Greetings our friends,
We have been having a great time this summer, refreshing, connecting with our grandchildren and our family and church family. It has been a great time of recharging our batteries.
This time in the church community is bitter sweet as Dave’s time as a paid pastor is nearing an end. December 2017 will be the last pay cheque. We still look forward to serving and connecting but will have a little more freedom with our time while in Canada.
We just finished re-writing the leadership training material—now 24 sessions instead of 30 and much more relationally focused. Really, it brings the heart of who we are into the work. While we were in Toronto in June, we met with the Equip Canada people and they introduced us to their new training, which is completely different from their original work. Hopefully we will have a partnership agreement in place soon with them and then plan to use the Authentic Leadership material. This is a highly intimate, highly relational training focusing on living and moving in grace rather than legalism. It is an excellent teaching and we look forward to adding that to our training material.
Simeon has been growing and learning much as he has been spending time here with us. He has been enjoying living with different people, but our home continues to be his home base. He has been doing the training from John Bevere on the Bait of Satan, where he is learning about overcoming offence. He is now half way through Spiritual Warfare for Every Christian, by Dean Sherman, an excellent teaching. He will then continue with Undercover, by John Bevere, which is about submitting to leadership. Rob Balfour has taken him through a New Testament and Old Testament survey and he is now in the middle of learning New Testament Greek. We felt that especially with Simeon’s gift for languages he should learn this while he is here. It has been great as Rob tutors Simeon and requires tests and exams to be completed—so wonderful.
Our flight has been booked and we leave for Rwanda, Lord willing, October 16th and return on December 17 for Christmas. We love Christmas in Canada and use it as a time to reconnect with family and friends. We will go back to Rwanda in early January but are unsure of the exact date.
For the past 5 years we have lived in Kagarama and have enjoyed the quietness of the neighbourhood as well we have appreciated our landlord. When we go back to Rwanda, we will be moving to a new house which we will be renting from Rev. Joseph, the Vice Regional Pastor in Kigali. It is to be a training centre for the smaller group leadership training and also has space to host some of our international guests who will be coming throughout our 6 months in Rwanda.
Jean Paul and Jean Claude were in Cleveland, Ohio for 6 weeks of training with Ambassador’s Football. They are now taking it back to the Rwanda and in early November will have a coaches equipping time. The plan is to reach out and train the 6-12 year olds throughout the nation. Literally, using the access to schools that is so available and the blessing from government authorities, the timing is ripe and we need to act. Jean Paul began working with 30 children on his own, and the next day 100 children showed up. He was told by government official and pastors that they were going to send all of their children to Jean Paul for training. The Holy Spirit is moving.
November 20-29 we plan to have some of the national leaders from within our S&L family of churches join us for a time of ministering to and connecting with the top leaders of ADEPR. We also plan to go throughout the nation with the gospel of hope.
Please pray that we will hear God’s leading for this conference and that we will be executing His plan.
We have been communicating with the new Executive and they are eagerly awaiting our return to Rwanda. Most of them have already been with us for leadership training and now we anticipate a local people taking more and more of the initiative.
Please pray for wisdom as we work with the Executive.
Pray for a good working relationship.
Finally, we have been “gifted” with a not-for-profit number in Canada, however, it still needs to go through the formal work of getting registered. To date, we cannot issue receipts under the name Bridges Beyond, but that is the plan. Until that happens, we can continue to receipt support through Calvary Chapel.
Please pray that everything regarding the charitable organization will be finalized sooner than later.
We continue to covet your prayers and support as we do what God has called us to in Rwanda and other countries as He leads us.