Julie's Baby

Julie has a baby boy. He is beautiful but has no name. It is the culture that a baby is not named until after he or she is more than a week old. I visited this little boy and his mom and took David, Luki and Claude#2 with me. David thought we should bring the baby home because Jacob needs a friend. He said Julie went to the hospital to find a baby for Mama and she found one and so he is not Julie's baby, he is Mama's. After much discussion it was decided we would let Julie keep the baby because she had milk that God gave her as food for him, and Mama didn't have that good milk.  Kids are awesome.

Perseverance and Determination

John Paul has never lost faith in his ability as a soccer player. When he joined our Urukundo family, he proclaimed that he would some day play for Manchester United in England. Every boy is entitled to his dream and this was JP's dream. John Paul has weak legs but strong determination. At least they appear to be weak, but I guess they are stronger than I'd thought. Many nights after a hard competitive game I would hear him and know he was in pain but when approached he would swear he had no pain.  As his mom I have many times tried to discourage him playing outside of Urukundo. I feared he would get hurt. He is not a big boy in size but in heart he is a giant.

He did get hurt many times at secondary school and at the stadium yet every time he bounced back and went right on playing Foote Ball (coccer). Finally the school called for us to come as he was in too much pain. A severely dislocated shoulder brought him to his knees,  and I was grateful our nurse Nancy Ehrig was here and was able to put it back in place. I could not have done that one. She was great and for a time JP played no soccer recovering slowly. He continued to live with muscle spasms, bruises, sprained ankles that had to hurt and the list goes on. Still he played soccer every chance he got. The doctor said, "Let him play as long as he is able," and so we did, supplying pain medicine and heat rubs as needed, wrapping ankles and elevating limbs to relieve the discomfort. It is not easy to see your child in pain and let him continue doing what is hurting him.

JP was and is the Captain of our Urukundo Soccer team. He is the best and there has been no doubt of that.

Home from taking his National Exam and waiting for the results JP went to the stadium several miles away from our campus every day walking both ways most of the time. He became a part of the team and was
selected by his coach as one of three boys to go to a competition at Butare. The winner would be given a place at a sports school. This school is a special school. You must be good to go there. The competition lasted 3 days. JP came home and looked so tired and a bit sad when he came to let me know he was home. I put my arms around him thinking I needed to comfort him.  That was not the case. He let me hug him and then he said. "Mama I am the winner"

This morning January 25,2013 this boy who would not give up went off to the new school where he has earned a place by pure will power and love of the game with a happy smile on his face. Yes perseverance and determination and faith in himself has paid off. Please keep JP in prayer.

Feed the Children

The nutrition program at Cyakabiri Preschool morning class is a good one. Sponsors are needed for this program. FEED THE CHILDREN

Bread and Sorghum for an empty stomach.

One egg a week. Doesn't sound like much but makes a big difference here.

Naming Jacob

His first Sunday in our family Jacob was introduced to the congregation during worship. Pastor Antoine did the honors. We had not had a new baby for over a year and so the kids were excited.

Naming Jacob was a real pleasure for me. Jacob is a biblical name and that is good but Jacob also is the name of my father and so I was privileged to be able to honor my dad by naming a beautiful little boy for him.

Community Outreach

Our outreach to the children in the community continues to be a success because so many of you care. Our goal was reached.  Thank you for supporting this part of the mission. The photos are just a few of the children from the local community, Binunga Village, that Urukundo through your gifts are supplying basic needs for primary school.

First Day of School

Opening day at Cyakabiri Preschool and Cyakabiri Faith Primary School was a very busy day. Parents and children gathered. Many new to our school and all new to Faith Primary School. To add to our joy Claudine, our special child, started preschool. We were not sure how she would react but to our surprise and pleasure she fit in just fine and the teachers encouraged us to keep her in school.

After the opening ceremony the parents and kids visited both class areas. The final total enrollment for the schools : Faith Primary 56, Cyakabiri Preschool 140.

What a wonderful sight. The official opening and dedication of the schools will be in March. You are all invited!

Stones for January

Eight new stones were added in January. There is always room for more. Education, what a blessing. The gift that keeps on giving.

Inside the Classrooms

The Urukundo Faith Primary class rooms are bright, airy and cheerful for the students. Each child having a desk and chair is unique.

Pictures on the walls are both cultural and educational and add to a pleasant learning center. The seating arrangement makes access to every student easier for the teachers.

The view from the front of the school from our place on the mountain is spectacular.

Greetings from Rwanda for December 2012

Hello from Urukundo.

As I write this message Christmas has come but is not yet gone.The excitement of the season is winding down and that is as it should be. The spirit of Christmas should never be gone. Urukundo (Love) truly is what Christmas is all about. Now we set our sights on the New Year. The last year has had so many surprises and I am sure there will be many more in 2013.

Open your hearts and let the future begin. Be like the "SMALL PEBBLE IN A BIG POND" Start your day with a smile and watch it ripple and swell as it touches others.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM URUKUNDO
                  to
 ALL THE EXTENDED FAMILY

Christmas Day

The children know this is not actually the birthday of Jesus but a day that we, as his disciples set aside to worship and honor his birth. It is a very special day.

On Christmas Day we celebrated the birthday of Jesus with worship. The kids had a program and sang carols in English : SILENT NIGHT & JOY TO THE WORLD. They worked very hard to get all the English words properly. The staff and their children joined us and after worship we served juice and cake donuts for all and gifts for the children of the staff.

The red hats with URUKUNDO  on the front are a gift to us from Gary Ehrig. There were enough for everyone to have one. It was very special.  Thank you Gary.

Primary School Update

Today was a red letter day. The furniture for the PRIMARY SCHOOL was delivered.

50 desks 50 chairs, 2 teacher's desks with drawers, 2 adult chairs, 2 assistant teachers tables, 2 assistants chairs, 2 book cases and 2 cabinets with locks. Our boys helped unload the truck. Every child will have a desk and chair. This is a blessing.

Christmas Eve for the Kids

We celebrated the party, hardy, Christmas on Christmas Eve. Food, fun and gifts for all the children. Fanta, sumbosa, a tree, music, dancing and 2 gifts for every child. It took place after dinner. The little ones had their treat and gifts first and went off to bed happy. The older kids then had their party into the evening.

The food and drink was provided by the sponsor of Liliane (Carolyn and Mark) who sent extra money for us to be used for Christmas. Thank you.
The music was a gift from Jean Marie one of our staff. The gifts were from boxes sent from our support family and friends to be shared with the children. Thank you all. Talia and Meredith came for Christmas with a gift for every child. What better family support could Urukundo have?

The kids sat on the floor of Hope House and opened gifts together. each child received a gift from you and a gift from our visitors Meredith and Talia.

The little children sang Happy Birthday Jesus. We all joined in. I am sure there were smiles in heaven.