Presence - Mears Family September Update

I am sitting on the front porch of our house in Kigali, feeling the gentle cool breeze that flows through the valley in the beginning of the rainy season. The clouds are dark and threatening to my left but the sun is bright and beautiful to my right. Symbolic. I am so thankful to be alive; to be here in Rwanda with my family contending for abused children; to work along alongside amazing, talented, passionate, and fun Rwandans; to experience the dark, rainy times of life and the bright, sunny times of life; and to see that God is in each. I am thankful for Jesus, my redeemer; God, my waiting, loving Father; and the Holy Spirit, whose presence guides me. I am thankful for Anna, and her patience and grace with me. I am thankful for my kids, as they are a source of joy, laughter, and (at times) consternation. And I am thankful for you, our friends and family, who sustain us in so many significant ways.

Several months ago, I downloaded a book on my Kindle (based on the recommendation of someone I can’t recall – Ron, maybe?) called “Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now,” by Greg Boyd. For some reason, a few nights ago I scanned my Kindle for something new to read and came across this book. I am so thankful I did. The book’s premise (and truth) is that God is present all the time everywhere and that we will grow in experiencing His love, joy, and peace the more we can develop the discipline of continually being aware of His presence. If you’ve read our more recent updates, you know I (Lane) have struggled quite a bit of late. But, things are changing, largely because of this book’s reminder. I HIGHLY recommend this book to you. It is not a magic formula by any means, but it does remind of a truth, the awareness of which is transforming. Get it. Read it. Do it.

IJM Rwanda celebrating 2 legal wins!

Among its accomplishments over the past three months, IJM Rwanda has: Secured convictions of two men who sexually assaulted children (the goal for all of 2011 was two); seen four clients complete their trauma counseling; had several clients develop skills in sewing and/or making purses, bags, etc. (so they can have a source of income, as the desperately poor are the most vulnerable to injustice generally and sexual assault specifically); worked with police to have four men arrested for sexually assaulting children; prepared a training for prosecutors and judges on how to more effectively prosecute cases of child sexual assault (the training will take place on October 3-5); and secured four more trial dates this year (two on October 12; one on November 1; and one on December 6). I am so thankful for all of this, and for all of your prayers and support in making it happen.

Mearskat News: 
Lane has begun taking language lessons in the local Kinyarwanda language during lunch one day a week and he has been testing out his new words a little each week. Lane also had his 42nd birthday at the beginning of this month! Do you know anyone else who was thrilled to get Triscuit crackers, Rotel tomatoes and Velveeta cheese among other things for birthday presents? Living overseas, it is funny the things you crave!

The kids started another semester of school, Caleb in 3^rd grade, Abigail in 1^st grade, and Luke in pre-school. They LOVE it. 

Caleb is learning to play a “recorder” at school, essentially a child’s flute. His teacher has implemented “Recorder Karate,” which means that the kids get different colored “belts” (strings they tie on the recorder) when they master more and more advanced songs. Caleb loves this and plays his recorder all around the house. He is taking Tae Kwon Do after school with many of the boys in his class. Here is a picture of a trip to Ivuka Art Studio, with one of the well-known local artists, Emmanuel, letting Caleb have a try at his painting. 

Abigail is also enjoying school very much. Among her best friends who attended her birthday party last week were kids from Rwanda, Uganda, Eritrea, Germany, and more. It makes me so happy to see that our kids are developing such a broad base of relationships. She started ballet again this semester and has fun showing off at home what she is learning.  Last night, she lost her 2^nd baby tooth. This morning she found 2,000 Rwandan francs under her pillow. Tooth fairy Africa style!

Luke - 3 yrs old

Luke is in pre-school for the first time (three mornings per week) and can’t wait to get there each day with his big boy lunch box. In class, he works puzzles, plays with play-dough, has story time, and gets to play on the playground. For more first day of school pics - click here.


Here is a picture of our little Texas Cowboy Luke (just before potty training!).  Of course, we had to bring Daddy's boots and hat to Africa. I (Anna) really wanted to get this picture because I have one just like it of Caleb from 6 yrs ago. :-) Someone please remind me to take this same picture when our new baby boy gets old enough.  

Since this picture, Luke is now fully potty trained.  Way to go Luke! 

Caleb - 2 yrs old

Anna is now 6 weeks away from delivering our fourth Mearskat baby. She is thankful to be largely over the nausea and is working to prepare a place for the baby in our home. She attends a ladies Bible study each week with about 20 other missionary women, which has been a huge encouragement to her and resource of other women living overseas. 

Looking Ahead: Due to airline regulations which do not allow flying during the last month of pregnancy, Anna and Luke will return to Texas (Dallas) this Sunday on October 2nd. Then Caleb, Abigail and I will join them in Texas for the birth on November 2nd. Baby is due November 7th! Our plan is for all of us to be in Texas for the entire month of November to have the baby, enjoy Thanksgiving, and see family and friends. Both Lane and Anna’s families are in Dallas, so that is where we will deliver the baby. But, we plan to make a trip to Austin to see friends and attend Hope in the City, our home church at some point during that month.

Please Pray With Us: Please pray for us as we make many decisions regarding the birth and our travels back to the states this fall.  Pray for wisdom for us as we decide a name for this new baby. Pray also for the delivery and health of mommy and baby. Pray for us as a family during this month of separation, that we would be able to stay emotionally connected with each other even over the long distance and time difference and look forward to reuniting on Nov 3rd.

We really appreciate all of you and are thankful for your prayers. We believe that prayer really works. We thank the Lord for his goodness and his grace and love in our life. 

Blessings,

Lane and Anna

Caleb, Abigail, Luke and baby boy! 

First Day of School

It's that time of year again!

The kids are bored at home and super excited to go to school! I am sure it is because they are excited to see all of their old friends again. They have been talking about this day for over a month, practically since we came back from our trip to Texas in June.

Caleb is going into 3rd grade and Abigail is going into 1st grade at Kigali International Community School, KICS.

Caleb and Abigail think it is hysterical that their two teachers just happen to be a couple that met last year at the school and got married this summer. So, now our teachers are Mr and Mrs. Bryan!

Here is Caleb with a few of the buddies he met in school last year. It thrills a mother's heart to see your children making friends.

Abigail did the same as her big brother, that is, ran out of the car without saying good-bye to go off and find familiar friends.

Luke is another story....

During the spring semester he kept asking to go to "his school." The church where we have been attending has a Sunday school class for his age each Sunday morning, so I have been calling that "his school" and he has been happy with that to be a part of something the big kids were doing. I am sure that is totally normal for him to want to do whatever the big kids are doing.

Well, then he started asking to go to "his school" everyday after we dropped off the big kids, but I would explain that "his school" was only on Sunday.

UNTIL NOW..... 

I found out that there is a preschool offered during the week at the church called First Imperssions. Voila! Luke can now go to his own school during the week just like the big kids. I enrolled Luke to go 3 mornings a week and he LOVES it. 

When I ask him what he did that day in class he says: playdough, blocks, slide, and snack. Hey, what a better day for a 3-year old. 

I am so glad that he is enjoying his new school! 

Conviction

Sometimes it is difficult for me (Lane) to know if I am living for God's glory or my own glory; living for God's praise or the praise of man. Even moving to Rwanda, I think to some extent -- maybe to a great extent -- was because I think IJM is a cool organization and I would be cool working for it. Shameful. And I recognize that over the last 7-8 months, I have often operated and worked relying on the prayers of others while neglecting my own; relying on God responding to the prayers of family and friends while not relying on Him myself. Again, shameful.

Today was an amazingly bittersweet day. Today, IJM Rwanda secured its first conviction of an abuser of children. Actually, the guy plead guilty, largely as a result of my staff assisting in arresting the man, having him detained pending trial, and securing the DNA test that proved his guilt. Glorious. Praise God that Amelie can rest tonight and onward knowing that her abuser has been held accountable under the law for his actions. She matters.

