John Kayitare, on our executive team, was sent on his way with prayer. John will be attending a university in Uganda for three years. John will be deeply missed. He hopes to one day be a parliament member!

Secondary School kids head back to King David’s Academy after a month long break. We rented a public transport van to take the ten children back to their boarding school. These types of schools are very popular in Rwanda for high school. King David’s is one of the top three boarding schools in Rwanda.

Mama Arlene’s complete schedule can be found here.

Greetings from Urukundo’s traveling ambassador and sidekick Lilliane! Here is an abbreviated update of our travels to date.

Lilliane met her sponsoring Gram and family on our second day in the US. She is having many new experiences on her visit. Here are just a few.

Erin, Cassidy, Lilliane, Gram Carolyn

Shopping

Pedicure at “Neat Feet”

Time at amusement park in Pittsburgh.

Visit to a Zoo

I have had 23 engagements in 30 days. These have included a wedding, several luncheons and many speaking engagements. In PA, I visited Turtle Creek, Saint Johns/Newberry, Fairplay Gospel, Heilman, Warrensville, Wallace Run, Loyalsock and Rose Valley as well as New Life Christian in North Carolina. I surely am blessed.

Our goal for this visit is to create awareness for the need to complete the Nursery, work on which is already underway. We aim to build a Preschool and Kindergarten, starting our school system on Urukundo Land, and to embark on the initial building phase of the Clinic for our children and the community.

Gifts have been received to hopefully complete the nursery. Any additional funds received will go toward the additional projects detailed above.

Sally and John, who have been visitors at Urukundo

Pastor Mike and wife Fairplay Gospel Church Pa.

Tina & Dana, North Carolina

Border of Virginia and North Carolina

Sunrise out my bedroom window. Barco N.C

Next month will be just as busy. Keep Lilliane and I in prayer as we share the story of the kids at Urukundo Home and Village and this “God in Charge” mission.
The Lord be with you.
Mama Arlene

The Urukundo Choir sings during a worship service on Sunday morning. Worship services are led by the children. There is a service leader, speaker, two Sunday school helpers for the younger children, head usher and two choirs. Adults are the translators and one adult also gives a sermon each Sunday. The services are very lively with a drum beat accompanying the singing.

Interested in scheduling a talk or visit? Please email us. Mama Arlene’s cell phone number for the duration of her visit in the US is 570-205-0170

June 24 – July 1 2010 Pittsburgh, PA
Sunday June 27 Turtle Creek UMC Charge
200 Church St., Turtle Creek, PA
Sermon Time 11: 15 a.m. Luncheon @ 1:00 p.m.

July 2 – July 5 2010 Jersey Shore, PA

July 6 – 11 2010 Williamsport. PA
Saturday – Sunday July 10-11 St. John’s UMC
2101 Newberry Street, Williamsport, PA 17701-1361
570-326-5569
Sat. 5:30 pm Worship
Sunday Sermon Time- 8:15 am, 10:45 am

July 12 – 16 2010 Harrisburg PA

July 17 – 18 2010 Jersey Shore PA
Saturday – Sunday July 17-18 Fairplay Gospel Fellowship
1625 Walnut St, 17740- 1638 Jersey Shore, PA
570-398-0541
Sermon Time TBA

July 19 – 24 2010 Montoursville PA, Barco NC
Wednesday July 21 New Life of Christian Fellowship of Currituck
4134 Caratoke Highay, Barco NC 27917
252-453-2773
Sermon Time: 7.00pm

Sunday July 25 Warrensville UMC
5748 Warrensville Road, Montoursville PA
Service at 9.00am

Sunday July 25 Heilman UMC
2792 Kehrer Hill Road, Montoursville PA
Service at 10.30am

Sunday July 25 Loyalsock/Wallace Run/Beach Valley Run UMC
location: Bethel UMC
570-494-1517
Engagement and refreshments: 6.30pm

July 25 – August 15 2010 Williamsport, PA
Wednesday July 28 Park Forest UMC
1833 Park Forest Ave. State College, PA, 16802
814-238-2657
Simply Soup/Vacation Bible School/Presentation 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Sunday August 1 Howard UMC
Main St, Howard PA 16841
814-625-2362
Worship time: 9.00am

Tuesday August 3 New Bloomfield United Methodist Women’s Picnic
time : 6.30pm
717-582-4545

Thursday August 5 Hughesville Friends, Ecroyd Missionary Circle
137 S. 3rd St, Hughesville PA 17737
570-584-2686

Sunday August 8 Cumberland UMC – Hopewell, Otterbein
15634 Paxton Run Road, Newburg PA, 17240
717-423-5218
two services/picnic TBC

