Someone very kindly donated several bags of very good condition women's clothes to us. Our first plan was to send them to Pastor Jean in Rwanda so he could share them with the genocide widows among whom he is living and to share the remainder with the orphans that his friend Augustin supports. We were making some calls about the cost of mailing the clothes and we discovered that the US Post Office has discontinued economy mail overseas! It would be thousands and thousands of dollars to mail the clothes (I called one company and they suggested the price of $600 per box - we have approximately 20 boxes - even the post office could beat that price at about $260 per box) so we asked Jesus what to do and He told us have a garage sale. So, we wondered how we could go about doing this since we live in the country (the boondocks!) and then our friend and neighbor Rick told us that his daughter is having a garage sale this very weekend and said we could sell the clothes there. THANK YOU, JESUS! And thank you Rick and Ashley.
So, we are going to the yard sale with the clothes. Jean and his family need a refridgerator. Can you imagine hosting a gathering of neighboring widows and their children without a fridge? Can you imagine living with your wife and four children without a fridge? Father, bless Jean for his faithful heart and his willing service for You. Please provide everything he needs to carry out Your will. Please provide the money for the fridge and other needs he has, and above all, Father, we ask You to bring healing to our brothers and sisters in Rwanda.
Another situation that is arising in Rwanda concerns the children of the genocide widows. Many of them cannot afford to go to school. I told someone today that it was $100 per child to go to school and they said that to the Rwandans this is as though it were $1000 per child for us in America. The reason the school charges this price is for the children's uniforms and books, which are required for school. Jean said that the children become street children when they do not go to school. He told us that he shared pictures of Jesus with many of them and they told him that they love Jesus, but they wish they could go to school.
What tragedy is this! Their parents have suffered the horror that came among them, and now the children must suffer because they cannot receive a basic education? Jean said that the tendancy of the street children is to grow up and become alcoholics. Of course we have been asking the Father every day since we heard this to intervene. What can we do to help? We will see how many of Jean's immediate neighbors have children out of school, and see if we can help them, and then we will continue to pray for all the children in Kigali, and all of Rwanda, that they be allowed to get an education. We know that the Father is tender in His love towards them, and that He is determined to help them, to heal them, to bring Jesus to them, because He loves them and He grieves as they grieve because of the pain and wounds they still have in their spirits. So, please join us in lifting up all of Rwanda to their Creator, who is our Friend, and our God. Pray for schooling. Are there any volunteers in Rwanda who could help? Is there a church who would offer their building for children to gather to learn the basics of reading and writing and math?
Another situation that is arising in Rwanda concerns the children of the genocide widows. Many of them cannot afford to go to school. I told someone today that it was $100 per child to go to school and they said that to the Rwandans this is as though it were $1000 per child for us in America. The reason the school charges this price is for the children's uniforms and books, which are required for school. Jean said that the children become street children when they do not go to school. He told us that he shared pictures of Jesus with many of them and they told him that they love Jesus, but they wish they could go to school.
What tragedy is this! Their parents have suffered the horror that came among them, and now the children must suffer because they cannot receive a basic education? Jean said that the tendancy of the street children is to grow up and become alcoholics. Of course we have been asking the Father every day since we heard this to intervene. What can we do to help? We will see how many of Jean's immediate neighbors have children out of school, and see if we can help them, and then we will continue to pray for all the children in Kigali, and all of Rwanda, that they be allowed to get an education. We know that the Father is tender in His love towards them, and that He is determined to help them, to heal them, to bring Jesus to them, because He loves them and He grieves as they grieve because of the pain and wounds they still have in their spirits. So, please join us in lifting up all of Rwanda to their Creator, who is our Friend, and our God. Pray for schooling. Are there any volunteers in Rwanda who could help? Is there a church who would offer their building for children to gather to learn the basics of reading and writing and math?
