Letting You Know...

Before I get to the point of this update, I want to preface it with some background (for those who may not be aware): 

Mike first traveled to Rwanda in 2002, and it was at this time that he felt compelled by God to help the kids who were living on the streets of Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda.  In 2003 we opened our first home for former street children.  In 2004 Mike started bringing short term mission teams to Rwanda.  In 2005 we opened the second home for former street children and created the non-profit organization Ten Talents International in order to give more structure for the work going on in Rwanda..  Both of the first two homes we had opened were being managed by a local charitable organization in Rwanda. In 2007 we started a third home, The Home of Innocence, and we decided we would maintain management of this home through TTI.  We started a sponsorship program both for children in the home as well as for children who were at risk for ending up on the streets (those in extreme poverty) so they could attend school each day.

During these years Mike was continuing in his career as a professional carpenter, as well as managing the work of Ten Talents International.  As the ministry continued to grow doing both of these things became increasingly more difficult and time consuming.  Then, in the summer of 2007, Mike felt impressed by God that “now is the time”.  God was saying: “Now is the time” to do as much as possible in the country of Rwanda, “Now is the time” to push the ministry forward, and “Now is the time” for Mike to quit his carpentry job to work full time for TTI.  This meant a huge step of faith as he left behind a steady paycheck and believed by faith that God would provide for the needs of our family. 

 2007 family photo

We had spent many years ministering in Rwanda while at the same time we continued to live full time in the USA.  Mike would travel twice per year to Rwanda, spending several weeks there at a time.  In 2008 we decided to bring our family to Rwanda for a 3 month trip, and we did the same in 2009.  Following those trips we felt that God was calling us to live full time in Rwanda, at least for a while.  What God did was give us what I called a “two year plan”.  We knew we would go to Rwanda for 9 ½ months, then come back for two months in the summer, and then return to Rwanda for another 9 ½ months (coinciding with the school year for our kids).  When people asked, “What is the plan beyond that?” our honest response was, “We don’t know”.  God gave us a two year plan, and we prayed to see Him bring it to fruition.  It took many months for us to have the finances required to get our family to Rwanda, but God did miracles and in August of 2010 we came to live in Rwanda full time.

Fast forward to today, here we are in the beginning of 2012, just a few months away from the end of that “2 year plan” and many people are wondering, “What’s next?”  We feel quite sure of the next step.  After our term ends here on May 31^st of this year, and we return to the USA, we will be once again based full time in the USA, as we were before.  Mike will continue to make several trips a year to Rwanda to see first-hand how the ministry is progressing here, as well as to continue to lead mission teams (now done in partnership with All God’s Children International’s Embrace Missions teams).  In fact, he will be leading a team in Rwanda this coming August. 

 

TTI has 7 1/2 acres of property called the “Acres of Hope”that God blessed the ministry with back in 2007.  We have been waiting for the finances to develop that property into additional resources for reaching more children and families:  transitional homes for former street children, homes for local families that adopt orphans, training facilities, and more.  We believe that this year God is going to provide so that the development of this property can move forward!

You may be wondering, “Who is going to be in charge of the ministry while you are gone?”  God is already bringing together a team who will faithfully handle the work of the ministry in the times when we are not here, but we appreciate your prayers as we seek God’s wisdom in finalizing those details.  Thankfully the internet and telephone enable us to maintain contact and, just as we did prior to living here, this will enable us to keep things running smoothly during the few months at a time when we are not in the country.

If you are wanting to know what has prompted this decision, apart from us believing that this is God’s leading right now, I can tell you that we have had to carefully weigh what the needs of our family are.  Our oldest daughter, Kelly Christinah, is currently working on finishing her 12^th grade studies via homeschool and has plans to attend college in the fall in the USA.  Our oldest son, Michael, will hopefully soon be receiving a student visa which will enable him to complete his high school studies in the USA and then continue on to college there as well.  Our younger daughter, KaLia, while enjoying the private school she has been attending here, is also ready to return to school in the USA.  Our younger son, Nate, we believe will benefit from the additional resources and options that are available in the USA to assist him with some developmental delays that he has.

On a personal note from me, Lisa, I will be honest and tell you that living overseas, half a world away from family and friends, has been very difficult for me.  I need to be closer to them.  Mike & I could also use a break from the constant stress that comes from living in another culture as well as constantly being in demand for ministry (what could be called “need overload”).

