Thoughts from Mama

As in any family everything does not run smoothly; there are ups and downs.
We take each day as it comes and place our trust and hope in the Lord.
2011 is a new page to be written on. 
Hope Made Real and Urukundo Foundation are built on a firm foundation, not on sand, but on a rock (our mountain) - the welfare of Rwanda and its children are our main concern.
We are nurturing the future leaders of Rwanda.   Their lives must be blessed with education and the preservation of their culture and Urukundo is here to build and preserve what the Lord has established.
I invite all who love children and want what is best for their future to join Urukundo as partners in mission for the children of Rwanda.  Thank you for a wonderful year 2010 and a bright future in 2011.



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Greetings from Mama Arlene in Rwanda for December 2010

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Greetings!
December has come and gone and what a month it was. 2010 is on its way out. We look forward to greeting the NEW YEAR,  2011. I had a birthday. Usually we have cake and juice for birthdays on the last Saturday in the month but this month the children and I celebrated our December birthdays together the first Saturday  to allow time the end of the month for Christmas and New Years' celebrations.
The children made many cards. These are on the wall in my reception room for all to see and enjoy. The art work of the children is beautiful.

The children made many works of art and gave me a bouquet of flowers.

The cake and juice were very good.

There is no way I can express my appreciation to all who made my 80th birthday special. 

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From the Nursery

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 A sand box in Rwanda which we designed ourselves.  Yep, it is made of bricks, sand and cement. 
Now that should be simple - but it is not! Sand comes from water sources like oceans, lakes and rivers. We have none of these close to our mountain.  It was necessary to travel a distance to a small creek and buy bags of dirt called sand here.  The sand used in contruction was too coarse. 
The kids love to play in the sand!  We're also looking at a wading pool which will be constructed along similar lines to the sand box.  Not sure how that will work - but kids love to play in water.
 



Thank You from Urukundo!

Arlene Brown spoke this fall at Wesley Church about her work at the Urukundo Home for Children in Rwanda. As a result, Jan Brown spent two weeks in November and December at Urukundo, helping establish an early childhood program.

Arlene and Jan are grateful for the support of the United Methodist Men and Women at Wesley who contributed funds, medical supplies, learning materials, insights, and transportation to assure the success of this mission trip.

Playing the 'Hands Together' Game



Christmas at Urukundo

Nativity in the Worship Center.

The Kids' Program : Joseph, Mary and the Angel

The Precious Gems choir singing 'Jesus is Born'.

After the Christmas worship service the children gathered around the traditional Christmas tree (yes even in Rwanda!) and received a gift special for them.

Staff and visitors received gifts from the kids and there was Sumbosa and Fanta for all!
It was a wonderful day. We celebrated the birth of the Christ Child. We celebrated his love for us and the love we share for each other.
We also thanked God for all of you who make it possible for this ministry to continue. God Bless you all.

Visitors for December

 

Urukundo welcomed home our first son from his journey in America.
Kevin Uyisenga became a part of Urukundo as translator and body guard for me in April 2006.
After a year of service it was made possible for him to acquire an Education Visa to further his education in America.
Kevin is now in his fourth year at Lindsey Wilson College, Kentucky USA
We were so happy to have Kevin home even though his visit will be short.  He is a good example of possibility to all the brothers and sisters at our home.

Rhegan Zavala from Tucson, Arizona is a return visitor to Urukundo. Her Christmas wish was to come spend Christmas with the Urukundo Kids. Rhegan is a EMT/ Paramedic Student Cochise College in Sieria Vista Arizona.

 

My New Year's prayer for Urukundo Home and Village is for the funding to arrive for the water project and the funds to get the foundation dug for the Day Care center. God in Charge.
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Greetings from Mama Arlene in Rwanda for November 2010

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Hello from Urukundo Village and Urukundo Home for Children.

