Not a fan of goodbyes...

I have never been good at saying goodbyes, and saying goodbye to our sweet friends here in Rwanda is especially hard, BUT...Melissa and I are so very thankful for the relationships God has allowed us to have here! We have been so blessed by each person we have come into contact with.

We have had a great last few days! Yesterday we were able to go to Anchor of Hope one last time to spend time with the kids and say goodbye. Its hard leaving them but at the same time so encouraging knowing that they are being well taken care of! I cant say enough good things about the ministry that Anchor of Hope does and the way the staff there loves and cares for each child! Knowing they are given a meal a day and loved and taken care of makes it a little easier to leave. They are such precious children and I know they hold a special place in mine and Melissa's heart. If you would like to know more about the ministry of Anchor of Hope you can visit their website at www.africaanchor.org

Last night we went to our favorite place here, Sola Luna, for dinner with Esron and his precious family! They have been so great to us and taken such great care of us since we have been here! Melissa and I call Esron and his wife, Kezia, our Africa Mom and Dad! :)

We leave for the airport in about an hour...will fly to Nairobi and then don't leave for London until 11:00 tonight. We arrive in London early in the morning and then will arrive in Houston around 2:30 in the afternoon on Thursday!

We can't say enough how much all of your prayers and support have meant to us since we have been here! God has done such amazing things and we can't wait to share more with you! Our lives and hearts have been forever changed and we thank you for the love and support you have shown us through this! We will be updating more with pictures and video when we get home and can't wait to show you how God has moved in the people here through you!

Thanks again and we will see you in Texas! :)

Blessings!
Lisa

Home Soon

Today was one of our last days in Rwanda! :( We have such mixed emotions but know these last days are some of the most precious here. This afternoon Esron, Wayne, Lisa and I visited an E Free church plant in Ruhengeri and a man named Pastor Peter. We were able to chat with a few church members, including two primary school teachers. They work at a government school across the street and one has 35 kids in her class!! Agh! Lisa and I presented the church with Bible and prayed together. It is only about a year old and they are facing many struggles.

Next we got a really cool opportunity to visit the police academy of Rwanda and chat with the commander there. He is a Christian and we were able to visit and pray with him. It was really exciting to see a high raking government official who fears the Lord and who wants to pray for his country. Lisa and I left a few Bibles for a few of the cadets. Esron is hoping this will be the beginning of more partnerships within the church.

Tomorrow we pack, head to AOH to say bye to the kids, and then out to eat at our favorite pizza place Sole Luna with Esron and his family. Please be praying for safe travel as we begin our journey home on Wednesday.
Imana igue umagisha (God bless you!)
Melissa

A Sunday in Rwanda...

It has been an awesome day! This morning was such a gift...we left Kigali at the crack of dawn and drove to Muhari (small village in Eastern Rwanda) to visit an E Free church plant that has only been around for about a year. It was in a VERY remote area, literally on top of a mountain! The view from this tent of a church (they don't have funds for the actual building yet, it's basically sticks and a tarp)was INCREDIBLE. Only God could have given us the experience we had today! Lisa and I were able to present 15 bibles to the pastor. His wife has been ill for 5 months and doctors cannot tell them why, he had tears in his eyes as he told us about it. We had the opportunity to pray with her before we left.The people in the church were PRECIOUS and so welcoming to us. It humbled me! We also got to see the church in Kabuga again and visit with the beloved Pastor Thomas. It was a great Sunday!

:) Urabeho!
Melissa

Not ready...

It is always a battle between wanting so badly to stay here and looking forward to returning home! Lisa and I are SO torn...we love Rwanda so much! This trip has been incredible thus far and God has done and will continue to do amazing things here. Yesterday was a great day...long and tiring but worthwhile. Pastor Esron, Wayne, Lisa and our sweet driver Ellie and I left at 6:30 am and drove north up into the mountains to Gisenyi making several stops along the way. The Rwandan countryside is absolutely gorgeous and I can never get enough of the cool mountain breezes and smell of eucalyptus trees! We stopped first at a trade school for young men and women that is run by the Evangelical Free Church of Rwanda (of which Esron is the president). The girls were learning to sew and boys where learning to be mechanics, etc. It was good to see how they are learning a trade to help keep rise above the poverty and make a living for themselves. We then traveled the rockiest "volcano road" as we have named them, I have ever traveled in my life :) to an E Free School in the mountains. The remote area means there are very few schools nearby that students can attend, so it's a pretty big deal that this one has been established...they are praying to add even more advanced classes so that the government will allow them to stay open. The area near the school is also where our dear friend Esron and his wife Kezia grew up. He told us how at 7 years old he had to walk close to 6 miles for water to carry back to his house twice a day! The line at the well was so long as we passed it and I was sure it had to have been more than 6 miles. Esron also described his trek to school everyday as a young boy and took us down the road he and Kezia used to flee during the genocide in '94. The people in this area are so determined and school is so important to them...we were in awe. The land is also steep and incredibly rocky from the volcano, yet the people use what they have and diligently farm the land. After an absolutely adventurous day, Esron took us to the beautiful lake Kivu which is steps away from Congo. We could see it from the lake.

