They will soar on wings like eagles. Isaiah 40:31

This is my last blog post for this mission trip. It has been a busy and fulfilling time being back in this lovely part of central Africa. It is the long, hot dry season just now and everything is very dusty and in need of water. We saw some sensational sunrises from our balcony - every morning at 06.15 - well worth being up and about at that time.

 The highlight of the final weekend was a very special wedding at the Mango Tree Church. Jocelyn, one of the deaf girls who works in the sewing workshop got married to Samson. He is hearing and is also the father of Naomi, Jocelyn's two year old daughter. So this is a very satisfactory ending to a long journey for her - or maybe I should say a "new beginning" for all three of them.

Another very special thing that happened was a visit from Bright, my Ugandan "son", his wife Doreen and their twin daughters, Sheelah Hazel and Sheebah Hazel, aged 2 1/2. They came from Mbarara on the bus and stayed at the ministry centre with us for a couple of days. This was the first time I had met my little grand daughters who call me 'Grannyma Hazel'. They are very bright and adorable children.

 

Another trip safely completed. I got back last week and am now settling back to life in Scotland. 

May God bless all who read this blog!

From the lips of children and infants. Psalm 8:2

We just returned from a visit to Musanze in north west Rwanda where we spent a couple of days with our missionary friend Pam who has lived in Rwanda since about 2000. She started up a children's project a few years ago in partnership with a young Rwandan called Nathan and they now have a thriving nursery and primary school called Excel School. As the school has grown they have added classes and are now at P5 with 305 pupils. This is a remarkable achievement and I have been very privileged to have been involved right from the start.

On Monday we had such a special time at Pam and Nathan's school. They invited us to meet the children and to hear the choir sing for us ......but it was so much more!

My friend Julie wrote these words about it:
"Pam's school just abounds with the love, care and the teaching of God to the kids. It has grown from nothing. It is built on prayer. Pam had arranged for a 1/2 hour to 1 hour programme by the worship choir and dancers. 2 1/2 to 3 hours later we were still being moved spiritually. emotionally and physically by the kids praising, singing and dancing to the Lord. 

Nathan leading the choir

Hazel and I were both asked to speak to and pray for the school, which we were very happy to do, and we would have stayed all day in that wonderful place if we could have done so. I have never seen a group of happier or more confident children - who were very willing to sing on their own and even pray out at the front of the school. Even the 3 year old children took part and the traditional dance group was spectacular. The school secretary is one of the national ballet dancers and has taught the children well. Eventually the performance ended and the children went back to their classrooms and to lunch and we felt rather guilty at disrupting the school's curriculum for the day - but as Pam said, when moved to tears as were all three of us at times, it was well worth it. She really is special and I have been honoured to meet her." I could not have described the day better!

The school choir recently participated in an East African choir festival and next month they are going to a competition in Dar es Salaam. They are very gifted children.

With singing lips my mouth will praise

Psalm 63:5

Lift up your eyes and look about you. Isaiah 60:4

This has been a busy week here in Rwanda. We received a visit from our dear brother Charles, who travelled up to Kigali by bus - a six hour ride from Bujumbura to spend two nights with us at the ministry centre. This was a very important meeting to have time to pray together and to discuss and finalise plans for our joint project, the building of a 50 bed polyclinic on some land we purchased in a suburb of Bujumbura city a couple of years ago.

Hazel and Charles arriving at the OEW ministry centre

This clinic is the On Eagles Wings major project for 2013-2014 and fundraising is now well under way. We wanted to clarify together the project stages and costings and talk about timing and goals etc. It is so much easier to sit down and discuss at length together, rather than trying to do everything by email! During his stay we were able to set up a small video camera and record some clips to make into a short video to show to churches, mission groups and prayer partners. In it Charles speaks about the clinic and why it is so vital in that part of Bujumbura city.

Charles Ndikumana of Cup of Cool Water

We also covered the goat farm project which is almost complete. Last year OEW conducted a "Kids for Kids" campaign to buy goats for poor families in Burundi. Around 60 goats were donated. However we all felt it would be a much better plan to build a goat breeding farm on some land east of Bujumbura and thus establish an ongoing supply of goats for distribution to destitute families. The volunteers from the local church are working to make 9,000 bricks just now - they have already made 4,000 which is a fantastic start. Once these have been baked the building work can get going. The farm should be up and running by September this year.

Brick making for Cup of Cool Water goat farm

We were able to donate a large suitcase full of supplies for Cup of Cool Water to use in their ministry of "uplifting critical communities". This included good quality clothing for babies, infants and children; it included medical supplies - sterile dressing packs, sterile urinary catheters and some moulded leg splints. All these gifts were donated by people in Scotland and carried out to Africa as part of our baggage allowance. We would like to thank the parents who passed on outgrown children's clothes, East Lothian NHS Trust and the Edinburgh branch of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists who all gave generously. All these items will be put to very good use where the need is greatest.

Julie and Charles inspecting the case of goods

Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honour and life. Proverbs 22:4

Train up a child in the way he should go.... Proverbs 22:6

Alpha Community Academy is coming towards the end of the second term of this academic year. Today was a public holiday to commemorate Liberation Day from the 1994 genocide so the school campus was quite deserted. We took the opportunity to visit Gahini in the east of Rwanda with Brian the headmaster to accompany us in the car. Tomorrow the children have their end of month exams - so we hope this did not spoil the fun of an extra day off school.

We have a busy programme ahead of us and would appreciate prayer for the following things:

• Winnie and Louis travelling back to Rwanda next week from their visit to USA
• Charles of Cup of Cool Water travelling by road from Bujumbura to visit us this week
• Julie and Hazel driving up to Ruhengeri/Musanze on Saturday and back on Monday
• Hazel preparing to preach at Mango Tree Church on Sunday 14th
• Wisdom and guidance as we discuss future plans with our project partners during this visit

The origin of the East Africa Revival (1930s) at Gahini