Visitors

A very special and honored visitor.

Pastor Leonard Byenda, a Presbyterian pastor, has been connected to Urukundo for many years. He was the first to welcome me when I arrived in Kibirigi, Gitarama, in 2004. He solved many problems for me. He came to our home, taught my girls Bible stories and was a father figure for them.  We were not yet Urukundo Foundation and only had 13 girls at that time. We visited his church many times during those first years.

At that time, we were giving goats to families who were in need. Goats were given to the older women in his congregation who were genocide survivors. I remember one occasion while visiting his church at Mpushi. The women who received the goats decided to give me a gift. It was kind of them. They did not know I was afraid of live chickens. I had been flogged as a child by a mean chicken. The fear stayed with me. The dear woman carried a wrapped bundle (a live chicken) up to the pulpit and handed the bundle to me.The cover came off. I screamed, dropped the chicken and ran from the church. Embarrassing moment. Yep, to say the least. Everyone, including the children laughed and applauded my performance. They never gave me another chicken. The next gift was a live sheep.

Second visitor

Clementine Murekateta, paid us an unexpected visit. She was most welcome.

She is the mother of our boy Kaboss.

Special announcement

Deborah Ishimwe has been a child in the Urukundo family since June 2006. She has been an outstanding student. Her goal is to be a lawyer working for the people. After graduating from university having studied law, she served a successful internship.

 I wish to share this great news with you. Deborah passed the bar exam on Jan. 23. She is to be congratulated. Urukundo has a gifted lawyer.

I am very proud of her accomplishments.

December newsletter

Celebration!

I am 92 today, Dec.  9, 2022, Wow!!! Each year I say no more celebrations, but it happens just the same. So much for being the boss.

The cake was huge. Take note; it must be large to share with 108 adults and many kids.

The decorations are blue. In case you did not know, blue is my favorite color.

On the Monday after the party, students on the playground made a pretend birthday party for me.

Hope you can see the three candles on the pretend cake.

Special news

My Rwandan family is maturing. Not only are they graduating from university and going into business, but they are finding soulmates to spend the rest of their lives with. I am honored to announce the following:

Tresor popped the question.

She said, “Yes.”

Sandra is lovely. I am delighted to welcome a new member to the Urukundo family. Congratulations to both.

Transformation

Thanks to the successful move of the Urukudo HopeMadeReal Dental Clinic, many changes are taking place inside the compound. One of those is a new location for the Worship Center’s office. It now sits closer to the center and is user-friendly for the congregation.

This building was our first dental clinic.

With some changes, it is now an office for Pastor Yves and the Worship Center.

Along with a new location, the center now has a stamp of its own.

Impressive, I hope.

Pastor’s assistant Chantel helped Pastor Yves bring order to the new office.

The space provides a much better work area for Pastor Yves to meet and greet.

In my house

Preparing a little bit before Christmas.

I want to share with you my bit of Christmas joy. The little tree is my American side. The backdrop is Rwandan culture. Combining both is my lifestyle. These nativities crafted in Rwanda and locally are so special to me. The doves of peace and red ribbons make for a simple tree decoration.

I am so blessed to have all of you in my life and ministry.

An even more special tree. The ornaments on this tree were created by my Rwandan children. On the back of each ornament is the child's name and the year it was created. I love the decorations on this tree.

Party for community children

Each child received cookies, a lollipop treat and a small gift on Dec. 24.

A bit smaller than expected. Covid is still a concern with parents and gatherings. The kids enjoyed watching an animated movie about the birth of Jesus. Like the children, I enjoyed hearing the animals talk as they took part in the birth.

Bob the builder was an added attraction.

Message from Mama  

December is special in my calendar year. I thank everyone who took the time to extend birthday wishes to me. Thank you. It is a joy to be remembered. More importantly, I thank everyone who took this month of giving and reached out to Urukundo/Hope Made Real and its mission to the children and families in Rwanda. Your support makes a difference for so many.

 

Happy New Year 2023!