Today, I also got some candid and passionate feedback from a staff member on real morale, vision, and motivation problems among the IJM Rwanda staff, largely as a direct result of my failure of leadership. It was difficult to hear but invaluable, and I am thankful for it. It is a wakeup call. It is conviction. I cannot do this job on my own. I cannot lead this team without wisdom from God. I cannot build a successful and spiritually growing team without nurturing my relationship with Jesus. "Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain." Proverbs 127:1. I see this now. I recognize how I have gone on my own power, relying on my intelligence, authenticity, and motivations. This is not enough. It is a dead end. It is a lie. This work is too hard. The enemy is real and wants to destroy and defeat. I cannot go forward on my own feeble power and abilities. Jesus, I need you. More than ever before. Is this because I am at a real risk of failing and looking bad before my bosses, peers, friends, and family? Maybe. Probably so. But, right now it is driving me to my Savior, and that's a good thing.

Jesus, help me. I repent of neglecting my relationship with you. You are my source. You are my sustainer. Help me rely on you daily, moment by moment. I need you. Strip me of all vestiges of people-pleasing and arrogance. Lay me bare and work in me to make me more like you. Above all else, this is what I want -- to be more like you. To trust and lean on you in the midst of the storm. To know the peace and rest of intimacy with you. Show me the way, Lord. I can't see it right now but I trust that you want this for me. Thank you, Jesus.

Amen.

Big Trial this Week for IJM Rwanda

All,

Thanks to the many of you who prayed on Tuesday for the big trial for Claudine*!! It looks to me like a miracle the case was even heard today. Prayers work, praise God.

Court started 90 minutes late and when it did the judge did not call our case. So, our attorney consulted with the defense counsel and court clerk and were told a second judge would be coming in to hear our case. At 11am, the court adjourned. At 11:20am, the second judge walked in and called our case. Turns out, the judge came in to hear our case and no others (many other criminal matters were adjourned). During the trial, the defendant admitted the crime and asked for leniency or release altogether. The prosecution asked for 25 years and a fine. The judge said a verdict will be announced in 2 weeks on July 19th, two weeks earlier than we expected. Great job to IJM's Rwanda staff in serving and representing Claudine!

It has turned out to be a great week for IJM Rwanda! There was also great news in another case for a girl named Amélie*. IJM's Rwandan legal consultantat James went to court and discovered that Amélie's trial has been moved up to July 12th (next Tuesday) from the original date of August 31st. Pray for the Legal Team as they prepare for this hearing, and pray for Amélie.

Praise God for His favor in this work!!
Lane

Sign up for our Prayer Calendar!

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you to share a big milestone of reaching the 6 month mark of living and working in Rwanda for International Justice Mission. Yeah! We have many things to be thankful for and many things we know we need prayer for. With this milestone we would like to begin a PRAYER CALENDAR and ask folks to sign up for a specific day to pray for us. How great would it be to have at least one person praying for each day for the rest of 2011.  If you want to join us in this prayer calendar, please email us at annamears at yahoo.com. Feel free to list things you want to pray for us or you can leave the space blank and we'll email you with some of our prayer requests.

1. Name:

2. Prayer Day:

3. Specific Prayers (leave blank if you want me to send you some):

thanks!

Anna and Lane


Click here for available days on the Prayer Calendar!

Sonogram says... It's a BOY !!

Dear Friends, 

We have news!!  While I was in Dallas for my brother's wedding, I met with the doctor that will be delivering our new baby in November. She is great and I really liked her! On Friday June 24th, I had the normal 20 week pregnancy check-up which included a sonogram to check the growth and health of the baby. The sonogram room was packed with my parents, Lane's parents, Abigail, Caleb, and my sister Clara. We had Lane on the phone to Africa but were told to take the phone in the hallway. Bummer, I was really hoping to have Lane on the phone in the room with me.

