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.