Gratefully Present Now.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” – Ecclesiastes 3:11

I love to start my days with a nice morning run.  It frees my soul and clears my mind.  As my neon green Nikes make their way out to the muddy dirt roads, I am immediately greeted by people staring, children laughing and a song of praise being sang somewhere in the distance.  As I weave my way through the rocky roads of our village, I eventually find my way to the main road.  This road takes me up and down the hills of Rwanda.  With every step I take, a new smile greets me, more sets of eyes stare at me, and motorcycles and massive trucks wiz by me, leaving me with a mouthful of exhaust that trickles down into my lungs.  I can’t help but smile and laugh at the reality of this life I live.  I often look up into the misty morning sky and smile REALLY BIG at God for delivering me to this place.  As I was running yesterday, the beauty of this so-called “third world country” overcame me.  I have experienced more joy and more fullness in Africa than I have any other place.  Amidst human suffering, hunger, illness, death and disease lies this unquenchable faith and deep-rooted joy in the Lord.  My brothers and sisters here know that joy does not come from material items, a paycheck, a college degree, an ideal job, but rather from an all-sufficient Savior.  Wow.  What a reality to seep into my soul on a casual Saturday morning.         

I am so quick to think that beauty comes in the form of cleanliness, a nice suburban neighborhood, all of our favorite cars in the driveway, my favorite brands of clothes lined up neatly in my closet and so on.  My goodness has my heart been led astray.  Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond grateful for the life I have been given and the comfort I have been able to experience.  I have been blessed beyond belief.  However, I have found the true meaning of beauty in the eyes and on the faces of all my little brothers and sisters here… With feet and hands so laced with dirt that a week’s worth of showering won’t clean off the beautiful African soil.  I have found beauty in the silence of not being able to communicate a single word with people because of the immense language barrier between us.  I have found beauty in the frustration of not being able to shower for a week because of the lack of hot water or the fact that I am so exhausted at the end of the day, I cannot fathom showering before bed.  THIS IS LOVE.  THIS IS BEAUTY.  All my Rwandan friends understand that this life on earth is temporary.  They understand that the Lord “has made everything beautiful in its time”.  They do not question the Sovereignty of our King because they experience the works of His hand DAILY.  They cry out to Him for food and He hears them and blesses them.  They ask and pray with expectancy and they receive.  They do not keep God in a box.  They know He hears their cries and they set their hearts on eternity knowing that the best is yet to come.  O my goodness I long for faith like this.  They teach me so much with each passing moment.  They have given me so much more than I could ever fathom giving them.

This beauty and joy overflows my cup and makes me want to serve harder, get dirtier, love bigger and dive deeper in my relationship with the Lord.  With all this to say, God has definitely been breaking down walls for Rays of Grace.  He is allowing us to make our way into this new community.  We have been welcomed and received with laughter and smiles.  What a blessing this is!  We are hoping to build genuine relationships and to listen to what the needs of this area are.  We are repeatedly affirmed that the greatest need is a proper education.  We are hopeful that the Opportunity Program will be of great benefit to this place and that the same model can be planted in surrounding communities around the area.  We had dinner with some of our dear Rwandan friends this past week where we were able to present our idea to them.  They were very hopeful about this being a success.  They really spoke positively on the idea of training students in Rwanda first before sending them to America for college.  Once proper preparations were undertaken, our friends believed this would be quite beneficial for Rwanda.  They believe the knowledge and experience these students could potentially bring back to Rwanda after four years of a proper college education would create small steps out of poverty.

Now that Rays of Grace has a more defined path, we have quite a bit of needs.  We are praying for the finances to get this program off the ground.  Quite a bit of supplies are needed as well as a need for more manpower on the ground here.  Please pray that God brings trustworthy Rwandans into our lives that are willing to help us.  If I have learned anything here, it would be nothing is too big for God.  He has planted me here, in the middle of Africa, for a Divine Purpose.  Ephesians 2:10 continually rings true for my heart – “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

I can’t thank you enough for the endless amount of prayers and love you have extended towards Rays of Grace.  It affirms my heart daily to know that I have a big old support system back home praying for BIG THINGS to happen over here.  He is faithful beyond measure and gives me so much more than I deserve.  THANK YOU ALL!  Sending you so much Afreekan love from the bottom of my heart.

Grace, Love and BIG HUGS!!!

britt :)

   

Not My Finest Moment

"He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart" - Ecclesiastes 5:20 

Hello Everyone!

