Updates are slow, but still coming...

I'm so sorry these updates have been slow.
We didn't anticipate how difficult it would be when we got home.
It seems as if from the moment we hit the ground (OK, after the jet lag wore off) we've been running 110 mph. Honestly, this is one of the busiest times of the year for us. September brought in the "back to school" and new curriculum kick-offs (as always) and then you head straight into Fall Fest and holidays. In that time Tammy picked up more responsibilities at the church (bookstore), Ben started school and Brandon started work. Right now, we're doing all of this with one car. Please don't read that as a "pity party". We feel so blessed to do what we do, but it's been so frustrating as we've hardly had any time to stop, soak-in, pray about, discern, and pass on to all of you the amazing things that happened in Africa.

Right now, we've taken this week off to slow down and so far it's been good.


Traveling to Cyanikia and Our First Day There


I don't think I've ever felt more welcome when traveling as I did in Africa.
The kids there are amazing! They love msungus (I think I'm spelling that right).
That means white person. It's not a negative term by any means. When we would drive through the region, the kids would be dancing on the streets as our cars passed by, waving, smiling and yelling, "MSUNGU!" so that the other kids would know we were coming. It was a lot of fun.
As you can imagine, Brandon loved this and it has sort of become a nickname for him back home.

At one point, we were having some car problems and had to pull off the road.
To show you how interested they are in msungus, here's a little boy who saw us pull over and had to come see us. He didn't say anything, he just looked at us.
We did get him to smile though.




These are just a few of the kids that were there when we first arrived at the church.








For the first half of the day, we went to a conference of sorts that Walt (our senior pastor) was doing at one of the churches. This was Walt's second trip here and thus the second conference. The fact that these churches came together in one location (another church even) is amazing. The first meeting like this was last year and it was the first time ever that all of the denominations in the regions had ever come together like this. This time not only did they come back with love and excitement to be there together, there were also pastors that came all the way from the Congo to be a part of it.
One of the topics Walt spoke about was spiritual sonship (and daughters).
God's presence was so clear it was tangible.





The church itself had a little electricity... I think. Actually, the only thing I saw was a plug. There were no lights. The floor was dirt, except by the stage area.
They treated us with such respect. The put nice chairs (chairs with backs) up front on the stage facing out - even our kids. They wanted to honor us... and they did. More than they will ever know. There was a bathroom outback, but I will describe that at another time.

While we sat inside, the kids curiosity got the best of them and they were lined up all around the church outside squeezing as many of their little faces in the bars of the windows so they could see us. They also crowded around the doors. They constantly inched their way in until there were quite a few inside causing a distraction and then they would be chased back outside.

This was also the day the announcement was made that we were indeed there to build the soccer field. At that time we asked them to send two people from each of their churches to help with this project. As I mentioned in an earlier post, they all came themselves with their families. Several of the churches also brought people from their church to be a part of it. This raises the community and unity in Christ to a whole new level. Until this time, they had never worked on a project together. As can be true in America as well, the denominations and churches seemed to stay to themselves and were not even celebrating together when something good happens, but that has changed.


The Future of Their Children

We were told that the next day we would have a chance to talk about Children's Ministry to these pastors. We were speechless. The reality is that this was a huge dream of ours. The children in Rwanda do not have any type of Kid's Church at all. Most of the children know the building as one that they pass to do their chores. It's somewhere adults go to sing. I won't go as far as to say that they do not believe in God. From my experience, almost everyone in Africa believes in God... it's just a matter of which one. These are people that know they cannot survive only by the hope of the person that they would see in a mirror. It's bigger than they are and they know it. To be very honest, it's something I can forget from time to time and have to be reminded of when I seem to get on my own agenda. There is a lot that I learned while in Africa as well, but I digress...
Last summer we had some pastors visit from Kigali. One in particular has churches all over Rwanda. He has over 100,000 people in his congregations. I only tell you this so that you can see that we do not have a skewed vision of what is really going on there. He confirmed that what we saw is typical of the way the churches function. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it for the adults. I don't want you to get the idea that I'm saying something bad about the churches in Africa. They just don't know what to do with the kids, but (and here's the awesome part) they want to change that!


