Ten Talents International Blog

Two of our boys in the Home of Innocence are transitioning back to their families.  Several weeks ago when Mike told them they would be going back home they had a hard time with it.  It’s not that they don’t love their families, but I believe they have grown used to the HoI, and their foster family there.  It is also a bit of an adjustment for them as they will be living farther out, more in the “village” and changing schools.  They are also going from a home with electricity, running water, cement floors, bunk beds, etc. to a home that has mud walls, small spaces, no electricity or running water, and probably mattresses placed on the floor.  However, despite these lack of comforts we are convinced that if a child has a functional family then the child belongs with their family.

The first child to transition back to his family is a lovable little guy, Theonest.

To refresh you, here is the blog entry that tells the story of how Mike personally brought Theonest into the home in April, 2009.  I drove Theonest and his dad to their home on Friday.  As we drove up to the house I was thinking to myself, “This area looks a lot like the Acres of Hope…”  Theonest’s family home is adjacent to a large piece of empty property, so I got out of the car and walked forward.  Now it did look a lot different (the big old tree that used to sit in the middle of the property died), and it is very grown over with vegetation and crops that people are planting there, but I know it was the Acres of Hope- which I found quite amazing!  They may have found that house on purpose because Mike told them they can plant crops on the property there.

The second boy who is going to transition back home is our sweet little Dieudonne.

Dieudonne charmed us from the first time we met him at the feeding program for street children in 2009.  We got him registered and sponsored in our At Risk program but he was still having problems with staying away from home and not going to school.  We brought him into the Home of Innocence in September of 2010.  He has done well since being in the Home of Innocence, and he is doing well enough in school to place him first in his class!

Our hope & prayer for both of these boys is that their time in the Home of Innocence has secured a new and better future for them.  They have experienced stability, love, spiritual nurturing, and responsibility.  Please pray with us for these boys that they would carry these foundations with them and build upon them in their families.  We have had a counselor working with both the boys and the families to help in this transition.  We chose this time because in the month of April the kids are off school and it would be an opportune time to change schools.

All the boys in the Home of Innocence had a lot of fun this week as we had a team from All God’s Children International working on the Home.  The team painted walls, even murals in the boys’ bedrooms (pictures to come)!  They also helped install tether balls for the boys.  The team played games and had crafts and blessed us all.  Then yesterday they went back to the USA, but I’m pretty sure they all left a part of their hearts here in Rwanda!

Thank you for your prayers for each of the children we are working with here, but especially this week for Theonest and Dieudonne.  Change is not an easy thing, but we know that God can help them with all their needs.

God Bless You,

Lisa

April 7th is the anniversary of the 1994 genocide that took place in Rwanda. It is a time when the country remembers things that they would rather forget. When people pause their lives (no one works that day) and consider. For many this is a time of remembering pain and loss.  Will you take a moment to join with me and pray for Rwanda?

Today we pray especially for the country of Rwanda and it’s people. A country that has shown amazing resilience by rebuilding itself miraculously in these last 17 years. A country whose people are strong and determined. And yet, many of them are holding onto painful memories that they hide deep inside. God, we ask you to be the peace that each of these hearts needs. We ask you to direct the hearts of the people of Rwanda to you, and that as they turn to you hope would rise within them. God help them to release their pain and memories to you and to find comfort and healing in your embrace. Help a people who have felt betrayed by friends, neighbors, and even family members to find the strength and unwavering faith that trusts in a God who will never let them down.

God we know that you care especially for the orphan and the widow.  We pray today that each orphan would know that you are their loving & ever-present father.  We ask that each widow would see that you are the husband she lacks & that she can depend on you.

I pray for even the questions that may go unanswered, the “why” and the “how”, that they would trust their unanswerable questions to you God, and know that no matter what their eyes may have seen, you God are able to work all things together for good, because you are good.  And nothing is impossible for you!

Thank you God that “now is the time” for Rwanda.  Now is the time for your Spririt to move.  Now is the time for a harvest of souls.  Now is the time to call your loved ones out of darkness & into light & joy! 

