So here we are, packed (just about) and ready to go to the airport to catch our flights back to the UK.

This morning we thought we had a fairly clear day with time to pack and relax. Our hosts had other ideas!

We were taken to see a Peace-building, Health and Reconcilliation Programme that provides training for people to learn a new skill and begin to earn a living. They learn to make clothes as well as bags and crafts. The quality of the products is very good and the programme gives back dignity and self-worth to those who have struggled with life.

We then made a quick visit to two more parishes within the diocese. These are both in the very poorest areas amongst the slums of Kigali. The government has a policy of clearing these areas in order to build new and expensive houses and apartments in an attempt to make Kigali an 'attractive city' for investors and businesses. It simply pushes the slum areas further out into the rural areas around Kigali creating more problems for years to come.

Now some of the churches that served these poor areas are left isolated with new buildings going up around them and pressure from the government to 'smarten themselves up' or be re-possessed. We need to pray for the Lord to give his Church courage and guidance as they seek to stand firm in the face of pressure.

Yesterday we spent a few hours with Archbishop Rwaje and two senior staff to de-brief on our visit and discuss future possibilities for our partnership. It was a useful time and we can look to the Lord to confirm his plans for us.

We also visited another group of widows and mothers who were making baskets, bags and bead-work in the parish of  Kacyiru. It was all a very high standard and will be another source for our Ubushuti shop. We ended the day having dinner with Archbishop Rwaje and his wife Josephine and their son, Joshua. It was a good way to end our stay in Rwanda with good food, good company and lots of laughter.

So here we are, packed and ready to go to the airport to catch our flights back to the UK.

We thank the Lord for all he has done in and through us, and thank you for your prayers.

See you soon
G,H,A

On Saturday we got into Kigali for just after 9am. Our main aim was to buy one or two suitcases to be able to include the Ubushuti baskets in our luggage and so save separate shipping costs. Aware that we could spend lots of time going around different shops, we had prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide us. Just opposite where we parked was a bag shop and the lady offered us two large suitcases at a reasonable price. We thanked her and went to check out other options. As we left, she told our Rwandan guide that if we came back to her, she could let us have them for an even better price. Half an hour later we were back and bought the two cases from her. She was very pleased and so were we. She was a lot more competitative than others. Praise the Lord! Now all we have to do is clear customs when we land in the UK. We will have to pay some duty and tax on the baskets but it should not be very much. Please pray for safe and uncomplicated passage.

We did a bit more shopping for food and coffee and then relaxed in a coffee house. The afternoon was spent resting at our guest house and then we had an evening meal with a young American family who are working with the diocese here in Gasabo.

This morning we were up at the crack of dawn ready to be picked up at 7:15am to go across the city to the cathedral for the 8am English-speaking service. Grace was the preacher and looked splendid in her 'borrowed' surplice! She shared some thoughts and challenges from the story of the widow of Nain and received a clap from the congregation to show their appreciation.

After a cup of tea we had the Kinyarwandan service at which Andy spoke on what Jesus has done for us through his death and resurrection. Three hours later (no, not the length of Andy's talk, but the length of the service) we were on our way back to the guest house for lunch. This evening we are out with Pastor Eugene and his family. Tomorrw we have a meeting in the morning with Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje and Archdeacon Samuel to consider what developments there could be in our partnership. Please pray for a profitable meeting.

As the sun sets over Kigali, we are grateful to the Lord for bringing us this far during our time in Rwanda.

Thanks again to you for praying for us and reading these blogs. Two more days and then we'll be on our way back to UK.

G,H,A

Yesterday we went to the parish of Bumbogo (yes, that really is its name). We arrived in time for some breakfast of Rwandan tea and bread. Pastor Didace and his wife, Liberty, have been in the parish for 17 years. They have a home with very little furniture, yet they have generous hearts and prepared a very full lunch for us and the church leaders.

We enjoyed learning about the ministry and work of the different congregations and hearing about new congregations being planted.

From Bumbogo we travelled back to our Scripture Union guest house via a building site where another parish is building its church building. For some years the church has been renting a hall but is now taking a step of faith to have their own building.

After a couple of hours rest we dropped in to meet the leaders of Kacyiru parish which is in the part of Kigali where all the embassies are based. This parish has one of the few completed church buildings in the diocese, very different from the other places we have visited. It also has only one congregation of 418 people. They have regular ministry in the local prison, hospital and some work places. They are under pressure from the government to re-develop their site to make it more modern and fitting with the various embassies in the area. If they don't do it, then their land could be repossessed. They have already defended their site through prayer from another country who wanted to build their embassy there. So they face many challenges.

We finished the day with dinner at Canon Emmanuel's house. His wife, Gillian, cooked us a loveley meal and we enjoyed some stimulating conversation. Canon Emmanuel is the General Secretary for the Rwandan Bible Society.

Today we have had our day conference for church leaders in the diocese. Around 60 people came and appreciated the teaching they received. Andy led three sessions on the commission of Jesus to his Church and how we should respond to it.

Tomorrow we have a day off so we shall be going into Kigali in the morning to buy an extra suitcase to bring back the baskets we have bought for Ubushuti, and then resting / relaxing in the afternoon.

Have a good weekend.

G,H,A.

Today we visited two of our SAP linked parishes - Rutunga & Gasura. Here is our day in pictures.

Meeting the church leaders at Rutunga in their 'building'.

Grace and Heather enjoying Rwandan hospitality.

Whilst we ate, a gust of wind demolished the church building. Reconstruction required.

Pastor Damascene and his wife Claudine.

On to Gasura and an isolated church building.

A new house being built for Pastor Alfred and his wife Claudette - out of mud bricks and mud mortar.

Meeting the church leaders in their building.









Pastor Alfred and Claudette.

Last couple of days have been spent trying to ties up loose ends as far as our time at Byumba is concerned.

We have spent many hours checking and re-checking our procedures for ordering baskets and cards for Ubushuti. We went to see the Hannah Ministry group and they had a whole lot of baskets ready for us to buy to sell on in the UK. Having agreed the price and collected boxes for packing we discovered that the cost of postage was nearly as much as the baskets. As we have spare capacity in our luggage quota, we are aiming to bring the baskets back as our hold luggage. Please pray that this will work and so save us unnecessary expense.

Husband and wife team that help with the Hannah Ministry in Byumba

We've also bought a further 600 Byumba cards after much sorting out and coding. The sale of cards and baskets has stalled in the last year or two, so we hope to inject a bit of help and encouragement, as well as income, for these groups of widows.

Thsi afternoon, having settled our accounts, it was time to say farewell to our partners in Byumba and head south to Kigali. Our friendships have become very special and it is good to know that we can continue to be part of their work and ministry from a long way off.

Now we have moved down to Gasabo diocese and will be here until we fly out of Kigali on 25th. We will be visiting a number of parishes as well as running a one day conference for church leaders. Please pray for energy and enthusiasm as we are all tired but looking forward to meeting lots more people and learning about the work of the Lord here.

Thanks for reading.

G,H,A.

Today we visited Gakenke parish where another DT partnered water-harvesting project is nearly complete. On the way we enjoyed more breathtaking views.

As with Hunga parish, we discussed ways of making the water project benefit the church and the local community. Selling the water at a cheaper rate then other sellers benefits the local people whilst raising funds for evangelism and community work. This pattern has worked well at Nyabyondo parish where DT installed a water tank some years ago.

From Gakenke we travelled on to Kigarama parish where Pastor Peter is based. This is a SAP linked parish and we spent time with the parish leaders hearing about the work of various groups.

There are 2006 church members across eight congregations and 32 cell groups with 64 cell group leaders. Pastor Peter spends time with these leaders planning the Bible teaching programme that they will then teach their cell groups. Each congregation has three choirs - men, women and youth. The choirs are very important in helping with evangelism through their singing and their practical help.

At both Gakenke and Kigarama we enjoyed good Rwandan hospitality - ie food and drinks.

Tomorrow we have a day of finalising things for our Ubushuti on-line shop. We hope to pack and despatch a box or two of baskets to the UK as well as sort out a stack of Byumba cards to bring back. Please pray for clear thinking and good understanding across languages!

Thanks for reading.
G, H, A.

Today, Saturday, in pictures.

One of the many views on the road to Hunga parish.

Water-harvesting project at Hunga paid for by DT UK partner.

Church roof starting to become a reality at Ngarama parish with Pastor Charles and his leadership team.

Thursday fnished rather late, so time for blog was missed. for Andy it was a day with the pastors and their wives looking at the book of Nehemiah to see what we can learn from his experience of working with God's people. There was a mix of didactic teaching and group discussion. In between the sessions we squeezed in short interviews with the pastors from SAP linked parishes. The last ones for the day weere being recorded as the evening came and the light was fading. We hope these will be a blessing and encouragement for the different SAP partners.

Meanwhile Grace snd Heather were sorting out the boxes of Byumba cards so that we can bring some back to the UK with us, and also meeting people who can help to provide us with baskets. We also talked with Verene, who leads the work with the widows andhas links with the Hannah Ministry, about how she might be able to help us process orders for both baskets and cards.

Here is a photo from our time around Vicky's grave on Wednesday with Bp Emmanuel and either side of him his children, Kelly and Calvin.

Today, Friday, has been another day of conference for pastors, wives and Andy. Also, Heather and Grace led a session specially for the ladies looking at how we can trust the Lord for his plan for our lives. They also spent some more time sorting through the boxes if cards and making plans for us o despatch a box of baskets to the UK on Monday, we hope!

Pastors and wives who attended the conference.

Tomorrow we are going out and about in the Land Rover to visit the SAP linked parish of Ngarama and a water-harvesting project in Hunga. Should be fun!

Wednesday evening and we have just come back from having dinner with Revd Placid and his wife Susannah and their two young boys. Placid is the Bishop's Chaplain and has taken over from Juvenal who has become the sub-dean of the cathedral and the Administrator for the diocese. Juvenal is still our SAP Coordinator working one day a week for us. Our time with Placid and Susannah was good fun with a lovely meal as well.

Earlier in the day we had met with the Bishop and Juvenal to talk about ways to develop our partnership and we have come up with some good plans which we feel are right to pursue. We also went to see the Hannah Ministry where they make baskets, to discuss our plans for the Ubushuti on-line shop. Since Vicky's death, they have missed her leadership and vision at the Hannah Ministry and we can pray that they will find the right person to carry on the work with those who have HIV+ .

Placid and his wife Susannah with Grace and Heather.

From there we had been invited to attend a brief service of thanksgiving for Vicky around the grave, which is just outside the diocesan centre. The diocesan staff attended and were joined by eight bishops from other dioceses, including the Archbishop, who came to show their support for Bishop Emmanuel and his children. We gathered around the grave, sang a couple of songs, had some prayers of thanksgiving and flowers were laid on the grave. In her shortened life, Vicky had influenced many lives and made an impact in the community for the good of God's kingdom. She is greatly missed. Please pray for Bp Emmanuel and the children who still struggle with their loss.

From the service we went down to town to sort out Andy's phone and after about an hour he had a new SIM card cut to the right size and a phone that works! PTL.

Back to the diocesan centre to meet with Verene who oversees the work amongst the Widows and then on to meet with ladies working with Byumba Greeting Cards. Both meetings were useful and we will be able to bring some cards back with us to sell as part of Ubushuti.

Not quite the day of rest that was in the programme, but a good day in so many ways and we thank the Lord for all he is allowing us to ba a part of here. Thank you too for your prayers and for your messages of encouragment on Facebook and by email. Much appreciated,

Ijoro giiza  (Have a good night)! G,H,A

Andy still has no SIM card for his phone! Whilst Andy was in a meeting, Grace and Heather went down to the Tigo centre in the afternoon to try and get it sorted. However, when they arrived, there was a power cut so the machine that was used for cutting the SIM card to the right size could not be used. Oh well - hopefully tomorrow....

The Youth Conference Day 2 started very well with the young people sharing what they had learned through the Chapter Summary Method of Bible study given to them yesterday. Each group had done what had been asked and together we collated a study of the book of Ephesians! It was a huge blessing to hear the young people share what they had discovered together.

For the last session of study, Andy went back to the book of Daniel to finish the teaching on Living in Christ's Kingdom. We looked together at the importance of putting into action our choice to live God's way and also to confess our discipleship of Him. This was an exciting last session as we touched on a number of extra areas including living now in anticipation of the new heaven and earth. We looked at how this perspective had made such a difference to the life and witness of the early church. Bishop Emmanuel closed the conference with a strong word of encouragement for the young people to live for Jesus and to guard against the attitudes and actions of the world.

Team photo of Youth Conference 2015

Team photo from Sunday with Pastor Bernard and his family plus Pastor Placide.

Now over to Grace to share more about what she and Heather have done:

• Planned together for our session with the pastors' wives during the conference at the end of the week.  
• Grace had a meeting with Juvenal to discuss the Support A Pastor programme, while Heather met with a young woman who needed a listening ear and counsel.
• Lunch
• On our way out, one of the staff here at the diocesan guest house stopped us to talk, first about favourite colours but soon about a personal and spiritual matter that troubled her.  We gave motherly and hopefully pastoral support and prayed with her.
• We walked down to town with mobile phones, SIM cards and whatever we could think of that might be necessary to sort out our techno affairs in our bags.
• Abraham, our techno man not there.  We went from shop to shop finding out the prices of baskets.  A message from Abraham saying that he was not coming back to the shop because there was no electricity.
• Checked out messages from home.
• Supper, Bible reading and prayers together, bed.     

What another day!

Youth Conference day one began late as young people had to travel from their home districts. Whilst the programme had singing starting at 0800, by 0930, when the teaching was meant to begin, there were only 23 young people. Gradually more arrived until we were able to begin the session at 1045. Andy is speaking on the theme 'Living in Christ's kingdom' with reference to the books of Daniel and Romans. In the afternoon we looked at the Chapter Summary method of Bible study and then got into groups to look at chapters from Ephesians. We will see tomorrow what they have learned!