Anyways, the sonogram went great and the baby looks healthy and is growing just fine. Thank you Lord! Then, came the big moment, we found out that ...IT'S A BOY!!  So, we are excited and now we will have 3 boys and a girl in our family.


After the sonogram, the kids and I packed up and boarded a plane on Saturday June 25th. It was hard to say good-bye to our families in Dallas and our friends in Austin, but it was time to go. The kids did great on the plane ride. We had a few rough moments, but I think they are getting more and more used to overseas travel. Late Sunday night, we arrived in Rwanda with Lane greeting us at the airport. It was a sweet reunion, the kids with their daddy and me with my husband. 

Thanks for walking with us in this journey of life. I really appreciate each of you, your friendship, and your prayers. Since we landed, it has actually been a pretty tough week. The kids have been getting up at random times during the night due to the time difference, making me exhausted. Plus other random things that have come up. I appreciate your prayers for readjusting to life in Rwanda. But, we are thankful for a great trip and glad to be back home with Lane!


Blessings, 

Anna

Perseverance in Trusting God

“Dad, read us the story of Job.” This morning at breakfast, Caleb asked this of me (pronouncing the name “Job” like the 9-5 “job”). “It’s really long. How about I tell you the story?” I replied. He said “OK.”

So, I told Caleb of Job’s wealth and abundant family. I told him of Satan asking God’s permission to take away Job’s blessings on the bet that Job would turn from God. I told him of Job losing his family, his wealth, and his possessions. I told him of Job’s friends’ misguided advice and input to Job that the reason he had suffered such loss was because he must have done something wrong.

I told Caleb that, despite devastating loss and grief, Job did not turn from God (even though he was a bit insolent in his profession of innocence). I told him of Job’s words about God: “God may kill me, but I will still trust in Him.” And I told Caleb of God’s response: that He was God; that people, as God’s creation, could not always understand God’s ways; but that God was proud of Job for not denying Him in the midst of his suffering. I told Caleb that in the end, God restored a great family and great wealth to Job. Finally, I told Caleb that the theme of Job is to persevere in difficult times and to trust in God no matter what; that He has promised to never leave us or forsake us; and that He has promised that our great reward for perseverance in trusting God in all of life’s circumstances is great treasure in heaven. Let it be.

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Rwanda! We apologize for not writing in so long. Much has happened since our last update; much to force us to confront a faint glimmer of what Job faced: the difficultly in trusting in God in difficult circumstances.

First, as you may recall, in March IJM Rwanda had two trials in cases of men who had sexually assaulted two very young girls. Alas, both men were found not guilty, each judgment resting on questionable grounds. My staff and I were sad, angry, and frustrated. But, after meditating on these things, I wrote the following to our staff and some folks at IJM HQ:

“Yes, the judgments in Renee* and Fabienne*’s cases were disappointing, frustrating, and angering. But, as we have processed these as a team, we have come to see that the very real silver lining is that we now have clear vision into where the breakdowns are in the public justice system. We now see very clearly that this is going to be a hard road but that we can move forward with clarity, purpose, and determination, with firm hope that God’s way will prevail. We remain sad for these two girls and their families, but the Easter season has brought into light for this team that Jesus knows this road. He walked a difficult, dangerous, agonizing path in obedience to the Father, because he had the firm belief that millions would benefit from his ultimate sacrifice. We have talked as a team this week that our path, while a faint shadow of Jesus’s, is similar in that we are walking a path of difficulty, disappointment, and pain but we do so out of obedience and with the promise that hundreds will benefit down the road from our efforts now. I am so thankful for God’s grace in the midst of this battle. We truly are not alone.

We remain hopeful, and now can focus with greater precision on the areas of this justice system that are not functional. Please do continue to pray for me and the staff that we would always keep this in mind and press on with all zeal, faith, and hope.”

So there it is. Like Job and Jesus, we will persevere in the midst of difficult circumstances, believing that this is the road God has us on and that He will bring fruit for many from our faithful walking out of the path. Let it be. (*Names have been changed.)