Today has been restful. Lisa and I went to Anchor of Hope to visit and give some Bibles to the kids and begin our goodbyes. It's so hard! Tomorrow we travel East to visit an E Free church plant and then Monday to possibly visit with a youth HIV/AIDS club. Tuesday we pack and visit AOH one last time, then leave Wednesday around 1:30pm. Please pray that these last days will be completely surrendered to the Lord and that Lisa and I can say goodbye in the best way possible. Thank you so much again!
Da ga kunda,
Melissa

In a Nutshell...

The past few days as usual have been great here in Kigali. Lisa and I went to our friend Pastor Esron's church on Sunday and were able to get some much needed rest in the afternoon. Today we went back to Anchor of Hope to help the kids study for exams, have lunch together and hang out again. We were there all day and had a blast! We are planning to do the same tomorrow and then will go out to Remera to visit the nursery school one last time to say our farewells. We are planning to travel north on Thursday to visit a school then north east on Sunday to visit a recent CEER church plant. Saturday we will travel to visit a women's ministry at a church plant though we are not sure exactly where yet. As you can see our time here is slipping away quickly! Please pray for fruit to be planted and opportunities for service to be clear for us during these last days. Thank you all SO much for following us and for praying. We can feel them for sure!

Da ga kunda,
Melissa

Great Saturday!

Today was so exciting! Lisa and I finished up our time teaching at Remera Nursery and Primary school on Friday and had a jammed packed day today! This morning we led a women's Bible study for the ladies in Remera on the characteristics of God. Afterward we went to AOH to hang with the kids again and have lunch. We then went back to Remera to work with the ladies during their craft time. It was pretty hilarious watching two Mzungus (white girls) make beads for necklaces! We did our best! The women sell them to help support their ministry. We prayed and sang together and had a great time. Lisa and I are so amazed at how God has opened up so many different opportunities for ministry here in Rwanda. We cannot wait to see what he does in this last full week. We plan on volunteering with AOH next week some and will be traveling all over the country visiting churches. We are pumped! Thank you again for your prayers.

:) Melissa

Muraho!

Murah0! (hello)
Goodness we are LOVING being here! God has been opening up so many doors for us to help serve and love on his people here in Kigali! We have loved teaching in the school in Ramera this week and have loved being able to spend time with the children and teachers there! Today we were able to take Theophile (our translator) to lunch and it was so good to just sit with him and talk with him! Theophile oversees the school in Ramera does an amazing job! We have loved being able to spend time with him this week!
This Saturday we will be doing a womens bible study with the women at Esron's church and then in the afternoon will go back to Anchor of Hope and spend time with the kids there, we are excited and so thankful we are able to spend so much time with them as well!
Thank you all for your prayers and emails! We love hearing from you all and you each are a blessing to us! Knowing we are being covered in prayer means the world to us!

Blessings,
Lisa

Good Times in Rwanda...

Hey Friends! Lisa and I have beeen in Kigali for many days now and have been super busy! Saturday we went to the Africa Anchor of Hope (non-profit org our friend Sarah founded for street children www.africaanchor.org) office to hang out with some of the kids there. It was a BLAST! We ate lunch, played games, visited with old friends and were the overall entertainment for the day. The kids loved hanging with the mzungu's (white peeps!). Sunday we went to our friend Pastor Esrons's church and were able to fellowship at his home with his wife and children afterward. Esron is a dear friend and is the president of all the CEER churches (or Evangelical Free Churches) in Rwanda. Monday Lisa and I were able to go back to AOH and spend more time with the boys and girls there. We were able to share the gospel and teach a short lesson and just get to know them more---we LOVE being there! Today we stared teaching at the Ramera Evangelical Free Church Nursery School. We had the nursery 1 class made up of 50 lively three and four year olds. We taught Bible, sang songs, shared the gospel through the wordless book and played games outside. We were also able to visit with Theophile the headmaster to assess some of the greatest needs in the school. Lisa, Wayne and I are having difficulty sleeping at night--please pray for us to get our sleep patterns right! :)

Lisa and I will continuwe to teach this week. We go to Ramera to work with some of the women at church and then to AOH again. Next week we plan on traveling to some of the 16 new CEER church plants areound Rwanda to check out needs there.

Thank you for keeping up with us--we hope to post more soon!
:) Melissa

We have arrived!

