Abundance of water

When I'm stateside on furlough, I'm overwhelmed and underwhelmed by many things  Something that particularly strikes me is the abundance of water here in the US.  I've been to sprinkler parks, taken long showers, not filtered a drop of water, etc.  I also haven't seen a single person hauling heavy water containers long distances to their home for use.

Water that is so scarce in Rwanda is bountiful here. 

Our good friends over at ATN (African Transformation Network) just sent along an awesome update.  They just completed another well! 

One of our supporters funded this well and we're excited that it's now servicing the community it was placed in. 

Here's the update we received:

 "Rwanda just entered a dry season of about 5 months where water becomes very scarce for many.  In fact, of the 30 districts, Bugesera (where ATN is located) is know as the place with the worst soil, rainfall, and water in all of Rwanda. 
 

Because of this, we are proud when a new well is put in and clean water is given to a new community.  This new well is on the outskirts of a small community of people who fled to Tanzania in 1959 and were recently forced by the TZ government to come back to Rwanda.  These returned refugees had to carry water for many miles or walk through a swamp to get water from another ATN well.  But as you can see from the picture below, there is great excitement for the clean water being provided at just the right time.  Many thanks to Nzamutashya, Venuse, and their team for their hard work."

We are so thankful to God for the impact this will have on the community!

A special celebration will be held tomorrow to celebrate this amazing gift of water. 

The final product!

This is early on in the digging of this particular well

Dependency

A long time ago in Rwanda, after my first shift helping a mom labor all night, I came home exhausted, got the kids to school, and prepared to snuggle in bed and sleep off the tiring night.  When I got home, Eric and I were faced with a stark realization.  There's no paycheck in volunteer work.

Having been a nurse for a long time, we found it to be kinda odd and funny to now be working without pay at the end of the week.  There's no longer time spent adding up hours, shift diffs, or overtime in our minds. 

Now don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint but an observation.  I'm paid abundantly by the joy and satisfaction of having used my skills and gifts God gave me to serve. 

No really, I'm not just saying that but really do mean it. My work is truly rewarding and I pray glorifies my Lord.

But the bottom line is:  volunteering doesn't pay the bills. This of course makes us dependent on the Lord via our supporters.  This realization made us recall how much we appreciate and love the fact that folks sacrifice, support us, and partner with us financially so that we can live and work overseas.

Wendy and another midwife doing a home visit of a post-partum mom. 

The mamas I work with struggle to pay for their $8.00 delivery, their transportation to the hospital, and even their food and rent.  I count it as a joy to be providing prenatal care, helping them have safe deliveries, and supporting them spiritually, emotionally, and physically-- not to mention the amazing team of midwives and nurses I get to work with. This is time spent doing exactly what I love.  I find myself sorting through a wide range of emotions as I work with these mama's and babies.  Their stories reach far beyond difficult.
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I recently assessed a mom that I had asked to come for ultrasound more than once because we have a concern with her placenta.  I offered to pay for her ultrasound and she was thankful but proceeded to laugh hysterically.  I was rather confused and asked my translator what was so funny.  She said that the mom doesn't want me to give her cash for the ultrasound because she would use it on food for her kids instead.  I was struck by her honesty.  She wanted me to pay for the service at the clinic instead of handing over money (which I would have done anyway).

This is one of multiple conversations that leave me stunned and humbled each day at clinic.

With all that said- we're in a season now of many of our partners going through career or schooling changes and are no longer able to financially give to our work in Rwanda.  As a result, we have lost a substantial portion of our support in recent weeks and are actively raising support to cover our family's monthly expenses. 

It’s honestly a challenge to ask for financial support.  We ask folks to consider not out of guilt or obligation.  So many times we’ve been amazed by those who give out of a sincere desire to partner in our work and count it a blessing to do so. 

If you'd like to join us by supporting our family in Rwanda please let us know. We are hoping to also find some people that would consider approaching their church, small group, or missions committee on our behalf.  We’d be happy to send along information that details the different aspects of what we do in Africa. 

 

If you'd like to give, we receive funds for our work at:

NorthWest Church of Christ

P O BOX 184

Durant, OK.74702

 Write 'Davenport Rwanda' in memo line

We appreciate your consideration.