Preaching at a Local Church
One of the things IJM does is build relationships with local churches. And in doing so, Archdeacon Japeth of the Morabe Anglican Church near Kigali invited Lane to speak at his church service on Sunday, March 13, 2011.

We decided to go as a family and join the several other IJM staff that were attending as well.  The church is on a dirt road and everyone who attends arrives by foot.  The one roomed church, no bigger than our house was packed wall to wall with all ages of local Rwandans.

When all 12 of us visitors arrived we were escorted to the benches in the front of the room, the seat of honor.  The worship time which was a mixture of drums, singing, dancing, and an electronic keyboard all very loud and passionate literally inches in front of us, was great!

The kids were a bit overwhelmed though and I tried to let them hide in my skirt as they covered their ears. But, gradually the kids loosened up and things quieted down in front of us. I tried to tell the kids that even though we don't understand a word of what they are saying in their local Kinyarwandan language, just think about your favorite worship song and that is probably close to the same things they are singing in their language. Here is a really fun video of some of the worship that morning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiJwhBR1OgM


Then after several folks spoke, it was Lane's turn to preach. I am so proud of Lane! He did a great job preaching and doing it with a translator, which if you have ever tried is very difficult. He shared God's heart for justice and the room listened to every word.

He shared how God loves justice and hates injustice, that God has compassion on those who suffer injustices, that God judges and condemns those who practice injustice upon others, and that God seeks active rescue for victims of injustice. "And how" Lane asked "does God seek justice? In the same way He advances the Gospel, through his people: you and me." It was a great message and here is a quick video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMPDvD3lLFk


Afterwards we were invited to a room in the back of the church for a soda. All in all it was a 3-hour church service and the kids did famously in the much-longer-than-they're-accustomed-to service. Lane was so thankful for IJM to have the opportunity to partner with this local church and build a friendship with them.

Family Life
A few big highlights of the last few months:

• Caleb turned 8 years old and had a small Star Wars and Lego party with friends from school. Here is a quick video of the boys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OodvQta1hOM
• Lane went to DC for 2 weeks for the IJM Global Prayer Gathering and Team Week.
• The kids got a cute little baby Easter bunny as a pet and named her "Gloria." Here is a little video of the kids and the bunny: http://youtu.be/pYBJWICWIfU
• We found out we are expecting Mears baby #4 in mid-November!

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for Lane and the IJM Rwanda staff that they would remain hopeful and press on with all zeal, faith, and hope for every person and case they are helping.
• Pray for Anna and the kids that will travel back to Texas for her brother's wedding in June.
• For Lane's health, there continues to be something bothering his system time and time again.
• For Anna's morning sickness and the health of the growing new baby.
• Connection and time with the Lord each day for both of us, to keep us focused on Him. 

Blessings,
Lane and Anna
Caleb, Abigail, Luke and baby

IJM Global Prayer Gathering - Lane's Online Interview

The Global Prayer Gathering is a weekend devoted to prayer and worship for the work of justice around the world with the global IJM family.

Dear Friends and Family,

International Justice Mission is hosting their annual Global Prayer Gathering this weekend in DC. The first sessions were last night and Lane says they were outstanding! There will be many more the rest of the weekend. Lane is there with all of the other Field Office Directors from the 14 offices around the world.

Good news for those of us not in DC, the video sessions are being posted LIVE online!!!!
http://gpgonline.ijm.org/

This morning Lane was interviewed live online about IJM and the work in Rwanda. They are posting the completed sessions on the website throughout the day so you can go check it out! Lane's session is called "4/9/11 Saturday AM Pre-Plenary Show."

Check out the weekend schedule online and tune in to as many of the sessions, interviews, and worship times as you want!!