When all my days begin to run together here, my heart finds such promise in this verse!  Between a deep rooted joy and the constant craziness of Africa, God has kept my heart overflowing with gladness.  We have had quite a BIG week here in little Rwanda!  Today brought me a hefty dose of humble pie and an event that will keep me laughing til Kingdom come.  We took a trip to Kigali (the capital of Rwanda and roughly a two hour drive form Musanze) to gather all sorts of supplies for Rays of Grace's NEW HOUSE!  A trip to the city can be quite refreshing.  They have some fun "American-type" places to eat and some fabulous grocery shopping :) So Jeff and I left the house around 6 am with joy in our steps, eager to take a fun day trip.  Once we arrived in Kigali we stopped at Bourbon Coffee which is the Starbucks of Africa... Such a treat!  After breakfast, we gathered all of our household items and headed out for our 30 minute walk to the bus park.  A hefty storm blew in so we hunkered down for a bit and decided to partake in a buffet for lunch.  The food was delicious and kept us occupied as the storm rolled through.  After the storm cleared, we gathered up our things and started our journey to the bus park!  This is an experience all in itself.  It brings the term "organized chaos" to a whole new level.  When two Mzungus walk into the park, the party starts.  You are being yelled at, directed, grabbed, etc, etc, until you finally find the bus you need.  We honed in a made a B Line to our bus and settled in for the two hour journey ahead.  Everything was going swimmingly and I even started to sleep for a bit.  Suddenly, I instantly regretted my lunch choice and I had a long way to go.  I had my window open, taking deep breaths, but it just wouldn't cut it.  Everyone was getting frustrated with the cold air and took the liberty of shutting the window in my face.  I braced myself, said a quick prayer, handed my Ray Bans to Jeff (priorities, right?) and humbly accepted saying bye to my lunch out the window of a bus.  As if I didn't stick out already, I became the talk of the bus ride and now the talk of the town.  Hahahahahahaha all I can do is laugh.  After that, no one wanted to close my window anymore... Winning.  All that to say, I am going to take a hiatus from the buffet scene here.  One of my biggest prayers has been for humility and God really showed up big today :).  

Anywho, all sickness and laughs aside, we have truly been receiving abundant blessings this week.  After roughly three weeks of searching for a home base for Rays of Grace, God parted the confusion and placed a house/office in our laps.  Psalm 5:3 has continually rang true in my heart - "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation".  We are called to humble ourselves before the Lord with the cries of our hearts.  He hears us and answers according to the riches of His Will.  If we pray with expectancy, we begin to see The Maker's Hand in every part of our lives.  He is a Sovereign God who truly desires the best for His children.  Hooray :) 

We will be uploading photos within the next few days of the house to our Facebook Page if any of you would like to view it:

http://www.facebook.com/RaysOfGrace

We have also learned insane amounts of information as we have immersed ourselves further and further into this new community.  We are hopeful to carry out clean water projects and to start up small craft businesses for the women in our area.  However, our main vision has changed.  As I wrote in the last blog, there is a HUGE need for a proper education in order to end the cycle of poverty.  We have befriended a large amount of students ranging from Primary School to College-aged students.  There biggest request - "I want to attend University in America so that I can come back to my country and help".  Wow.  Humbled.  Once we heard that, we got down to business.  We began researching like crazy and figuring out just what this would take.  The more we researched and prayed and sought out advice, the more God impressed upon our hearts the idea of starting the Opportunity Program.  We would like to open up our home for students to come to so that Rays of Grace could prepare them for an education in America.  We are hoping to fundraise financial means to purchase a small amount of lap tops, books, pens, pencils, dictionaries and such to begin the preparation.  We have learned of a location near Kigali that allows students to take the SAT's so that they are eligible for University's in the U.S.

We are hoping to start with one boy and one girl.  We are hoping to find host families for the students to stay with while they are stateside.  We will ask the students to research grants and scholarships while we begin the start up stages for a Tuition Fund.  Although we are starting with two students, we will have a constant flow of younger students coming to our house for homework help, English lessons, after school programs and hopefully a meal program.  And now the BIGGEST HOPE - to create programs in Colorado, Texas and New Jersey (the three places we have the most connections) where the kids could come out for two weeks to a month to experience America and to show them different college options.  We would love to work with different ski resorts and ski companies so that the students could partake in all the fun Colorado has to offer :) 

To try and wrap up this novel, we have some BIG prayer requests.  We are praying for God to equip us with the energy, strength and courage necessary to make this happen.  Rays of Grace is truly to here to further His Kingdom and to serve our brothers and sisters with all that we are.  We prayerfully submit this to Him and invite you to come alongside of us in prayer as well!  

Again, all advice and wisdom is ALWAYS welcomed!  God is good ALL THE TIME!

I love you all!

BIG grace and BIG hugs!

britt :) 

PS - Hi Mommy :) I love you and miss you :) 

Humbled.

