, I was reading from 'Jesus Calling' by Sarah Young. She was reminding me in her writing that God is the giver of gifts... was just the confirmation that Serge and I both needed - was like the cherry on top of all the other stuff leading to this point.

 

I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

Gone to Heaven

My mom called today.

My Aunt Vera died this morning.

 

Oh that makes my heart sad. I have some great aunts and she was one of them.

 

My memories go way back with her. Some of my earliest that I can remember in life

- teaching me to float in the lake at their trailer

- making seemingly hundreds of dozens of Christmas cookies to sell. The strawberries were my favourite

- watching Saturday night hockey

- squeezed around the dining room table for yet another great meal she made

- campfires in their backyard

- always the encourager

- always a big hug - coming and going

- Forever the smile and laughter

- lots of spunk and determination

 

I just loved my Aunt Vera.

 

This is a part of living thousands of miles away from your family that sucks quite frankly.

Not that I could do anything right now... but I could be there.

I miss not being able to be there. 

Ten years ago this week...

... I came to Rwanda for the first time.

 

Having already served with International Teams for 9 years and travelled more than 20 countries - some multiple times - and seeing the 'not so nice parts of the world' - it was my first time to Africa.

 

What I did know is that God had something here for me unlike any other place I had travelled. I had no idea what it was but I knew I had to be open. I definitely didn't think I would end here long term.

 

Well... ten years later.

International Teams Rwanda is alive and well and moving forward.

 

Empowering Rwandans for holistic life transformation

 

Education

Health and Nutrition

Income Generation

Shelter and Security



I came with RuthAnne and Pastor Wilfred
She introduced me to the need for
education in Rwanda

Pastor Wilfred (on the right) introduced
me to his country and the varying
needs - refugees, those with HIV/AIDS

As we say... the rest is history.

Another wedding...

Today our house girl, Kayitese got married. She had her civil wedding.

When She came into the hall, I teared up and it took me everything to not be a blubbering mess.

 

We're the first job she has ever had. She came young, naive, wondering if the kids would learn to love her and more than a bit scared about working for a 'muzungu'. She's been with us for 1.5 years and she's great. The kids love her. They were begging to come to the ceremony today but they so don't understand the boredom that their mom and dad spared them! :-)

She has become like a daughter to me somehow ... she's an orphan and has a rough life. We just wanted to make sure that she feels like she belongs somewhere and that people care about her and I think we have accomplished that.

 

So... hence me tearing up. SO grateful that Isabella won't be getting married for MANY years and I have forbidden Prince to get married before he's 40... but I back down to 35 when he rolls his eyes at me! Not worrying about Beni just yet.

Kayitese and her husband Jean Claude

Interns - Yes or No?

So a conversation I had with a fellow missionary here a week or two ago keeps rolling around in my brain.

 

She had come over to pick up a few things and we caught up with life. We got into discussing interns.

 

Definition - An individual who joins our ministry for a period of time up to one year is called an intern.

 

Are they worth the hassle?

Are they really worth the time and effort needed to orientate, lead, participate in meaningful ministry...?

 

International Teams Rwanda, whom we minister with, will host up to 4 interns per year. We`re getting three this year for periods of time from 6 weeks to one year. Looking forward to having each of them here for sure.

 

BUT there is always the risk.

Will they turn out to be all that we think they should and can be?

 

As we look over the years, we only see a few blips along the way in all the interns we have hosted. Most have been incredible assets to the ministry here - while they were here and after. We do know that hosting interns is part of who we are.

 

Our friend is just getting into hosting interns but thinking they`ll have more in the future. If they`re all like the current one, they are having second thoughts!

 

As we chatted, I reminded her that yes you need to screen them hard, it is okay to say no when they don`t seem to fit for one reason or another and that also God sometimes has other plans for that person - maybe they were brought here, not to fulfill all that you had planned for them but to speak into their lives - to allow them mature and grow up just a bit more in themselves and in their faith. Not a waste of time or money... just different than what we had planned.

 

I have no idea who said it ... `Make the interruptions - God interruptions.`

 

Sometimes they just last for more than a few minutes...

International Women's Day

‘Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women’

That is the theme for Rwanda this year.

They want to sensitize people in Rwanda to the ongoing need to promote girls education in the country.

As I reflect on our ministry here, I too have seen that need since the beginning. Girls can easily get jobs here as house help. They quit school, or more like, they are forced to quit school to work as house help to bring in some extra money for their family.

It's been a year or two now that Rwanda has mandated that ALL are to be in school for at least 9 years. That is good.

But just the other day I was sitting at my table talking with Liz about the refugee camp. Education there is a mess these days. They had a handover of leadership for the education in January and to say the least - life is not happening, and it's not the fault of those living in the camp. ARG! That said... Liz and I were talking about the Nathalie's dream. Nathalie is a go getter woman to say the least. She lives in the camp as a single mom with 5 kids and constantly and consistently does all she can to better the lives of others. Her latest...'Now there are even more girls who cannot go to school. What can I do for them? What skill can I help give them so they have something to try to earn a living to keep their dignity and self worth?'

That is what Liz and I were spending some time sorting through. I have no doubt that with Nathalie taking the lead, Liz working alongside her and the rest of us supporting as we can, the lives of girls in the camp will be changed.

Girls who feel they have no option but to prostitute, have no worth, no value, no purpose in life, will gain some and become the women they were created to be - women with purpose, women who are light.

 

Who knows how many girls will be impacted .. that doesn't matter. What matters is that we're doing something and will continue to do something until the world is just and there is no oppression.

 

Thinking it's called ... job security on our part!

Hot Water!

We moved into our new home on the weekend.

What an incredible blessing to us. Still so much to finish ... but that's okay most of the moments!

 

What I am loving... HOT water!!!

I have taken a HOT bath and a HOT shower!

If you live in the developed world, you probably take this for granted.

You turn on the tap each time and hot water is expected to be there - you don't even think about it.

 

For over 7  years, I have heated water either with a kettle or in a pot on the stove for a bucket shower.

This involves planning each time one wants to take a shower. You actually have to plan the time to heat the water into your scheduled life. If you know me... water often couldn't be heated fast enough. It was common for me to call home to whoever was there to get the water on as I was coming! Not to mention getting the kids showered as well...

 

No more!

I can turn the tap on and voila.. hot water!

Oh the bliss of hot water running over your body.... so great and enjoyable!

 

Hot water... just one of the perks of our new home.

Have I ever mentioned the view... :-)

 

(Guess the only thing now... to make sure the water heater is plugged in... ha!)