Blessings,
Anna

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

We Arrived Safely in Rwanda

Dear Friends and Family, Happy New Year! Since our last update many things have happened: we have moved out of our house, packed up a storage unit, and spent 8 days in Dallas with both of our families for Christmas. Then on Monday, Dec 27 we boarded a plane headed for Africa. Almost 24 hours later we arrived in Kigali, Rwanda on Tuesday Dec 28 and are now in our new home in Kigali, Rwanda!  We had two flights and they both went great. When we landed in Kigali four folks from the IJM Rwanda office were there to pick us up at the airport. We arrived on time and all our 11 pieces of luggage (except for Luke's car seat) arrived with us. That was a such a huge praise to have all of our luggage here with us on the first night. (The last two times we have flown with our crates (to/from Kenya) they arrived a few days later.)

We drove to our new house and the kids ran around to each room as we all scouted out our new place. We even did a lap around the outside of the house and Abigail came running back with a frog! Inside, we had a hot meal waiting for us by one of the folks at the office. Yummy, chapati, rice, and stew!! (made by a Kenyan living in Rwanda so it was familiar to us!) Because all of our luggage made it, we were able to make all of our beds with the sheets we had in our crates and even unpack some toys for the kids. Thank you Lord! Caleb showing off his first missing tooth! Oh, and last night on our first full day in country Caleb lost his first tooth! He was thrilled when the tooth fairy brought him Rwandan francs this morning. :-) Luke sitting in our new front yard after naptime Thank you for all of your prayers! We have felt them. Please continue to pray for us as we figure out how to get around and get the house set up as our own. We are praying for our shipment of stuff that, we are told, should arrive sometime around January 9th. Some of us have been having some tummy issues, please pray that these resolve quickly. Thanks! Many blessings on this Happy New Year!  Lane and Anna for the Mearskats .

Update from Lane in Rwanda

Dear Friends and Family,

A local Rwandan meal. First you pile rice,
then add"chips" (french fries),
then matoke (a cooked banana dish),
then usombe (spinach-like), then beans,
and finally beef in sauce. Tasty. All for $2.

Has it really been since August that we last sent out an update? So much has happened that we really need to fill you in on things. As a quick recap or for those of you new to our family updates, Anna, the kids, and I spent 10.5 months in Kenya as I (Lane) served as a volunteer Legal Fellow for International Justice Mission (IJM). The mission of IJM is to protect people from violent forces of injustice by securing rescue and restoration for victims and ensuring public justice systems work for the poor all in the name of Christ. You joined us in this fight, and for that I am very, very thankful. Shortly after we returned in June, I interviewed for a long-term, paid, leadership role with IJM and in August, I was offered the role of Field Office Director in Kigali, Rwanda.



As of October 26, I (Lane) came to Rwanda to begin this new job. After the six weeks apart, I will return to Texas on December 7, spend Christmas with our families, and then return to Rwanda with Anna and the kids on December 27. In my month in Kigali, I have settled into my new role with IJM, acclimated somewhat to life here (it is a safe, clean, and beautiful city), signed a lease on a house, and shopped for a car. Life has been full! But, I am absolutely loving it. The IJM Rwanda staff have had some amazing breakthroughs in our casework while I have been here and everyone is excited for what 2011 can bring for our clients. The Bible makes clear that God loves justice and we believe he wants to bring His justice to Rwanda through human hands. I am honored to serve alongside my Rwandese, American, and Austrian colleagues in being His hands in this fight. And, you are right there with us. Thank you.



View from our new house

 As you think of it, here are some things we would appreciate your prayers:

• for a wise and discerning heart for me (Lane) as I lead this team;
• for Anna and the kids in the remaining 2 weeks I am away;
• for our clients to experience God's healing from the trauma they have suffered; and
• for favor with the government authorities with whom we interact.



Thank you again, my friends and family, for standing alongside these girls and boys who have suffered so much. As James said in his epistle: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Crowned crane or 'Umasambi'
in the yard of the guesthouse
where I am staying

 

p.s. Grab a pen...we have our new mailing address for Rwanda! It only takes 3 stamps to send a plain letter from the USA to Rwanda. We'd love to get your Christmas cards even if it takes 4-6 weeks to get there!