Gee that sounds nice. Urukundo is growing and as we are moving toward 2011 it is awesome what God is doing here. Starting out with a rented house and one child in Gitarama Town in 2006, the changes that have taken place can only be from the Lord. The Lord has given us a home for boys, a home for girls, a nursery, Hope House, a multi purpose house, and a small piece of land dedicated to chickens, four sheep and a cow and her baby.  We call it a farm. Small but productive - we are so blessed. 

The wet season is upon us and I am cold at 70 degrees. Normal for me but when I remember winters in PA, I know I have no reason to complain. 
Wonderful things are happening at Urukundo Home for Children. Three new babies, Kenny, Kenila,and Prince. Claude is home and Ezekiel may be back soon. We now have 42 children in our family - 19 boys and 23 girls. Our maximum capacity is 50.  
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Education Sponsors

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We believe that child development is dependent on love, care, and spiritual discipleship. Jesus said: Mark 10 verse 14 “Let the children come to me, don’t stop them! For the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children”. This is our inspiration to help the children in our care and community by equipping them with Christian values, love, and education.

 

December is the month for giving gifts in Jesus' name. What better gift than the gift of EDUCATION to a child in need? 
This is surely a gift that keeps on giving. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn to read, write, and make good decisions for the future. 
Your gift of $15 can begin to make this possible for another child who has been homeless or abandoned. Please give from your heart, knowing you are making a difference in the life of a child.



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The Vision Continues : Visionaries are Needed

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From 2008 to 2010, Urukundo has been laying a strong foundation with the help of many generous people. Our goal has been a better future for Rwanda's children, leaders in the next generation. Now we are ready to build on that foundation.
The concept for URUKUNDO CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER was placed in our hearts by faith and from the 9 children who are 4 years and younger in our home. The potential outreach to the community is immense. The need has been placed before us by a loving God. The beginning step is to construct a preschool; the land is bought and paid for and is waiting. The architect came here on November 27 to access and advise and set forth a plan and costs for the preschool. 
We are trusting God that you will be part of this process to nurture children's growth. Our goal is to be financially responsible as we move forward, because the preschool is just the beginning of our English-based Christian School System.
OUR VISION
Over time we hope to add a Primary School, a Secondary School, and one day on the top of Chakabidi Mountain, a University.
Investors are needed. Educators are welcome. Prayers are necessary. Teachers with Christian hearts are a prerequisite.

What a view for a school! On a clear day, the Volcano can be seen in the middle of the hills in the distance.

Imagine--on this land a school where children are safe, loved, and education is priority!

Huge visions have small beginnings. Here is our plan for an octagonal school building, constructed with sticks and stones.

Urukundo Comes of Age

It is a turning point for Urukundo Foundation.
 We now have Legal status and are an employer. Until the present time our workers have all been volunteers given a stipend plus food, lodging and health insurance. Now we are in a position where we can offer a job to our Rwandese volunteers.  As an employer we can now cover our staff with the Social Security offered by the Rwandan Government. Praise God. We have been working a long time to reach this point.
It will also add complications to our bookkeeping. 
My present secretary Emmanuel (a 20 year old young man) will start University in January.  Thanks to a sponsor in America, Emmanuel will study to become a Lawyer.



Keep this young man in prayer.

We are looking for his replacement. That person will have a job description, be an employee and will need accounting and computer skills. A new phase in the system  of hiring at Urukundo.
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Rocking Chairs a Big Hit

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With the space available in the new nursery, we have room for rocking chairs and I am very happy about that. 
We now have two rocking chairs where this Gram can enjoy holding and comforting babies. We contacted a local carpenter and asked for help. He was not sure he could do what we asked.  The carpenter made the chairs from a picture. Because this was a first try for the carpenter he only charged us 20,000 rwf each ($40 USD).
The chairs need some sanding and have now had safety stops added to the front of the rockers - the trick is to not rock hard and overbalance the chair!
The picture was on this web site - check it out!  This could be a great way to raise funds for us older women. What fun sitting & rocking.
 



Luki going solo.

Claude in the chair - he is adventurous and let us know the danger of rocking too hard.  Leave it to Claude.