Claudine Today, May 2010

Claudine is so much healthier than she was in March 2009 when she came to Urukundo (see Archive Blog post "Claudine Arrives March 2009"). She arrived skin and bones at 15 pounds and was two years old. She had cataract surgery in August and can now see (to what extent we still aren't sure). She has been fitted with glasses to help her continue to heal. While she was being tested for her cataract surgery they found a hole in her heart. She underwent surgery to correct the holes in November 2009. Doctors from Belgium donated their services so all we had to pay for was the hospital room for surgery. God is good!

This picture was taken in May 2010. Louise, from UK, is one of Claudine's biggest fans. Louise come every weekend (on her off time) from Kigali to help rehabilitate Claudine. Here you see how far Claudine has come. She is now standing on her own two feet and supporting her body weight. She still has a long way to go.

We have no idea what long term challenges that Claudine faces because of her struggle to survive when she was so young. But we do know that Jesus and Urukundo love her very much. We will continue to help her become all that God wants her to be.

Claudine's Grandmother came to visit her last weekend. Her Grandmother looked pleasantly surprised at how much Claudine had grown. We ask that you continue to pray for Claudine as she gets stronger and soon will walk.

The stark reality of life in Rwanda is that Claudine was left to die. When a child is born with physical or mental challenges they are often neglected to the point of death. Claudine was blind with cataracts at birth and the mother gave her to Grandma and Grandma didn't know what to do so she was brought to us. God has a plan for Claudine's life and we feel privilege to be a part of it!

Claudine Arrives March 2009

Who could forget the picture of Claudine when she arrived in March 2009. Here is what Arlene wrote about the arrival of Claudine in March 2009:

"A new child has come into our lives. Her name is Claudine. In my arms and in my heart I carry this little girl.

Claudine is two years old and appears to be 4 months old in development. She may weigh 15 lbs. This precious child suffers from starvation, scabies, God only knows what else, and is blind. She has cataracts over both eyes. She is an abandoned child needing what we have to give.

Doctor Petre an ophthalmologist from Sweden working at Kabgayi Hospital, a volunteer from his country, called and asked us to help.

He will do surgery on the eyes but in her condition now she would not survive anesthesia. His question was “will you take her for at least 3 months and see if you can restore her to health. He also said, “She will have vision after the surgery”. Praise God.

We could not say no and so she is now part of the family.

She will have special needs and special foods and a mama to care for her. Do we need help? Yes we do. We especially need your thoughts and prayers.

We have sent her to the general hospital with Dr. Petre for tests to be sure she has no infectious diseases that we can not treat and if tests prove we can care for her she will come home in a few days to much “LOVE” at Urukundo Home for Children. The children did not want us to take her away even for a little while. We know she will come home soon. God willing. Please pray for this 2 year old infant." (please click on "Claudine today" post on the right hand column)

Saying "Good-bye" and Saying "Hello"

So what would make someone want to sell everything and move to be a missionary in Rwanda? Let me start when I first met Andria. Andria was on a woman's retreat with her church (NPBC). It was close to love at first sight! During our 3 years of dating Andria shared that she sensed God calling her into full-time missions. She wanted to find someone who also had the same calling. I, being your typical male, told her what she wanted to hear, "Sure, I would love to be a missionary!". Deep in my heart I knew I was be disingenuous. Andria left the discussion at that and allowed God to move my heart on his own.

When we got married, 7/11/08 something happened. I don't really know how to explain it but my desire to live overseas as a missionary increased to an unbearable degree. I began to feel uncomfortable living the "American Dream" while God was calling me...and now us...to something different.

So that brings us to today. We have sold everything. Someone asked me here in Rwanda, after they saw our house and material possessions, if it was difficult to come here. I had to be honest and say "no'. Now, there have been challenges along the way, but we have never felt more sure of what God has wanted then for us to be at Urukundo in Rwanda.

One of the theme verses that God has been giving me or our life is from Matthew 22:37-39 (New International Version)

37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'

To love God and to love others, to put it simply, is our "marching orders". As we stood before Andria's childhood church North Phoenix Baptist and before New Covenant Lutheran, we sensed God saying that this move to Rwanda was the way he wanted us to love Him and others! We could do nothing else but submit!

The Woman at our Staff Meeting

A woman stopped by Urukundo as we were in a staff meeting. John who has such a “pastor’s heart” greeted her and began to ask her what brought her to Urukundo. She came and sat on the floor. It was uncomfortable for her to sit on the floor while we were in chairs so i offered my seat to her but she refused. She desperately began to share a story that I could only imagine the details. She showed two pieces of paper to John. She pointed to the base of the neck.

