I left for Rwanda in a flurry on May 1st and returned back to Canada on June 17th. Every trip is so different, and yet there are a few common themes that thread their way through all of them. Here’s a bit of a run-down!
Fulfilling Work
Adventures (& Laughter)
Whether it’s an accidental detour to the Ugandan border (twice...) on the way to other destinations (that are not in Uganda), or being regaled with tales about the cobras that had taken up residence on the property, life in Rwanda is an adventure (with a lot of laughs!) in a way that it is not in Canada.
Friends
I am blessed with some amazing friends & colleagues in Rwanda and they truly are one of the biggest highlights of my time there.
The EP Internship: A Blast from the Past!
In about 2006/07, while doing youth work in Langley, I met a spunky teenager named Liz Chan. After getting off to a bit of a rocky start - her spunky-ness kind of got the best of her on her first night as a student volunteer! - she and I developed a wonderful relationship as we began to meet periodically for informal mentoring. She applied to be on our first youth trip to Rwanda in 2008, but was devastated to find out she was just a bit too young. When our second trip came around, there was no question about her involvement and she travelled with us to Rwanda in 2010.
Since then, she has remained connected to both myself and The EP’s work in Rwanda while studying at Simon Fraser University. Earlier this year, when she began exploring the possibility of interning with The EP in Rwanda, not only was I excited to have the extra help, I felt extremely blessed that the help would come from a former youth that I’ve tracked with for over 6 years now! As well, the staff member here in Vancouver who will be helping me provide Liz with accountability and support is one of the original Lifeteams students that I co-supervised during her youth work practicum in Langley at the Art: After School program in 2006/07. I feel proud to have been a small part of these wonderful ladies’ lives, and I look forward to continuing this part of the journey with them.
Funding Update
I’m still hoping to raise an additional $10 000 by the end of August in order to see some of the plans we’ve been hatching at The EP come true. To date, I’ve raised approximately $5300 combined for The EP (general project support) and money that goes directly to support my work with the program! We are more than halfway there!
**I'd love it if you'd consider giving $25, $50, or $100 a month to support my work with The Elevation Project**
Monthly giving is convenient, easy to set up, and it makes planning for the future easier for all of us at The Elevation Project and Youth Unlimited. If you are interested in making a donation, click here to visit Youth Unlimited's online donation page, or click here to download a donation form.
Thanks for all you do to make my work and the work of The Elevation Project possible!
Prayer Points
- For a continued good time of rejuvenating and strategizing over the summer
- That I could meet my fund raising goal of $10 000 and gain a few more monthly donors
- For Liz, who will be serving with us September-December
- Praise with us at the continued healing of Marina Mugarura, the National Director of RYFC’s wife)
Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr - we'll be posting, tweeting and blogging while we are in Rwanda!
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