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Yes, the Rwanda Missions Team arrived safe and sound on Monday, November 22. We arrived in Philly and were picked up at 2:30pm by Pastor Bryon and Larry Briggs. After over 30 hours of continuous travel, it felt good to be home but we were still thinking about our new friends in Rwanda.

Oh, the places we've been and the people we have met. We have so many stories to tell! You won't want to miss this Sunday's service. The team will share in both the 9 & 11. If you've been following our ministry in Africa or are simply intrigued about 10 people traveling the globe together, make it a priority to be here Sunday. I promise, it will be a service you won't forget. God will touch your heart and remind us all again of how desperate He is to reach our world with His love.

See you Sunday! Blessings,

Pastor Arlena

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Focus Topic: Protection

Focus Scripture: Psalm 91

Focus Team Members: Stephen Noethen

Psalm 91 is overflowing with the protection he promises to his children. Many times when we hear someone pray for protection, they may use the words, “Hedge of protection”. I recently heard God’s hedge of protection described as a thick, thorny, strong source of protection! How is that for an awesome visual? So as we pray over our team today, let’s picture them, the planes they will fly on and the places they will go surrounded by that thick, thorny, strong barrier that God promises those who hide themselves in him!

Prayer: Daddy, just as little children run to their earthly fathers, we run to you today crying out on behalf of these ten men and women who have givenof their time to go and fulfill your great commission! You promise that “those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High SHALL abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” As our team travels throughout the next 24 hours, we pray that you will hide each and every one of them in your secret place. Give the leaders wisdom, give each person on this trip strength, and fill them with a contagious joy! Let your divine moments continue for our team members and those they interact with. God, we that you that this team has beencovered with your thick, thorny, strong hedge of protection every minute of this trip and we pray that it would continue until they pull into the church parking lot tomorrow afternoon! We place these ten precious people in your hand-Jesus have your way in and through them! In Jesus’ name we pray! Amen

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Focus Topic : Endurance

Focus Scripture : 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Focus Team Members : Glenn Davidson

Today is the sightseeing day for our team and boy do they deserve it! As much as they won’t be
ministering at camp, let’s believe that the Holy Spirit is not done working in and through these
men and women who have given of their time! Let’s believe that first and foremost, this would
be a day that God would restore any weakness in their bodies, emotions, and minds. Secondly, I
believe that our team will encounter people as they journey who desperately need a touch from
God! Let’s pray that God would give them an overwhelming sensitivity to the promptings of the
Holy Spirit to be vessels of love and light to all they encounter!

Prayer: God, Your grace is enough! We believe that today. May every single team member feel
your strength in the midst of their weaknesses today. I pray that each person delights in their
weakness, trusting only in Your strength. Be with them as they move through the day; protect,
guard, and watch over. Bless them with strength that can only come from you. Give them this
day as a day to connect with each other and the heart of the nation they have served for the last
week in a deeper way. We pray that you would love a lasting impression on their lives through
their experiences and interactions today. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Pictures from the Final Day

Goodbye's the Saddest Word I've Ever Heard

Hello friends!

On Friday, our team ate our normal breakfast, loaded onto our usual bus, said hello to our regular bus driver, Theo, and started our familiar trek to Kagarama Secondary School for the last day of camp. And, that was the end of any "usual-ness" to our day. We knew that we would only have a brief time with the kids before they loaded up on their buses to go home, we just didn't expect how hard it would be to say goodbye.

Melanie, Stephen, Nate & Michele had an opportunity to share their testimonies and they did a fantastic job. I have to admit that it was wonderful this week to hear the stories from each team member of what God has done in their lives. Then, before we knew it, we were picking up gift bags and handing them into excited little hands. We'd try to squeeze in a hug, farewell high five, and a picture before they jumped onto the bus but it was challenging with over 200 kids. And, I think all of the team would agree, it simply went too quickly. There were lots and lots of tears as we said goodbye. Somehow, in the course of just a few short days, these precious (and some precocious) kids wormed their way into our hearts.

I think what made it easier for me was just seeing how happy they were. They LOVED the gift bags and like all kids opening presents, rooted through the entire bag to examine every treat. They left us with huge smiles on their faces. We know that many accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior for the first time. We know that many were filled with the Holy Spirit. The missionaries tell us that the special treatment lavished on them at the camp was such a blessing. Our prayer is that the love we poured into them will continually remind them of God's love and help them through whatever comes next in their young lives.