John then turned to us and shared her story. She was HIV positive and was asking us to help her start a business. Her rent was two months late (as she showed us on the paper) and she was struggling to support her son in school. She was also suffering from a tumor on her back. She wanted to start a business so that she could afford the drugs for her HIV and so she could pay her bills.

We sat and talked about her situation. I felt compassion for her as she sat humbly on the floor. As Arlene talked about how the need is so great in Rwanda, but we at Urukundo need to be careful on who we help. We can’t solve all the problems here in Gitarama. We are called to be a Home for Children first. We can help some, but not all. We had John share this with the hurting woman. We shared with her various clinics that she should visit as well as government agencies that may be able to give her aid. I asked if I could pray for her before she left.

As I prayed I pictured God’s love engulfing the tumor and disease. I prayed for peace and opportunity for her. I touched her shoulder lightly as I prayed. She winced as I made contact. I prayed as best I could feeling very inadequate and sorry we could not help her more.

We said goodbye and she walked away.

Liliane's Passport

We are traveling today to Rwamagana to once again make an attempt to secure Liliane’s passport. We met her mom, who now has another baby in tow, at the proper government office. This is the fourth trip to various cities to try to secure her passport. Her mom is waiting in the building and comes out to meet us after John, one of our staff at Urukundo, calls her. We enter the building only to find that their is a note on the door that the person we need to see has gone for the day. There is a note that we can travel to the next town, we have spent two hours on the road and the next town is another 30 minutes.

We have now arrived in the next town and asked for directions to the proper building. The trouble all started because the government is fearful that we are going to sell Liliane once we get her out of the country. The genocide in 1994 that killed almost a million Rwandese is still fresh in everyone’s mind. The government is very leery of adoption or anything that allows it’s citizen’s the opportunity to leave Rwanda.

So as I type we are waiting to be seen at some government agency. We wait with a long line of other people. Already we had to leave to get a form to fill out. They asked us to walk through a field to a print shop to get the form. Everything seems to take extra long here. Whether it is because the person you want to see is gone or because the line is long.

It was interesting to watch Liliane (in eighth grade) and her mom interact. At first it looked like there was no relationship. I have no idea at this point what their history is other than the fact that Liliane was “given up” to live at Urukundo. As we traveled to our present location I saw smiles and laughter as they chatted in the back seat of our Toyota Corolla. I asked Liliane is she had a good relationship with her mom. She said “yes” but I wonder if she really understood my question.

It is getting hot and uncomfortable so I have moved back to the car. The simple wood bench is full in side the door where everyone is waiting their turn. Liliane is outside the building waiting patiently. She would love to travel to America with Arlene this summer. Arlene plans on being in the U.S. from June 24th to October 11th. She would like Liliane to spend time with her sponsor parents and go to school for 4 weeks as well as travel with her to her speaking engagements. So far Arlene has speaking gigs in Pennsylvania, Toronto, California, Arizona and Texas. She wants to share the stories of Urukundo and share the hope that Urukundo brings to the community.

Wednesday Liliane got word that her passport has been approved. She will now apply for her visa to visit America. Time is getting tight!

Meet Amin

I finally had a moment to relax. It’s been ten days. The chaos of moving to a new country and adapting to orphanage life was over whelming at times. I found a moment to close my door and lay down for a nap.

No sooner had I closed my eyes when I heard in a low smooth voice at my window “Todd”. It is a distinct pronunciation of my name that identifies it with the children of Rwanda. Again I heard “Todd”. In that moment I thought. Do I ignore and sleep or answer. My usual response would be to ignore. After all, the child probably doesn’t even know I am in my room, let alone trying to sleep. But God nudged me to respond. The voice said, “This is Amin” then I could not understand what else he was saying. The children have been taught English in school for two years now. It is the official language that schools must teach. With over crowded class rooms it is apparent that Urukundo needs to build their own school.

The voice again said that he had something for me...I said “I am trying to nap. No thanks.” I again closed my eyes and I heard Amin walk away. As I rested I began to think of Amin. He is probably in seventh grade. He is the boy who I never know where he is at at night. He disappears sometimes. He shows up after devotions in time for bed but he is always missing in action. He, of all the boys, is one that I have concern for. I wonder what his story is...I imagine it is one of hurt and rejection. There is an outer crust on Amin that tells a story.

As I rest it becomes apparent that I can not ignore the opportunity. I leave my room and go into the “living room” common area in the boys dorm which is right outside my door. I am sad that I have missed the opportunity. I sit quietly on the couch. In comes Amin. He has a piece of chapati bread and offers it to me. Every Saturday the cooks make delicious chapati. It is still warm and is coated in cooking oil and taste as good as mom’s home cooking! We sit and eat together not saying a whole lot.

Amin asks in broken English “Is America good?” I tell him it is but that Rwanda is good to. That America has both good and bad as well as Rwanda. I ask him “Is Rwanda good?” He smiles and says “yes”. We carry on a disjointed conversation of small talk. I am amazed at the moment because none of the boys up to this point have made any attempt at talking to me.

