Wednesday 25 April 2012

Florence and Val with the Joy coop

The 'Umunezero' Joy sewing co-op comprised of one man and eleven ladies
who attend the Muyange Vineyard is very aptly named. The atmosphere in
the Community room which they rent on the church grounds is usually full
of laughter and joy. They have been in training for less than one year
and have already published a Spring 2012 catalog of beautiful African
fabric clothing, bags, aprons etc. Orders are coming in from abroad and
the prospects for this local business are very good.

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Prayer time

At the end of our sessions we got together in small groups to pray.
Clemence, who is our church secretary and Anastas are praying for Jean
d'Arc from Byumba.

Visitors from North, South, East and West

With a view to reproducing the kingdom work at the Muyange Vineyard
through church planting we invited a number of folks from around the
country who have shown an interest in what God is doing among us, to
come for a weekend seminar on 'What is the church' with an emphasis on
the Vineyard and where the movement fits into the big picture. There
were 13 visitors from 7 different areas of the country. We had some
lively conversations, worship and prayer times as well as some great
Rwandan food. We look forward to seeing what fruit our time together
will bear.

Brickwork on end wall of church building

Before the windows were installed Antoine and I saw an enormous eagle
fly through the Building one day. Not sure if there is any significance
in this but it was a very cool sight.

Brickwork on end wall of church building

Before the windows were installed Antoine and I saw an enormous eagle
fly through the Building one day. Not sure if there is any significance
in this but it was a very cool sight.

Progressing nicely

Work continues on the building and we are very happy to have the
windows and doors installed. We are at a bit of a standstill until we
receive more funds, with gutters and glass being the next stage. It is
raining a lot lately so the gutters will make a great difference. So
glad we could spare the mango tree which used to be the church. Many
thanks again to all who have helped. There is a real sense of this being
a joint effort with our supporters. Be blessed.

Thursday 22 March 2012

Concrete floor finished

Working on the floor

Following some misunderstanding with local authorities, which have
been resolved, and a cessation of Sunday meetings for a number of
weeks, the work on the building continues with the laying of the
concrete floor. We have been meeting again on Sundays for 2 weeks and
we are all excited to be worshiping in our own building again. Thanks
for all your continued prayers and support.

Monday 23 January 2012

Many volunteers came to help

We had to cancel church on Sunday as you can imagine from this shot
late Saturday afternoon. We plan to have everything cleared up and safe
to meet again for next week. It has been great to see the whole
congregation volunteering their time to help build their church.

No more bamboo!

We are so blessed with the progress at the church. Phase one is
complete and we now have a solid structure in place. We still have a
way to go but we are amazed with what has been achieved already. We are
so grateful for all the support from partners and friends to make it
all possible.

Monday 16 January 2012

The future of the Rwandan Vineyard

The work at the church has not yet prevented us from meeting on
Sundays. After worship we pray for the children before they go to their
Sunday school.

Every block will have its place

Folks coming to church yesterday had to weave their way through
hundreds of concrete blocks that are being made on site to complete
Phase 1 of our Church building. The building is really taking shape and
it feels like we are working towards a great milestone in the short
history of the Rwandan Vineyard Church.

Friday 13 January 2012

Candidates for 2012 Secondary School Sponsorship Program

We are very excited to announce the start of a new program through the
Rwandan Vineyard church. Early in 2011 we had a team from Halifax and
St. Stephens' Vineyard who felt moved to sponsor one of our youth to go
to Secondary School. While school fees for elementary school are quite
affordable, Secondary School fees are sometimes just out of reach for
many despite the excellent subsidies offered by the government.
Therefore we have decided to begin a Secondary School Sponsorship
Program for some of the youth in our church whose families struggle
financially and this year we have sponsors in Canada and the US for 7
students. This is a great investment in the lives of these young men
and women and we are very blessed to offer them this opportunity for a
good education. Many thanks to all who are supporting this cause.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

Leveling inside the building

Sand truck reversing onto church grounds

Four of the six ladies volunteering today

The work on the Church Building in Muyange is moving along well. The
pillars and all the foundations are in place. The foundations on one
wall are 4 meters deep! We are encouraged by the number of volunteers
coming to help. Today six ladies walked about 5 kilometers from Gashubi
to help with moving earth. It is so important that the people have a
real sense of ownership in their church.