God's Words Brought to Life

The field. We walked out to it when we left the church. There is was. The field that God had showed Matthew where He wanted to do something awesome for this community.
Again, we thought it was just for a game, but it meant so much more. Who knew? I know the answer to that is easy - God did. No, but really... who knew otherwise.
When Matthew first came to me about this "thing" God told him He wants him to do we had just moved to Colorado and hadn't even had the big new ministry kick-off yet.
"5 loaves and 2 fish God, that's all I have. You're welcome to it, but I can't imagine how this is going to work out."
I have to be honest now, I think I feel a bit like Sarah when she laughed at the thought of having a baby as a senior citizen... silly, because He can do anything.
Here we were.
You can see that someone had put up some trees as goals to try to play soccer there, but they hadn't been used in many, many years. There were no balls, etc. and even if they had, nobody would play on it for fear they would bust their head on the lava rocks that were deeply embedded in the ground.
Here Matthew stood. I wish I had a better picture of him at this moment. I only have this one of him celebrating with Ben and John and they're all pretty far away.
You know that moment when God shows you He wants to do something impossible and then fast forward to the second you saw it happen? That's what I wanted to capture. I've never seen my husband so on fire for what God had done/is doing/will do.




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Random Pics & Genocide Memorial

I (Tammy) want to share a few random pictures from our first day before moving on to day two.

I love this picture of Ben. Reflection...



These are bird's nests hanging on the trees. I don't know what kind of bird it is, but if it were a human it would have to love roller coasters. Those things blow all over the place. (You might need to click on the picture to get a better view.)



This is the room the boys stayed in in Kigali. It's amazing how clean it is when we first got there and they unpacked.




More interesting to note:
Look at the top of the back wall. You'll notice that it doesn't go all the way to the ceiling. It goes up about 3/4 of the way to the top... and nope, we weren't on the other side. We have no idea who was on the other side, but they liked to listen to their radio and talk on their cell... really late and really loud. I couldn't figure out why it bothered the guys so much. I thought they liked listening to the radio and talking on the phone until all hours of the night. ;)


OK, admittedly this is an awful picture. It's very fuzzy and out of focus, but I wanted you to see what it's like for people even in the capital to get water.
You will need to click on the picture to enlarge it to see the line of people. The nice thing about being in town is that they have more water "spots" (for lack of a better word). This line isn't nearly as long or as far to get to as the others we've seen.




Our first morning, was awesome. We woke up to the sounds of kids playing, laughter, roosters crowing, and singing. This is a very short video that gives an idea of the sounds. Admittedly, it's not up for the visual. We were to far away and I only had my camera to capture it. About half way through you may be able to make out the line of men jogging and singing. They are up by the roadway.




Genocide Memorial

Later that morning we went to the Genocide Memorial in Kigali.
We were not allowed to take pictures inside of the Memorial, but we could outside.
Before I post those pictures I want to share a portion that I wrote in my journal. This will give you an idea of what was inside the building as well.

September 5,2009
I didn't know that the Catholic Church actually began much of the "elite" tribe mentality. They came, I guess, in the name of "research" and began to identify differences in the Hutu and Tutsi tribes.
They documented everything from physical differences to intelligence concluding that Hutus seemed to come out on top.
This was just the start of it all.

So much in the museum was heartbreaking, but the Children's Memorial was the last room we walked through and was the most painful.

Before going into the Children's Memorial you go through several rooms. One of those was a hall that has pictures hanging up families have brought in of those who died in the Genocide. There are empty holders as people are still bringing pictures in if they find one (pictures are rare).

There was also a movie going that had several stories that you followed through the entire memorial. The final video of those stories and their conclusions came to an end in that room with the sea of faces, as well as with those that remain faceless.

In one of those stories, was a young man who told the story of losing his mother. He said she was the one person he loved the most. He talked of a time when they had nothing left to eat, but beans and she knew he hated beans. She went out and found some passion fruit to serve with it to try and make it better. That was the last meal she ever made for him. She was brutally murdered the next day.

Next. you walk through a room with clothing that had been found in mass graves as well as personal effects.
There was a Superman sheet that was tattered and torn hanging up along with a jacket that was small enough to have been my God son's size. That was it for me. I couldn't take anymore. I just broke down. As I turned to walk out I saw clothes hung up from older children and adults. In one window there were three sets of shirts and pants that looked to be the size of my own three sons.

Tragedy...