The ministry of TTI will continue without a break or hitch, just as it did before we spent two years living in Rwanda full time.  In fact, we expect the work we are doing in Rwanda to expand and to grow.  Our calling is the same: that we work in Rwanda “until every child has a home”.  It just means that our family is going to be based in the USA instead of in Rwanda.  For how long will we be staying in the USA, and will we come back to live in Rwanda full time again at some point?  Honestly, we don’t know.  We are just following the path in front of us right now.

Our family would really appreciate your prayers during this time of transition.  There are many things that we could be anxious about, if we allowed ourselves to be, and sometimes we do.  There are still many decisions to be made, and provisions to be seen.  We will continue to work full time for TTI and trust for God to provide for the financial needs of our family.  

Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in Rwanda, as well as being a part of the miracles he has done on behalf of our family.  If you have any questions that I did not answer in this article, please email me: LisaM@TenTalentsInt.org

God Bless You,

Lisa

Merry Christmas!

Earlier this month I posted a facebook status about how I was struggling to enjoy the Christmas season without losing myself in deep homesickness.  A lot of friends prayed for me that day, and I have to say that my heart felt lighter after that & although I am not without any homesickness (we wouldn't want that anyways, we still have to feel)  I did feel a lot more peace about celebrating Christmas here in Rwanda.  Many things are still strange (like the "summer" weather we get everyday) but add in some homemade cookies & egg nog & everything seems better.  We had a good Christmas day and I feel so blessed and thankful for my immediate family.

At a Bible study I went to early this month they had a time for sharing a testimony.  As the ladies went around the circle sharing miracles God had done in their lives, I sat and thought, what should I share?  And my mind settled on one thing: my complete family.  I remembered back to when I was a newly married 20 year old, and I have a specific memory of being at my job daydreaming about having kids, and the plans I had.  I knew I wanted 4 kids, 2 close together, and then a space, and then another 2 close together.  Now, here we are, 20 years later, and my family is finally complete.  It was a long road between there and where we are now.  It was not always easy (struggles with infertility, adoption, international details), and by saying that I mean to say sometimes it was really hard!  But now I sit here with my perfect family that I love so  much and I am so grateful.  So thankful.  God has been so good.

We are still working on getting Michael (Jr.) a visa to come to the USA.  We want to get him a student visa to come finish his high school in Vancouver, Washington.  We are having an email discussion with one school there to see if they will accept him.  Please be praying with us for God to give us favor and for God to clear the way of any obstacles.

We would also appreciate your continued prayers for God's provision as we have tuition payments coming due next month for all of the kids schools (including homeschool classes) as well as rent payments.  We are believing God will take care of every need we have, both personally and in the ministry.  We serve a good God!

When the kids go back to school after Christmas break Nate is finally going to be extending his hours at school so that he will be attending all morning & for lunch so that he stays until 12:30 each day.  He has been having good days at school for the vast majority of the time (not as many melt downs or acting out) and we have noticed an improvement in his speaking at home the last few weeks as well (using bigger words and more complex sentences).

KaLia was in a play through her afterschool drama class and did a great job in her part of "The Best Christmas Pagaent Ever".  (Based on the humorous kid's book.)  It was funny and fun to watch.  She will be joining the band program at school after Christmas break and working on her flute skills.

Kelly is getting ready to start her 12th grade classes in homeschooling.  She dreams of attending WSU in Vancouver in the fall of 2012.  She still has some work to do to get there, and we hope to find financial aid as well! 

Mike is busy with teams and ministry administration.  I am busy with homeschooling and being the mom, and helping with the ministry as needed.

Thank you for praying for all of our family.  My heart is thankful for our family and the love in this family.  I feel very satisfied.  I am missing all of our extended family and friends, and the conveniences of the USA, but our God is faithful to give us all that we need right where we are now, and the grace to do all that he has called us to do.

I hope your Christmas was full of love & memories to treasure.
God Bless You,
Lisa

Oh Lord Give Me Patience...

We had our meeting with the psychologist and she observed Nate at school two days last week. Interestingly enough he had good days at school all last week!  She is going to start working with him though for two days a week & for now her goal will be to help him with expanding his attention span.

This post is something I wrote in March of this year, but never finished it or published it.  I was just thinking about it & thought I would post it now.  

