If you have haven't already read the three posts below, you may want to start with them as they contain pertinent parts of the story, and will lead up to and fill in gaps of this story of my first trip to Rwanda through my church with the Acts4Rwanda program and ministry. Some of the material in this post will be mentioned in the earlier posts though.
Acts4Rwanda Transformation Center
The Acts4Rwanda "headquarters" is aptly called the Transformation Center (TC). It is where the students who live in the area come after school, on weekends, and on holidays and in the summer. Boarding students come to the TC when home from school on holidays and summer break.
At the Transformation Center, students are given a meal, they play games and sports with one another, they engage in activities, they are led in bible study by the Acts4 staff, they receive school tutoring, and even more. Near the Transformation Center is the Women's Initiative where a number of the students’ mothers are taught how to sew, weave bowls, weave baskets, make jewelry, etc. They then work there performing their crafts in order to make an income by selling their goods and services.
When we first arrived, a large number of at least sixty to eighty students were already at the Transformation Center. As soon as the van door slid open, older students were reaching for our bags and gear to carry them for us or offering their hands to help us out of the vehicle. Wherever they could squeeze themselves through, the younger children were clambering inside the van to hug us. As we exited, we had to gently push through the students (all of who insisted hugging each of us) so those behind us could exit the van. At the end of the day when they learned we were leaving, it was the same in reverse.
But that didn't just happen on our first day. This scene repeated itself every single day we arrived and departed from at the Transformation Center. Wherever on the property the students were, whether aged four or twenty-four, they rushed to the van to hug us arriving and departing. These loving students are so appreciative not just of our sponsoring them so they can attend school with hope of better lives, but coming just to spend time with them, and for travelling such an immense distance to do so.
As Sylvie (introduction later) told me "We love when you come to visit us. It makes us feel like we have value."
School
Rwanda has a thriving tourism industry, and Kigali is advanced technologically and economically. Education in Rwanda is highly valued, coveted, and encouraged. It is seen by some as the foundation for competing on the corporate world stage. Others see education as a means to rise out of their situations and environment simply for better lives.
The education system has twelve grades similar to those found in the United States: six grades of Primary School (P1 through P6) and six grades of Secondary School (S1 through S6). At the end of P6, each P6 student takes a national exam. The result of the exam reveals what subjects the student are strongest in, and those results help determine the best Secondary School which to send that student in order to focus on their strengths. At the end of S3, each S3 student takes another national exam for a similar evaluation. At the end of S6, each S6 student take a final national exam. Those results help determine what university would best suit the student.
From the beginning, the system is helping to lead students into career field choices based on their strengths.
In order for a child to attend school, they must be able to provide their basic necessities such as their uniform, shoes, school supplies, etc. If it is a boarding school, they also have to provide for their bedding, linens, meals, etc.
While Rwandan economy has been significantly improving over the last few decades, greater than 35% of Rwanda falls under the national poverty level. Imagine the expense a family with five children trying to send a single child to school much less trying to send each child.
Impoverished families often have a single parent or both parents struggling to find work or working low-paying menial jobs. They may only be able to afford meeting these necessities for one child, and perhaps only for one or two consecutive years. When the family can afford those necessities again, the child can return to school and resume at the grade level they were at.
It is this reason that 62% of Rwandan children have either never been to school or have not finished Primary school. Because of the high value of education in Rwanda, some children unable to attend school will try to sneak into school and are driven away when discovered.
The financial struggles of these families is why Acts4Rwanda exists. Acts4Rwanda comes alongside these families in a partnership to provide the means for that family to afford all the necessities to send a child to school. Aside from providing those physical needs and requirements, Acts4Rwanda also provides each student with meals, mentoring, tutoring, discipleship, and much more.
Daily Activities
Each day we met with the students, we had time to talk with them, to play games with them, to have an inclusive game with all of the students participating, to have VBS-style bible lesson with the younger children complete with related crafts, and to have a bible study with the older students along the same theme as the children's lesson.
The crafts included making a Salvation Bracelet (a beaded bracelet with each color representing a portion of the gospel message), and making a butterfly with clothes pins, coffee filters, and magic markers. If students finished their craft early, there were coloring pages that they could get creative with. It was fascinating to me that even the older students enthusiastically got involved with making the crafts, and were just as proud of their creations as the younger children.