That's the only word that comes to mind.

How tragic and unconscionable...

After that I found myself in the Children's Memorial. This room had pictures that had been made into posters. Next to each pictures was name of each child and age of death. They also listed their likes (food, best friends, favorite song, etc.). Some even shared their last words (if known) and how they died.

I will never forget the first child nor his last words - "Where can we run to mama?" Then he was hacked to death with a machete. So many children... So much loss...

It turns out the children were special targets to make sure the next generation did not grow up.

There was a four year old who had the sweetest smile. I almost forgot where I was as I read about his life and then quickly remembered as I read his eyes were stabbed as well as his head.

Does this seem to graphic to read? I hope so. We live in a world where we can change the channel. Actually, I used to feel very guilty about that fact. But now I realize it's just the way it is. One thing is clear - we must, must stay connected to the tragedies that happen in other areas of the world.
1. To be sure they do not happen again. There were so many signs that this tragedy was about to take place and nothing was done.
2. To remain human. To remember who we are and that the tragedy of losing our loved ones or having our child killed in our arms would be no different than it is for someone else. Compassion, mercy, and love are a necessity and a universal language.

The last two children were the most difficult for my son Brandon. When I came around the corner I found him huddled on a bench sobbing. The last two were both babies. One was nine months old and was killed with a machete in his mother's arms and the other I believe was about one or one and a half killed in the same manner.

I've heard some people say that Africa is just a different world over there... but is it? I mean... is it really? There is evil all throughout the world, just pull up the news page on the internet... it's there and it's here. Brutality and war are everywhere - nobody is exempt.
What I find amazing here in Rwanda is that they acknowledge the pain, mourn the loss, but most of all forgive. If they didn't, it would be a cycle that would continue to fill the mass graves. What can we learn from them?

The last stop at the Memorial is the garden. When you first walk down the stairs you will see a large mass grave. This grave is covered with cement, but also has a large raised window that can be opened. Inside there are many coffins with flags draped over them.




They are honoring everyone who was killed by making sure that, even though they are buried in a mass grave, they make sure everyone is buried in a coffin. Which brings me to the window. To this day, they are still finding remains. The window acts as a door that enables them to continue being buried with honor.



When standing in front of this grave if you look to the left you can see many of those mass graves that have been filled and the windows removed and sealed.




There are so many that they fill them and move on to the next. There are over 250,000 men, women, and children buried at this location alone. This Memorial is just one of the many you see throughout Rwanda.

Tragic.




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aaaaaand - we're back!

It's been crazy getting back into the swing of things and the jet lag was much more than we expected it to be.

So as not to overwhelm you (or me), I'm going to put up some posts with pictures off and on for the next few days.

The first pic is before we left the Denver Airport. It amazes me how tired we all look considering the trip was just beginning.




This is Brandon and Yamid on the plane.




I wanted to show you the above picture as it's a nice preview of what Brandon taught the kids in Rwanda (see below).





yup... that's my boy.


On the trip we had a 13 hour layover in London, so we thought we'd make the most of it and head out for some sightseeing.

So here we are... Big Ben and Little Ben






Honestly though, we were so exhausted we should have found a few chairs at the airport and slept.
This is how Ben spent his lunch in London, England...











After 20-something hours on a plane and a short layover in Nairobi, we made it to the Kigali International Airport...





... where we made our way to our first "home" - Moucecore.




We were told to be sure and take a picture of that sign. That way if we were ever lost, we could show the picture to a Taxi and they can take us back. A good thought for anywhere you are visiting.


At Moucecore we were greeted by old friends and new.

Below: Pastor Ernest and his wife Martha with Tammy, Matthew, Brandon, and Ben.




Below: Ben, Willy (giving thumb's up in the back) and the CMP Team




It had been a long haul, but in this first destination I (Tammy) found one of my favorite "spots" in the entire world - the balcony of our room at Moucecore in Kigali.

This balcony had one wicker chair, lots of sunlight, and a beautiful breeze.



NOTE: This picture is hard to see when it's smaller. If you click on the picture itself it will bring it up in a larger format for you to see.

To the right (out of view) is the American Embassy. To the far left are some nicer homes and down in the center is the stark proof of the undeniable poverty that is there.
Yes, in many ways it's sad to see, but I was blessed to observe something else while I sat in that chair... a community that is alive and thriving.