The other day I overheard a conversation which actually irritated me.  Honestly I wanted to say, "That's so stupid!"  Well, I didn't really want to say that out loud, but that's what I was thinking.  Now maybe you've heard this kind of conversation before, and maybe you've even been the one saying these kind of things.  If that's the case, I'm not saying you, or anyone else is stupid, understand me please.  What I am saying is that although this kind of logic may seem to make sense on the surface, if you really think about it, it is completely nonsensical.

Now, you're really curious, you want to know, what were they saying?  The conversation caught my ear when someone said something like, "oh, no don't pray for patience!"  I've heard people say that before.  They will talk about how they or someone else they know was praying for patience & then it seemed like all hell broke loose in their lives.  In this conversation the example given was of a young woman who had 2 babies that were 14 months apart, and her response was, "Well, I was praying for patience!"  The conversation continued and one of the ladies chimed in, "I always tell people, don't pray for patience, pray for peace!"  You could tell she was quite proud of this heavenly "loophole" she had found, as she repeated it again later.

Why does this type of conversation bug me so much?  I think one reason is the implication it makes about the kind of God that we serve.  The connotation to "don't pray for patience" is that if we pray & ask God to give us patience it's like he says, "Oh!  You want patience do you?  Well, here you go try these trials on for size!"  Like our God takes pleasure in bringing difficulties our way.  If we pray for patience then he dumps on us, but if we pray for peace, oh then he just calms everything down & makes life quiet.  That somehow if we make sure to NEVER utter a prayer for God to give us patience then we can make it through life with less problems.  That prayer for patience is like hitting the wrong button, the one that makes the floor drop out from underneath you.  That's just not how prayer, or our spiritual life, or our God are!  It is a warped and wrong view of all of the above.

Something else brought in as "proof" in the above conversation was one woman said, "That's right, because 'tribulation worketh patience'".  She was quoting from Romans 5:3 (King James version, NIV uses the word perseverance in place of patience) and the logic there being that if you pray for patience you are in actuality asking God for tribulation (trials, hard times).  First of all, let's look at that scripture in context.  Romans 5:1-3 says,

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Did you catch that?  The writer tells us that we "glory" in sufferings, because we know they produce perseverance, which leads to character, which leads to hope! Without sufferings we do not learn to persevere, and without perseverance we do not develop character, and without character we do not know the basis & reality of our hope.  So, if you want to be a quitting, character-less, hope-less Christian then, yes, please don't pray for patience!

Let's think about the "fruits of the Spirit" as they are referred to in the Bible. They are called this because they are the evidences (fruits) that should be seen in the life of someone who has the Spirit of God.  What are they?  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.  Shouldn't all of these be attributes that we desire to see more of in our lives?  Don't others need to "eat" of this good "fruit" so they will benefit as well?  We need the fruit of the spirit in our lives not only for our benefit but also for the benefit and nourishment of others.  I believe that if the Spirit of God lives in us we do not need so much to work to produce these fruits as to get ourselves out of the way & allow more of God to shine through us.  If you want patience (and I believe you should) as well as peace, love, joy, and all the rest, then what you need to do is cultivate the Spirit of God more in your life.  Focus more on Him, through worship, through prayer, through reading His word, through meditating on his goodness, through declaring his character & ways.  Then when those trials do come (and they will, no matter if you pray for patience or not) it will be a matter of further refining God's character within you, not starting from nothing!

What do you think?  Have you thought this same way?  What are your thoughts about "praying for patience"?  Is it somewhat like the comment, "Don't tell God, 'I'll never' [go to Africa] because that's right where he'll send you..."  oh, but that is a discussion for another day!  :)

God Bless You,
Lisa

The One

I wrote the post below several weeks ago but had not published it yet.  It seemed appropriate to post today as I am struggling with some issues Nate is having at school.  The teacher/director says academically Nate is doing great; however, he continues to struggle daily with emotional & social issues at school.  Having some kind of frustration/melt down is happening each day per the teacher's report.  Today she told me the last two days Nate has been "exceptionally challenging" culminating with him hitting three different children at school today.  She asked me to keep him home from school tomorrow, and then tomorrow afternoon we are already scheduled to meet together with the teacher and a psychologist.  This psychologist is someone that the teacher has put us in contact with, and the reason for us meeting together is the hope that she will be able to give us some ideas/strategies/therapies we can use to help Nate.  I am a little unsure about this meeting, concerned about if they are going to want us to have therapy sessions with Nate, thus incurring expenses for our family.  Please keep us in your prayers.  We need wisdom on how to help Nate.

