She was abused and alone...until you sent IJM

Read about one of our IJM Rwanda success stories....
(a featured story on IJM's official website. http://www.ijm.org/node/1973 )

Now a brave young woman, Mimi is safe at home with her family.

Twelve-year-old Mimi* knew her family was desperately poor. Hoping to help, she left their Rwandan village to work as a maid in the city—a common step for rural girls her age. But after years of hard labor and cruel bosses, she was barely earning enough to survive. Then, all at once, her fragile world fell apart: Mimi was raped by her employer's brother and cast out to the streets.

Soon, Mimi discovered she was pregnant. She had nowhere to go and thought no one would help her. Mimi was still a young girl, but too far and too ashamed to return home. Her baby came early, and they spent months in and out of hospitals—weak, penniless and quickly losing hope.

The home where Mimi grew up.

Abused and afraid, girls like Mimi often feel powerless to seek help. But, in her darkest time, Mimi found the courage to share the truth.

She bravely told her story to nurses at a local clinic, who called police and IJM Rwanda. Suddenly, Mimi had powerful defenders on her side. She was not alone anymore.

Right away, IJM social workers made sure Mimi and her baby got the care they both needed. IJM worked with local prosecutors to fight for justice in court. And, with strong evidence, the man who raped Mimi was convicted and sent to prison.

Mimi's mother celebrated her return, saying, "We will share whatever we have."

Mimi flourished in IJM's trauma-focused therapy program and prepared to return home with IJM's help. She worried how her family would see her—gone five years and now with a baby born from abuse. But her mother welcomed her with open arms, joyful after years of worry.

Today, Mimi has graduated from a career training course in sewing. With new confidence and a new sewing machine from her friends at IJM, she can help her family and continue to heal with those she loves.

Kigali City, Rwanda

"Now that she's skilled in a trade, Mimi has a firm footing," says her IJM social worker. "You can see the future shine in her eyes."

Will you send IJM to bring rescue and restoration to more children? Your gift changes lives.

*A pseudonym. This IJM client is now a major and has consented to the use of her image. 

Lane's Knee

Dear Friends, 

I would like to ask for your prayers for Lane. On Friday, he injured his left knee and today was able to see an orthopedic doctor here in Rwanda. After examination, the doctor thinks Lane tore part of his meniscus, but can't verify that until doing an MRI of the knee. However, the doctor wants to wait 6 weeks for the swelling to go down before doing the MRI. Depending on the type of tear, it could mean surgery. 

I want to ask for your prayers during these next six weeks - March 11th through April 22nd, that God would COMPLETELY heal Lane's left knee. So much so, that when he goes for the MRI, that no tear is found. I am asking for prayer that as the swelling goes down that God will heal all of the tissue around the knee and restore anything that is possibly damaged or torn. 

Thanks for praying with us and to God be the glory!

Thanks!

Anna

Merry Christmas 2012 from Rwanda

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Luke 2: 11-12

Merry Christmas

From the Mears family in Rwanda

Lane, Anna, Joshua (1), Luke (4), Abigail (7), Caleb (9)

The (St.) Nick of Time - December 2012 Update

One of the IJM client children who completed her

counseling and is receiving her certificate. So young!

By Lane Mears
It is Friday afternoon in Kigali at IJM’s office. Storm clouds are moving in, bringing a cool wind to the gathered crowd of local leaders, government officials, and our staff and ministry partners. We are gathered to celebrate.

We celebrate…

• 13 Clients - child victims of sexual assault who have completed their trauma counseling, a process which takes around 6 months to complete;
• 8 Mothers of our clients  - who completed a support group that helps them deal with the grief of their child’s rape; and
• Lay trauma counselors - people from local churches and other ministries in the country, who completed a series of trainings on how they can counsel trauma victims in their communities.

We celebrate because out of devastating grief and tragedy, God has brought healing and hope.

IJM clients dancing at the graduation celebration! Dressed
in traditional skirts and headbands.  