If you observe carefully, you can hear singing at almost anytime during the day. People walking the dirt roads - taking their yellow water jugs to be filled or working in the fields that sit between the village and our hotel. If you closed your eyes, you might think you were at a campsite from the smoky smell in the air as families cook their meals for the evening and/or burn their trash. One thing that can definitely be said about the people there... they are not lazy. I've never seen a group of people work so hard in my entire life. From little children to old women... they know a life that none of us can or ever will. Before you thank God for the goodness He has bestowed on your birthright, you need to know that this has also come at a cost. They have something there. Something that we're missing. These are the most friendly people I've ever met in my entire life. They don't know a stranger and everyone they meet is done so with a hardy handshake, a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. You are now family... and that my friend, is truly a blessed thing.



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Welcome to Rwanda

An Unending Flow of People

After almost 24 hours on various planes we finally arrived in Kigali, Rwanda. At first, it was hard to take in the reality that we were really half-way around the world in Africa. It was an unbelievable thought, but there we were.

We passed through customs and found our way to the main lobby of the airport. We were completely exhausted and felt very lost until we saw a small group of men with smiling faces. We quickly realized that this was Pastor Willy and his team from Comfort My People (CMP). That was a true "God moment" as we immediately felt as if we had known them all of our lives. They made us feel right at home from day one and for that I am truly grateful.

As we were heading into town the first thing that got my attention is the unending flow of people walking in every direction. We quickly learned that it doesn't matter what time of day it is - people are always out walking - to work, to get water, to get food, to school, to see friends.... everywhere/anywhere/anytime.

There were cars there, but the combination of the two made me nervous. I was so thankful that we always had a driver and didn't have to get behind the wheel ourselves, regardless, we could still see. There were a few times that I closed my eyes and prayed that I wouldn't hear the thump of the car taking out one of the walkers. I finally started sitting in the middle seat because I couldn't take the stress of being by a window.

I am glad to report that after two weeks of driving through the country - nobody was hurt and I got in some good prayer time!

A Vision Brought to Life

As you know, our mission for going to Africa was to help the village of Cyanika build a soccer field (or as they say - football field). The village of Cyanika is located in the northern part of Rwanda and is an area that is breathtaking in it's beauty. The village is bordering a large volcano and is in a valley where you can see five other volcanoes nearby.

The first day in Cyanika we were introduced to many of the pastors in the area and Walt (our senior pastor) did a teaching. He also explained what we were going to be doing that week in the village.

Next, I went to check out the field we would be transforming and I just stood there in amazement at what God was doing. I just kept thinking, "One year ago Lord, You gave me a vision to reach the children of Africa. You told me to go to Africa and take this vis

ion and change a community - and here I am standing in the field You have prepared."
I was actually here! It brought tears to my eyes.

Little did I know how much God was going to do through that field. All I could see was the field itself.... but God had much bigger plans indeed!

Brief Rundown

I have to be honest, I'm absolutely wiped out and at a loss for words.

There is so much to tell you and share that I don't even know where to start.

Because you were such a big part of this trip, I don't want to leave you hanging so here are some of the major highlights that happened because of your support, encouragement, and prayers.

• The soccer field was completed, but not without a few hiccups. Those hiccups provided a chance for God to move in this community in a way we never could have imagined or manufactured ourselves.
  
  
• Uniforms were provided for four teams! Those uniforms will be lent out by the church so that they can be used by ma ny others to play.
  
  
• The Rwandan military chief not only came to the dedication of the field, but he also played in one of the games!
  
  
• We had the opportunity to cast vision for Children's Ministry for about 60 pastors (and some of their wives)! Some of these pastors have thousands of people in their churches.
  We didn' t think we would get this chance, but as it turned out they were very excited and hungry for something like this. Right now, there is nothing in place for the kids at church. As of last week - that's changing.
  
  
• I was blessed with the opportunity to teach at a nondenominational church in Kigali on Sunday.

This is just a sample of some of the amazing things that happened. When the jet lag gets better, I will fill you in on more, but I didn't want to make you wait any longer.

Because you allowed God to work through you, a community came together and a country celebrated. Because you opened your hearts, thousands and thousands of children will be coming to church to learn how much God loves them.