In Jesus Name We Pray,

Amen.

In the Home of Innocence we have two boys who have had heart surgery. To monitor their health these boys are required to visit the hospital every other week to have their blood checked. Visiting the hospital causes them to miss days of school, is an expense, and really a big hassle. We had been told that we could purchase a machine to check their blood at home. We searched for one online and found it priced at over a thousand dollars. We placed the item on our ministry wish list, knowing this was asking a lot, but hoping!

This morning we got an email telling us that one of the team members for the April mission team had found a used (but still working great) machine for only $258!  Wow!  What makes this story even more amazing is that just the day before someone had donated $250 to this team member for her to use for her trip!  How awesome is that!?

We praise God for this provision.  This is going to be a huge blessing to these boys that they no longer have to deal with the hassle of spending a whole day in the hospital every other week, and they do not have to miss out on the important lessons going on in school those days.  It is also a blessing to the volunteers who help us at the home as they do not have to spend the day at the hospital as well.

Just another example of how our God can do anything!

God Bless You,
Lisa

How many times in your life has someone sung the song “Happy Birthday” to you? You may think about how old you are, toss a few extra in, and come up with some kind of number. Now imagine if you had lived your whole life & had never had anyone sing that song to you. Oh sure you’d heard the song on TV and in movies, you knew about it, but had never heard anyone actually sing it to you- to say they wanted to celebrate the birth of YOU. In fact, you aren’t really sure when you were born because no one ever took any notice of it. Someone told you what year you were born in, so every year when the year changed then you know you are a year older. But certainly no one ever sings to you on that day, and no one even utters a “Happy Birthday” wish.

What I have just described is the case for many children in Rwanda, including much of those in the Home of Innocence. It occurred to us recently that it would be fun to throw a birthday party for the boys, so we decided last month we would celebrate the birthday of all the boys born in December, January, and February. Since so many don’t have a birthdate, and January 1st becomes the default, we were celebrating the birthdays of 10 out of 15 boys. Too many names to put on the cake we ordered from the African Bagel Company!

We got to have this birthday party with members of a mission team connected to us through All God’s Children International, and this team graciously offered to pay for the party as well.  We had some balloons left here from a previous team, so we got out chairs and divided everyone, kids & adults alike, into two teams to play “pop the balloon on a chair relay”.  The kids really got a charge out of that, we played another relay game, hide and seek, and then came inside for sambosas and juice.  Then we got to put candles on the cake & sing Happy Birthday to everyone.  We finished up the night by playing a game of “pin the tail on the cow” (donkeys are not common in Rwanda, so I changed the game).  If you want to see more photos of the birthday party they are on the Ten Talents International facebook page.

Celestin ready for his turn at putting a "tail" on the cow picture.

Everyone had a great day with lots of laughs and smiles.  I am so glad we did this, and for many of these kids I am sure this will be a day that they remember for a long time.  Their first birthday party.  The first time anyone sang Happy Birthday to them.  Their first birthday cake.  I look forward to doing this again next month for the kids who were born in March, April, and May.

We have quite a crowd now when we get all our Home of Innocence boys together!

Would you like to come with a team to Rwanda?  We encourage you to contact All God’s Children International as they are putting teams together for Rwanda mission trips and have become a great partner organization with the work going on here in Rwanda.

God Bless You,

Lisa

I would like to share some excerpts from a note Mike wrote.  I think it is a good summary of where we are at right now.

First an update on the 12 Days of Christmas: 2 more items have been purchased, so now we get to give the kids mosquito nets and 11 bags of charcoal (for cooking).  Yeah!  Thank you!  There are still some items left if you are interested please read the post below this one.

On Saturday, January 1st, we held a party for all the sponsored children and their families.  We planned for 125 people, but actually ended up feeding 140 people.  In addition to their meal and soda, we gave each sponsored child a gift: a new outift, including shoes.  Mike also took some time to talk with them and share with them about having a relationship with Jesus.