Amin is sitting next to me on the couch and turns his head and says, “Todd, I love you.” Time stops. My heart is in my throat and I manage to offer my heart back, “I love you too.” The rest of the time together, trying to play his cds on my computer, more chapati bread and playing the beginning of “Astro Boy” all seem pale in comparison to the moment that I almost slept away.

Latest from Rwanda

I am finally settling into a grove this week. I kind of feel like I have gone back in time to the "Little House on the Prairie" days. Life is so simple and there is a struggle for the basics of existing. It was a humbling experience to preach on Sunday in our new Hope House. I feel so inadequate whenever I preach. And yet I feel like God has something to say and if I can just step out of the way and allow him to use me...that is always my prayer. It is difficult living in a dorm of boys and babies. I usually wake up to the sound of a dog barking followed by a baby screaming. It is getting me ready for fatherhood I guess! I am excited to get Andria over here so that we can start this adventure with Jesus together. We hope to start building a house after six months. It is amazing how much construction materials cost. Fuel is over $9/liter. So our house will be around $35,000. Labor is dirt cheap. $1.40/hour is a real good wage here. Attached are some pictures of the farm animals we have. I thought you would enjoy the pictures of the cows especially. They don't call the black and white one a holstein...I think maybe a freeshawn??? or something like that. i need to do a little more research. Our hired "farmer" is Kagaba. You see him with the animals keeping them grazing in the right places. He is an older gentleman and doesn't know any English but enjoys a game of charades as I try to communicate with him. 

I am trying to learn the names of all the kids (36 of them) and the mama's (those woman hired to care for the children, cook and clean) and the hired men who are working on various projects. Some of the woman actually sleep here with the children and babies. Most go home to their families at night. 

Yesterday at church the girl (Florentine) who gave a message quoted a Bible verse from Job and talked about how we must have faith in God to see us through life. I was so moved by her faith. She is probably 12 or 13 years old and spoke like a mature Christian. That is the way it is with all the children. They have such deep faith. It amazes me that they do because they have so little when it comes to material possessions. Many have very sad stories of abuse and neglect. Some have parents that have abandoned them. One girl was visited by her mother who she had not seen for years since being abandoned. Her mother made the visit to tell her daughter, Deborah, that she was pregnant and going to have another baby. Deborah was devastated. She felt the pain of rejection all over again as her mother walked out of her life.

I just met with Emmy. He is the business administrator. He is so excited that I am here at Urukundo. He has a business degree and is eager to develop a business plan for the orphanage. He has been trained in “strategic planning” and would like to talk about “the big picture” of where we are going. If you plan to hit nothing you will certainly hit it! Where is God taking Urukundo? What should be our next project? What will Urukundo look like in five years in ten years? Great stuff.

My sermon on Sunday was the story of David and Goliath. I enjoyed preaching although I found it nerve-racking. Preaching here means pausing and getting into a rhythm with my interpreter John. The rhythm means you need to use short sentences or phrases so John can keep in a flow with your story. I find myself even more animated here than at home. Whether that is true or not it may just be a figment of my imagination. I told the story and then asked them what they were afraid of? I asked them to rely on God to get them through their “giants”. I reminded them that Jesus is our rock (like the rock that David slung). Jesus will protect us and help us through our troubles.

The power just went out. I guess that happens from time to time. We are fortunate to even have power. 90% of Rwandese do not have electricity or running water. We have water from a city water system. During the dry months it runs out and we have to haul water daily. It gets to be very expensive. I am researching on building a well here. Apparently there is some government land below us that would be good for a well. The whole community around would benefit. I have one person, Bill, from New Covenant Lutheran Church that has committed $1,000 toward a well here. I have to find out how much it would cost. We also collect rain water in big black tanks. A number of buildings have tanks next to them for this reason. You should see them in the pictures. This water is used for everything from laundry to brushing your teeth.

I just got back from lunch. We eat in two shifts. The morning school kids aren’t back yet so the afternoon kids eat first. Public schools are so crowded that they can only go half days. The food was the familiar spaghetti noodles, beans and a interesting cooked dish of bananas. It was delicious! I am becoming a vegetarian by default. Meat is too expensive and we only have it occasionally.

Well I have rambled long enough. I thank everyone for their prayers. This is a big change for us but we sense this is exactly where God wants us to be. Change is always difficult but our faith will help us make the transition.

Our New Home

It has been a few days since I arrived in Rwanda. Jet lag hasn't been an issue for me really. I had a restless night of sleep two nights ago but last night I slept well. It must be the rainy season because it has rained hard every night. The days are very pleasant with the sun breaking through the clouds to create a very nice.