Damascene, Francoise, Clementine, and Mama Damascene
I began sponsoring Damascene in November of 2017.
Damascene was finishing S3 at the time of my visit in 2023. He attends a boarding school an hour away from where the Transformation Center is located. It was a little disheartening to learn that he would not be at the TC while I was there because he was studying for his national exam having just completed Secondary-3. The exam was to take place on the day we left for our return trip home. The in-country Acts4 staff are an amazing, incredible, and loving group. They began looking into ways to make a visit to Damascene's school happen if at all possible.
One afternoon when bible study and crafts were completed, a young lady in an Acts4 t-shirt approached me carrying the craft our team had led the students in creating. As I took a photograph of her proudly holding her finished project, she asked if I was Damascene's sponsor. A little surprised, I told her that I was. She introduced herself as Francoise, Damascene's sister. She began to tell me how much she and her family love me, how they always pray for me, how much Damascene loves me, and how much it means to their family for me to sponsor Damascene's education. Her words deeply touched my heart.
Then the following day, word came that visiting Damascene had been arranged and set-up with his school and we would be leaving in mere minutes. Elisha, our faithful and steadfast driver, drove Sarah (the in-country director), Lynda, Rusty Butler (the Acts4 CEO), Mary, and myself the hour-long trip to meet Damascene. We were able to spend about 20 minutes with him before we had to leave.
Finally meeting him was an amazing experience, but I am looking forward to spending more time with him in the future so we can get to know one another better.
A few days later, a 3-hour long 10 Year Anniversary celebration was held for Acts4Rwanda. Families of the students attended; the founders were honored, Rusty was introduced as the new CEO as Lynda was honored for her years of love and service in that position in addition to her remaining active as president, and we as a team were introduced to the families. When the ceremony was concluded, we mingled on the Transformation Center grounds. Many students began proudly introducing their sponsors and family to one another.
I heard my name called and turned to see Francoise for a moment before I was embraced by a woman that Francoise introduced as her mother. Translated by her daughter, she told me the same things that Francoise had earlier in the week. Just the heartfelt way that she was relaying to me her gratitude was nearly overwhelming. As we spoke, she invited me to her home nearby. My new Rwandan friend and staff member, Jessica, told me soberly that if I told them I would go that I had to make sure I did.
I excused myself for a moment and spoke to one of our team leaders, Terri, and Sarah the in-country director. They agreed that I had to go visit Mama Damascene's home. It didn't happen that day or the next, but the following day, Francoise led me and Vicki (an Acts4 board member) and several students to her home. Aside from Francoise, Vicki, and myself were Claude, a kindly and stout young man, Sophie, an alumni student and friend of Francoise, and Ismael, my little friend who also became my camera man. We carried with us a gift of food items for the family.
We walked the short distance along the red, dirt, road outside the TC to the paved roadway. We traveled a distance along the street and then turned off onto another short, red, dirt path that was an alley between two shops. A short distance into the alley were two metal gates. Francoise opened a gate and led us through. The narrow passage was wedged between walls that towered over us and were as dirty and red as the broken ground we walked on. There were areas with debris, there were clothes lines with linens, there were some discarded items, and a few areas where we stepped over spots that appeared to have been where someone had relieved themselves. Every so often there were rectangular passages cut into the walls that were entrances into someone’s home. Some of these were uncovered, others were obscured behind curtains, and others were fitted with doors. The pathway snaked around until we reached the end of the passage where the doorway to Mama Damascene’s home was.
The home had an entry just inside the door way. In essence, this would be a parlor for receiving guests. The room was approximately eight feet wide and fourteen feet long and was illuminated only by a single dim bulb hanging by the cord that dangled from the ceiling and the glow of sunlight through the open door. Opposite the entry was a cutout passage hidden behind a curtain that led into their small, all-purpose, private, living quarters in which Mama Damascene told me six family members live. In the entry room, there were three wooden chairs along one wall and a small bench along the other. Claude, Sophie, and Francoise sat on the bench. Vicki, myself, and Mama Damascene occupied the chairs. Another of Damascene’s sisters, Clementine, crouched on the floor beside her mother.
Mama Damascene was excited to have me in her home. I was equally touched to have been invited, and honored to have been to her home.
