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Student Sponsorships at City of Joy

Student Sponsorships

Education is the key to helping children and giving them a brighter future. For many kids education is difficult. Even though government (public) schools are free there are costs involved. Uniforms, sandals, haircuts, paper, pencils, pens, and other supplies are required. If a family is too poor to buy these things some children remain at home and don't go to school.

City of Joy is making a difference through Student Sponsorships! You can sponsor a student and help them go and stay in school. For a yearly gift of $25-primary school or $50-secondary school, you can help a child. You will receive a picture and short biography of the child you have helped. Your gift will provide everything needed for one year of education.

Women of Rwanda Sponsorships

You can change a life through a vocational training sponsorship program called "Women of Rwanda". For a one year commitment of $30/month you can help an at-risk young woman realize her potential in Christ.

The program gives these women the tools and support needed to succeed not only in business but also in life. Each sponsored woman will receive: a sewing machine, English classes, business classes, one-on-one mentoring to help design a life plan and other tools to help.

You as a sponsor will receive a picture and profile as well as updates through out the year. Go to www.cityofjoyfoundation.org to donate.

Message from the Nashes

City of Joy. Three little words that mean so much. When we moved to Rwanda in 2010 we had no idea how much this country would be apart of our DNA. We have been serving at an international school here in Kigali, Rwanda since August 2010 and we have made a difference in students lives. I have been teaching History, Bible and Philosophy and Jeana has been helping students choose classes that help them with their future in college. Isaiah 43 reminds us that God is always doing new things and that can happen in Rwanda just as it happens all over the world every day. We believe that God is doing a new thing in our lives as well. We have been asked to join our friends Todd and Andria Ellingson who started a ministry called City of Joy. We have spent time in prayer and believe that we are meant to partner with them. In 2010 we committed to working at the school, KICS, for two years and we are coming to the close of that committment. Todd and Andria have asked us to come and work with them in the village of Gatagara. They are building a school and have completed building a Women's Center/Conference Center. They are also ready to start a church. They want me (Matt) to plant a church, do Bible classes for the neighborhood people and also start a pastor training center. I am going to be going through all the certifications and trainings this summer with Dynamic Church Planting International. This is something that our church in Oceanside is really involved with and I was planning to do anyway. They want Jeana to do grant writing, travel planning for visiting teams, and help get the school started. Jeana will continue to work with Spoken For helping to grow the ministry and extend it to the Southern Province of Rwanda, where we will be living. Some of you have already been a part of City of Joy by purchasing goats and helping build the widow Lai's house. We will be continuing to sponsor Rwandan students go to school, get clean water and be the hands and feet of Jesus to them. Our mission is to preach Christ through word and deed. It is all very exciting! We will also homeschool Emma. We were concerned about her being in a regular Kindergarten class anyway and now we can modify her learning to where she is at. We have officially resigned from the school so that they can begin searching for our replacements. We will complete the remaining school year and finish well before returning for the summer on furlough. This ministry move will require us to raise more money over the summer. We will need to buy a car, furniture for the house, insurance, etc. We will also need to increase our monthly support by about $500/month to cover the rent of a house in Nyanza (about 15 minutes from Gatagara). We know that this is what God wants us to do and so He will provide. We are looking into extending our summer fulough into September maybe early October so that we can have more time to raise support. We so value all of you and the prayer and financial support you have given to us. We want to be good stewards of the resources we have been given and we believe that God will go before us on this adventure. William Carey, the father of modern missions, once said, "Expect great things from God and Attempt great things for God." It will be hard to leave KICS because it was our introduction to life in Rwanda, but we believe that God has opened up a new road for us to travel on. Please email us if you would like to know more details about what this transition will mean for us. Jeana's email address isjeanagoblue@hotmail.com and Matt's email address ischinadad08@gmail.com. Here is a link to the City of Joy-Rwanda facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/City-of-Joy-Rwanda/265998840082320 Grace + Peace to you Matt, Jeana and Emma

Check out the latest newsletter!

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Check out the latest newsletter!

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Check out the latest newsletter!

