Christmas

On Dec. 22, all 103 employees received a Christmas bonus and their children under 12 years old received a package of gifts.

Dec. 23 was a rainy day. The children came to share Christmas at Urukundo Village. We are so blessed.

COVID would not allow for a party, but with masks in place, the children came to our gate.

All ages were present.

The rain did not dampen the spirit of Christmas as we shared love, cookies and lollipops. More than 700 children received treats. Thank you all for helping with the sweet treats for kids.

Christmas Day worship

It was our pleasure to gift each worshiper with a packet of cookies.

Both youth and adult choirs were present for this Christmas Day service

Eighty-six attended the special Christmas worship service.

Kids return for Christmas

The blessings of Christmas are our children returning for the day. Because of COVID, distances and jobs, all the kids could not make it home. I am thankful for those who did.

University kids: Cecelia, Lucia, Bosco, Esperance, Abbias, Belize, Olivier and Giselle.

University, secondary and primary kids: Secondary students Claude, John and Lucky in the back row. Primary students Claudine, Benita, Soso, Joyce, Diane (end girl in white dress) in the back row.

Wonderful to have all with me for Christmas!

Practical gifts were given for the university students. The gifts were packets of cookies and sweets; masks; pens; toilet paper; soap for washing clothes; body soap; toothpaste; and toothbrushes. For the boys, there also were a shirt and nail clippers. For the girls, there were scarves and nail polish.

The younger children received packets of cookies and sweets, school supplies and clothing. The boys also received a watch and the girls a necklace.

After the gifts, a delicious noontime meal was served to all. What a wonderful day!

Thank you all for the gift of giving. Your gifts made Christmas special for the Urukundo Foundation and the Muhanga community.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I hope your Christmas was a special event and your New Year is filled with all the good things in life.

Remember always: With God, all things are possible.

Be well and prosper.

Mama

November 2021 newsletter

State College

Ending October, I was blessed to spend time with hosts Steve and Carol Falke, president of the Hope Made Real International Board, in State College, Pennsylvania.

We also had time with other friends in State College.

Joanne and Paul Steindorf

Janet Madore and Esther Lauchle

Ruth and Bob O’Connor

Carol Baney.

Carol visited Urukundo several years ago with a team led by Carol Falke. It was good to connect with her again.

Family, first and foremost

Four generations. How awesome!

What wonderful joys have taken place on this visit that I didn’t expect when I started planning this trip! First two weddings and now seeing my my great-granddaughter Jasmine, her husband Eric, and her daughter Lola, one of my great-great-grandchildren, for the first time. With my daughter Barbara, that makes four generations.

Then hugging Hannah Arlene and Amelia. They are daughter Barbara’s grandchildren.

Getting to know my great-grandchildren is such a reward. Juliana is the granddaughter of my son Jerry.

I am so blessed to have both great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Altoona

Pastor Rebecca Holland and her husband, Pastor Jeff Holland.

Rebecca is Chair of Disability Ministries Task Force of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. She serves as pastor to Christ Community and Llyswen United Methodist Churches in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Through her ministry, the Urukundo Learning Center received aid for Claudine. Because of Rev. Rebecca and her task force, Claudine now has a brighter future.

Rev. Dr. Joleen A. Willis, district superintendent of the Altoona District in the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church, honored me with her presence at Christ Community.

Book signing and sharing took place at Christ Community.

Joleen and her husband Randy, who is pastor of Wehnwood United Methodist Church in Altoona, are parents of Ethan and Sarah. The Willis children were a delight. Such energy! Wow.

Back in Williamsport

Pastor Susan Halverstadt and her congregation at Faxon-Kenmar United Methodist Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, were a captive audience. I thank them for their welcome.

Sharing with friends makes for a wonderful evening.

In Rwanda, life goes on.

In Urukundo Village, work continues. The new residence construction and Hope House renovations are now taking place.

It’s reassuring to know the members of Urukundo staff are quite capable on their own.

Maryland

On the road again

This time, the destination is the area of Baltimore, Maryland, and a meeting with nursing students at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland.

The discussion was on health care and a possible partnership between Bowie in Maryland and the Urukundo Foundation in Rwanda.

SLK Health Corp. is the nongovernmental organization for the nursing school.

International recognition

An invitation to take part in Global Health Education Week at University of Maryland, Baltimore, was indeed an honor for me and the Urukundo Foundation.

The discussion was on health care and a possible partnership between Bowie in Maryland and the Urukundo Foundation in Rwanda.

In on the brainstorming discussion were Virginia Rowthorn, assistant vice president for global engagement at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and executive director of the Center for Global Engagement, and Bonnie Bissonette, director of education abroad and international safety at the university’s Center for Global Education Initiatives.

It was my pleasure to meet and be a part of this discussion.

The event was organized and chaired by Valli I. Meeks, DDS, MS, RDH, clinical professor in the Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences in the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

Valli has visited Urukundo and was instrumental in the start-up of Urukundo Dental Clinic in 2013.

Chauffeur

My chauffeur the month of November was Jerry Brown, chair of the Hope Made Real International Board and my son.

Thanksgiving with family

Enjoying my oldest grandson Christian and lots of good food.

Turkey needs a carver. Dale, my son-in-law, is the best.

I like dark meat.

My great-granddaughter Lucia is preparing for Christmas a bit early so Great Gram can see the dove of peace and the creche ornament on the tree, gifts that made the trip from Urukundo. Loved it.

Christian, Lucia and Rose the dog.

Thoughts

In closing, check this out.

Article in Williamsport Sun, headlined “Woman with a Mission: ‘Mama Arlene’ shares decades of experience serving children in Rwanda.”

I am thankful for all who join in the mission. If you would like to give, please send your donation to Hope Made Real, PO Box 3222, Williamsport, PA 17701.

Mama

October Newsletter

Hello, Everyone.

October has been an exciting month and was a very special month for me as I was a guest at the weddings of two of my great-granddaughters. They met a special young man who will come to Urukundo and teach art at Urukundo Learning Center.

His name is Jacob Staskowski. Jacob just graduated from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania with a degree in fine arts and a minor/concentration in art education. We welcome him as a volunteer at Urukundo Learning Center where he will work with our teachers and students. His introduction to Urukundo/Hope Made Real is through Pastor Sunny Stock of Christ Church McKeansburg in Pennsylvania. Pastor Sunny has been a volunteer at Urukundo in the past. Jacob will arrive at Urukundo in January.