ATN Begins to Touch a Community

God is bringing together a growing mission/service corps in our part of Kigali, Rwanda: more people, new ideas, fresh energy and greater service in our neighborhood and the nation.
The Xtra Mile Ministry has been reaching out to communities of genocide orphans for more than a year in various districts in different parts of Rwanda. The ministry has become 'family' to many who have no biological family by showing these young folks that they are not forgotten. Last month the Xtra Mile Ministry introduced its Educational Initiative to assist genocide orphans in funding their university education by arranging employment and scholarships for them to go to school part time.

The government of Rwanda has mandated that all primary and secondary school teachers from Grade 1 and up must be able to teach in English beginning in January, 2010. This has produced a huge incentive to learn English, and an opportunity for Africa Transformation Network to assist teachers and other professionals in attaining English proficiency.

This week, under Nancy's direction, ATN unveils a sewing course pilot project aimed ultimately for marginalized women who need sewing and craft-making as well as business skills to develop income-generating small businesses and cooperatives.
By April 1 we plan to begin offering three levels of courses in Computer Training led by Murphy Crowson and small business courses organized and taught by David Kimbrow.

Each of these ministries is designed to attract and empower people who have the potential to impact others in holistic ways; to effect transformation of individuals, families and neighborhoods spiritually, socially and economically in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ. By serving we gain the right to speak.

A water station on the road

Well, yesterday was a big day for us. I got my passport back from Immigration and in it was stamped a work permit, being legal permission to live and work in our 'adopted' country, Rwanda. What an honor to gain this legal status in the land where Nancy and I sensed our call from the Lord to serve here more than five years ago.

It is has been a long journey since we determined this was the direction the Lord was leading us, the formation of a 'board' of missionaries and Rwandans working together to form an entity that could be recognized by the government, the process of application, gaining district registration, finding, remodeling a property, ordering furniture, pushing on to provisional national registration ... and now the first work permit to be issued under Africa Transformation Network. It probably isn't very significant in the overall scheme of things, but it is to us - because it is an indicator of God's strong arm and his faithfulness to us.

As I write, Nancy and I are sitting in the Kigali airport at 4:30 in the morning, waiting for a flight to Zambia, to take a break and to encourage my sister and brother-in-law who seek to serve the people of Zambia, but are facing similar hassles of a bureaucratic nature. Sometimes a break comes at just the right moment, a time to get away from the fray...a water station on the dusty road.

More Reinforcements for the Task

It was back in November 2005 when four missionary men from Togo came to Rwanda to visit for the first time. They were Murphy Crowson, Marty Koonce, Matt Miller and David Reeves. They came to confirm the sense that God had called them to Rwanda to serve him; and they came to scout out the land. During the course of the time they were in Rwanda they determined that God was calling them to settle in the Muzanze area.



This week, over three years later, two of those men, Murphy and Marty have returned with their families to settle in Rwanda and learn how to relate to and become a blessing to the people of Rwanda. Others will follow when their work in Togo is completed.



Marty and Louise Koonce, Murphy and Christine Crowson and their boys

It is great blessing to have these seasoned and experienced missionary families join the work in Rwanda. They will live in Kigali for some months as they acclimate to the language and culture of Rwanda and complete the processes of gaining legal status as residents, clearing the shipment of their belongings etc. They are welcome reinforcements for the mission task the Lord has for us here.

Arrival of Rwanda 08 Team

It was a journey that began in July 2006. I received an email titled, 'This Burning in my heart.' It was the story of a boy who as a high student had watched part of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and had never gotten over it. He prayed to God that day that if ever God wanted to him to serve in Rwanda, he would go. The email on my computer glowed with red-hot passion. By phone I suggested we might get together in the next couple of weeks, but that wouldn't do. It had to be ASAP. That Thursday night six people sat with Nancy and me on our living room floor and we watched the Spirit at work as words and tears and prayers and fears flowed.

This week, the boy, now a man and his wife and son and daughter arrived in Rwanda ready to serve. And another man and his wife and son and daughter arrived to work with them.

Chris and Jill and Fred and Tess and... David and Lori and Ian and Lola... walked off a plane... to begin their life in Rwanda.

And then in a few months we expect to see Heath and Rebecca and (as yet unborn) Pete walk off a plane to join them. This is a good day and that will be a better day.

First Attempt on Karisimbi

This past weekend I experienced my first attempt to scale Karisimbi, Rwanda's highest mountain. Was it too much pie for Thanksgiving? Was it old age? Was it being in too poor physical condition? Was it the wrong season of the year? Probably a combination of all those and more. But Karisimbi wasn't playing around with the ill-prepared? In a word, it 'defeated' me.

Six friends and I took this journey together. The expedition was planned as a spiritual retreat and ended up as a fight for survival. We knew it would be a physical challenge, but there was much more that we didn't know. We didn't know the effect Karisimbi would have on our bodies trying to climb to nearly 15,000 ft. in less than 24 hours, through deep slippery mud, in wind, rain and 40-degree weather and on very limited rations.

