December 2019 Newsletter

Another birthday

December, what a month!

First, I want to thank everyone who took the time to wish me a happy birthday. Really, 89 birthdays seem like a lot, but I am looking forward to my 90th birthday. Thank you all.

One of my birthday wishes was a love letter. I received this card, beautiful message and flowers from Johnny, my flower child for many years. Johnny always has given me flowers since he was old enough to walk to my garden and pick the best blooms. Johnny is now known as John, his choice because he is growing up. John is in Primary 6. He lives with Josephine, his foster mother and our day care employee. We meet his expenses, thanks to his support person. He brought the flowers to me with his heart in his eyes. What greater love could I wish for!

John

The flowers.

Urukundo’s purpose

Urukundo decided that, because of a lack of necessary funding, construction on the school would stop at least for now. It seemed like a good idea. It was for Urukundo but not for a community in need.

There is more than one way to be a good neighbor and part of the community. Need is always present, and charity is not wanted. People want to work and earn some money, especially at Christmastime.

What could Urukundo do to help? Our field needed to be cleared and leveled. That would benefit our Learning Center and the community.

Thanks to faithful donors, we were able to have a work day, and 17 families with no income earned a little money. Their children’s Christmas was brighter. Food is essential.

Now Urukundo has land cleared for the next project in our future. That project is construction of four more classrooms needed for the primary school.

We are blessed, and it is so important we pass the blessing along. Hope you all had a great Christmas.

Dorcus improving

Good news. Dorcus, a fourth-grade student at the Urukundo Learning Center, came home from the hospital this week.

She is weak and was unable to attend Urukundo's community Christmas party.
Urukundo Learning Center headmaster Irene Dushimimana and my home manager Libby took Christmas to her. Libby is her neighbor in the village and has kept us current on Dorcus’s condition.

Dorcus was injured in a serious freak accident at her home in a mudslide caused by a severe rainstorm in October. She is trying to walk. With support around her waist and someone holding her hand, she has taken a few steps.

Update on Diescor

Keep those prayers going for Diescor Kirenga, one of the young boys who joined the Urukundo family in 2007. Prayers are so needed and our source of strength. Diescor, who is a medical student, was admitted in critical condition to King Faisal Hospital in Kigali City after he collapsed on Dec. 4. On Dec. 29, he left the hospital for further medical treatment in the USA.
His progress has been phenomenal. Prayers have been answered.

Saturday Dec. 28 was our final visit to the hospital in Kigali to see Diescor before he left the country. Lucky and Claude wanted to visit their big brother and so accompanied me to Kigali and the hospital. The visit was good for them and for Diescor. Love is the most important ingredient in a good life. The kids at Urukundo love Diescor. He doctored their bruised knees, cuts and scrapes even before he started medical school.

On my visit with Diescor on the day before Christmas, he showed recognition with his eyes and facial expressions. He smiled a lot and laughed but not out loud. He said “yego,” which is “yes” in the Rwandese language. He could understand all conversation and responded. The improvement is encouraging. The greatest gift to me was when he hugged me strongly with his left arm.

Here is the address you can send letters or anything to Diescor and they will get to him:
Riley Scott / Diescor
18534 Tonkel Road
Auburn, IN 46706

Here is the address for the hospital:
Lutheran Hospital
7950 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46804

Our final university graduates for 2019

It was such a pleasure to attend the graduation of Divine Uwonkura. Divine graduated from the University of Kigali.

Divine’s university of choice. The celebration was very impressive.

Auditorium

The graduation was held at the Intare Conference Arena, Rusororo.

Divine was our first girl and the start of our Urukundo Family in 2006. We have watched her as she has matured into the young woman you see today. Divine finished her university classes in 2018. Her formal graduation ceremony took place on Dec. 6, 2019.

Recently, she has been manager of Urukundo University House in Kigali City as she prepares and hopes to go to an aviation school in Florida, USA.

Congratulations, Divine.

Special congratulations go to Urukundo Foundation’s Executive Director Jean Marie Ntwari on achieving his master’s degree in business administration on Dec. 13. He has worked hard to reach this goal. Who knows, maybe someday in the future is his doctorate?

Urukundo Foundation takes great pleasure in congratulating all of our university students for a year of success. Well done.

This has been an awesome year in education. To bring you current:
Early in Urukundo’s history and before our kids were ready for university, our priority was to help staff members achieve their goals. Those who benefitted from your generosity are:
Mary Claire Nishimwe (social worker in Kigali); Etienne Santore (Internet tech); Juliette Musabyemariya (human resources director, Urukundo Foundation);
Emmanuel Iyamarere (businessman); Jolly Kabihogo (owner and operator of a day care); Irene Dushimimana (headmaster, Urukundo Learning Center); Oliver Kansiime (head of dental clinic, Urukundo Village);and Jean Marie Ntwira (executive director, Urukundo Foundation).
Our first family of Urukundo kids has reached university age. I list for you our graduates: Amin Niyonkuru, Seraphine Izabayo, Solange Nirere, Tresor Cyubahiro,
Divine Uwonkura, Alexander Prince and Lillian Wishavura. We have currently 13 attending university and graduating in the next three years.

We have an education fund that provides funding so our unsponsored kids and community children can attend preschool and primary by keeping tuition affordable. The fund also helps provide for secondary students (high school) and university students who are not sponsored.