From the bottom of our hearts... Thank you



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Monday, Sept. 7

It's been an amazing week, so much has happened.
I don't have much time, but would like to let you know that God has opened up the door for us to get to speak to two groups of pastors in Cyanika/Ruhengeri area on the importance of Children's Ministry and how to begin one in their church.
That will be tomorrow (Tuesday) we would love your prayers. We will also get another opportunity to speak to another group of pastors in Kigali. That's more than we could have imagined at this opportunity. Please pray that God will give us the correct words and lead us as we teach.

Update on the infection from the yellow fever shot in Tammy's arm - it's completely healed.
Thank you!

Prayer Request - UTI problems

Prayer Request for the team, especially as the harder work begins.

We saw the soccer field today. It's perfect. We are so excited! The kids met us with such excitement. When we went into the church, they climbed up on the outside windows to see us. They are so sweet.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, support and encouragement.

I will update again as soon as I can...


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Arrival

We're here and it is wonderful. The travel... not so much. It's taken some time and a shower/bath of sorts to help us feel normal, but it's well worth it.

I don't have much time, but hope to update more on what has happened - to say the least we've had some adventures on this trip. I should have more time later so I will update then.
Just a few quick notes for now.

If you would pray for the site of Tammy's Yellow Fever immunization, it's infected or something. It was raised up, red, and warm. She took to Benadryl on the 10 flight from London to Nairobi and that seemed to help. It's still red and large, but not as big and it's not warm anymore.


Also, please pray for Benjamin. He's not eating well and very lethargic. I'm sure most of it is travel and he will be back to himself soon.

Time to go much love to you all.

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And... we're off!

Tomorrow is the big day, we need to be at the airport at 7:45 to begin this trek across the globe.
I can honestly say that I'm ready. Today has to have been one of the most frustrating days I've had in years. If anyone here doesn't believe in spiritual warfare, you should have spent the day with us.
Four hours and several trips to both Kaiser and Walmart pharmacy we finally got all of our preventative meds done. Yes, 4 hours. Really? Was that necessary? It's two meds each, but thank goodness it's done and we have everything we need.
If I ever do this again, I now know to put out a special prayer alert for the day before.

We have some awesome news!

• Equipment - By nothing less than a miracle we have been able to talk to two people
  higher up in the airline company. As far as we know, they have worked it out so that we should have no problem with the extra size and weight of the bags. Yeah!
  
  
  
• Finances - Over the weekend we had more funding come in. I haven't heard what the final count was, but I know it was a good portion. I'll update that when we return. I still believe that this trip was on His agenda and that it will be covered.
  
  
  
• Health - Anytime we take a trip, at least one person gets sick. I believe that if nothing else, from the stress. I am thrilled to report that everyone is doing well!
  
  
• Celebration - It looks like the Rwandan government and military officials are so excited about everything going on in Cyanika that they will be attending the official opening of the soccer field and have planned a ceremony.
  
  
• Roofing - I can't remember if I've posted this or not, but enough money has been raised to put roofs on five more homes for widows.
  

We have a few prayer requests that we would love for you to lift up for us.

• Communication - I already mentioned that today was crazy, but in all reality, it was a day filled with an extreme range of emotions, mostly those with anger and tears. Why? I can't really tell you why. Most were stupid little arguments. Stepping back we can really see the warfare in all of this. We don't want to carry this with us or leave this with Alex. Please pray that God would remove all that is coming against us right now.
  
  
  
• Alex - In some ways, I know he's excited to have several weeks alone. We also know that he didn't want to go (this isn't his calling and that's totally fine), but we also don't want him to feel left out. Please pray that he has a calm few weeks (read that no problems with the house, car, dogs, health, etc.) and some good solid time with the Lord.
  
  
• Protection - Please pray against the plans of the enemy. Pray that his plans would be confused and that God's will, will be played out perfectly. Pray that God will place angels around us, our transportation, and even our luggage as we travel.
  
  
• Health - It's a huge praise that we're all healthy now, but please continue to pray that we will all stay that way.
  
  
• Final Packing - This one is for Tammy's sanity. Please pray that packing will go smoothly. That may sound lame, but (as she said) it's a mom thing.
  
  
  

Thank you all again for being a part of this. I hope you really feel like you are, because it wouldn't be happening without you.



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