Overseas Mission
Helping Others Heal
Hope is filtering into the lives of genocide survivors through the ministry of "Helping Others Heal," a program embracing a three-stage model of healing using therapeutic art that shines the light of God's presence into the darkness of haunting memories.
As a Board Certified Art Therapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 18 years of clinical experience in Christian psychotherapy, Bernice Osborne, member of Christ Church in Mobile, Alabama accepted the commission by Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini to create a community-based art treatment program to help young Rwandans heal.
"I spent a year developing this program, and the first time I went to Rwanda to implement it, I didn't know what to expect," explains Bernice.
Since concluding a third trip to Rwanda to train adult "helpers" toward the process of healing, the fruit of her labor is evident.
A child displays artwork done through Helping Others Heal program.
For many, it was their first time to communicate a personal account of the genocide - a positive sign in the healing process.
"Some of their stories were so horrible that I was unable to recount them to my husband for several days. I was so overcome with emotion," recalls Bernice.
Earlier this year, Bernice did a training session with individuals representing each diocese in Rwanda. One of them, a psychology student named Isaac, quickly put his new education to work as he enthusiastically applied what he learned in a workshop designed for the residents of Hope Village.
Bernice embraces Speciose (left), Director of Hope Village, and Ernestine (right), a helper in the workshop.
"It was a fabulous experience for me to see the "Helping Others Heal" training put to use so quickly," remarks Bernice. "The child headed households are located far from church, and so it was a rare treat for them to attend service on Easter, and a blessing to see each of them place food high on their plate, knowing that they often go hungry. Their testimonies of faith and reliance upon God are extraordinary."
Left Behind but Not Forgotten
THE TRIUMPHANT STORY OF the Child- Headed Household Project IN RWANDA
Most children awaken to cozy bedrooms, the warm embrace of a parent and aromas of breakfast. For Rwandan children that emerged from the incomprehensible horror of the 1994 genocide, their previous way of life is non-existent. Being robbed of families, homes and land forces them to simply seek survival, living on the streets or in foster homes where many have suffered exploitation.
"I asked the Lord, ‘How can we bring the church back to life after such tragedy?'" shares Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini. "Once I visited children living alone in the remains of their mangled house and eating off plastic trash bags for plates. A nine-year-old girl was suffering with malaria and caring for her six-year-old brother. I wanted to do something to help these children living in horrible conditions."
As a direct result of the genocide, an estimated one million orphans live in Rwanda and 42,000 family units contain no parental figure - the households are headed by children who daily face a unique set of challenges.
The Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda successfully established the first Child Headed Household Project, Ruhanga, in 2003 to address this crisis. Providing children a home and community with direct oversight from the church proved to instill security and hope for the future.
Hope Village, a community of 70 in Ayabaraya, twelve kilometers from Kigali, began in February 2006. Only 33 children, those identified as the most vulnerable, live in houses forming new family units. Others continue to wait, the lack of funds slowing the process of building.
"I have seen the children progress in many ways," notes Speciose Mukankusi, Director of Hope Village. "They have developed spiritually, and many testify to being able to sleep peacefully for the first time in years."
Cultivating vegetable gardens for food and planting colorful flowerbeds surrounding their homes are outward signs of healing. Three of the children are attending college while seven are still waiting.
"Due to the effects of trauma, many are left dysfunctional and unable to achieve high marks in school," explains Archbishop Kolini. "They need vocational training to have a skill to support themselves."
Rwandan Blessing, a ministry created to assist Archbishop Kolini with projects to help the people of Rwanda, recently made it possible for ten from Hope Village to attend a school for handcrafts.
"It costs $200 to send one to school for basket weaving - only $200 for a future," explains Sydney Murphy, overseer of Rwandan Blessing.
Homes of Hope, an annual women's event pioneered by All Saints Anglican in Morehead City, North Carolina has raised almost $20,000 in two years to benefit Hope Village.