On Saturday, we will stop by a nursery school in a village on the outskirts of Kigali. This is located in a predominantly Muslim area and is led by a pastor who fought in the RPF during the genocide. We're excited to see his school and love on a few more kids. Then, we are off to the genocide museum. We know this will be difficult but important to understanding the people and history of this beautiful country. In the afternoon, we'll be doing some shopping in a local market; tonight, our missionaries (who have been absolutely fabulous) will host us in their home for dinner.

On Sunday, we attend church one more time and then pack up to begin our journey home. You won't want to miss service on 11/28. We'll have stories that will touch your heart, pictures that will move you to tears, and testimonies that remind us of how much God desires to make a difference in our world using each of us. Since I won't see you before then, hope you have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Love to all! Thanks SO, SO much for praying! Blessings,

Pastor Arlena

Pictures from camp day 2 and 3

Camp Day #3

Hello Kingsway and all blog followers! Yesterday was an amazing day from beginning to end. We were all too exhausted to even think about blogging last night. The day started with great testimonies from some of our team, Heather, Tim, and Stephanie. Yesterday the centers that the kids rotated through were puppetry, praise and worship, sports, and special meetings with the teenage boys and girls. The children loved every center and puppets here are like a multimedia experience in the United States.

Although everyone organized different centers nearly every team member experienced each center at least once, here are a few highlights of yesterday: Kely and Heather loved sitting in on the puppetry center. The kids loved seeing their peers up front doing puppets. Glenn was totally schooled on the soccer field by a little girl. Tim led the kids in a praise and worship session in his typical energetic and entertaining way. Stephanie and Melanie also led a praise and worship center and taught the kids the game of 7-Up. Nate and Stephen helped answer questions in the boys (12-17) center; Michele and Pastor Arlena helped answer questions in the girls (12-17) center. Needless to say, it was a full and fun day!

The service last night was full of worship (this includes exercise too) and a great word on the Holy Spirit given by Pastor Patrick, our missionary here. Many children were filled with the Holy Spirit. Children nearly ran over each other to high-five Tim, Glenn, Stephen and Nate on the way to their dorms. We were all blessed to serve this week. What an incredible time!

God bless,
Michele & Pastor Arlena

Friday, November 19, 2010

Focus Topic: Divine Appointments

Focus Team Member: Stephanie Neilson

Focus Scripture: Psalm 32:8

Our prayers were answered once again! Word on the street is that there was a powerful move of the Holy Spirit during the evening service yesterday! Our friends in Rwanda have been used by God to impact lives for eternity this week. Even though today is the last day of camp for them, let’s pray that God would not be finished working through them on this trip. As our team members have their last encounters with the campers today and as they interact with people through the rest of their travels, let’s believe that they would be used to minister, truth, hope, and life to all those they interact with!

Prayer: God you promise us in Psalm 32:8 that you will instruct us and teach us in the way that we should go. We pray that this promise would be true for each of the ten team members today and over the coming days. Jesus, may they be sensitive to the leading of your Holy Spirit telling them where to go and giving them the words to say! We give this precious team to you today praying that they would find rest and peace in you today. Be with each team member. Minister to their hearts and speak truth into their spirits as they seek to minister to others! We love you Jesus! In Jesus’ name we pray! Amen

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Focus Topic: Life Transformation