Mike (with our son Michael Munyaneza interpreting) addresses the attendees

The kids were all delighted with their new clothes, and if you are a sponsor you have probably already received an email with your sponsored child’s new picture.  Want to see more pictures of the party?  Search for “Ten Talents International” on facebook.  On our page there I will add more pictures from the party.

This last Saturday, January 8th, we gave all the sponsored kids 8 exercise books (blank notebooks) and 2 pens for school (after 1st grade they don’t use pencils in school here).  That’s about 400 notebooks and 120 pens!  Next week we will be giving out 50 backpacks.  When you calculate the party along with this and paying for school fees for all of the children (January marks the new school year in Rwanda)- this has been a very expensive month for TTI!  Please keep praying for God to provide for the ministry going on here.

On this same day we also met with all the children who are waiting to be sponsored.  These children come to our offices every month.  We are able to pay their school fees, but that is it.  Many of them have more needs: like notebooks, pens, and backpacks for school, school uniforms, medical care, etc.  Please pray for us to find more sponsors.  It is very difficult to have to see them waiting month after month.  Once they are sponsored we are able to do much more for them.  Right now, we pay their school fees, keep track of them, and we pray for them.  We pray together for God to provide a sponsor for them, as well as for the other needs of the family.  If you scroll down on this blog you can see where I’ve highlighted a few of these waiting children.

Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in Rwanda.  Sometimes there is so much need it can feel overwhelming, but I know that what God requires of us is just our obedience.  We continue to move forward in the work he has called us to do.  More children are being sponsored every month, and we also are bringing more boys into the Home Of Innocence.  These two boys both have had heart surgery similar to Benjamin.  One child is an orphan, the other has family but they are not able to properly care for him.  Pray with us for their transition into the home and for God to use their time in the Home of Innocence as He wills.

God Bless You!

Lisa

P.S.  Here is a picture of the new cushions in the Home of Innocence- no more sitting on wood slats!  Thank you!

Merry Christmas everyone! I would like to give you an update on our “12 Days of Christmas for the Home of Innocence” campaign. The items we listed were as follows:

1st Day: a propane cooker and tank, cost $100 – update: this item has been donated towards!

2nd Day: 2 dozen nets, cost $4 each, $48 total (still available)

3rd Day: 3 bicycles, cost $100 each, $300 total – update: these have been donated towards!

4th Day: 4 cooking pots, cost$7 each, $28 total - update: these have been donated towards!

5th Day: 5 comfy cushions, cost $170 – update: cushions have been purchased & are already in the home, picture to come soon!

6th Day:  6 gerry cans, cost $2 each, $12 total – update: these have been donated towards!

7th Day:  7 place settings (plate, cup, fork, spoon, cup), cost $5 each, $35 total – update: these have been donated towards!

8th Day:  8 sets of bedding, $25 each, $200 total – (still available)

9th Day:  9 backpacks, cost $6 each, $54 total - (still available)

10th Day: 10 towels for bathing, cost $7 each, $70 total - (still available)

11th Day:  11 bags of charcoal, $9 each, $99 total - (still available)

12th Day:  12 children sponsored, cost $35/month -  these children are still waiting!

Thank you to those who gave towards these items, and to those who are praying for the children here.  Thank you for helping us to give them a very Merry Christmas!

God Bless You,

Lisa

my true love gave to me…

12 CHILDREN SPONSORED

(11 bags of charcoal, 10 towels for bathing, 9 backpacks, 8 sets of bedding, 7 place settings, 6 jerry cans, 5 comfy cushions, 4 cooking pots, 3 bicycles, 2 dozen nets, and a propane cooker and tank!)

That’s right, that’s what we’re wishing our “true love” would bring to us.  (We all know who our real first love is, right?  The one who came as a humble baby, lived, and died to take our punishment for us so that we could live in freedom & power & be with Him forever.)

Right now there are 12 waiting children listed on our sponsorship page (click on “get involved” and then “child sponsorship”).  Imagine, most of these children we have listed there now have been waiting for their own sponsor since early 2009.  That’s almost 2 years now.  We allow sponsors to pick the child they want to sponsor, and we do not require that those who have been waiting the longest be chosen first.  So, while other children have been receiving their sponsorship, these kids have been waiting… and waiting.