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Student Sponsorships

A one time donation of $25 provide primary school children ($50 for a secondary school child) a uniform, sandals, paper, pens, pencils, haircut and a 1 year health insurance policy. Meet the latest child to be sponsored.

Name: Julian Nyirangirimana

Name of School: Kaganza School

Age: 13

Gender: female

Grade: Primary 4

How many siblings do you have? 1 brother 2 sisters

What is your favorite subject in school? My favorite subjects are English & Kinyarwanda.

What is your favorite food? I like cassava and beans.

What are your favorite games? I like to jump rope.

What do you like to do when you are not at school? I like to fetch water, cook and sweep.

What would you like to do after you are done with Secondary School? I would like to teach English in a secondary school.

The Gym

I have never been a member of a gym. Since we are home for so long I joined the gym in Fountain Hills called "The Peaks". I found it hard to work out in the mornings on my own because of the cool temps and no street lights in the neighborhood.

Fountain Hills has a large population of older adults. At the gym the same retired guys show up each morning around 5:30am. Gary Parker is one of the guys that I have met. He is 67 and very fit. He said that 20 years ago he became obese and will never let that happen again. He works out 1.5 hours on the elliptical each morning starting at 4:30am. He is a shining example of someone dedicated to fitness.

This morning (Saturday) we had the opportunity to be on the elliptical together and shared more about our lives. He is a big game hunter and has been in over 50 countries hunting. He has written articles and enjoys experiencing other cultures. He asked me more about City of Joy. We had a good conversation about how to truly help people in Africa as apposed to putting band aides on symptoms of poverty.

At the end of our conversation he said that he would like to get me in contact with Jimmy Buffets brother who does humanitarian work in Africa. He specializes in agricultural projects that help farmers with subsistence farming. It's a long shot that he would be interested in our farming projects but stranger things have happened.

God Coincidences

I am always in awe when moments in life happen that are so encouraging and uplifting that they must be from God. Today my parents and I were eating at a restaurant in Fountain Hills. A gentleman saw our MN Twins shirt and North Dakota Sioux shirt and asked if we were from Minnesota. Long story shorter, they had relatives who were missionaries in Tanzania and were on the same ship, called Zan Zan, that was bombed in WW II as it traveled to Tanzania that our friend Velera.

Our good friend Velera Kinnan was on that ship as she was a missionary to Tanzania too and she use to share stories of it's sinking and their subsequent capture and imprisonment. Our new friends had similar stories of God's grace and protection of their family members.

Our new friends talked about how they would like to come to Rwanda and experience overseas missions. They had always planned on going to Africa but didn't have time. Both the husband and wife are retired now and finally feel like they can go on a mission trip. We exchanged contact information and hope to reconnect while we both are in AZ.

The Hand of God

Ella usually wakes up for nursing throughout the night. Usually around 2:30am is the first time she stirs. After she get done feeding is when we have trouble getting her back to sleep. What we have realized is that if we put our hand on her and apply slight pressure it will help her remain calm and fall back to sleep. Last night I found myself waking up to Ella's stirring every hour. I extended my hand over to her little bed and applied slight pressure and each time she fell back to sleep.

I thought about Psalm 23 and how Jesus comforts us as our shepherd. I began to imagine God's hand upon me as a loving Father helping me get through my day. I began to see God's character in a new and fresh light because of my new role as a Father. As a touch Ella I pray that she would experience the love and comfort that can only come from Jesus.

Check out the Mission in Rwanda!

http://www.icontact-archive.com/aipPAECVUx6fiZnRzcBs2YPsm_LN1JDn?w=2

Moving Day

Today I drove down to Casa Grande this morning to help my brother-in-law move to a new house. I realized a couple of important things....first, I am not as young as I use to be and my body hurts tonight. Second, strangely, I began to think about the concept of moving or being displaced in the Bible. I thought about the call that Jesus put on the disciples to "follow him". They dropped what they were doing (their careers) and made an incredible no holds bar commitment to do something totally different than what their lives were like. They moved from their comfortable lives and began to live a very challenging uncomfortable life.

