February 2010 Newsletter

It’s been a month of changes. But I love change!

From an empty house to a roommate and a dog:
 

Introducing my roommate Laura, a volunteer from Vancouver YFC, arrived in January.  She will stay through August developing the Arts program at Kigali Christian School (KCS) and coordinating after school clubs.  Luckily for me she likes to cook and garden!

Introducing Buddy, our dog.  He’s a cute little guy who doubles as a theft deterrent since Rwandans are generally afraid of dogs.  Right now he’s still a puppy so he likes to chew everything, jump on people, and sneak inside the house. 

 


From English Trainer to English Trainer / Computer Teacher
In addition to teaching English lessons for the YFC staff, I’m also teaching computer classes for the lower primary students (grades 1 - 3) this year.   It’s been a challenge teaching classes of 30 kids who are just learning English.  But they are so cute! 



From Primary School to Secondary School
School started in February and KCS admitted its first class of secondary students (7th grade).  Last November our first class of P6 students sat for the National Exam and performed very well.  Unfortunately, they did so well that many were admitted in government sponsored boarding schools.  But several parents have decided to keep their children at home and enroll them at KCS.  This is a huge paradigm shift for many parents who prefer boarding school, but one that YFC hopes will strengthen families and enable KCS to continue to pour the love and grace of God into these students as they go through their adolescent years. 

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!

July 2009 Newsletter

Life is full of paradoxes. The good comes with the bad, sorrow intermingles with joy, fear coexists with courage. My training this month centered around learning to live in and appreciate the new paradoxes that come with living cross-culturally.

As I leave for Rwanda, I’m experiencing so many paradoxes:

♦ Trading the known and comfortable for the unknown can be exciting and adventurous, while also being unsettling and anxiety inducing. Corrie Ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” While the unknown is scary at times, I’m finding more comfort in getting to know a God who can be known.

♦ The feelings of incompetence that come with learning a new job, a new language, and a new culture coexist with a love of learning newthings. I was reminded in training that I will be an agent of cheer to the Rwandan people as I butcher their language and commit major social faux pas. It’s not a comfortable role for me, but what a perfect opportunity to relax a bit, learn to laugh, and understand more fully the adequacy of God.

♦ Saying good goodbyes allows me to say good hellos. I hate goodbyes.
They are so sad and I’d rather avoid them altogether out of self-protection. Saying good goodbyes means honoring the people who love me by mourning the separation, remembering, and affirming how valuable they are to me. Good goodbyes allow me to say good hellos. It allows me to keep my heart soft and my mind open to new friends and new ways to draw near to old friends.

In acknowledging the paradoxes of life I’m finding the freedom to mourn and grieve, the freedom to rest in the midst of both the good and the bad, the freedom to hope, and the freedom to move forward into the unknown.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers over the last month. It’s been a great month of training and saying goodbyes. I’ll arrive in Kigali, Rwanda, on August 10. Please pray for me through the transition.

June 2009 Newsletter

Greetings from Colorado!

I built a stone fireplace last year. It required someone with an eye for the big picture who could see how the individual pieces fit perfectly into the whole. Thankfully, my aunt and sister have an eye for that sort of thing.

I'm really thankful that God has an eye for that sort of thing as well. He see's the whole picture of our lives. He knows how to fit the pieces together perfectly - in the right way and in the right time.

In the last month, I've seen some big pieces of my journey to Rwanda fall into place – pieces that I couldn't even envision a few months ago. Here's just a few:

I was granted a leave of absence from work to attend training in June and July. I'm really grateful for my co-workers who have shared in my excitement, gone out of their way to pick up my workload, and made the transition smooth.

Youth For Christ has become home to me. At the YFC Summer
Institute, I met many great people with a passion for loving kids,
including Lynn and Paige. Lynn is a wise and seasoned YFC
counselor who will support me while in Rwanda. Paige is another
single gal hoping to arrive in Rwanda in January. She's a lot of fun
and a really good balance for me.

The task of teaching English is beginning to fall into place. I've spent the last two weeks in Colorado in language acquisition training. It's given me a great language learning foundation and many excellent tools and techniques. It's also addressed some of my fears and
increased my confidence and hope in the ability of adults to learn a new language.

In Colorado, He's surrounded me with like-minded people who are also beginning a new cross-cultural journey with God. It's a new community of friends that I did not expect. God has used them to encourage me and show me the depth of His love for people all over the world.

I'll remain in Colorado for the next three weeks for training in living cross-culturally. I'm really looking forward to all that God will teach me during that time and the people He will send to walk through it with me.


I'm still hoping to arrive in Rwanda by mid-August which means I need $800 more in monthly pledges. Would you join me on
this adventure? If so, tear off the bottom with your pledge and return it in the enclosed envelope.

Enjoying the Rockies!

May 2009 Newsletter

Muraho! (That’s hello in Kinyarwanda, the primary language in Rwanda).

It’s been a month of learning new things like:

• Driving a standard is harder than I thought it would be. Did you know that Rwanda is the land of 10,000 hills? Yikes!
• Kinyarwanda is hard. It’s a tonal language, but I’ve managed to pick up a few phrases.
• French is not so hard, but not so easy either. The Rwandan teachers currently instruct in French, so I’m studying French grammar constructs for comparison.
• English is a difficult second language to learn. I’ve been reviewing English as a Second Language materialsand have been surprised by all the rules and exceptions. For example, can you explain why these sentences are wrong?

- Crete is an Greek beautiful island.
- I walked to the store, but he runned to the store.
- I enjoy to study because I want learning everything about grammar.
- I worked very quickly and Tom worked very hardly to complete the project.

