Happy Valentine's Day from Rwanda

Greetings, friends and family! It's now been 7 weeks since we arrived in Kigali, Rwanda. We have seen and experienced God's provision in amazing ways so far.  From the moment we landed we have been surrounded by people helping us get settled. Thank you Lord! Some of that is because of the people Lane met during his 6 weeks here in October and November.  More importantly it is because God has clearly gone ahead of us (again!) in providing community for us in this place he has called us to live and work.

  

Anna with the Rwandan dancers at the goat roast party

Thank you for praying for our move to this new city and new country.  Everything is so new to us. So, it was especially nice when the staff at the IJM office welcomed us the night we arrived. When the guys in the Bible study that Lane joined while here in the fall invited our family to a goat roast party only a few days after being here. When another family Lane had met in the fall (with kids the same ages as ours!) invited us over for dinner the day after we arrived, knowing what it feels like to land in a new place and need some good food and playmates for the kids.

Pig Roast

I (Lane) love my job immensely, although it is emotionally and intellectually draining. Not in a bad way, just in that I feel stretched continually in decisions, conversation, setting policies and goals, etc. I can't imagine doing anything else. I drive around the city sometimes on my way to or from work and I get overwhelmed with thankfulness that God is allowing me and my family to be here doing this. Awesome.

Anna is really thankful for several ex-pat women who have taken her around town showing her where to buy food and supplies for a home. Anna also recently joined a weekly women's Bible study and has really enjoyed it. Mimi, the woman leading the study also wrote the book they are studying called "Trusting in His Goodness".  Anna says she is one of those people dripping with Biblical wisdom. 

Abigail, who was in pre-K in Austin, was accepted to kindergarten at Kigali International Community School (KICS). The first several days she was really shy about her new school wanting mommy to come and stay in her class, but she now has gotten to know a few of the kids and runs in on her own each morning.  I am so proud of her! In just these three weeks in class, she is learning to put letters together and read! She was clearly ready for the challenge. She is also taking a ballet class once a week and loving it.

Abigail, Caleb, Luke doing a show for us!

Caleb is in 2nd grade at the same school and loving it! When we arrived in Kigali, we had two weeks before school started and I think that helped Caleb because he met and had some play time with two kids from his class. So, on the first day of class he already had two friends. After school, he is taking a hip-hop class once a week and really digs it. It helps that two of his guy friends are in the class, and that his dad has some slick moves, too.  He lost his second tooth tonight and is looking forward to the tooth fairy depositing Rwandan Francs under his pillow tonight. 

Luke loves to run around wearing his super hero cape, a play sword and shield, and battle the "bad guys", usually his big brother and sister. When we have been around other families, he likes to run up and play tackle the big kids who are 7, 8, or 10 years old. The next Zach Thomas? Maybe. All three kids are loving the house and yard we have and meeting new people.

Rainbow on the road to our house!

Otherwise, we are still waiting for our sea shipment to arrive (maybe within a couple weeks?) and the car we ordered from Dubai (maybe in a week? -- very nerve-wracking process). Please pray for us on these; particularly that our car would get through Kenyan customs, Ugandan customs, and Rwandan customs and that the car that arrives is actually the one I bought online. Anna and I want to thank those of you who have sent us Christmas cards and letters! It is so nice to get stuff from home. We've surmised it takes 3-4 weeks for mail to get here from Texas.

As for IJM Rwanda's case work, we are expecting there to be two trials on March 15 for men who sexually assaulted two of our minor clients. Please pray that these trials would take place on the scheduled date (NO ADJOURNMENTS!!), and that the prosecutor would have the courage to follow the law and convict these men. In a different case, please pray for a girl who was raped by her boss's brother and then had the baby stolen from her. IJM rescued this girl, found and rescued the baby, provided emergency shelter for the mother and baby, and had the rapist and his sister arrested. The rapist will be detained through trial, which we expect to take place sometime in May or June 2011.

What's upcoming? From April 5-15, I will be in Washington, DC for IJM's Global Prayer Gathering. I'd love it if any of you could drop by and attend the prayer weekend: http://www.ijm.org/gpg. Then, Anna (and maybe the kids) will be in Texas for a couple weeks in June for her brother's wedding.

Our new city - Kigali, Rwanda

As I close, we want to thank all of you again for standing with us in this fight for little girls and boys who have been preyed upon by awful people. It is IJM Rwanda's singleminded purpose to rescue these kids, hold the abusers accountable, provide restorative counseling to the kids, and to, in time, bring structural change such that the justice system here works for the poor. You are having a hand in that fight, and I am proud to stand with you.

Peace, my friends.

Lane and Anna

for the Rwanda Mearskats