At the celebration, April*, a now-18 year-old client of IJM, stands in front of the gathered crowd to tell her story. One day nearly two years ago a man came to April’s house and asked her mother if she knew of a young trustworthy girl that would be willing to take on a housemaid job. April’s family was very poor, so April’s mother said her daughter was trustworthy and could do a good job.

The next day, the man took April to the home of woman who put her to work as a live-in housemaid. Two nights later, the same man came to the house with a friend and the two men drank beer with April’s new boss. April eventually went to bed. In the middle of the night, April woke up and immediately realized that her hands were tied and that one of the men had his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. He then proceeded to rape her. After the rape, April ran from the house and a neighbor took her to her mother. Eventually, the police filed charges against the abuser and the criminal case process began.

A young teenager IJM Client, with a baby sleeping
on her back under the blanket, receiving her counseling
certificate. Her face is hidden in the picture to
protect her privacy. 

Understandably, April was distraught that such a thing would happen to her. While the criminal case against the rapist moved forward, April discovered that she was pregnant as a result of the rape. As a poor, single 16 year-old girl carrying a child conceived of rape, April lost all hope. She decided to end her life, and purchased natural oils she had heard would do the trick. As she was about to ingest them, however, two of IJM’s client care specialists arrived at her mother’s house, in the nick of time, to provide counseling and a plan for recovery.

Over the next 18 months, April gave birth to a baby boy, spent months counseling with IJM staff and eventually completed her treatment plan.

And today, as the rain begins to fall, April stands before the crowd gathered to celebrate with her and she speaks of a new hope, a new joy and a thankfulness to God that He did not leave her alone in her shame and despair but He sent people to rescue her and give her new life.

A new hope, a new joy, a new life!!

------------------

Merry Christmas, friends and family! We have much to celebrate. Chief among our causes to celebrate is the reason for Christmas – to celebrate God’s gift in Jesus. He came in the nick of time to rescue us from death and offer us a new hope and a new life. John 10:10 records Jesus' joyful words: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

It’s been WAY too long since our last update – sorry! Our family of four kids is hopping and busy with daily life. Joshua just turned one year old and is crawling everywhere. He can stand up and even take a few steps on his own but still prefers to crawl.

Abigail (7) did great on her solo in the elementary school Christmas musical.  She loves to sing around the house and really enjoyed being on stage for the two performances.  Say a prayer for Abigail if you think about it.  On Thursday, she will go visit 2 of IJM's clients at their homes here in Kigali. She decided a while ago that she wanted to give away some of her toys to the IJM clients.  So, she put the items in paper bags and put them under our Christmas tree. Tomorrow, she will get to deliver them in person. Thank you Lord for her heart for the poor and abused.

Joshua - 1 yr old

Caleb (9) remains a voracious reader. Most mornings, when I first come out to the living room, he is already awake and on the couch reading. Books! Thick books! Like with words and stuff!

Luke (4) can now count to ten in French (he attends a French pre-school). When I (Anna) went to his parent teacher conference today, the teacher said to the other teacher at the beginning of the meeting "for Momma Luke we must speak only English." Boy, did I feel like the silly mom who only speaks one language. But, they did recommend that I get some French story books for me to read at home to help him with learning the language.  

I, Anna, am really looking forward to these "holy days" ahead to spend time with my family, being creative at home and baking fun treats to eat. I am realizing how different it is having Christmas overseas. And, not in your home culture. We are learning to start some of our own family traditions.   I miss driving around looking at lights and time with cousins and grandparents. But, instead we will get together with friends here to sing Christmas carols.  The grocery stores here don't have displays at the end of the aisles for pumpkin pie, stuffing, candy canes, and hot chocolate. Instead, we have fresh mangoes, avocados, citrons, and carrots from our garden. The food may be different, but the reason for the season, the birth of our Savior, is still the same no matter where we live.

Abigail 7, Luke 4, Caleb 9
With fresh carrots from the garden!

Before I close, I must say, that I am so proud of Lane and the folks at the IJM Rwanda office for working so hard to exceed their yearly target of convictions in the legal cases they are working on.  They are "seeking justice" as in Isaiah 1:17. In 16 of their cases this year, the child rapist was convicted, well beyond their goal of 10 convictions. That is 16 sexual abusers who are behind bars and can no longer hurt any other children. Yeah team!

Merry Christmas!

From the Mears family in Rwanda
Lane, Anna, Joshua, Luke, Abigail, Caleb

Abandoned at Birth...

Dear Friends, 

These are true stories from Rwanda....

Baby G is a little baby girl who was abandoned in a field not too far from our house at 5 days old! Security guards found her in the field crying and brought her to the neighborhood leader. A missionary family at our church took her in to feed her and care for her until a home could be found.  She has been with this family for several months now and is growing and developing while they are waiting for a family for her. She was literally rescued from death that night when the security guard heard her little cries in the field. Thank you Lord!

Baby M is a little baby boy who was abandoned at a local hospital this summer! The doctors kept him there for 5 weeks hoping his family would return. However, after 5 weeks and no family to claim him, the hospital allowed this same missionary family to foster him until a home could be found for him as well. 

So now, this missionary family is fostering 2 Rwandan children in addition to caring for their own 4 children. Brett and Keli are those missionaries and they are personal friends of ours. I admire them so much for taking in these little babies and caring for them. They have accepted these 2 babies into their home to care and love them as long as needed. They are wonderful parents and their older children are helping as well. But, they need our help!! It is a lot to care for 2 foster babies. They need lots of attention and care. Baby M needs extra physical therapy, love, and attention due to help his delayed development from being in the hospital alone for so long.

I kept wondering how I can help, so I asked. We can pray for Brett & Keli. We can pray for Baby M's development that no serious medical conditions are found. And we can pray for 2 loving families to adopt Baby G and Baby M. There are also practical ways that we can help. Both babies need formula and diapers, and lots of them! Lane and I have already done this and if you are interested, you can donate online to the Shreck family on their ministry website. Just click on their family picture at the bottom of the webpage. When you complete the form, in the field for your phone number, just write "Baby G & Baby M" and it will go directly to helping the babies.

https://rocfoundation.worldsecuresystems.com/Donate

Also, I am happy to buy the diapers & formula for you and personally deliver them to the babies if you want to do that directly with me. Just email me at (annamears01@yahoo.com) and we can talk details.

Think about it, pray about it, and if you are interested please do what you can. Thank you for reading this and considering if and how you can help these two abandoned babies! God is watching out for these little ones and I want to help however I can. 

God bless, 
Anna & Lane

The New Times talks to IJM Rwanda

Friends, 

IJM Rwanda is in The New Times, a local Rwandan newspaper. Check out the article!

Anna and Lane

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15105&v=239&t=International

International Justice Mission : Building for sustainable access to justice

Accessing justice is a right that every citizen of the world should enjoy without much ado. But usually, the most vulnerable, the poor and the marginalized are kept away from enjoying the fundamentals of justice. In Rwanda, the nascent justice system requires much support to ensure expeditious justice delivery and for all.

The IJM has provided a platform for such interventions. THE NEW TIMES’ THOMAS KAGERA talks to IJM RWANDA Field Office Director LANE MEARS to have an insight of how the Mission intervenes to secure justice for all.

International Justice Mission (IJM) is an American-based Non Government Organisation formed in 1997 by Gary Haugen, an American prosecutor who had a passion for Jesus and care for the oppressed. The mission of IJM is to ensure justice, rescue and work on restoration of individuals’ self esteem. IJM has 15 field offices in ten countries; Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, India, Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Guatemala and Bolivia.
As an organization that nurtures Christian values, it believes that some individuals cannot secure justice on their own so the IJM intervenes on their behalf. The major evils that the Mission fights are human trafficking, land, sexual assault and slavery grabbing.

In 2007, IJM opened shop in Rwanda to contribute to the improvement of lives through the legal interventions. The country has come a long way since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, but the justice system is still a young sector where IJM stepped in to support and collaborate with the government in its development.

Supporting the land reform policies

The IJM in its first 3 years in Rwanda greatly contributed to the promotion of land rights by aligning with what government objectives are. The IJM drafted a law manual for the National Land Center that highlighted the rights of the land owners. The manual has been distributed to the district land offices throughout the country.

Through the advocacy programme, IJM has helped in solving 136 land disputes and trained more than 156 local leaders (including Abunzi) on how resolve land disputes and given advice to about 150 people on land-related issues.

Helping victims access justice

For the last one and a half years, IJM has been representing sexually assaulted children. More than 30 children have been assisted through trauma counseling and treatment. Since January 2011, 13 IJM clients’ cases have resulted in a conviction of te child rapist.

In October 2011 trained 25 prosecutors and judges with skills of handling sexual assault cases. Some 1000 local leaders in Kicukiro, Nyarugenge and Gasabo were also trained in handling such cases. IJM supports the Prosecution Authority in DNA testing in those cases that involve sexual violence.

Capacity Building

Sustainability is a key component in the IJM programmes. This explains why IJM works with MINIJUST, Prosecution Authority to train the professionals—prosecutors—to create capacity that ensures consistent access to justice,  but also the local leaders in how to effectively respond to sexual assault cases. They are empowered with skills and knowledge how to interact with the affected child, collect information, how to work with the police among others. IJM has also worked with such NGOs as ; Lawyers of Hope, Haguruka, social workers and trauma counselors.

Through the justice journey Programme, IJM also works with churches to engage them in justice issues in their communities. On two occasions, IJM has helped victims that were being abused by family members to be placed in boarding schools.

How IJM works on sexual assault cases

IJM usually gets referrals from local leaders, churches, NGOs, and individuals. After reporting the case to police, then a team of social workers makes an assessment to establish the emotional, legal and medical needs of the victim. The child is encouraged to tell the story. A legal consultant is then retained to provide the services until the case is concluded.

If the family from which the victim comes is identified to be in need of finances, then an income generating project may be started for them or sponsorship for the school-going children. The poorest are the most vulnerable to the assault crimes so IJM intervenes by breaking the cycle through education, jumpstarting the skills and income.

Challenges and way forward

IJM would like to do much more in Capacity Building, sponsoring the victims and get more in the loop for counseling but the resources at times limit what can be offered at a particular time. But IJM staff, on the whole, are impressed with the path the country is treading. There is still work to be done, but at least access to justice has significantly improved over the years. IJM commends the government of Rwanda and the Justice sector for their efforts.

Mears Dessert Event in Austin

Dear Friends, 

You are invited! We are coming to Austin in 3 weeks and we would love to see as many of you as possible! On Sunday July 1st, we will serve desserts, share stories and pictures of our life in Rwanda. Come to the coffee shop at Hope in the City church in south Austin on Sunday, July 1st starting at 6:30pm. Families & kids are welcome. 

Please RSVP with this link if you can come so we know how many desserts to serve and number of kids for childcare too!

http://www.facebook.com/events/324195067659125/

thanks, 

Lane & Anna

Life Lessons from Rwanda #2

A recent visit to see an IJM client. Though the client isn't
in this picture, these are children from her village. 

Continuing on with the three life lessons Lane has learned while living here in Rwanda. Here is the second lesson that he shared at his Wednesday morning guy's group. 

Lesson #2 - Comparison is death; be content to be yourself. 

Working with IJM and moving in the expatriate community here, I am constantly around very impressive people. People with great intelligence, impressive abilities, winsome personalities, and notable success in their careers. I often find myself comparing myself with them, almost involuntarily. Such comparisons are a losing game all around, as they inevitably result in either (a) pride, when the one comparing decides that he is better than the one he’s comparing himself to; or (b) envy or self-pity, when the one comparing finds himself lacking as a result of the comparison. Pride and envy/self-pity are relationship killers and can’t help but divert our focus from God and others to ourselves. And, when our focus is constantly on ourselves, we devolve into isolation and extreme selfishness. There is another way. God has made each of us with a Divine Design, on purpose and for a purpose. We are most alive and effective when we know how we are made (know ourselves), are content with this, and live our lives out of this. When we try to be like someone else, we go against our nature and we rob others of who God designed us to be. Be content to be yourself. And know that there are people right now who are looking up to you, even as you look up to others. Guide them honestly by being yourself.

Recent Praises, Thank You Lord!

- IJM has helped secure 7 convictions of abusers of children this year so far. The goal is 10 for the year!

- Next week, on Wednesday June 13, there will be graduation of several clients who have completed the 4-6 month counseling program to help them heal from the trauma they have experienced.

- God has provided a car for our family while in the States for 7 weeks this summer. 

- God has provided a home for us to stay in while in Austin for 5 days. 

Please Pray for:

- Two trials to defend children who have been abused, one today and one tomorrow. Please pray for the case to be heard as scheduled and that God would work through the IJM lawyers working on the cases. 

- Pray for a judgment hearing that will be held on Friday to determine the verdict in another case of child sexual assault.

- Pray for Lane as he wraps up lots of details in the office before leaving on furlough for one month. 

- A good renter for our home in Austin, Texas. Let me know if you know anyone interested in a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom house in south Austin. 

thanks, 

Lane and Anna

Life Lessons from Rwanda #1

Life Lessons from Rwanda

On Wednesday mornings I meet with a group of guys. It’s a Bible study but we spend as much time talking about life, family, and living in Africa, and encouraging each other to live as godly men. Recently, one of our number who’s moving back to the U.S. challenged each of us to come up with 3 life lessons that have shaped or impacted us. It’s a challenging exercise, but worth the effort – I encourage you to try it. Here was the first one I shared.

Lesson #1 - When circumstances are out of your control, you are forced to decide for yourself whether or not God is trustworthy. 
I am an American lawyer. For years I have taken great comfort in the fact that I have the ability to know and apply the law. I am good at it. I like it. Because I can know the law, and the law is predictable, knowable and the final word, I feel a semblance of control and comfort. It’s my happy place, if you will. I am a lawyer – this makes sense. However, of late I have had a great sense of being out of control here because the law (a) is not as knowable and (b) does not always mean what it says. This is hugely unsettling for me. This makes me nervous, anxious, and panicky at times. It is a desperate place where I lack control or even any understanding of where to find that familiar control. It’s been interesting to see my almost involuntary response to this “out-of-control-ness”: losing my cool with authorities (not a good idea), pressing small issues of legal interpretation to an unnecessary degree and with too much vigor, difficulty sleeping and an inability to leave work at work. What’s hit me lately is that where I am is very much where God would want to have me: in a place where I can no longer trust in my abilities but where I am forced to wrestle with whether or not I trust Him in the midst of my circumstances. This is not a fun place to be but it can be a place of tremendous growth in faith. In the Gospel of Mark chapter 4, Jesus and his disciples were on a boat in a storm on Lake Galilee. Jesus slept; his disciples panicked. They asked Jesus if he cared if they drowned in the storm (translation: we’re out of control, we’re dead, you’re sleeping and you don’t care). Jesus responded by calming the storm with a word and saying: “You of little faith. Why were you so afraid?” (translation: I’ve had the power to save you the whole time and I would never have let the storm consume you; why did you not believe?). It is hard to be in the storm, totally out of control, and to trust in God whom you cannot see. But that is the essence of faith: to trust in God’s power and goodness when you are forced to make that decision. I am not there yet, but this season is one where I am growing in faith, whether I wanted the test or not.

Cooking in Africa...a journey for me

yes, I have totally felt this after moving to Africa. Many new foods, pots & pans I was not used to, not my spices I was used to, a different store, cooking from scratch for 3 meals a day x 7 days a week, no drive-thru or take-out or delivery, not having my cookbooks, etc, etc. I understand!! I was telling a friend that I went through phases with cooking after I moved to Africa. 

Phase 1 - (0-3 months) 

Buy anything I recognized the label in the store no matter the price. Ok, for a while, but got expensive and repetitive after a while.  It felt like it was fun, we were living an adventure and trying new things, but felt like a temporary solution

Phase 2 - (3-6 mo) 

Get bold and try downloading recipes online since I didn't have my old cookbooks. Pick out 3 recipes, go to the store and can't find 2-3 items on each recipe. Come home with no complete recipe. Try to make it anyway without the missing ingredient. Frustrating, defeating. 