How did it compare with Africa's highest mountains? There was no comparison in my experience. I've topped both Mt. Kenya and Kilimanjaro and neither came close to the bitter struggle of climbing Karisimbi. Will I try it again? Hmmm. I will have to think that one over for quite a while!

Towards a Christian School of Excellence in Rwanda

Nancy and I were pleased to host a delegation from Greater Atlanta Christian School and Oklahoma Christian University over the past few days. The group's primary purpose was to meet key Rwandan government leaders especially in the field of education and to present a proposal for a school of excellence to help train the next generation of Africa's leaders in Central and East Africa, thus the acronym 'CASE' for Central Africa School of Excellence. At each meeting the GACS/OC group sought the wisdom and advice of Rwandan leaders to help shape the dream to fit the African and Rwandan cultural context and the educational needs of the region.

CASE is designed to be a boarding school with a projected enrollment of up to 2000 students. It will be a 'sister school' to Greater Atlanta Christian School and will feature a teacher and student exchange program to foster both excellent education as well as the forming of lifetime friendships between Africans and Americans. The project would also feature a university-level teacher training college to produce skilled teachers both for CASE and for Rwanda's educational system. A third component of the proposal is an agricultural training program to offer the best in innovative and environmentally-friendly farming methods for Rwanda.





Meeting with the Minister of State for Agriculture






The size of the project is going to require a significant amount of land. So a second purpose of the delegation's visit was to seek the Rwandan government's help in identifying potential sites for the school. Some sites were considered both in the capital, Kigali, as well as in surrounding areas.
The people from GACS/OC were deeply impressed with the dedication and commitment of Rwanda's leaders to sacrificially serve their people and to use all resources at their disposal to overcome their recent tragic history. They were also grateful for the warm welcome they received in Rwanda.

Hosting Harding's HIZ Group

After two months of study in Zambia, Harding University's HIZ (Harding in Zambia) group arrived in Rwanda by bus for a brief visit and survey trip on Tuesday this week. The group consisted of 22 students and 9 faculty sponsors, mentors and staff. They were hosted by five missionary families and two guesthouses in Kigali.

Their visit included an orientation to Rwanda and tours of schools, churches, hospitals, genocide memorials, the national museum and the national university both in Butare. On the return from Butare they visited the traditional king's palace at Nyanza.

For all 31 in the group except one, this was their first visit to Rwanda. Our hope is that from such groups as these, God will call some to serve in Africa to make a difference in ways that will represent the kingdom of God well.

A Great Send-Off for a Rwanda Mission Team

It is with great anticipation that Nancy and I await the arrival of what has been dubbed the Rwanda08 mission team. I was privileged to be present at Richland Hills Church of Christ on a Wednesday night two weeks ago for the presentation of all the RHCC missionaries on furlough or about to enter the field for the first time in long-term missions. They were prayed over by Duane Jenks, the minister of missions.

Ten days later, on Harvest weekend, the missionaries were again prayed over as the congregation gave and pledged toward an overall goal of $1,278,000 for missions in 2009. They reached about 80% of their goal that weekend.

Most of the team expect to arrive in Rwanda in early December, 2008, followed three weeks later by two more missionary families who have been serving in West Africa for about 10 years.

Major Milestone for Africa Transformation Network

One of the main projects we have been working on this year is to register a local non-governmental organization. To obtain a national Certificate of Registration for such an organization is not easy to achieve. But God in his grace, granted this to us yesterday.

This does not mean we have arrived. But it does mean we can begin our service with motivation and with confidence that we are recognized by the government as legal. We are motivated by our desire to serve people but also by the accountability that the Rwandan government expects. What we have been granted is a provisional registration. We will be watched and we will be held accountable for what we committed to do in the objectives and plan of action we submitted.

I have often said lately that of all the nations of Africa I am aware of, only the Rwandan government requires us to do what Jesus commanded us to do and what we have so often failed to do: serve those in need. In Rwanda it is not enough to speak words of truth; we must accompany them with works of compassion ... works that demonstrate the words we say. It is our belief that we will have earned the right to speak when we have offeredserviceto the people of Rwanda.

Please rejoice with us over this major milestone!! And also pray that God will provide the wisdom and human and financial resources needed to stand and deliver what we have committed to do.

District leaders declare ATN officially open!

It was a quiet, low key, celebration yesterday as community leaders and friends, joined the founding members of Africa Transformation Network to officially open our ministry center in Kicukiro district of Kigali, Rwanda. About 45 people listened to a presentation of the purposes and goals of African Transformation Network and then remained for refreshments and a tour of the facility.

The center will house the offices of ATN and Xtra Mile Ministries. A variety of ministries and projects will be based at the center including blessing our community in Jesus' name though projects for marginalized women, youth and sports programs, outreach to orphans in Kigali and in the provinces and English language courses for school teachers in the district. Early in 2009, it is anticipated that computer training will be also be offered.