Lisa and I are here in Kigali! We have had our first cold shower, first sleepless night complete with buzzing mosquitoes and first Fanta and pizza at Sole Luna. It is official! Our dear friends Pastor Esron and his wife Kezia' met us at the airport and delivered us safely to the Ligue (guest house that will be our home for the next few weeks.) Unfortunately while they were picking us up, someone broke into their outdoor kitchen and stole every one of their cooking pots. Wayne and Lisa and I were able to replace them while we were at the market. It's just one of many ways we are trusting God to provide opportunities to serve while we are here. This afternoon Lisa and I will meet with Esron to discuss what our very short time will look like. We are hoping to set up our ladies Bible studies, time in the nursery school and talk about doing some traveling to churches around the country. Thank you for keeping up the prayers!

Specific prayer requests:
Lisa and I will get our days and nights straight--we did not sleep a wink last night!
God will provide opportunities to serve, maximizing our time in Rwanda
Safe travel and continued health

Da ga kunda! (We love you!)
Lisa and Melissa

Almost there....

Hello sweet friends and family! Just wanted to let you know that your prayers have covered us and we are just hours away from Kigali! We are exhausted and dirty but so excited to arrive. Lisa and I are actually looking forward to that cold shower and lumpy mattress at our beloved Ligue (compound where we are staying). We hope to update more tomorrow! Keep praying!
We love you!

Melissa

Today's the day!!!!

As I am sitting on my bedroom floor surrounded by luggage and stuff that clearly needs to still be packed :) , I can't believe this day is finally here!!! I remember the day that Melissa and I decided we were going to go back to Rwanda this summer and it seems like just yesterday! So much planning and preparing have gone into this trip, but it's been so amazing to see how God has provided more than we could have ever imagined!! Which only reassures us that this is what God has called us to do. I can't wait to see all God has in store for us while we are in Africa!

Our flight leaves this afternoon at 4:30 and we would love your prayers for our safety as we travel to Rwanda! We will arrive in Rwanda Wednesday, July 1, I think at midnight, Rwanda is 8 hours ahead of central time.

We are hoping to be able to update this blog as much as we can! Thank you to all of you who have supported us and are praying for us! Your prayers and support mean the world to us and we are truly blessed to be able to do this!

Blessings,
Lisa

Psalm 96:2-4
Sing to the Lord, praise his name, proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all people. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise!

It's About That Time...

Mel here:

Wow! I cannot believe we leave in less than a month. Lisa and I are so excited to say the least. We both have seen God working through people (of all sizes;)to make this trip possible. Matthew you are an inspiration my little friend! Thank you for following your heart, we love you! Thank you to everyone who has given time, lifted up prayers, donated money, clothing, or who have just listened to what we long to see God do in Rwanda this summer. You are eternally blessing everyone we will come in contact with!

Earlier Lisa wrote about her Sunday School students learning the story of Jesus feeding the multitude in Luke 9. That same Sunday, I went to Church Project and heard Jason talk on the very same passage. Coincidence? I think not! :) He made a point that has been stuck in my brain recently. After a long day of teaching the disciples saw that the people were in need of food. They asked Jesus to send the crowd away to look for something to eat in the surrounding villages. Jesus replied in verse 13, "You give them something to eat." Simple.

Why are God's people suffering in the world today? Always a hard thing for me to grasp, especially when it comes to children...but the point was made that it's not because God doesn't care about them. He does care, far more than I understand. People are suffering today because God's people aren't doing anything about it. I am the hands and feet of Jesus on earth and Lisa and I both feel that you are too. Thank you for being obedient to the call of Christ to reach out to His people in Rwanda and right where you live.

Specific prayers:
1. safe travel
2. tying up loose ends at home (shots, pills, supplies, etc.)
3. God's specific purposes for the trip to be revealed
4. That God would go before us and prepare the way

Da gu kunda! (Love you!)

Mel

39 days.....

So...Melissa and I have pretty much started a countdown until we leave! We are getting more and more excited as it gets closer for us to leave! We have been absolutely blown away by the support we have received from our family and friends! It has been unbelievable and we are overwhelmed and so grateful! So thank you to all of you who have supported us and continue to support us through prayer! It means the world to us!

Now for story time! :) There's a little boy named Matthew (he is in Melissa's Kindergarten class and I know him and his family from church) who has such a heart for those in need. When he found out that Melissa and I would be going to Africa he wanted to come with us and didn't really understand why he couldn't. He even asked his mom to ask Melissa and I if he could go with us! Pretty adorable!!! His mom suggested that since he can't go with us that maybe he could do something to help us with our trip, so he decided to have a lemonade stand and give us the money to help kids in need in Rwanda! He invited all his friends from school and church, and set up his lemonade stand at the end of his driveway. Melissa and I went by and it was so awesome, he did such a great job! In the span of about 2 hours Matthew raised over $600 for us to take to Africa!!!! When Matthew told us how much he had raised Melissa and I were both speechless and couldn't believe it! What a perfect reminder of John 6:9-13 about the little boy who only had 5 pieces of bread and 2 small fish...but even though that was all he had, he gave it to Jesus and Jesus fed 5,000 people! Matthew started out with just a lemonade stand, and God provided us with the funds that will be able to help so many kids who are in need! Thank you Matthew for all your hard work and for caring for the children in Rwanda, we can't wait to come back and show you how the money you raised helped kids just like you!