I thank all of the sponsors and those who contribute to the education fund for making it possible for our students to achieve the higher education that is so essential to a better life and reaching their goals.

I thank all who care, share and help make a difference. Hope Made Real.

Visitors for December

We were honored to have visitors from Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville Georgia, USA.

They included Dr. Mark Schlueter, professor of biology at Georgia Gwinnett, and his son, Peter.

Also part of the team from Georgia Gwinnett were Dr. Gwendoline Ayuninjam, associate professor in the School of Education, and Dr. MaryBeth Chrostowsky, lecturer of anthropology. They met with Urukundo Learning Center Headmaster Irene Dushimimana for some serious brainstorming. We hope this is just the beginning of a long, mutually beneficial relationship.

Dr Gwendoline Ayuninjam, Headmaster Irene Dushimimana and Dr. Marybeth Chrostowsky

Accompanying the visitors were Aime Nshizirungu and Franciose Uzamukunda from the Global Engagement Institute in Kigali City.

Gifted Karate Team

A special Christmas gift for a great team.

A karate fan sent a gift to Urukundo’s karate team. With the gift, the team purchased some much needed equipment.

The team has worked and practiced for a long time with no equipment. This gift was so appreciated.

Community Christmas at Urukundo Village

What a day at Urukundo Village on Dec. 23! Thanks to a generous donor gift from One Hill at a Time Inc. and its director Helen Kweskin, our annual Christmas Community Day for kids was a day to celebrate. Thank you for your love and generosity.

Wrappers and helpers: Soso, Lucky, Chantel, Olive and Libby. Awesome job, team. So many gifts for the community kids!

Hope House was full to capacity. The new large classroom is such a blessing. We now have the capacity to handle the multitude of children.

Hope House and the new classroom are close to each other, making it easy to direct children to the new building out of the wet weather. Treats were served in both buildings.

Overflow then moved from new classroom to Hope House after first group received treats, gifts and departed.

Over 700 children showed up to enjoy a treat of a juice drink, sumbosa and each a wrapped gift. It was awesome.

There were still more gifts. These were gifts from the Urukundo Foundation to all staff children under 12 years old. A small monetary gift is given to the staff member. Soso, John and Claude helped out with transporting gifts to Mama’s living room.

Worship

Pastor Yves arranged for the sacrament of baptism. Seven souls responded. The baptisms took place Dec. 24.

At the Christmas morning service, the seven dedicated Christians were welcomed by the congregation. We praise God and give thanks.

Original Urukundo Choir. They can still sing together and make beautiful music.

The star and shepherds. Not sure who the extras are to represent. Hey, we are amateurs. We just do our best.

Nativity scene with Urukundo kids. Joseph, Mary and the shepherds singing carols. It was lovely.

The creche -- a gift many years ago from Pastor Sharon Landis -- remains a constant each Christmas.

A Family Christmas

Urukundo was a happy place on Christmas Day. Fourteen of our university kids made it home for Christmas Day. Nine of our younger set also were present.

Kavine, David, John, Deborah, Sarah and Esperance

Aline, Claude, Abais and Lucky

Bosco and Olivier

Lucy and Cecelia

Lilliane, Giselle and Dada

Soso and Alexander

Divine, Tresor, Soso and Prince

We are so blessed. A great way to end our year 2019!

In closing out the year, I am so grateful to all who have made possible changes that make a difference. I leave you with this thought for the New Year:
Count your blessings.
Count them one by one.
Count your many blessings.
See what God has done.

Prayer for Diescor

My special message this day in December is to ask for prayers. This is a very sad time at Urukundo.

Many of you know Diescor Kirenga personally and through previous newsletters. Diescor was one of the young boys who joined the Urukundo family in 2007. Diescor is now a medical student at the University of Rwanda, College of Medicine and Health Sciences.

On Dec. 4, Diescor suffered a stroke. He is in critical condition in King Faisal Hospital in Kigali City as I send this message. There is a possibility that he will be taken by air ambulance to the USA.

Please keep my Rwandan son in prayer.

We need a miracle.

Mama

November 2019 Newsletter

What a month!

So many things happened in November. It’s hard to decide what to put in the newsletter. Bear with me because this has been an exciting month.

It was heartening to start November with an afternoon service in prayer and thanksgiving for the Primary 6 students who will be taking the National Exam.

Sixty-two Primary 6 graduates are on the left. Younger students are in the back and on the right.

The teachers and I remember when these graduates were in preschool. Oh, how they have grown and matured! Time does play tricks on us. Our children do not remain babies.

It was my pleasure to share the prayer time with the students.

Pastor Yves spoke to the children about Soloman’s request for wisdom, the greater gift.

From 2 Chronicles 1:10: “Now grant me wisdom and knowledge.”

Students on their knees before the Lord with Pastor Yves and the teachers standing and supporting them in prayer. It was an awesome sight.

Urukundo’s choir sang “Every Hour I Need Thee” and “Jesus Loves Me” for the service.

The students in Primary 6 spent the next three days taking the National Exam. They had mixed feelings, but as a group they told me they think they did well. The test was not hard. So they say. We will see in December when the grades come out and schools are assigned. How well each student does determines which school they are going to attend.