I would like to highlight a couple of these kids for you.  The first one you see here is named Antionette.  She is a quiet girl who suffers from chronic pain in her head and stomach, possibly a result of beatings she received during the 1994 genocide (she was 2 years old then).  Although she is very small and frail, she is actually 18 years old (and going into the 4th grade).  Antionette is an orphan with no siblings, and she is being raised by her grandma.  One of the most important things sponsorship would provide for Antionette would be medical insurance.  Hopefully regular medical care would provide her with some relief from her physical suffering.  This girl has big dreams though, when she finishes her schooling she would like to be a political leader, like a mayor.

This young man’s name is Emmanuel.  He has a mother, but she is poor and lives out in the village.  His father’s whereabouts are unknown.  Emmanuel has been living in Kigali for several years trying to figure out ways to take care of himself.  He had to spend two years living on the streets of Kigali, not a good life.  Through an uncle of his he has managed to be admitted into a boarding school.  He is 20 years old and has now reached 12th grade.  He has worked very hard to make it this far, and his determination is proven by the fact that the school he attends has admitted him even though they know he is unable to pay the fees.  Emmanuel regularly visits the TTI office, wondering if we have found a sponsor for him yet.  Although he has been admitted to school, there are many other items he is needing in order to be there (school supplies, mattress, wash basin, soap, etc.)  Sponsorship could help with some of these items.  His dream would be to become a doctor.

There are other children on our sponsorship page all with similar stories.  All coming to our offices each month, as required, waiting to be told they have a sponsor.  What a wonderful Christmas present it would be to be able to tell them they now have a sponsor, someone to help them reach their goals!

Child Sponsorship: cost $35 per month, but the value of it is beyond measure…

As mentioned, please click on the tab that says “get involved” and then the heading “child sponsorship”.  You can see the waiting children and their profiles right there, and select the child you would like to sponsor.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a very blessed New Year.  Please join with us in praying for a sponsor for each one of these waiting kids (there are another 20+ who we do not have room for on our website that are also registered and waiting).

God Bless You,

Lisa

P.S. Tomorrow I will post a recap of the “12 Days” so you can see it all in one post.

my true love gave to me…

11 bags of charcoal!

(10 towels for bathing, 9 backpacks, 8 sets of bedding, 7 place settings, 6 jerry cans, 5 comfy cushions, 4 cooking pots, 3 bicycles, 2 dozen nets, and a propane cooker and tank!)

I know that charcoal is usually a gift reserved for those kids who are on Santa’s “naughty” list, but we promise that charcoal is actually a very useful thing to give!  On the first day of this, when I told you about the propane cooker, I mentioned that charcoal is the primary cooking fuel used here in Rwanda.  The vast majority of people cook outside over charcoal stoves.  At the Home of Innocence the house auntie (and our new house uncle) work very hard cooking for the 12 boys, three meals a day.  They go through one of the large bags of charcoal about once a week.

Charcoal is beautiful because it is what cooks the food that these growing boys get to put into their welcoming stomachs!

11 bags of  charcoal: cost $9 each, total cost $99 (buy a few, or all, there is no requirement)

You can give right here on our website by clicking on the “giving” tab and selecting general fund.  Once you get to your paypal payment screen there is a note section where you can state “12 Days” and what item you are giving towards.

God Bless You,

Lisa

my true love gave to me…
10 towels for bathing
(9 backpacks, 8 sets of bedding, 7 place settings, 6 jerry cans, 5 comfy cushions, 4 cooking pots, 3 bicycles, 2 dozen nets, and a propane cooker and tank!)

Something simple, but this, just like the cooking pots, the backpacks, or the sets of bedding, is something that gets used everyday & gets worn out.    Our boys could use some new towels- would you like to help?

10 Bath Towels: cost $7 each,   $70 total

You can give right here on our website by clicking on the “giving” tab and selecting general fund.  Once you get to your paypal payment screen there is a note section where you can state “12 Days” and what item you are giving towards.

God Bless You,

Lisa