Lane and Anna Mears

Post Office Box 3354

Kigali, Rwanda

Peace,

Lane

A Glimpse into Our Life in Nairobi

http://brownfamily.blip.tv/file/4403317/

This is GREAT!! This was our life in Nairobi, at least the traffic and driving in the city part! I learned to drive these exact roads and did almost everyday, on the "wrong side of the road" I might add.  This guy goes by the turn to our house on Waiyaki Way and then takes you all the way to Caleb's old school, Rosslyn Academy. So, Caleb saw this everyday on his bus to school, actually you can see some Rosslyn buses in the video.  He goes by ABC Centre where I shopped for fresh veggies at Zucchini and meat at Gilani's every week, then Sarit Centre where we get water and groceries at Uchumi. He even took my shortcut behind Sarit Centre to Lower Kabete, love it! On the right is a furniture maker on the side of the road where I bought some bookshelves for our house. Then he goes by the hawkers road with the puppies for sale that Abigail loved and my friend Caroline who sells kids clothes everyday and bargained/bought some for our kids while stuck in traffic. Then West Gate Shopping center is on your right, where we might go for a date night to see a movie and eat at Art Cafe. Then up the hill, through the 4-way stop with chickens and fresh cut flowers for sale and where I often saw my friend Laurie coming from her house on the way to school.

Then Forest Lane, which we called Monkey Lane, because Abigail saw a monkey up in the trees one day and I passed a dead monkey with flourescent blood on the road. Up the hill, where the semi truck got stuck and started rolling backwards in front of me, but I quickly decided I didn't want to be there to see if he got unstuck and swerved around to pass him.  He passes the lady on the side of the road where I bought plants. I can even tell you where some of those big, doozy potholes are on these roads. You have to learn where they are or else you hit them and pray your car doesn't fall apart or flat a tire, which did happen to us, but not on this route he drove on this day.  He passes the UN compound where we would go to play ultimate frisbee sometimes and then the US Embassy which we never actually went into, but knew tons of folks that worked in there. Then he stops the video a few minutes short of Caleb's school which we LOVED!

The traffic is crazy in Nairobi and many times I got stuck in this traffic, and several times it took me an hour to get to his school, and once it took us 3 hours to get home from the airport returning from a 90 minute flight. Oh, I will miss many things about our life and friends in Nairobi, but I will not miss the traffic. I am glad to hear that Lane can already say that Kigali traffic is a sunny day compared to Nairobi. Whew, thank goodness! Secretly, I have to admit that many times I did enjoy, yes that's right, have fun driving these roads. Of course, not in the beginning, learning to drive in a right-side driver car but once I started learning my way around, finding the shortcuts to avoid big "jams", and driving like a local, I felt a wave of success! And, I did learn when to stay off the streets because I knew what traffic was out there if I decided to get in our car, like on rainy days or the first of the month when folks got paid, put "petrol" in their cars, and decided to drive. The end of the month believe it or not has less traffic for this reason.


Thanks Brown family for sharing this with us! What a fun walk or should I say crazy ride through memory lane.

Enjoy,
Anna

Plane Tickets Back to Africa

It's Official...we have plane tickets back to Africa!! Our time in Austin is now closing and wow, has it flown by fast.

Oct 25 - Lane flew to Rwanda to start the new job as Field Office Director for International Justice Mission's Rwanda office.
Nov 2 - Anna packed the shipment of our family household items that will travel to Africa by boat.
Nov 17 - Lane signed on a house for us to rent in Rwanda
Dec 1 - Lane moves into our new house in Rwanda
Dec 7 - Lane flies back to Austin
Dec 16 - movers will pack the items in our house for long-term storage in Austin
Dec 17 - last day of school for Caleb & Abigail
Dec 18 - pack up house in Austin & hopefully drive to Dallas
Dec 25 - Christmas with both families in Dallas
Dec 27 - fly from Dallas to Rwanda
Dec 28 - arrive in Kigali, Rwanda and sleep in our new home

Our house for rent and adopt a dog

Dear Friends,

In preparation for moving back overseas we are looking for someone to rent our home. It is a  3 bedroom/2 bathroom house in Westcreek neighborhood near Mopac, William Canon, and 290. The house has been well-maintained and offers a refrigerator, full-size washer & dryer, a back porch, well-landscaped backyard, and 2-car garage. Great for a family or a group of single folks. Move in as early as December 20th.  Please contact Anna at 512-665-3599 or lmearstx at yahoo.com if interested.