The Rwandan teachers have an extremely tough task ahead of them! This task is impossible. Sometimes it leaves me immobilized by fear, but your prayers are powerful and
accomplishing much. To name a few, you’re prayers are:

• Providing the resources I need as I prepare for this adventure.
• Allowing me to watch God check things off my list as things just “fall into place.”
• Triggering the thought that the people around me matter more than my task list.
• Opening people’s eyes to the needs of the Rwandese.
• Spreading the word about what God is doing in Rwanda through YFC.
  

Keep up the prayers!

My goal is to be fully funded in July so that I can leave for Rwanda the first week of August. I’m halfway there! I still need around $1,400in monthly support and $10,000 in up front costs. If you’d like to help me cross the Atlantic this month, just send in the pledge slip below.

April 2009 Newsletter

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. ~ Henry B. Adams

As a young teacher, Claude loves his job and hopes to influence many students. He is in his third year at Kigali Christian School (KSC) and his income helps to support his wife and extended family. Here are some of his thoughts about learning English:

• Why is it important for Rwandans to learn English? Rwanda is in the East African Community where English is used. English is spoken by many people around the world.

• What will happen if you are unable to learn English? I will not develop my knowledge and my economy. It will be a pity for me because I will be unable to teach in Rwanda.

• What fears do you have about learning English? We need much time.

Claude and the other teachers at KCS are excited and determined to learn English, but also concerned about the having the time to learn it so quickly. The school will begin teaching in English in January! I’m excited to come alongside the teachers as they learn English, but can not do it without your partnership. There are several ways that you can join me in this journey.

First, join me in praying

For YFC in Rwanda:
Teachers: Quickness in learning English and rest from any anxiety that this may cause. Students: That they would not fall behind during the transition. HIV/AIDs Initiative: Hope, healing, and an eternal perspective for the women and their families. Post Secondary Training Program: Students would grow in understanding the depth of God’s unconditional love.

For Me:
Spiritual: Jesus would be the one who animates my life, brings me joy and peace, and motivates me. Cultural: Open eyes to see, ears to hear, mind to consider, and heart to experience the richness of Rwandan life. Educational: Quick to learn their language structure and effective teaching strategies. Social: Sorrow of leaving friends and family and joy of making new ones.

Secondly, would you consider supporting me financially? I will need to raise funds to cover monthly and one-time start up expenses.

As Claude say, “we need much time”, so I’m hoping to arrive in Rwanda this summer. Your tax-deductible donations can help me get there and are a great way to invest in something of lasting value.

March 2009 Newsletter

April marks the 15th anniversary of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The nation has made remarkable progress in the last 15 years, however there is still a long road of reconciliation and rebuilding ahead. YFC in Rwanda is coming alongside the people on this journey as they share the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

One way that YFC is sharing God’s love while meeting a tangible community need is through Kigali Christian School. This YFC school is indigenously staffed and has educated more than 550 primary students from all socio-economic classes since opening in January 2005. In addition to the required course work, students study the Bible and are challenged to become life long servants of God and their community.

In January 2010, the school must transition from French to English as the language of instruction. While this opens new opportunities, it is a daunting challenge as English is not widely spoken in Rwanda.

My role with YFC is to encourage, equip, and empower the teachers and staff during the period of language transition in three main initiatives:

1. Establishing an English Program and equipping the teachers to instruct in English.
2. Supporting the AAA Initiative. AAA is a HIV/AIDS outreach to increase Awareness and promote Abstinence among the youth, and provide Assistance to HIV positive women through employment and job training to enable them to develop small businesses and provide for their families.
3. Teaching in the Post Secondary Training Program. This initiative provides class room and hands-on training in bible study, evangelism, and discipleship to high school graduates who are waiting to enroll in university studies.
   

This is a huge task and one that I can not do alone. I look forward to sharing more with you as I begin looking for prayer and financial partners to share in this adventure.

February 2009 Newsletter

I went bowling with God. He won and I’m going to teach English
in Rwanda with Youth For Christ (YFC).

It all started with a Facebook message from my sister-in-law Kiki,

“Anglophone friends around the world… As you may know, we work at a pre- and elementary school in Kigali, Rwanda in East Africa. Our school just completed its 3rd year in existence, with 480 students and 34 staff. The language of instruction at the school is currently French, though the government of Rwanda has recently announced that they want all schools to teach in English by January 2010 - just over one year away! Since most of our teachers don't even speak English that presents a new challenge for us, but one that we hope you'll be able to help us fulfill. Do you know anyone who would be interested in coming to teach English to our staff?”

My heart skipped a few beats and my thoughts raced, “What about me? No, that’s crazy! But I love Africa - I love to teach. Yes? No! Maybe?” And so I began investigating and making lists - lists of pros and cons, doubts, questions, and fears.

The bowling began in January when I took all my doubts, questions, and fears to YFC World Outreach Candidate Orientation. The bowling pins were my questions, doubts, and fears. It was amazing to see God knock them down. But to my surprise the pins reappeared in the next round as I gained more information or examined them from a slightly different angle. God knocked them down again. In some rounds, he knocked all the pins down at once with a forceful strike. In others, he gently knocked down a few pins and returned later to pick up the rest. Through a series of rounds, God patiently but persistently knocked down all my pins and gave me peace about pursuing this opportunity.

I’m grateful that the Lord is patient and can handle all of my doubts, questions, and fears. He has enlarged my heart for Rwanda, opened my eyes to the opportunities the English language brings to Rwandans, and given me an excitement to play a role.

I look forward to sharing my excitement with you over the coming months as I prepare for this new adventure.