Story number 2! :) Our sweet friend Jamie has a furniture store here in The Woodlands called The Collection. Jamie met with Melissa and I after she heard we were going back to Rwanda this summer and knew that she wanted to help us! She decided that they will be donating 15% of all purchases for the week of May 24-May 29th to our trip. The donations will be used to purchase Bibles and other supplies to help children and churches in need. The Collection has beautiful home furnishings and accessories and is located on Woodlands Pkwy in the shopping center across from Carlton Woods Dr.
Here is the ad that will be running in The Villager next week! Thank you Jamie for all your hard work on this, we appreciate you more than we could say!



So, as you can see, God has definitely been providing for us in such awesome ways!
Please continue to pray for us as we take care of the details of this trip and that God will continue to prepare us and our hearts!

Blessings,
Lisa

Can't Wait!

Muraho friends!

So Lisa has gently reminded me that I need to be posting on our blog :) Sooo...FINALLY I have a moment to sit and type a little bit. I too am very excited to be going back to Rwanda for what amazingly will be my 6th trip. I feel so blessed and slightly unworthy to be given the opportunity once again to travel to the country that has truly stolen my heart! Lisa and I talk about the trip almost everyday and keep saying, "I want to be there now!" We are excited to see the details of the trip and our mission upon arriving in Kigali unfold over the next couple of months. We have even been trying to brush up on our Kinyarwandan, the native language. As I reflect on past trips and think about this one, God has made it clear that now is the time to truly press into Him and seek his purposes and desires for this mission. One of our prayer needs would first and foremost be that Lisa and I would long to see God be glorified and to see His kingdom grow in all that we do before, during and after our time in Africa. It is easy at this point to get caught up in the excitement of preparations and also the business of life in the U.S. Please pray that God will be in the midst of the details and planning stage and that He will begin to prepare our hearts and those of the Rwandese people we have been given the job to love and serve. Lisa and I both believe that prayer is what will drive the trip and we cannot begin to prepare without it. We thank all of you who have shared your excitement and support for us, we feel tremendously blessed by each of you!
Imana igue umagisha (God bless you),
Melissa :)

T-shirts are in!!!

Our t-shirts are in!!

We are selling t-shirts for $25! All the money we raise from the t-shirts will go to help those in Rwanda while we are there. When we have been there in the past there were times we were able to help different church's and school's by providing them with the funds to provide a roof for a church and for one school we were able to provide them with concrete for their flooring. So it's things like that, that we are hoping to do again with the money we are raising from selling the t-shirts! If you would like one, let us know! We are out of small's but have some medium, large's and x-larges left. p.s. they are SUPER soft! :) so even if we don't have your size you can totally still wear it to bed! It's THAT comfortable!

So...I work with some pretty fabulous people (in the top right corner)! They have all been so supportive and encouraging and as you can see...all bought a t-shirt!

I have been pretty overwhelmed by the support that has already been shown to Melissa and I and for our trip to Africa, and by some people that I don't even know who have bought a t-shirt just because they want to support us or telling us that they will daily be praying for us and by friends who live states away. It's so awesome and so encouraging to know that people are already praying for us and our time in Rwanda. So thank you to all of you who have already bought a t-shirt or have already started praying for us!

Ok, I think that's it for now! Just wanted to let you all know about the t-shirts!

~Lisa

OMG OMG OMG!!!

Ahhh! I am so excited to say that Melissa and I are going back to Rwanda this summer and we are so pumped! Right before Christmas we started talking about it and really praying about it and that God would just make it known to us if that's what he wanted of us this summer. Melissa and I both have taken time to really pray about it on our own and together and we really feel that this is where God is calling us back to this summer!

We are still in the beginning stages of all the planning and preparation but we wanted to share this with you and ask for you to pray for us as we begin the planning process of it all and we would love for you to walk through this with us! We are looking at going the beginning of July. We will keep you guys updated when we nail down specific dates, but that's what were looking at!

We know God has big things planned and we can't even begin to tell you how honored and excited we are that God has chosen us to do this! The picture above is of our very first "Africa meeting" and when we decided for sure we were going to do this! At that time we were thinking of going in June...but that has changed now to July, that's why the picture has the June calendar.

We will keep you guys as updated as we can through this blog with pictures and videos, and Melissa and I will both be blogging on this! We love you all...thanks for sharing in this with us!

In Christ,

Lisa

~Psalm 96:2-4~

Sing praise to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among the people. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise!