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

Pictures from Camp - Day 1

Announcing a New Life Group: Puppetry for Beginners

Boy, do we wish we had joined that life group!

Good evening from Kigali, Rwanda! Let's give credit to my stenographer, Pastor Arlena, and my two editors, Michele & Mel who will make sure nothing gets put on the blog that is inappropriate! I don't know if you knew about it but there was a debate last night on which is better - vanilla or chocolate ice cream - but vanilla won (not really! Since I'm typing, I'm declaring chocolate the winner - Pastor Arlena).

Today, the children arrived at the camp we've been praying for and planning for. We all participated in registering the kids, getting them to their rooms, and giving them lots of smiles and hugs (our favorite part). After lunch, we went down to the field and had some fun. Everybody was involved on various teams with the kids. I was a judge and cheered the blue team to victory. I will probably loose my voice soon but it was worth it! I also learned to not try and outrun a young, Rwandan boy - he was way more faster than me. After the sports, we all came to the dining hall (the main meeting area for the kids) and had our daily praise and worship service. That was simply indescribable. To see the young children dance, praise, worship and enjoy the presence of the Lord - I think that was the favorite moment of the day for everyone!

When we finished with praise and worship, the team served as puppeteers (hence, the title of our post tonight). Our sore arms and sorry performance (in our eyes) was well worth the effort once we heard the children laughing at our antics.

We had dinner with the pastors attending the camp with their kids and then, settled in to watch a movie with the kids. Too soon our day came to an end and we got back on the bus to return to the hotel. I think everyone is exhausted but it's a good exhaustion.

Keep us in your prayers! We feel them! And, we send our love back to you!

Blessings,
The Silver-Haired Old Man - who apparently looks like Bill Clinton but whom you know as Glenn

p.s. Tim & Nate were not feeling well this am but by the end of the day were healthy. We thank the Lord for His healing touch!

p.s.s. Special thanks to Pastor Arlena. If I had done the typing, I'd still be posting on Thursday!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Focus Topic: Trust

Focus Scripture: Matthew 8

Focus Team Member: Heather Todd

Matthew 8 is bursting with amazing situations where Jesus demonstrated God’s love for his people! Just in this one chapter, we see many healed and many more who witnessed these miracles and turned their eyes to Jesus. What stands out in this chapter is that these people had to trust in Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit to even ask for healing let alone believe that healing would come to them. Today, our team in Rwanda will begin 4 days of intense and fun ministry with a group of young people! Even though we don’t know these young people’s stories, what they have been through and what they have seen in their lives, there is a good chance that some or most of them carry walls where ever they go. These walls are their protections and have become a sense of security for them. In order for the Holy Spirit to have his way this week, those walls need to be broken down! As we pray today, let’s pray that as these young people step foot onto the campus of this camp, that they would be flooded with a supernatural ability to TRUST our friends who are running the camp. Trust them with their hurts, trust them with their scars, trust them with their dreams. As they are able to trust the team members and the power of the Holy Spirit working in them, let’s believe for miracles!

Prayer: God, you care about us so much that you provide in your word everything we need to be carriers of your good news! We see the events of Matthew chapter 8 and we are envious and set on fire by the faith and trust we see flowing out of the people to Jesus. Your response to that faith was meeting the needs of each and every person Jesus encountered. As these young people who each have a name, a story, a calling, and an anointing step foot on that camp today, let them be overwhelmed with the ability to trust their counselors immediately. As trust grows, allow the Holy Spirit to flow in ways that we could never ask or think. We entrust our team to you and we give you each and every life that will be impacted this week. Build life changing relationships and performs miracles in the heart of every child present this week! We love you Jesus! In your name we pray. Amen