"Due to their efforts each home now has three beds, one cupboard, four chairs and a table," reports Speciose. "The children appreciate it so much because their environment is better than it used to be with empty houses."
Churches throughout the Anglican Mission are doing their part to help give children in Rwanda a second chance at life, but the needs are still great. It costs $10,000 to build a house in Hope Village, every dollar donated making an impact. To learn more and contribute go to www.rwandanblessing.com.
"COFFEE Bikes" Headed to Rwanda
Tom Ritchey, a pioneer in the world of mountain biking, went to Rwanda a few years ago, came home, and partnered with Schwinn to create a cargo bike that is useful for carrying large, bulky loads over rough terrain. With the recent government outlaw of handmade bikes in Rwanda, this sustainable cycle is an answer to prayer for coffee growers who are dependent on cycles for transporting coffee "cherries" to wash stations.
Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Company built a wash station in the village of Bukonya and now recently established the "Sustainable Cycle" micro-finance fund with the goal of sending 250 cargo bikes to coffee farmers working there. Participants at the 2009 Winter Conference purchased nine bikes for $250 each, with six more promised to bring the current total donated to 60 bikes. Donations are accepted online at www.landof1000hills.com.
Mustard Seed Faith: Extending Mission Beyond Church Walls
Church of the Holy Spirit (CHS)is serious about mission, a word charged with emotion and a number of interpretations. The people and leadership in this congregation understand "mission" in the broadest sense of the word, embracing both proclamation of the Gospel and outreach as core values. Consistent with Acts 1:8, CHS has been a witness in word and deed within their own congregation, the city of Roanoke, their region of the country and around the world. Pastor Quigg Lawrence compares their efforts to the parable of the mustard seed - small efforts of congregations like CHS have been multiplied to do significant Kingdom work.
Recognizing the fact that church planting is the most effective means of evangelism, CHS has launched two daughter churches in Virginia and has an emerging work in progress in Lynchburg. Church of the Holy Spirit - Orchard Hills is one of the fastest growing churches serving Roanoke and Botetourt counties, and the leadership as well as members see themselves as, "People investing in people for eternity." Small group fellowships called Life Groups and developing leaders for the next generation
re high priorities for Church of the Holy Spirit - The River in Blacksburg, and the leadership offers a fresh and appealing presentation of the ancient-future faith of Anglicanism.
Reaching out to the community through ministry and financial contributions is a hallmark of CHS. Projects include working with Young Life in five local high schools, supporting the Roanoke Rescue Mission in a number of creative ways, developing a Christian outreach to mothers of young children called Mom2Mom and providing time, talent and treasure to the Blue Ridge Women's Center (formerly the Crisis Pregnancy Center) and participating in a national prison ministry called Kairos.
Extending mission abroad, CHS has offered support to meet a variety of needs internationally, exemplifying the mustard seed principal. In the midst of its own building project, for example, the congregation assisted in establishing the first Anglican seminary in Rwanda as well as helped build a water purification system there. In addition, the membership has assisted a church in Cuba, helped fund
village pastors in Bolivia and contributed to building four churches in China and one in India.
Service is a way of life at CHS as members seek to be a "mustard seed congregation," and they rejoice in all God has done in their midst.
Members of CHS family mission team minister to resident of La Pintana, an impoverished neighborhood in Santiago Chile.
As a result of a team trip to this Chinese church, CHS was moved to build three churches this size in China, one in India and one in Cuba through the ministry of ICM.org.
Anglicans Serving Beyond the Parish
Meet Anglican Mission Priest and retired Army Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel, Brett Travis, with wife Pam, newly appointed to serve as the Department of Defense's "endorsing agent" for military chaplains within the Anglican Mission in the Americas.
With twenty-four years of active military service to the United States, Travis acknowledges that the vision of the chaplaincy program is "to fulfill the Great Commission and share Christ in the Anglican tradition with those in uniform."
Travis will commission and endorse chaplains under the authority of Bishop Grotte of the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) and the Rev. HG Miller, Director of Leadership Development for the Anglican Mission.
