January Greetings from Urukundo Village and Learning Center

January started off with a bang.  After Christmas our kids went to visit extended family and so New Year was a bit quiet, but there was celebration in the boys' house when the New Year came in. However 2013 arrived with no help from me. I and the little ones thanked the Lord for our blessings and went to bed about 8pm. The older kids and mamas ushered in the new year with juice, sumbosa, donuts and a movie on VHS. I think it was 'The Lion King'.
Welcoming the 45th child into our family on January 4 was an unexpected pleasure. He will need a sponsor. If you're interested, please get in touch  arlene@hopemadereal.org

Waiting for the results of the National Exams and school assignments was a bit tense. How you preform in the exam determines where you can apply for further education. There was so much activity as we searched for Secondary Schools for 23 kids. Changing schools was not as traumatic as I had thought. It amazes me how these children adjust to what ever the circumstances and keep a positive attitude.

With all the secondary kids gone back to school our house hold is very different. The time had come to move our 4, 5,and 6 year olds from the nursery into the big kids' house. They think that is great. It is much like a graduation and the criteria for such a move is no Invura (rain) in the bed at night. The boys have a bigger problem with that than the girls. I seem to remember that from when my kids were little. Then, I was dealing with one at a time. Now I am dealing with 11. They really want the move so the incentive is there and they are doing well. All but two are moved and they will move soon. The nursery will then have
four babies, Jacob, Kavine Nelly, Diane, and Soso.

EXPRESSING A NEED
Children's one-a-day chewable vitamins with iron.

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Water

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Too much water is bad not enough is worse. We now have experienced both. With a torrential downpour we discovered what too much rain can do. I have lived in the flood area in Williamsport and had my home damaged by raging creek water but this experience was more frightening. Crops were washed away, homes gone and we feared for the Solar Panel building and the source tank.

Again God was good. We had some damage with fences down and debris everywhere but our foundation was strong and the house stood firm. Repair took two days. Urukundo paid for the stone and cement but the
community provided all the labor. We are blessed to have such a good relationship with our community.


The pictures show the damage and the project after repair was made.

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.
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Naming Jacob

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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.

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First Day of School

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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!

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Inside the Classrooms

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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