Focus Team Member: Pastor Arlena Corzine

Focus Scripture:1 Corinthians 2: 12-13

SIXTY young lives made a decision yesterday that will forever impact their lives! Sixty young people gave their lives to Jesus! Prayer works and God is working in Rwanda this week! Today, let’s take that prayer for salvation and pray that the Holy Spirit would begin a work of life transformation in the hearts of each and every student attending camp this week. We see in 1 Corinthians 2 that the Holy Spirit enables us to understand things that we wouldn’t otherwise understand in our natural mind. These verses proclaim that it’s the Holy Spirit who helps us understand what “God has freely given us”. Let’s pray that as these sixty have made decisions for Christ, others are seeking truth, and others have committed their hearts, that where ever these young people are in their walk with Christ, that the Holy Spirit would being to minister to them the truth of what God has freely given to them. As they begin to lay hold of this truth, let’s pray that their lives would begin to be molded and formed into exactly what God has created them to be!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, not only did you send your only son to suffer and die for us, you also provided the Holy Spirit, our comforter, our source of your wisdom, and the minister of truth to our hearts. Thank You! God we pray that as these young people encounter you this week that not only would they make a commitment to serve you but that they would begin to feel the Holy Spirit changing and shaping them into what you have called them to be. We don’t want this week to become a fleeting memory but a moment in their lives that stands as a testimony to who you are and how great your love is for your children. God we cry out for a life transforming work of the Holy Spirit to be alive and powerful throughout the camp today! In every session, is every interaction, in every word that is spoken we pray that Holy Spirit would be at work changing lives! We give you praise, glory and honor for the things you have already done this week and all that you are going to do! Protect our team members from sickness and keep them strong as they minister your love to children who desperately need it! We speak the blood of Jesus over every team member and every child who will be on that campus today! Thank you that NO weapon formed against this day shall prosper! In Jesus’ Name! Amen

Elephant, Elephant, GIRAFFE!

I'm usually quite a big fan of being right, but not this time. We all said the trip would go by too fast, and unfortunately we were all 100% correct. I think we would all single-handedly agree that this trip will be forever on our hearts.

The morning began with our usual breakfast...and by usual I mean having three plates each so that our fruit doesn't touch our cooked food and another for the fruit after we peel it (not that any of us are paranoid about getting sick or anything), and Steven making his own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (The peanut butter was imported from New Jersey, mind you). After ensuring that everyone has indeed taken their Malaria meds, we gather at the bus to begin our short ride to the kids that have already stolen our hearts.

God has been beyond good to us, and although a few of us have been suffering with certain sicknesses, God has continued to give the strength and energy needed! It makes you wonder what He wants to do in the lives of these kids this week with how many obstacles of body that have been coming up. I can tell you one thing: I'm pretty sure we've all increased our praying momentum this week.

There were so many highlights to the day. Too many to mention! One of the greatest things, though, is that the kids have really started opening up to us. Throughout their specified times of Boys Craft with Glenn, Spa time with Mel, Health Fair with Michele, Kely, and Heather, Sports with Nate and their English conversation class with Arlena and Steven, we all noticed a drastic change! Many times a child would find a certain team member, and just snuggle up (Arlena had her "snuggler" tonight!) They think Tim is the coolest person ever, I think.

We have officially taught the kids "Elephant Elephant Giraffe" in Kinyarwanda (duck duck goose), Simon Says, and Tag (That was fun to teach without a translator...). The girls are walking around with painted nails and there are paper airplanes everywhere. Everyone smells like sweat and doesn't seem to mind. 60 kids even received Jesus as their Savior for the first time! Many of these pastor's kids have never had the chance to receive Christ because its just assumed they have already. Your support is taking effect and we have NO idea how Jesus will use these kids in Rwanda and the world!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued prayers and love and encouragement... it's needed and felt! Love you all!
Mel Greco

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Focus Topic: Salvation

Focus Scripture: John 3:16-17

Focus Team Member: Nate Frazier

Happy Wednesday! As you pray today, continue to keep the health of the team members lifted up! A few of the team have not been feeling well but have seen a touch from God and we believe that will continue! The truth of the gospel is so simple yet so profound. Many of the children the team in impacting this week may have heard the gospel message before but have never made it their own. Others may be hearing about God for the first time this week. Let’s pray that this would be a week that young people in Rwanda would allow God to grab hold of their hearts and they would in turn surrender their lives to him!

Prayer: Jesus, you came and lived a sinless life so that we who are dripping in sin could find freedom, forgiveness, and fellowship with you! Thank you! We pray that as our team ministers today and throughout the remainder of the week that the purity of your salvation would be demonstrated and received. For the students who have been around your word but haven’t made relationship with you a part of their life, let this be a week that captivates their hearts and draws them toward your love. For students who have maybe never heard the truth of your gospel presented as something that is for them personally, allow them to hear that truth this week, accept it as their own and be set free! Be with the men and women from Kingsway who are serving this week! We pray for bodies that are whole and minds that are sound! Thank you Jesus for what you have done and what we know you will do! We love you! In Jesus’ name we pray! Amen