"Military chaplaincy is a wonderful opportunity for us to do mission and serve our nation among active duty military and their families," declares Miller.
Currently, the Mission has two chaplains on active duty and nine candidates in the process toward fulfilling that call.
New Covenant Hosts Youth Camp in Rwanda
Playing games, giving hugs and dancing arm and arm were all part of "practicing the ministry of presence" for a team of 38 from New Covenant Church in Winter Springs, Florida, as they led their second summer youth camp for 45 orphans in Rwanda.
New Covenant Church Team in Rwanda with orphaned students.
Several years ago, New Covenant took on the challenge of sponsoring the Rwandan student's school fees to ensure their ongoing education in the midst of displacement from the genocide. The relationship grew from there.
"When we did this camp two years ago, they were reserved and apprehensive," describes Worship Pastor David Mander. "This year it seemed as though time had washed away, and we picked up conversations where we left off. They instantly remembered our names, and many refer to us endearingly as Uncle and Auntie. They know we care about them because we came back."
Living scattered throughout the country, the orphaned students reunited for the weeklong camp at the Cathedral guesthouse in Kigali. They engaged in activities ranging from art projects to teaching on redemption taken from the stories of Joseph and Peter in the Bible. But the blessing went both ways.
For high school senior Januel Cox, the outreach provided affirmation of her decision to pursue Christian psychology and counseling in college. "I was informed about Rwanda before I went, but it wasn't until I actually held their hands and sat alongside them that I came to know them as real people. Now I can't wait to go back."
Budding Artists Donate Time and Talent for Rwanda
The Rwanda Medical Mission team from Cambridge Church in Leawood, Kansas, recently sponsored a silent art auction, raising funds that will support the salary of a maternity nurse at the Cyangugu health clinic. The event is the brainchild of two high school seniors, artists themselves who donated original works and future renderings to support the event, inspiring others to donate art as well.
Budding photographer Samantha Gompf and medical missions mom Melissa Matthews.
Photographer Samantha Gompf and pencil portraiture artist Sara Matthews, both seventeen, are the daughters of members of the Cambridge medical mission team.
"Our girls have not been to Rwanda yet, but they believe in what we are doing to help the clinic and build relationships with our sister parish," explains Sharon Gompf, Samantha's mom. "Their idea raised $895 that will go a long way to providing better care for mothers living in the Cyangugu diocese."
Statistically, there is a high incidence of premature babies born in Rwanda; many problems occur after birth due to poor prenatal care. The annual salary for maternity nurses in Rwanda is $3,000, and the prenatal care they provide will benefit mothers in the community, offering them a better opportunity to have healthy babies.
Learn more about Cambridge Medical Missions here.
Running for Rwanda
On the other side of the globe, International Anglican Church (IAC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, held their second annual "Run for Rwanda" August 1 to raise funds for their sister parish in Kibali, Rwanda. More than 370 registered runners completed the 5K race on a clear and sunny morning, while a simultaneous race was held in Kibali with 80 official participants.
A young girl from IAC cheers on the US runners. In Rwanda, the race begins.
The event brought in over $12,000 to help fund the next phase of construction for the Kibali health clinic, part of the vision of the Byumba diocese to establish the church as the center of an integrated community development.
Learn more on the 2009 Run for Rwanda here. Watch this creative video for the results of the run. The event was also covered in two local newspapers. Read articles here and here.
Partnering with "Sister" Congregations in Rwanda
Three Anglican Mission church leaders returning from Rwanda this summer shared a common conclusion: face-to-face meetings with their sister parish accelerates and deepens relationships and gives clarity in understanding each others real needs.
The trips are part of the Anglican Mission's Sister-to-Sister effort to pair our North American congregations with "sister" churches throughout Rwanda for ongoing outreach, fellowship and projects.
A team from Church of the Holy Spirit, Orchard Hills spend time with Pastor Mathias and family in the Gahanga parish.