How many of us are willing to do the same thing in our commitment to Jesus? After Pastor Dan's sermon last week I was struck by how much of an "entitlement" attitude we have. We somehow think that we are given the right to live a certain way because we live in a great country. We have a right to a nice house, car, job and other things that make life comfortable. But what I read over and over again is Jesus calling us to sacrifice and surrender....giving up all entitlements and "moving" to a new station in life-of surrender and sacrafice. What we have mistaken as a call of provide comfort is not what Jesus talks about at all. If anything our faith should make us very uncomfortable. Our faith should be like that of the early disciples which was risk-taking and brash. It flew in the face of the local politicians and religious leaders.

Of course I have a new perspective on all of this having myself moved to a new country and home in Rwanda. It has given me a new way of looking at life. I look at the children in our neighborhood and I realize that they didn't choose to be born into poverty. Aren't they entitled to the same possibilities in life that I have: job, house, family? How is it that just by where you are born comes God-given rights and opportunities? It doesn't seem fair.

So moving or relocating has become part of our commitment as Christ followers. As Jesus called the first 12 disciples to a commitment that required mobility he called Andria and I to that same path. It's a call to bring the gospel of hope and joy to people that need a little extra of those things today. It's about sharing the blessings that we enjoy in the States to people who haven't experienced those blessings. I think of Abraham who moved across the earth and was called to be a blessing to those he encountered because God first blessed him.

Radical commitment in the Bible always was risky and it should be today. A radical commitment to Jesus should cause us to want to move and to share the blessings that God has given us. It should cause people around us to question our sanity and should be some of the wildest, risk-taking behavior that people have ever seen. We have lost our moving ability because we have sanitized our faith to a nice neat package that shows itself only in Sunday worship at 10am. Let's get out and move!

Providing for Ella

During our talk to the 30's & 40's group at North Phoenix Baptist one young man asked if we were concerned about providing opportunity for Ella's (our baby daughter) future. He flushed out the question even more as he explained that as a parent himself he wanted to provide the best future for his child and living in Rwanda would be difficult to imagine that happening.

His question was a good one and it has made me think even more since then about what is "providing for Ella's future"? I don't think there is an easy answer and I probably didn't answer his question very well but let me summarize my thoughts here. I really wrestle with the idea of how Americans see themselves and their pursuit of the American dream. I struggle because I see some of what we hold to be true as contrary to my beliefs as a Jesus follower. When I read about Jesus life and the early disciples I read about sacrifice, surrender and commitment to serve.

When I listen about those pursuing the American Dream I hear about self belief, wealth, leadership and entitlement. Now I know what you are thinking...Todd's lost his way living in Rwanda! You are probably right. While I don't think that the being a Jesus follower and pursing the American Dream are necessarily mutually exclusive I do wonder if we are missing the mark in thinking that they are completely harmonious.

So my struggle continues. The Bible seems pretty clear. This life is not about "us". It is about God and His Kingdom. When the focus becomes more us than Him we have a problem. Some how the world has become an "us" and "them" type set up. There are "haves" and "have-nots". Americans, regardless of how little your income is, are by far the "haves" in the world. Comparatively, most Rwandans are the "have-nots" when it comes to economics.

Jesus clearly showed that the gospel or "good news" was for both groups. And in fact Jesus also made it clear that the "good news" was geared for the poor and the "least of these". Time and time again Jesus had harsh words to those who were rich in earthly standards. Not the wealth was bad in and of itself but because of the temptation that comes with materialism. Things become our god.

So if we are Jesus followers we must be what Jesus dedicated his life for..namely turn upside down the notion of what this world values and strives. To bring the good news of Jesus to those who need it most. The disciples gave up everything to follow Jesus..job, status, family, money..why do we think that being a Jesus follower should be any less now?

So back to the question posed to us at NPBC. I am confident that "providing" for Ella in Rwanda may be more easily attainable than if we lived in the States. The distractions of the American Dream will be, I am sure, replaced by other challenges but in the end God's grace will be sufficient where ever we live and raise our family.