Sunday August 15 Clintondale-Lamar Charge
103 Fishing Creek Road, Mill Hall, PA 17751
570-726-3562
Service: 6.00pm

August 16 – 20 2010 Reston, VA
Thursday August 19 Meet-and-Greet gathering
703-537-8491

August 21 – 25 Phoenix, AZ
Sunday August 22 Community of Grace Lutheran Church
meeting at Zuni Hills Elementary, 10851 W. Williams Road, Peoria, AZ
623.572.0050
Worship times 9.00am and 10.30am

Tuesday August 24 Valley Lutheran High School
5199 N. 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85013
602-230-1600
Presentation at 11am

August 26 – 29 2010 Scottsdale, AZ
Thursday August 26 Scottsdale Academy
6315 E. Thunderbird Rd, Scottsdale AZ 85254-3858
480-368-2787
Presentation at 8.30am

Saturday/Sunday August 28 – 29 New Covenant Lutheran Church
15152 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260-2869
480-860-0169
Worship Times: Saturday 5.00pm Sunday 9.00am and 10.30am

August 30 – September 5 2010 Santa Maria, CA

September 6 – 13 2010 McAllen, TX

September 13 – 18 2010 Williamsport, PA

September 19 – 24 Wrightsville, PA
Sunday Sept 19 Locust Street UMC (with Grace UMC)
314 Locust St, Wrightsville, PA
717-252-2609
Guest speech at 10.15am

Wednesday Sept 22 Locust Street UMC
314 Locust St, Wrightsville, PA
717-252-2609
Midweek worship at 6.30 pm

Sunday Sept 26 Christ Church
6 South Race St, New Ringgold, PA 17960
Worship time: 8.45am

Sunday Sept 26 Zion Church Lewistown Valley
489 Valey Road, Tamaqua, PA 18252
Worship time: 10.45am

September 27 – 29 2010 Williamsport, PA
Wednesday Sept 29 United Churches of Lycoming County
Pine St. United Methodist Church, 411 Pine St, Williamsport, PA 17701
570-322-1110
Ecumenical Luncheon: 11.45am – 12.15pm
Program: 12.25pm – 1.00pm

September 30 – October 7 Bethlehem, PA
Saturday October 2 Wesley United Methodist Church
2540 Center St, Bethlehem, PA 18017
610-865-5715
Time TBC

October 8 – 11 Pittsburgh, PA – Rwanda

How exciting for Lilliane and I. We are off on a journey – mine to be with family and friends and to attend two of my grandchildren’s weddings. I am looking forward to meeting those who have been such a great support and encouragement in mission for me.
Lilliane’s journey will give her the experience of a whole new world. It is interesting to share first times with a 14 year old. I watch and wonder what is going on in her mind.

Lilliane and I were blessed by Meredith, Louise, Emmy, Etienne and Oswald who came to the airport to see us off.
I really thought we had passed all the hurdles just getting Lilliane’s passport and her US Visa. Not so. All went well until we reached Immigration. There the next challenge took place. This time John was not there to intercede for us as he had when Divine and I faced this ordeal. Immigration did not want me to take her out of the country.
This was confusing to me as the same department had given her a passport and the US Embassy gave her a visa. They had asked all the same questions and had documents needed and were satisfied that I was not planning harm to Lilliane. After many nervous minutes for our escorts to the airport, and about 6 phone calls, the man in charge handed Lilliane her passport and said we could go. With tears of gratitude I startled the big man by kissing him on the cheek. He grinned, said it was OK and instructed the man at the window to stamp her passport. The first stamp in her book.

We looked down into the airport lobby at anxious faces and gave a sign that all was OK and we were on our way. Relief showed on their dear faces as they waved a goodbye.

I did not take a good breath until we were on the plane and in the air.

Lilliane was an excellent traveling companion. She was amazed to see the clouds under us and even more so when the clouds proved to be bumpy. Turbulence, said the pilot. The food was not bad. She slept a lot and that was good.

We met interesting people on the flight. There were 24 babies and small children from Ethiopia going to the US with their new families . There was a bit of crying as new parents tried to soothe the children. Airplanes are scary.

Going through customs in Washington was smooth. But imagine my surprise when, after brushing our teeth and washing our faces, we encountered another temporary set back when boarding the plane for Pittsburgh. We had changed nothing in our back packs but the TSA agent pulled Lilliane’s back pack because of suspicious content. They confiscated her toothpaste and vaseline. Darn, It was a brand new tube too. She said I could challenge but it made more sense to replace the toiletries, so we proceeded to board the plane for the last leg of our journey within the US.

We were welcomed in Pittsburg by family and Lilliane had her first bout of motion sickness. For the very first time she was in a car on a six lane highway with cars moving in opposite directions in her line of vision. Poor kid. It was enough to make anyone sick and especially a young girl not used to more than two or three cars at a time.