Meanwhile, after five hours in the cathedral yesterday, Grace and Heather sat for about two hours in the Tigo phone centre trying to sort out our phone cards and get them cut to the right size. There were lots of comings and goings by staff and various attempts to make the cards work, but without success. End result was that cards cut to nano size did not work in UK contract phones for Grace and Heather (as they are locked) so had to revert to original SIM card for Heather's spare phone and had to go in search of a cheap phone for Grace to use her card. One shop would not sell the only phone they had as they said it did not work properly. They went in search of another phone shop, but could not locate it where they had been told it was. Turned out that the shop was shut. Wandering around wondering what to do, Heather said that what they needed was the help of someone they knew. Just then they heard a voice behind them say in English "Are you shopping?" Turning around Heather recognised the man's face. He said "I know you from when you came with Peter to our youth choir practice. My name is Eric." What an answer to prayer! Eric was more than happy to take them to a shop where Grace could buy a suitable phone. Now we just have to sort out a phone card for Andy!

Rest of day was spent in arranging meetings for later in the week, finishing the coding for Ubushuti baskets and cards and cathcing up with emails. Once again, thanks for your prayers. G,H,A.

From our visit to Gaseke parish on Sunday, here is Pastor Bernard with his wife (on the right) and leadership team.

You name it - we had it.
Sunday morning in the cathedral.
Boys Brigade and Girls BrIgade parade, marching in and marching out, lots of saluting and turning around, joyful singing from several choirs and a cathedral full of people, Andy preaching, confirmation of 50 candidates, communion for around 1000 people, infant dedication, commissioning of two BB/GB captains, induction of catechist, lots of clapping and cheering.

Five hours later and everyone was beginning to flag. We were invited to the church lunch where it was good to renew friendship with familiar faces and listen to a few speeches thrown in for good measure. Eventually left at 1630 to visit the parish of Gaseke - which is included in the Support A Parish programme.

Warm welcome from patient church leaders who had been waiting for around two hours. Good to see church building with roof on. Last time we visited the parish in 2012 we had helped carry sand from the local river to make bricks for the walls that were just six courses high. Time to catch up with the family of Pastor Bernard Jaques and his wife Patricia. Went through to church building to meet leaders and hear about their work in the fellowship and community. Mothers Union run self-help programmes and we heard how lives have been changed through these projects. Visited mushroom nursery, onion patch and other vegetable plots. Sent on our way with singing and prayers of thanks and blessing. Thanks for reading and for your prayers. G,H,A.

Arrived safely at the diocesan centre in Byumba late last night. Had something to eat and then bed! Today we have been sorting out our rooms, making plans for the week and trying to get our heads round the coding needed for ordering baskets and cards for our Ubushuti on-line shop (more about this later). We also needed to get our phones and internet connections up and running so were waiting for someon to come and help us do this. Someone turned up at 1630 so we legged it down to the town and spent over an hour in a Tigo Centre talking through the right package for our needs. Having arrived at a decision and having bought the three SIM cards we were then told that the standard size cards could not be cut down to the micro size needed, as the places that did the cutting were now closed. So now we have to wait until Monday! Anyway, back to the centre for some supper and a brief meeting with Juvenal to sort out tomorrow's meetings. Apparently we are at the Cathedral. Hopefully we can give an update tomorrow. Sleep well.  G,H,A.

Good morning all!

Here we are at Birmingham airport at 0430 on Friday 7th waiting for the flight at 0600. All well and through the security checks in double quick time so now we have time for coffee, window shopping and looking forward to all that lies ahead.

Appreciate all your interest and support and we will keep you up to date throught this daily (hopefully) blog.

 Grace, Heather, Andy

Now into the final week before we fly out to Rwanda. Checking lots of lists and hoping not to miss any 'i's and 't's. Good response so far for sponsoring delegates at the three conferences that are planned, so praise the Lord and many thanks to all of you who have given either anonymously or by name. Huge appreciation.

We (Heather, Grace and Andy) will be meeting up on Thursday in Tamworth to have a meal together, check we've got everything (or discovering what's missing!) and pray for all that the Lord has for us to be and do over the next three weeks. We'll also hope to get some good sleep before leaving for the airport at around 0330 on Friday. Flying from Birmingham, so hopefully no delays.

Keep in touch either through this blog or the Team Rwanda 2015 Facebook group. Grateful to Andy Ellis who is helping us with the FB page updates. Comments welcome!

Your friends,
Heather, Grace & Andy

Welcome to our 2015 blog of our visit to Rwanda. Just three of us going this time but we're looking forward to all that the Lord has in store for us as we join with our two partners in Rwanda.

Introducing Team Rwanda 2015: