July 12th

Hello Hello,

Again I am sorry these entries are becoming once a week. It has been a good week this week. I have talked about us trying to get some bookshelves made in my past post. They are finished and they are installed. They actually were finished over the weekend but we had no way of transporting them. So we had been talking to AEE to see if they could help us get them out to the Center since we had them built here in Kigali. They said sure we can help you. So Tuesday we got the word that they were going to be delivered, but sure enough African timing came into play and they didn’t get delivered, but that’s ok because I am learning patience. ;) So Wednesday they tell us that they will be delivered. So I spend my day at the Center and then get a call saying that they aren’t going to make it again. Surprise Surprise!!! So they are made and just sitting in this workshop and they guy who built them wanted them gone. So Wednesday I take my normal taxi ride home and then stopped in at AEE Kigali on my way home and they have our bookshelves loaded up in the big AEE dump truck. I was like what the heck is going on. So I asked if I could go with them to deliver the book shelves and they said yes. So I ride BACK out to Rwamagana where I had just come from. We had to drop some other stuff off at a different place but we ended up getting to the Center and I think all 150 students came out to help us unload this things. IT WAS AMAZING!!! We got them but in the library and there was just this buzz of excitement in the room. It was a special moment. More than words. Then we went back home so I spent a good amount of time driving back and forth to Rwamagana. I was tired by the end of the day but I didn’t care because it felt like such a victory!!!

Then on Thursday when Melissa and I got to the Center we had a few students waiting by the library door waiting for us to get there. We opened it up and started re-arranging the whole library. It has a great feel to it. We have two different tables that are for drawing and then we have desks around the outside of the room that students can sit around and read at or do homework. Our 1400 book will be arriving in early August and we are very excited about it. In the afternoon on Thursday we had two students come in and tell us that they wanted to clean the library. We said ok and in a matter of minutes they had all the tables and desk out of the room and had soapy water to clean the floors, they also started clean the bookshelves. It was awesome to see these students start to take ownership of this library. I am having a great time just watching them. I want to thank all of the people who have been supporting me through prayer and also supporting me with money. Some of the money that I raised for support went to pay for these new book shelves. THANK YOU!!! This library I think is going to be something special for these students and YOU made it possible by supporting me. I haven’t taken pictures of the space or the book shelves yet but I will get them up next week.

Speaking of next week, we have a small group of 10 people representing the FPCB youth department coming out to serve the students and staff at the Center for Champions. I am very excited to be sharing this experience with these young students. I think that I know all of them and have seen many of them grow up at FPCB. It is going to be a great week serving next to them and to see what God is going to show them while they are here. So if you will be praying for that team that would be great.

I forgot to mention that I have also been hanging out with a short term mission team from Australia. They have been great to work alongside with because they too are out at the Center for Champions.

Prayer requests:

FPCB high school short term mission team

Claude at AEE who is fighting Malaria right now

AEE leadership

AEE staff and volunteers

Jodi a missionary from Iowa

Students at the Center

My Taxi rides