Phase 3 - (6-12 mo) 

Got a cookbook by american missionary women living in Africa which had recipes I was familiar with but with local ingredients. Took one recipe at a time, slowly, trying and feeling successful with the result. Little by little, felt more comfortable with what I could buy and find and make at home. 

Phase 4 - (second year) Cooking from Scratch, Really

Moving to Rwanda! It felt like I was start over again when we moved to Rwanda in Dec 2010, but I felt a little more prepared this time, after what I experienced in Kenya. This time was different because I was able to bring some of my cookbooks from home and many of my pots, pans, kitchen utensils, etc. and I had a bigger kitchen. So, I felt a little more ready to face the challenge, until I found out that everything had to be made from scratch herein Rwanda. There was very little if any prepared foods, things like a can of cream of chicken soup for casseroles or a dessert recipe that starts with a box of yellow cake mix or a dinner meal that calls for a bag of frozen vegetables or a soup recipe that is a can of corn, a can of beans,  a can of whatever. Can't do any of those recipes! I realized how much I didn't know how to cook. I mean I cooked meals, nice meals actually, I thought for my growing family for 10 years, but now I was paralyzed because all of my cooking relied on some element of prepared food from the grocery store. Now, everything was from scratch. 

If you live in the United States, bring a cake to a party and someone says "Oh, did you make that yourself?", and you say "yes". That means you opened a box, added 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of oil, and 1/4 cup of water and cooked it in your dish, in your oven. You did not buy it from the bakery section at the store and you are a super mom for baking your own cake. Here in Africa, if you make a cake from scratch it means something different. It means you put flour, 125g butter, caster sugar, eggs, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), cocoa powder, buttermilk (or milk and yoghurt), and vanilla essence mixed together in your oven at 175 degrees Celcius to make the "Super Easy Chocolate Cake" recipe from your "Cooking in Kigali" cookbook compiled by ex-pat (American, British, Canadian, German, etc) women. 

whew! This whole process has been very frustrating, but eventually it has gotten better as I have slowly tried different things and became more confident of my cooking. Now, the other ex-pat ladies and I try to share recipes with each other, since we are all in the same boat. And we even find ourselves sharing where we found certain food items. For example, you might find yourself having an entire conversation about where to find mozzarella cheese in the city. Or you text your friends from a store when you find maple syrup. It really is hysterical! And maybe I should talk about buying food from street vendors, I mean a guy walks up to your car with a bucket of strawberries and you are actually thrilled to see him and buy the strawberries! Maybe that topic should be another blog post....

I Love African Fabrics!

Oh, I think I have fallen in love with the fabrics here in East Africa!  There are so many bright, fun colors. And the way the colors are paired together with the different patterns, I think it really shows about the culture of an area.

Kitenge - Rwanda

Here are two samples I bought today for a skirt for my sister. A close up and then distance shot of each. Lots of bright fun colors and some crazy patterns too! Some of the patterns will have a picture of a shoe, a purse, apples, or whatever. 

The three pictures at the bottom are from a local coffee shop wall that used tons of different fabrics from the market to make a wall of color. Each piece is wrapped around a wooden baton and attached to the wall. Very dramatic. I had Lane and Abigail pick out their favorite fabrics on the wall. 

Khanga - Tanzania or Mombasa, Kenya 

Rectangle piece of fabric with a 6 inch border around the edges. Used to make women's dresses. I loved to use them for tablecloths and still do. They come in al colors! The unique thing about these fabrics is that they all have a quote at the bottom of the fabric.  There were also khangas with the U.S. President Obama's picture on the whole fabric since his father is Kenyan.

Khanga - which comes from the old Bantu (Kiswahili) verb ku-kanga to wrap or close. www.wikipedia.com

An East African khanga is a rectangle of pure cotton cloth with a border all around it and printed in bold designs and bright colors. It is as long as a person’s outstretched arm and wide enough to cover from neck to knee, or from waist to toe. Khangas are often bought in pairs and are usually worn in a most attractive and useful way. Most traditional outfits require a matched or unmatched pair. Women also use khangas to cover other clothes and to carry their young children on their backs. Khangas are also used as tablecloths and decorative wall hangings.