She experienced her first escalators at the airport and mastered that well and encountered two tunnels on the drive from the airport. The view of Pittsburgh as you emerge from the tunnel is breathtaking for me and so for her it was glorious. What an experience.

Four hours after arriving in Pittsburgh I spoke to a group of young children at the close of their Vacation Bible School about Urukundo and our kids.

Unscheduled but rewarding. It was the perfect way to start my adventure in America. Talking to kids about kids.

Well this has been an ongoing ordeal!
Getting a passport for Lilliane was an 8 week project. It meant many trips to Ramagana – a distance of two hours travel time and then twenty minutes more to the district office. Finally, after convincing the immigration office that we would bring her back to Rwanda, plus 50,000 rwf ($100), the passport was issued.

And now a new ordeal.

The not user friendly US Embassy has to issue a visa for travel to the US. I resent having to deal with a web site and not a real person when I have a problem in a third world country. I followed all the directions filled out the forms made the appointment on the web site calendar, paid the $131 and the only date available was June 14. Now the ticket for her had to be paid for by the 10th of June. This means if they refuse the visa we are out over $2000. To take steps to avoid this happening, I made a trip to the Embassy on the day specified for Americans to talk to the Consul if they had a problem. Well guess what, no real person spoke to me and I was instructed to send an email. I returned to Urukundo and duly sent my email, to which the reply was “sorry we cannot change your appointment”.

Thank God the EOS Travel Agent was not so unyielding. They agreed to hold her seat until we have the visa if we visit the office and confirm the numbers.

I am so grateful to these wonderful people and so disappointed in my own Embassy.

Please be in prayer that her Visa will be confirmed and she will be with me when I arrive in the US.

We celebrated 11 birthdays in May, and four of them were our ‘cradle crew’! Luki turned 4, David 2 and both Rebekah and Sarah turned one year old.
How they do grow.


A gift from the kids for Suzanne.

This month we welcomed Suzanne Evans to Urukundo Village. This woman from New York in the US had a vision and she came to us thanks to friends who supported her in that vision. Her purpose was to build a well that would benefit many. She asked us if it could be done, and our response was “with God in charge everything is possible”. She had faith and now a community of over a thousand people have a source of water that will see them through the wet season and will be there even in the dry season.

Praise a loving God and a woman with a vision. Suzanne was present to start construction of the well and then watched its development and completion. In less than a month, the life-giving water supply was built and in use. Suzanne will be at the dedication of the well on June 2nd before she returns to the US on the 3rd of June. We are blessed.

Inyanza community a village about an hours drive from Urukundo Village is blessed because one woman cared and took action. Suzanne celebrated her 70th birthday with the May birthday children at Urukundo Home for Children. What a precious gift she gave to others in this her special birthday month.

With the completion of the well at Inyanza the next step to be considered is a similar well at Urukundo. We know now it is possible. It would benefit not only our village, but the whole community of over 2000 people.
Pray on this please.

The walk to Jerusalem, Children waving palms and shouting Hosanna.
Jessica leading the donkey. Claude in green shirt leading the way ringing a bell.

Girls dancing for the lord

Amazing what some simple pieces of material to drape and a ribbon can do.
Communion Palm Sunday.

The news for February from Urukundo is exciting. Grades are out and our kids were all promoted.

Our ‘oldest kid’ finished Senior High. This graduation is very special.

John Kayitare, Papa John to the kids and my Executive Administrator, at the age of 35 has graduated from Senior 6 (12th grade in America). Yes, after being out of school for 15 years, John opted to finish Secondary School in order to better serve Urukundo Foundation and to provide a brighter future for himself and his family. He had to start in Senior 5, but he completed two years of school in twelve months whilst doing his best to serve Urukundo at the same time. Not an easy task. This took a lot of courage and dedication on his part.

John finished his National exams graduating with distinction. Quite an accomplishment for an “old man”.

Quite honestly, the kids announced upon hearing the news, “we didn’t think he could do it!” But he did, “praise God.”

Thanks especially to Carrie Schwartz from Piney Flats, TN, who believed in John and wanted to help Urukundo. Carrie provided the funds while Urukundo provided the time necessary. There have been many times when school and Urukundo clashed. Times when both John and I wondered if we had made the right decision. God in Charge.

When John came to volunteer at Urukundo, he had no job and his family were in bad living conditions. He could not provide for them. His faith was strong and he felt called to be a part of this Ministry. So in January 2007, John and his family became a part of our Urukundo family. Much of our success here is because of his hard work. I am grateful that God placed him in our lives just when the need was greatest.

Congratulations John.