I have some thoughts on my mind, prompted by parenting Nate, that I want to share.  Maybe this is therapy for me and of no use to you, but I feel it may be beneficial to someone.  Let me talk about being "the one".  If we are at a gathering or meeting, my son will be "the one" who is wandering around, not sitting still, causing disruptions and distractions.  If we are at church he will be "the one" who is talking out loud and trying to sneak out, or else climbing all over me.  If we are the store he is "the one" who disappears in the blink of an eye and I have to track him down in another corner of the store.  If we are at a friends house he is "the one" who is picking up things that he shouldn't or going in rooms where he doesn't belong.

And I feel like I am "the one" parent that everyone is looking down upon and judging.  I'm "the one" people are thinking that I can't control/parent/discipline my child.  I get really tired of being "the one".  A long, long time ago, before I had kids, I was one of the observers/judges.  After I had kids, and especially after having Nate, I no longer judge.

But I judge myself with much of the same measure that I'm sure people use against me.  Does he behave like this because I allow him to, or is this behavior part of him and I need to work with him?  Does he move around incessantly and talk at inappropriate times because I've allowed him to, or, despite all my best efforts, is this part of who he is & to try to force him to be something else is futile?  Does he climb on me & lay on me during church, like a small child, because I've coddled him & allowed him to be "babyish" or is this something that he needs and helps him to feel comfortable?  When he runs around wild and rolls on the grass play fighting with another boy after church, am I allowing rough & inappropriate behavior, or is this rough & tumble play something that his body needs?  Am I "the one" who is to blame for the troubles he has with fitting into society's expectations?

I will be the first to admit I am not a parenting expert. I knew that as soon as I started parenting!  I have started reading a book right now called "Sacred Parenting" by .  The author's main point is that parenting teaches us and shapes just as much as our parenting shapes our children.  In the chapter titled "The Golden Guilt" he makes a very valid point:  "Parents take way too much credit for their children's successes and hold way too much blame for their children's failures."  I am sure that I am guilty (!) of both!

I still have a lot to learn and understand about parenting, as well as about Nate.  I will admit that I lean more towards "this is who he is, this is what he needs to be" and to try to accommodate him without disrupting other people's lives or expectations too much.  I thank God that we seemed to have found a school where Nate can learn and grow but also have some freedoms to move around and be who he is, within reason.

We know that Nate is a gift from God.  Even his name, impressed upon us before he was born, says so.  This same truth has been reconfirmed through others since his birth.  He is a source of joy & I know that God has a very special calling & plan for his life.  Many times I feel unqualified & unequipped to parent him, but I know God has chosen to entrust him to us.  I can only believe that someday there is going to be breakthrough for Nate.  Someday he will find balance & he will become all that God made him to be.

Thanks for your love & prayers for our family.
God Bless You!
Lisa

It's His Kindness

First of all, more good news!  I want to thank everyone who has prayed for our situation with Nate and his school, and thank you to everyone who gave.  God has used you to fill a need in our lives.  In my last post I told you we had enough to cover the first half payment of Nate's part time tuition (good news!), but now his tuition has been completely covered!  Perhaps eventually he will be able to progress to going to school all day, and if that happens the tuition will increase, but as of right now his school fees are covered and we are so thankful for what God has done through you.

The second thing I have to share has not been easy for me to put in writing, and I have really struggled with whether or not to share this.  I am concerned what I say may be misconstrued or that I may not state it articulately enough.  However, it is so strongly on my heart right now that I feel I must share it, and I pray God uses it. 

Recently I stumbled across the heart breaking story of Lydia Schatz.  When Lydia was 4 years old she and her two sisters, one younger, one older, were adopted from the African country of Liberia by an American family with 6 biological children.  Three years later Lydia, age 7, was "spanked" by her adoptive parents with a plastic plumbing pipe for so many hours that her heart finally gave out and she died.  Her older sister was also hospitalized in critical condition but later survived.

As people look for answers to this senseless tragedy, one detail of this story has come to light.  Lydia's parents subscribe to a parenting method that comes from a book called "To TrainUp a Child" by Michael& Debi Pearl.  Many people believe there are some serious issues raised in the methods the book advocates.  I admit I have not read the book in it's entirety, only bits and pieces.  There are many things I have trouble with from what I've read, but I will focus on this from chapter 6 of that book:  "use whatever force is necessary to bring him [the child] to bay. If you have to sit on him to spank him then do not hesitate. And hold him there until he is surrendered. Prove that you are bigger, tougher, more patiently enduring and are unmoved by his wailing. Defeat him totally. Accept no conditions for surrender. No compromise. You are to rule over him as a benevolent sovereign. Your word is final."  

The problem I have is with ruling, defeating, and trying to control a child.  I believe that our highest calling as parents is to be a mirror of God's character to our children.  It is in this way that as the child matures they will understand the character of God.  This is a daunting task.  We are imperfect and we fail.  However, it should be our goal to parent our children in a Godly manner.


What breaks my heart and tears me up inside is the thought of children who are being raised under a kind of parenting whose goal it is to control a child's behavior for the sake of good behavior, or that in someway by dominating them & controlling them we have "saved" them from their sinful nature.  How can these children ever understand Jesus as the lover of their soul?  How can they understand a God who loves them passionately, unreservedly, deeply?  Their view of God is going to be that of a dominating superior force whose goal is to punish them when they step out of line.  And their version of Christianity will be to adhere to surface behaviors (legalism) all the while keeping their heart far from the Father who loves them so much.  (Children who have had their will broken by force no longer trust their parents with their heart, and thus will not trust God with their heart either.)

God has made it clear, "People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (I Samuel 16:7).  When Jesus told us that to hold hatred in our hearts towards another is the same as murder (Matthew 5), he was bringing this to light. It's not about doing what you need to do to fulfill the requirements of the law, it's about what's in your heart.  As parents we seriously need to evaluate ourselves and ask the question, "WHY do I want my child to do or behave in XYZ manner?"  Is it because I want people to look at me and say I'm a good or Godly parent?  Is it because I will be embarrassed by my child's behavior and how I know people will be judging me?  Be real with yourself!  Are these the reasons why we want our children to do what we ask?  Or is it because we somehow feel validated when our children do what they're told?


I have started reading the book, Sacred Parenting, by Gary Thomas and it fits in perfectly with what has been put on my heart right now.  Gary states,
"Child-centered parents act nicely toward their children only when their children act nicely toward them.  A child-centered parent goes out of her way as long as her children appreciate her sacrifice.  A child-centered parent bases his or her actions on the kids' response.  A God-centered parent, on the other hand, acts out of reverence for God.  Regardless of how my children treat me, I know that God wills that I move toward my children, to get engaged in their lives, to offer Biblical correction and loving support.  It doesn't matter how they respond to me as much as it matters what God has called me to do...  When God does not supply our motivation, we tend to major in the minors and minor in the majors.  We may raise a courteous and obedient child, but we won't pass on what is of ultimate importance.  If parenting were only about behavior modification, Jesus would have praised the Pharisees and kicked dirt on the adulterous woman."

He goes on later to state, "C.J. Mahoney encourages every parent to ask their children a very insightful question: "What do you think your daddy and mommy feel most passionate about?"  If the gospel does not come to mind, they may have picked up that we really care about avoiding embarrassment over their behavior, having a clean house, getting them into the best schools, or having a straight-A report card to boast about in the Christmas letter...  I think children are our heart's mirror.  How we interact with them truly does reveal what we value most about life."

I believe our motivation in parenting should be to disciple & point our children's hearts towards God so they can make the choice to respond to Christ someday (we can not make that choice for them).  We should remember that God does not force his will upon us, rather it is "his kindness (or goodness) that leads us to repentance" (Romans 2).  We understand our sin and God's love, his forgiveness reaching out to us, and it is our misery in our sin that causes us to reach out to him. 

I do not want to come across as saying that punishment is wrong, or that we just need to be soft or weak.  That is not love either.  We create loving boundaries for our children, and if they cross those boundaries there should be logical consequences, just as there are in life.  God forgives us of our sins, but there are still natural consequences that we have to deal with as a result.  Then we begin to understand that his boundaries for us are because of his love for us and wanting what's best for us.

Parenting is not an easy task- not at all!  We need God's help and direction.  We need to spend time each day listening to God and asking him what our children need (another point well made in the book Sacred Parenting), as well as spending time listening to our children to find out what is going on in their hearts.  God help us to be your ambassadors to our children and parent them in a way that points them to you.

God Bless You,
Lisa


Some articles that talk about Lydia Schatz, if you want to hear more of the story:  Beauty for Ashes blog.  Mommy Life blog.

