Noella

Today was a crazy day.

I was supposed to be at J.Lynn's all day today as it was Jolies' day off but I didn't make it until about 3:45 pm. Glad to have staff that know what they're doing and can manage life.

 

As I sorted through the end of the day, Noella asked if she could see me.

 

All the women have J.Lynns' have stories.... hard life stories.

That is why we exist. To help women whose lives have been hard, and by hard I mean, death, poverty to great to bare on their own, sickness, outcasts of society. Most women have and are dealing with all of the above.

 

The previous manager had told me about Noella. She was a new widow and just needed a job - somewhere to go each day.

 

As I heard Noella's story one of the first days, I cried.

She married young to an Italian NGO worker in her homeland of Congo. He made her come to Rwanda during the aftermath of the genocide in 1994 when it spilled over into Congo. (She told me, 'He saved my life.) She and the kids followed him around the world as he was granted one job after another. They lived in affluence but never taking life for granted. She had lost a brother as an RPF soldier and to this day tears come to her eyes when she talks about him.

 

A few years ago they settled back in Rwanda. Her husband went back to Italy on some business and there he was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. She was a widow at 38 years old with two teenage children and no skill except a high school diploma. How would she provide for her family?

 

As I interviewed her, heard her story, she openly admitted that she had little to give - no computer skills, no degree of any sort - but that she would work hard at whatever I asked her to do. She just needed to belong somewhere and had found that at ABC - now J.Lynn's.

 

A couple things struck me about Noella... she came from the same region as Serge and we share the same birthday.

 

When Serge picked me up that night back in late April, my heart was heavy. I had no idea how to best help her but I knew that she was to be in our lives somehow. I asked Serge if he knew the family. When I mentioned the family name, Serge immediately knew the family - ' Who in Goma doesn't know her family?'

Turns out her older brother was best friends with Serge's oldest brother.

 

Small world.

 

Today.. she sat in my office in tears thanking me. School is out for her 16 year old daughter and she came with her to J.Lynn's yesterday.

It's been 13 months since her husband was killed and the year has been hard. The kids worry for their mom. She worries about them. They wonder if she will find something in life to find joy.

 

She told me today.. 'Thank you for allowing me to work here. Yesterday my daughter saw that I just don't leave the house so they think I am working but that I actually have a job and work. Her heart is at peace for the first time about this. '

 

One never knows.

I still don't know how we can best help her but I do know this. God  has brought her across our path for a reason and we'll stay on the journey together as long as He wants us to.

Our House as of today...

Pictures of the outside anyway ...

I am waiting for curtains and furniture to show you the inside.

Patience for a few more weeks... :-)

 

Front yard

Side yard

Rock garden left

Rock garden right
THANK YOU Dennis!!!

playground ... mom says they need to wait for the grass
to grow in before the sand goes in and the swing goes up

Our East West palm is growing ... as are the kids!

Backyard ... laundry, garden, compost, rabbits ... etc.

One of the best smelling flowers!
Anyone know what it's called??


 

The start of J.Lynn`s ...

May 1st started the newest adventure of our life...

 

... owning a shop which makes homemade bagels, donuts, pizza, salsa, tortillas, tortilla chips, bagel chips, peanut butter, cinnamon buns, bread, cookies, cakes ... and I'm sure I'm missing something. It's also a training centre for 17 women to give them the tools and skills they need to lift themselves out of poverty. i.e. pay the rent every month, feed their kids every day, pay the school fees for their children each semester, not to mention clothes and other things to make basic life happen.

 

I had written in an earlier blog that I had 8 days to learn this new business before we took ownership on May 1st. Well, on May 1st, I was being discharged from the hospital from my second round with malaria.

 

Up until today, it's been a ride - a great one need, but life has had to be managed like never  before. Instead of taking the week of rest at home... I was the first week into a business / ministry. Crazy! I have managed - mostly by going to bed about 8 pm! Getting stronger by the day though.

 

I finally found our camera charged yesterday! So want to share some pictures with you.

We rent a house with a yard. It is a nice setting for our clients
to come and sit, work, meet up with friends and enjoy some food.

Front yard left

Front yard right

The counter ... Noella is there most every day to greet our customers
Look forward to sharing her story with you sometime

Joel and Liz from our team and new intern, Katrina making use
of one of the seating areas.
(Thanks to Liz for helping with a new look!)

Some of the ladies in the kitchen

More of the ladies boiling the bagels.
We make plain, cheese and onion, herb, everything, sesame,
 and cinnamon raisin to sell

The charcoal stoves where we cook about everything ...

Round Two

Of malaria.

April 3rd I found out I had malaria.

I took treatment, had some really crappy days but got better - or so it seemed.

I was feeling good and moving on with life.

Well... this past Saturday night I knew I wasn't doing so great about something so Serge was like - we're off to the doctor in the morning.

I was very weak but otherwise feeling fine.

Turns out my blood pressure had plummeted and so what was going on?

They took blood and I fainted. Thinking that was the first time in my life.

Well... stage 3 malaria. Last stage before cerebral - which is not the good kind! Like there is a good kind I guess. So admitted to the hospital to be put on Intravenous drugs and voila... 72 hours later I was discharged feeling so much better.

Serge was the ultimate husband during my stay as he was the one to look after me. In most all hospitals here there are not enough nurses so you need someone to be staying with you to look after you - help you in anyway you need it. He made sure I was comfortable, not too bored, got to the bathroom on time and brought me food to eat. Even spent the nights with me. Let's just say Serge earned his gold husband star!

The nurses were all saying that there is an epidemic of malaria happening in Rwanda. Seems the mosquitoes have come back here to roost or something. Sure hoping they move on sooner than later.

Malaria seemed to come at the worse time ever... I'm in the hospital and May 1st is our first day of ownership of J.Lynn's, the new business / ministry we're starting. Just keep being reminded that we always need to trust God's timing even when we might think it's the worst timing ever!

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.