Khangas use a variety of African sayings, idioms, proverbs, slogans, expressions, idioms and riddles in Swahili and English. These sayings must be understood in their cultural and social contexts. It is important to understand that many of the sayings are intended to be a commentary on the lives of East African women and their complex relationships. Many of the sayings are messages (hidden/coded or otherwise) that women communicate to each other. Usually the saying is printed on the bottom middle of the cloth. More recent East African khangas also contain informational and educational messages.

"Asante sana kwa wema ulionitendea." means "Thank you for your good deeds to me."

"Apendaye halipizi." means "The one who loves does not take revenge."

"Yataka moyo." means "[Marriage] needs patience."

"Yote ni matawi shina ni mimi." means "All are branches. I am the root." (Meaning: The legally married woman is the root. The rest of the women/wives are branches to the man.)

"Zawadi ni zawadi." means "A gift is a gift."

Source: http://www.deproverbio.com/display.php?a=3&r=106

Kikoy - Kenya 

From the Kenya coastal areas. More pastel or lighter shades of colors. Solid color with small stripes in the fabric. Often a fringed or braided edge on 2 sides. Used as a shawl or wrap, but also sewn into clothes. 

Maasai Fabric - Kenya

Red plaid fabric used by Maasai tribe who live in the Mara area of Kenya. They wrap this fabric around them to designate their tribe from other tribes. It is worn by the Maasai warriors and the cow and goat herders in the fields.

“Let’s hope that God will talk to them through our mouths”

In the past two months, I (Lane) have had occasion to have many meetings with people to discuss difficult things, such as: Meetings with a branch of the Rwandan government to negotiate a memorandum of understanding; meetings with another branch of the government to resolve issues with our organization’s registration; etc. But, prior to one recent, difficult meeting, one of my Rwandan staff, in response to my request for corporate prayer, stated: “Let’s hope that God will talk to them through our mouths.”

That struck me as profound, and as something I deeply wanted not only for the next meeting but for all my interactions with people. How cool and impactful would that be for people to feel blessed, challenged, edified, loved, rebuked in love, wiser, etc., after each interaction with us. It reminds me of a Jim Elliot quote: “Lord, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.” Let it be.

Anyway, a month or so later IJM Rwanda had one of those days that causes great celebration. 

First, on Friday, March 30, a Rwandan judge convicted a man who had raped an IJM client named Dahlia* and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. We celebrate because the system has clearly stated that Dahlia matters, and we celebrate that, in spite of numerous issues in this case though very well could have prevented it from even going to trial, God brought justice for Dahlia in a Rwandan court. IJM Rwanda has now assisted in securing four convictions of child abusers in 2012 against a goal of 10 for the year.

Second, after many months of prayer and work to secure our re-registration as an international non-governmental organization (INGO), on Friday we secured our registration certificate! I’ve never given birth but this six-month process of trying to get re-registered is as close as I’ll ever want to come to being with child for 9 months and giving birth. Thank you for all of your prayers in getting to this point.

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Greetings from Kigali! April is the annual memorial or mourning time from the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. The genocide started on April 6, 1994, when the then President of Rwanda’s plane was shot down. 

Every year, the entire country spends a week in mourning and remembrance of what happened in an effort to make sure it never happens again. 

As you think of it, please pray for the people and leaders of Rwanda as they continue to heal and move forward after such a desperate tragedy.

Joshua - 5 months old

 On the home front, Joshua is now five-months old and is beginning to pull himself around on the floor as well as showing off his first two new little teeth.

 

Caleb and Abigail had a new experience this week. Due to the Memorial Week, the kid's school is off for break the entire week. So, we decided to take some field trips around the city. 

One of those outings was to a place called Dancing Pots, where the kids got a first hand try at making pottery. Check out my blog post here for more about that experience and more pictures!