He Who Is Enough

A week or so before we left for Rwanda I had a thought that just came to me, and it was simply "El Shaddai".  I wasn't sure why I randomly thought of it, but I said, "Ok, God please be El Shaddai in my life right now."  I couldn't even remember what El Shaddai meant, only that it was one of the names of God.  Then not too long after we arrived in Rwanda I thought of it again, "El Shaddai".  And I kept praying, "God be El Shaddai in my life." 


Finally, I looked it up (yeah for the internet!) and suddenly everything "clicked".  Maybe you would like to read for yourself what El Shaddai means?  Look here, and here.  El Shaddai is interpreted to mean: the All Sufficient One, and the Almighty God.  I especially liked when I read: the Name might derive from the contraction of sha ("who") and dai ("enough") to indicate God's complete sufficiency.

El Shaddai: (he) Who (is) Enough.  He is enough.  For all that we might need.  El Shaddai is further described as: "the One who mightily nourishes, satisfies, protects, and supplies His people. El Shaddai is our All-Sufficient Sustainer. It is God as "El" who helps, and it is God as "Shaddai" who abundantly blesses with all manner of blessings."

Thank you God for wanting to remind me of this!  You are El Shaddai.  You are the God who blesses and abundantly provides!  It was with this on my mind that I posted last week about Nate's needs and our hope for putting him into a new school here.  I asked if you wanted to be a part of our miracle by helping with his school fees.  I was humbled and amazed by the outpouring of prayers, love, and donations of all sizes that came in.  Thank you!

As of right now there has been a little over $3000 donated. That is enough to cover the registration fee & the first half payment of Nate's tuition!  We will still need to raise the other $2400 before January 15th, but guess what?  Nate had his first day at his new school today!

 What a handsome little man!  And he knows what every kid in Rwanda knows: how to strike a pose!

Nate is starting out just going for 2 1/2 hours each day, 8am to 10:30am.  He had a great time today & we look forward to another great day tomorrow.  Hopefully within the week he will be ready to move towards going for the full morning.

 

I am so thankful for how God is providing for this miracle, and for each one of you who are a part of it.  (It is ongoing still, as I said.)  I am thankful, I am humbled, and I am amazed.  It is only because of God putting it on the hearts of people to be a part of this that it is happening, and it is all for His glory.

 

How do you need God to be El Shaddai in your life today?  He is no respecter of persons.  The same God that we have seen do great things in our lives is the same God who wants to show up in your life & do something miraculous for HIS glory!  

Let's believe it!

God Bless You,

Lisa

We All Need a Little Help Sometimes...

Have you met our son Nate?  Nate is 7 years old and I'm quite sure you would find him irresistible.

He is loving, clever, funny, active, friendly, and empathetic.  Nate also has what is called "developmental delays".  I don't like to use labels or to place him in a box, but for some people this helps them understand why Nate has some troubles.  Learning is not easy for him.  His speech can be unclear & hard to understand at times.  Sometimes he doesn't fully process what is said to him (he says, "what?"  many times a day, even when he heard you).  He also can have a hard time focusing on things or not being distracted.  School is very challenging for Nate.

The school year before we came to Rwanda full time, 2009/2010, Nate was in kindergarten.  He was placed in a specialized classroom where there were 10 students, one teacher, and 2 helpers.  The other children had autism or other similar things that required extra classroom help.  Nate acclimated to this classroom and learned to function within the parameters the teacher set.

When we knew we were coming to Rwanda full time I hoped & prayed that Nate would be able to attend a regular first grade classroom within the private Christian missionary school here.  The school allowed us to try, but after two weeks it became clear that it was not going to work.  The requirements of the classroom (sitting still, paperwork, managing yourself) were beyond what Nate and one teacher for 20 kids, could handle.  I accepted the fact that I would need to home school Nate, and with the help of other moms here in Rwanda who gave me curriculum, and teams who brought some things I ordered, we gave it a go.

Homeschooling Nate turned out to be a huge disaster.  I could not get him to sit down & do schoolwork with me.  He hated it.  He would complain and cry and lay his head on the table.  We got some things done, but as the year wore on it became more & more difficult to the point where we gave up.  Thankfully, the private school allowed Nate to come one day a week for a few hours, that way he participated with his former class in art, carpet time, lunch, recess, and PE.  That was good for him.

Nate with our former neighbor (left) and an AGCI team member last year.

