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Greetings from Urukundo Village in the Center of Rwanda

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 Sorry for the delay.  I really appreciate Sarah's note to my partners, family and friends.  It makes the computer responsible and I sure needed an excuse for no newsletter.

"Due to a computer malfunction, there will be a delay in publishing the February 2011 Newsletter."  This really sounds great.  The truth be known and advice given.

Do not spill a cup of tea on your laptop keyboard.

The computer cannot be repaired and so I have lost some precious pictures and documents.  I wonder if anyone else has made this same mistake - or only me!  This means buying a new laptop, which was not in my budget for the months ahead.

Advice for you all and especially me :

Don't drink and computer! 

Oh well, life goes on and the term 'crying over spilt milk' sure applies.  

UPDATE ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE

February has been a month of change at Urukundo.  We have become more agricultural with 7 kitchen gardens.

carrots

cabbage 

Squash

The view standing at the garden site looking south.  There are also red beets, dodo (a type of spinach) green beans, peas and maize. 

Now that electricity is more dependable we can freeze foods for use during the dry season. A gift to buy the freezer was sent to us by a friend in Canada.  Our need now is freezer containers - freezing is not big in Rwanda. 

 

Upcoming Events

200 day old chicks are scheduled to arrive in March.100 layers & 100 broilers.

The small cyber cafe will open in a few days.

Rabbits will soon become a source of meat for the kids.

Purchase of a new guest house. 3/4 paid for from a personal donation, remainder pending help.

Prayers and financial help needed.

I hope you enjoyed Februarys newsletter. It has just been fun for me. The kids make Urukundo a wonderful place.

Newsletter Supplement - Important News

Blessings flow. Prayers needed.

From the very beginning of this ministry the unexpected has happened with GOD IN CHARGE. This faith ministry has been awesome.

My mission goal was to have a Home for Children but I was timid and asked God for a small house. He gave me a big one.

The next request was for a home for boys and I was given a house and a chicken farm. Needing to move the chickens out of the compound for the boys, I asked for a piece of land. God gave me five.

Slowly by slowly (Rwandan expression), enough land was added and Urukundo Village became a real place.

In the village is a Home for Girls, a Home for Boys, a beautiful nursery, a kitchen, a small guest house that only has room for two guests and a Multipurpose House for Worship, the Library and Community Center for meetings and celebrations.  We have what is called a farm with some chickens, 5 sheep, 5 goats and rabbits, a Cow for milk and her calf and the other animals for meat for our kids.  Our land has a kitchen garden planted with vegetables - cabbage, carrots, beans, peas, cassava, corn.

After all this, now God is moving us forward at a great speed. 
A preschool is in process, A community water project is underway, a small Cyber Cafe is in the works and best of all, a compound has become available on the main road that could serve as a house for visitors.

Urukundo Village Guest House. The price is reasonable and the owner is willing to give Urukundo some time to come up with the amount needed.
There is also a piece of land belonging to this property and it can be ours in a package deal.   This property connects to Urukundo Village directly behind the boys home.  This is a well-built house with landscaped grounds, parking space in the rear, water, electricity, two modern baths, four large sleeping rooms. and a master bedroom with bath.  A large front room for use for meetings and events and a lovely porch for just enjoying the beautiful weather.  The necessary walls are already built to protect the property and give our guests privacy.


Read on.
God has opened this door. 

Stepping out in Faith I have deleted my account for my old age in America thinking this is possibly my old age and am praying hard for the balance needed for the purchase to take place.

Buying this property solves many problems.  
The house and grounds I occupy now would become the first building for the preschool. 

There is a walled-in yard in place for the children.  
For a school to operate Government regulations require a clinic and an office. Both are already there.
God plans well. 
The preschool would be in operation while we build for the future. 

Now we would have a guest house with visibility and easy access for our volunteers and visitors. 
The first building of our Education system would be ready for use and at less cost and time than expected.

Prayers and support are needed as decisions are made. 

Mama Arlene

Greetings from Mama Arlene in Rwanda for January 2011

 Happy  New Year from the Urukundo Kids and Mama Arlene!
2011 came in with what started out as a noisy party - singing, dancing, watching videos and listening to music. The kids were excited! We played games, had refreshments and then by 10 pm the kids decided the New Year could come in with them sleeping in their warm beds. By midnight our group had dwindled to a precious few.  Divine, Esperance and Annet remained awake - just barely - until midnight.  There was even a short firework display and noise. Not great, but certainly fun to see.
2010 in Review

 42 children live in Urukundo Village
8 are in the Nursery
3 attend Preschool
15 are in Primary
16 are in Secondary School
5 of our staff attend University thanks to generous sponsors.
 
5 children were added to our family in 2010 - all but one child at Urukundo has a sponsoring family. 
 
All children and staff are covered by medical insurance.
Every child has a Jr. Savings account at Fina Bank offering further security for their future.
Urukundo became part of the Prison Ministry for Children - we are now working with the government. 
 
The first graduating class from Urukundo English Language School was a big event.
 
Claudine is wearing her first pair of glasses. Her health & vision are much improved. She is creeping, standing, walking with holding one finger and talking. It has been a big year for her and for us.
 
 
Mama and Lilliane visited America for 3 1/2 months. The trip included time in Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Washington DC, Arizona, California and Texas.
 
Todd and Andria Ellingson from Arizona, and Nancy Ehrig, a nurse from New Hampshire, filled in for Mama while she was away.

Construction and Development

 
A retaining wall was built to stop erosion at the Residence and the Chicken Farm.
A banana plantation was started.
A stone sand-filled road was built between the Residence and Urukundo Village.
The inside of the Boys' Home was painted and hopefully 2011 will see the same work undertaken in the Girls' Home.
The kitchen had a remodel : poor construction required the addition of ventilators.