**UPDATE 11/21 - WE FOUND A HOME FOR LIZZY!!***Lane's mom & dad want her back after having her last year while we were in Kenya. We are so thankful!! ****

We are also looking for someone to adopt our sweet dog named Lizzy. We are hoping for a wonderful, loving home for her. She is about 12 years old, white lab mix and fantastic with kids. About 2 years ago she lost an eye so we joke that she is our Pirate dog. :-)

Thanks and please forward this on to anyone you know who might be interested in either renting our home or a great dog!

Anna and Lane

Packing for Africa

Today, November 2nd is my birthday and what better way to spend it than with movers in my house packing up 1975 lbs of our stuff to take with us to Africa. We are so blessed and thankful to be allowed a shipment of household goods to be send from our home in Texas to our new home in Rwanda.

There is only one catch, it will take 2-3 months to arrive. To help in deciding when to send this shipment someone asked me "Where will you miss the stuff the most, Texas or Rwanda?" That was a quick answer - Rwanda. So, since we are planning to arrive in Rwanda on Dec 28, I decided our shipment needed to go out on/about November 1st so that it will arrive in country shortly after we arrive. Lane and I made this decision in late-September. So, I had about 6-weeks to prepare for my November 1st "Packing Day".

The ball began rolling to start setting aside all of the items we would like to take with us in this shipment. I started making list, lots of lists. Actually, I started an Excel spreadsheet. That is just the way my brain thinks - lists and spreadsheets :-)!! I knew we wanted to pack things like kid bikes, rugs to cover the tile floors overseas, curtains, framed pictures, etc, etc, etc. It also meant for me to start buying supplies that we would need until our next furlough a year from now - things like medicines, vitamins, next size clothes for the kids, etc. But...the big trick was staying within our allotted 1,975 lbs.  Now, raise your hand if you can tell me how much space 1,975 lbs takes up? I had no clue.

So, the moving company so graciously sent out a "Moving Estimator" to help walk through our house and help us estimate the weight of the items we want to bring. This meeting was really helpful as I opened every cabinet of the house and pointed out what items we wanted to bring. Actually, after this first visit from the "Estimator" we were way over on our allotment amount. So, I started trimming the list. I also, began contacting people we had met during our scouting trip to Rwanda back in March about what things were important for me to bring and what items I can get there and not need to bring. I also searched the web and found a few blogs of ex-pats living in Rwanda and contacted them randomly to ask the same questions. (I am post-writing this entry - and can say that I have now met two of those blogging families in person!).

After 6-weeks of preparation the big day finally arrived.  Thankfully, packers came and did all of the packing for me (if it is not packed by the movers they will not insure it - ok by me!!). Did I forget to mention that Lane left the week before to begin his new job with International Justice Mission in Rwanda, so I was doing this solo. Well, not really. A BIG thanks to Corey and Shannon for coming over the night before until very late to help me inventory every single items that was going on the shipment.  A BIG thanks to Emily and Lori who brought me food and helped by taking the kids all day for playdates so I could be with the movers at the house and be able to focus on all the details.

**The latest update we have is that our shipment split into 3 crated boxes is on a boat in the ocean somewhere and expected to land on the Tanzania coast on January 9th. Then it will travel by land to Rwanda. Not sure how ling that takes, but I am looking forward to seeing these items soon!

Enjoy the pics from the "Packing Day." :-)
Anna