"Projects dissolve, but relationships last forever," says Sharon Barbour from Church of the Holy Spirit, Orchard Hills in Roanoke, Virginia, who led a team during her fifth trip to Rwanda this month.
Sharon's consistent visits have fostered a deep friendship with Pastor Mathias and his extended family in their sister parish in Gahanga, Rwanda. "We used to be more project oriented in our trips, but this year we participated in the ministry of presence everywhere we went," shares Sharon.
Not only did they spend time with their Sister-to-Sister parish, but they also invested in the lives of the children living in child-headed households of Christian Hope Village who long for adult interaction, but rarely receive visitors. In each place they traveled, team member Mary Ford used her talent as a music teacher to give unplanned piano lessons to musicians who were hungry to learn new songs.
The Rev. Jay Greener (pictured with Pastor Emile), Rector of Church of the Redeemer in Chicago, Illinois, returned June 28th from his first trip to Rwanda. He found that information from Rwanda hadn't been easy to get. "I see now that my questions were meant to be answered, or at least encountered, face to face," Jay notes.
Church of the Redeemer's sister congregation is St. Michael's in Ruhengeri. St. Michael's serves as the worship space for Sonrise Primary School and the preaching point in a parish of seven locations that Pastor Mugisha Emile oversees. While visiting, Jay learned that St. Michael's is also the site for a new church plant in the community that meets for worship after the Sonrise students leave.
The Redeemer team learned that some things at St. Michael's were just as they expected them to be, while others were totally different. "We kept asking questions and gently pursuing clarification," explains Jay. "We learned that Pastor Emile works tirelessly in seven locations with no transportation, little support and a wife that is very ill. It shows me again why we must enter the dance face to face. We have a lot to learn."
Peg Henjum, team leader for International Anglican Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, explains, "We have deeply entrenched relationships with the Kibali sub-parish in the Byumba Diocese. We have made several trips to Rwanda to worship, visit people in their homes, pray and listen. They know what they need, and we have tried to be faithful to listen."
While all the churches have contributed to numerous service projects designed to improve circumstances in the lives for many in Rwanda, they have reached the same conclusion: our being is more significant than our doing.
To learn more about Sister-to-Sister Partnerships email Sandi Harding or call (678) 602-3714.
One person can make a huge difference
Hilary King, Senior Warden at St. Simon's, North Vancouver and former North Shore community health organizer, is using her experience in the health field to start
the Healthy Mums Project, teaching mothers in Rwanda about keeping healthy during and after pregnancy. She is also leading the effort to cultivate the Anglican Mission's sister-to-sister partnership between St. Simon's and the Kigeme diocese.
Read this recent article in the North Shore News about Hilary and the Healthy Mums Project.
Roof Dog Run Raises $23,000
Christ Church, Plano, Texas held their third annual "Roof Dog Run" on September 27, 2008, raising $23,000 to benefit Casas Hogares Children's Homes in Arequipa, Peru. The community event, the largest and best-attended since its inception in 2006, included 451 registrants from as far as Austin and San Antonio for the one mile and 5K walk/run. The funds raised were up 44% over the previous year.
"Our past two runs were mostly attended by Christ Church members, but this year, one quarter of those participating were not from our church," explains Susan Kerr, Director of Mission and Outreach. "We took the opportunity to introduce ourselves and invite people to church. We even had a proclamation from the Mayor naming the day, Roof Dog Run Day."
In Peru, "roof dogs" are family pets that live on the rooftops of homes for protection. At Christ Church, "roof dogs" are church members, many of whom have served on short-term mission trips to Peru over the past ten years, investing in children that are abandoned, abused and some sold into servitude.
Proceeds from the run will provide food, clothing, shelter, education and other daily necessities for children, ages 3 to 14, who live at the Casas Hogares, a place of rescue and hope.
Shortly after the Roof Dog Run takes place, the children living at Casas Hogares have their own run in Peru at a local park complete with ice cream, prizes and a hand-made American flag to honor their "aunts and uncles" from Christ Church.