As we looked at this school year, I knew my options were not many.  Not only does Nate still have his issues that make a typical classroom difficult for him, but because of our struggles with homeschooling last year he is now even farther behind his peers in his academic skills.  Technically he should be in 2nd grade this year, but he is not ready to do 2nd grade work.  There was no school that I was aware of where Nate could fit in.  My only thought was to try to find a tutor for him.  Someone who would come in each day & hopefully find a way to motivate him to do the school work.  I wasn't sure if it would work, but it was all I could think of.

After we arrived here a few weeks ago I heard of a couple of new schools opening up.  I thought, well, why not check them out & see if it might be something Nate could do?  I don't know why, considering our past experience, but desperate times...  Nate is a friendly social guy, and in our new house we don't know of any neighbors that he can play with.  It's really hard for him to be here at home all day, with no playmates.  I contacted one school I had heard about to find out if they had resources to help children with special needs.  The director told me that Nate's age group is full for this year, but that she would like to meet with me and see if they could help me.  I was encouraged by the fact that she wanted to see if there was someway they could help us, even though she certainly didn't have to.

After this initial contact I went to the school's website.   www.theEarthSchoolAfrica.com  It was then that I realized this school is meant for people who have a lot of money to spend on their child's schooling.  (There are a lot of people with money in Rwanda, usually foreigners working here as ambassadors or for high profile foreign organizations.)  When I saw how much the tuition is for the school I couldn't believe it, but I figured I could still go to the meeting & see what she had to say about options for Nate.

This school is a Montessori school being opened by a mom who has run preschools for 12 years in the US and has much experience beyond that.  When we met together she explained to me about their school and how it is child driven, hands on learning, and experiential.  The things she was telling me sounded like something Nate could function in.  She told me that they would like to help us, and even though his age group is full, he could come in for the time when children are moving around from station to station.  Start with a few hours a day and move up to half days.  Then, if she got more children in the younger age group she would split the class and if Nate seemed ready he could attend full time.

The director asked me to bring Nate in to see the school and to meet her.  When we did that, I was really amazed at how well Nate behaved while we were there.  He listened to the directions the teacher gave him, participated with her in some activities, and he was very polite.  By the way, the morning of the meeting, when I told Nate we were going to go look at a school, he was so excited to see a school that could be for him that he made my bed for me!

Now comes the hard part.  I had hoped that the part time tuition would be half of what the full time tuition is (full time tuition is $8,000 US dollars).  Half of that, $4,000, would still have been a lot of money.  However, the half day tuition is $4,950; plus a $500 registration fee.  When she told me that I wanted to cry right there in her office.  But, I know that if this is the solution that God has for Nate, that he will provide.

School for our kids has been one of the biggest struggles for us here in Rwanda.  Already, we have to use a private online American school to educate our Rwandan daughter and son, Kelly Christine & Michael, because there are not options that fit what they need here in Rwanda.  KaLia is attending the private missionary school here.  As Mike said this morning, it's absurd that we send 105 children (through the TTI sponsorship program) to school, but we can't send our own kids to school.

Would you like to help send Nate to school?  Can you donate towards Nate's school fees?  The Earth School begins on September 7th.  Nate is already counting down the "sleeps" until he gets to go to school.  Going to school will be a big help to both Nate and his mommy.  It will help my heart to be at ease to know that he is receiving an education and getting the social connections he needs as well as further developing him in all areas.  I believe it will also help Nate with his homesickness.

For Nate, the Rwandan "honeymoon" is already over.  Two weeks, and he's already starting to talk about how he misses America.  When he got up this morning I told him that he had slept a long time.  He said, "Yea, I was dreaming about going back to America," and he got teary eyed.  I hope that having some activity and friends in his day will help Nate to feel better about being here.

Everybody needs a little help sometimes, and for our family, we really could use your help right now.  The school will allow us to pay the tuition in two installments, but that still requires us coming up with at least $2,500 right now.

Please be praying for us, and if you can help, in any way, please visit our website www.TenTalentsInt.org/giving where you can make a donation for the McColm family & put "Nate" in your memo.  Or you can mail a donation to our office at this address:  Ten Talents International, PO Box 873685, Vancouver, WA 98687. 

It's not easy to have to ask for help, but maybe you can be a part of our miracle!

God Bless You,
Lisa
(Your donations made to Ten Talents International are eligible for tax deduction.)