Lillian goes to school

Lillian, with the red shirt under the yellow, never finished high school. Her family is poor and they could not afford the fees (approx. $50). We didn't realize when we hired her to work on the Women's Community Center that she was a high school dropout. When it came to our attention we asked her if she wanted to go back to school. Tears welled up in her eyes. She knew how important an education is to her future. We have paid for her way and she is now in school!

New Sewing Class to Start

We are so excited! The local government has identified the next group of boys and girls for the sewing class! The first class has now formed a sewing coop. We are helping them establish themselves in the community and will hopefully make enough money to support their families. The new group will start as soon as we raise enough money for supplies. They need around $25/week for the first 3 months to get them going. Notebooks, pens, fabric, thread, etc. will get them started on their exciting new adventure. In April both groups will move over to the Women's Center to have class and run their coop. But for the time being they will meet next to our house in a couple of the rooms.

The Manly Reunion

Yesterday we had a lunch at the Ricker's house. We invited some friends we hadn't seen in a while. It was so nice to reconnect after so many years. In the picture above is Tyson, Todd (me), Mike, Elli and Jeff; all of us plus Chris and Leland were part of a men's group that started meeting around 2001 or so. The men's group was an important part of my life. They helped me navigate through a divorce and other ups and downs. It is amazing to me that God has kept such incredible men in my life for so long.

Living Hope Community Church of Tucson

Living Hope Community Church
Mari, Casey, Andria and Ella
(Dave Lynn, Todd, Pastor Dave)

Yesterday we drove down to Tucson to speak at Living Hope Community Church. My good friend Dave Lynn (well known author and writer) is on the leadership team and has been our connection with them. LHCC bailed us out last year when we needed a church to collect donations for City of Joy. We are so appreciative for their help this past year. Now we have www.joytotheworldfoundation.org working with us on donations.

I shared stories of lives being changed in Rwanda. I showed how Jesus is alive in Rwanda and he is bringing great hope for a better future. After the worship service we had breakfast and small group discussion. The questions were so good! LHCC worships around 70 people on a typical weekend. They meet in a school. They are small but their is a feel of what you read in the book of Acts of the house church movement. God is using Living Hope to do some incredible things in this world.

Andria's cousin Casey and our college age friend from New Covenant Church, Mari, were both there and we had a great time after church getting burgers at In and Out Burger. Mari was part of the team that came over to visit Rwanda when we first moved their 2 years ago. She is thinking of doing something in the public health field and is very interested in visiting us in Rwanda for a long term visit.

How to Donate to City of Joy

We have a new partnership with an incredible company to help us manage our donations. You can now donate money to City of Joy by going to www.joytotheworldfoundation.org and receive a tax deduction for every donation.

Just choose "City of Joy" as the operating project. Put a note of where you would like your donation to go and leave us your email if we don't have it so we can thank you and send you information on your donation.

The company charges 3% to manage our funds and to send letters to donors for their tax preparations. Credit cards are an additional 3% in merchant fees. Checking account transfers are the most economical way to donate because the additional 3% is not charged. You can also specify automatic reoccurring gifts.

As soon as we get our website up and running we will try to streamline the donation page even more.

Generosity in any language

Lately I have been blown away by people's kindness. After living in Rwanda for the past 21 months I didn't know what to expect in the states. Would I be disappointed with Americans and the way we live while we visited from Jan. to April? Not at all.

Yesterday we were at Paradise Bakery and the manager gave us all a free lunch because she felt like we waited to long in line for our food. If she only knew that restaurants in Rwanda take 3 hours to serve food to you. If she only knew that we weren't at all bothered by the wait (we did tell her that).

Today my good friend Don Reddy gives Andria an extra phone he had to use for free! We were given a beautiful house to stay in while in Phoenix. The house is located in picturesque Fountain Hills. From the drive way we have a magnificent view of the Four Peaks and Superstition Mountains. Every day we can relax and feel the beauty of God's creation as we listen to his voice.

Every speaking engagement and luncheon we hear stories of commitment and sacrifice that followers of Jesus are making. Today I listened to leaders at NPBC share how God's Spirit is moving in Phoenix. I certainly am not disappointed but encouraged!