Claude, Sophie, and Francoise traded off interpreting between Mama Damascene and Vicki and me. Mama Damascene echoed what she and Francoise had told me prior: how much they love me, and how often they pray for me. She then told us how my support of Damascene isn’t just transforming him but helping them also, and how very proud they are of Damascene adding that although he is the youngest that he is performing the duties of the firstborn.
I was told that Mama Damascene had been a student and now works at the Women’s Initiative. When I asked if she had any items for sale, she got excited and the interpreters told me that she wanted to give me one. We quickly left and walked back to the Women’s Initiative where she showed me some of her unfinished items. Just minutes before we were leaving the Transformation Center to go to the airport for our departing flight, Mama Damascene showed up with a gorgeous bowl she had woven to give me as a gift.
Sylvie
A couple of days after arriving, I was walking across the Transformation Center grounds from taking pictures of one event to take pictures of another. A young lady entered through the gate, obviously a student from the Acts4 t-shirt she wore, and upon seeing me she came to me and began talking with me. She was a very sweet, intelligent, articulate, and inquisitive young woman who was a delight to speak with. We spoke together for quite a while.
This is Sylvie who I mentioned earlier stating how our coming to visit the Acts4 students makes them feel valued.
The following day, she arrived with a friend. A short time afterward, she came to me and we spoke at length again. The previous day, the students had crafted Salvation Bracelets. Sylvie pulled the bracelet she had made off her wrist and said, “I would like to give this to you as a gift.” I was touched by the offer. I accepted it, thanked her, and slid it onto my own wrist.
I later verified with Lynda that accepting it was okay. After assuring me that it was, she said “You know, I think she needs a sponsor.” I checked the Acts4Rwanda website and found Sylvie listed, and saw that she was only partially sponsored. Although I was certain it was her, it was a slightly older photograph so I memorized her other name. When Sylvie arrived the next day, I asked her other name to confirm with myself that she was indeed the student I found on the Acts4 website.
That was the day that I was being driven to meet Damascene. While traveling in the vehicle to meet Damascene, I used my phone and signed up to complete Sylvie’s sponsorship. Somehow, she found out and sought me out the next day with expressed surprise and gratitude.
Encouragement
At this point, it would be beneficial to have read my post of My Story - Part 1, otherwise this section will not have quite the same level of meaning for you.
Fear, low self-worth, insecurities, rage, addiction, and pornography are not uncommon snares of Satan. Neither are they the only issues that can bind us. I don’t share my experience to bring glory to myself. This is no self-help story; if left to my own strength, I’d still be blindly and willfully drowning in that cesspool of sinful self-gratification. I share my experience, shame and all, to demonstrate that the transforming power of Jesus Christ is real and for Him to be glorified in rescuing me from that messy life and using even me in His divine plans.
If you are someone who can relate to my former life in any way, I share it with prayer that He uses my experience to be an encouragement and an example to you as you read this, that you can see that no matter where you’ve been in life or what you’ve done with it to make it filthy, He will rescue you, transform you, and use you if you let Him. And perhaps, like in my case, He will use you in ways that absolutely blows not only your mind, but also the minds of those who have known your past.
Perhaps you are one of the blessed individuals who, although not faultless and sinless, have not had to deal with such filth and troubles that I and many others have. If not, praise God for that, and may God continue holding you firmly. Your phenomenal testimony is that He lovingly and mercifully preserved you entirely from those things! Even so, you are also in good position for Him to use you in mind-blowing ways you haven’t considered.
Prayerfully Consider
Please, prayerfully consider supporting the amazing program and ministry of Acts4Rwanda.
+ Through Sponsorship: You can become a sponsor and give hope to a vulnerable child, and you can communicate with your child, or children, as often as you like.
+ Through Donations: You can give a one-time gift or become a monthly donor.
+ Through Prayer: You can partner with us in praying for the vulnerable youth of Rwanda. There is such power in prayer.
+ Through Missions: You can visit our staff and dear students in Rwanda and witness the love from the children and the wonder of the Acts4Rwanda program first-hand.
Conclusion
God bless you. I thank you for taking the time to read these four posts of how Christ has transformed me and how He is transforming some of the world’s most vulnerable children through Acts4Rwanda, its U.S. leadership, its Rwandan staff, many volunteers, and the generous sponsors.
To God be all glory through Jesus Christ His Son.
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