"After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him" - John 13:5 

As I washed my hands today, the porcelain white sink quickly turned to a dark brown as I rinsed off the day.  I watched as the dirty water raced down the drain and out of my sight.  Rather than being disgusted, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness.  Thankfulness that I get to experience reality.  Thankfulness that God has removed barriers of being untouchable.  As children of an Almighty God, we are called to serve one another in love and to offer grace and mercy to everyone.  This can seem unfathomable and difficult at times... But I have found that the more you let go of hindrances, the more room God has to come in and flood your heart.  

We have spent the past week visiting various different communities around the area and praying for discernment in where God needs us to immerse fully.  I must admit, we have been a bit discouraged.  We have had multiple opportunities fall through which has left us confused.  Many organizations have come into Rwanda and have made HUGE impacts prior to us being here... Not to say there aren't more needs, we just want to make sure we are approaching this alongside the community.  My heart has been humbled by this day in and day out.  I have experienced humility in the sense that I felt like I was going to be the one that comes in and helps improve the well being of many precious souls here.  What I have found in return is that they are quite capable of doing such things on their own.  I have been blown away at the things God is revealing to my heart.  Is it better for Westerners to come in and disrupt the Rwandans way of life?  Or would it be more beneficial to encourage them in the lives they are already living?  So many questions!  

A seed God has planted throughout this week is possibly starting an Opportunity Program stateside for Rwandans.  The more friends I make and the more conversations I have, the more I learn that these people are longing for opportunities outside of their country.  Outside of the confines of poverty.  They are eager to experience a college education in the states and eager to experience where these crazy Mzungu's come from :) 

All this to say, I have had thoughts of developing programs both here and in America.  It will be quite a bit of coming and going but I can't help but think this could be an incredible gift to my dear brothers and sisters here.  I welcome all advice and wisdom on this newfound thought!  I am so thankful for each one of you and value your opinion.  I pray that this post finds you well and full of joy through the Holy Spirit.  

BIG LOVE and plenty of grace always, 

britt :)

Dancing In The Light.

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" - Matthew 5:16

Happy Sunshine Saturday!

It has been just under a week of Rwandan living and God is already up to some BIG things, what a rad dude!  We have spent this week walking... A LOT.  Walking creates such a beautiful avenue for relationship building here.  It allows me to press pause from the craziness of life and take time to be amongst God's children.  To touch, to laugh, to paint nails, to play soccer, to crack jokes, to rummage through language barriers, to hug... To be tangible love to those who are desperate to be noticed.  It gives me a true glimpse into the human soul.  A glimpse into how we are longing to be acknowledged and cherished. The pure joy that is experienced through a simple handshake is worth more than gold.  I want all of our Rwandan friends to see Jesus through the love I convey.  I want them to know that they are known and that they are worth it.  That somewhere, an ocean away, there are a heck of a lot of Americans praying hard for their lives to be rich in love and that we are rooting for them to flourish and live prosperous lives.  I want them to know that the difference in our skin color, social standing, and daily lives could never separate us from the love that was poured out on the cross... O what joy and promise!    

I would have to say their smiles speak louder than words :) 

On the more formal side of things, we are quite hopeful to start laying foundations for Rays of Grace very soon!  We were introduced to a community near Lake Buhera which is located about 40 minutes from where we are staying currently.  There is a huge need for guidance and support on the path out of poverty within this community.  They have incredible access to fertile farmland and safe drinking water through the lake.  We are hopeful to start a coffee and tea farm as well where we could cater to micro finance loans.  This being said it is SUPER rural and we are going to have to learn how to live off the land ASAP.  Instead of cruising out to the grocery store we will be strolling out to our backyard (hahaha) wish me luck!  We are working out housing arrangements throughout the next couple of days... Prayers would are welcomed and beyond appreciated!  I will keep everyone updated as plans begin to unfold.

Thank you a million times over for the endless amount of love, grace, prayers, support and encouraging words each of you have poured out to me.  None of this would be possible without such an incredible team of believers :) 

Again, I pray that you live boldly and with purpose.  Make this day the best day yet :) show grace and love constantly.

I love you guys!

britt :) 

My prayer for you - Father God may we be mindful to praise you in all circumstances.  Allow us to find joy with each breath we take.  Open our hearts to give and receive love to everyone we cross paths with.  May we be filled with peace and rest.  Thank you for giving us abundantly more than we deserve.  I love you and praise Your Name always :) in your Son's name I pray, Amen. 
  

Live Boldly.

"For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.  He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ - with all boldness and without hindrance" - Acts 28:30-31

Hello From Rwanda Everyone!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support over the past few days of traveling... Definitely feeling so much peace and rest from thousands of miles away!  This afternoon the journey to Musanze will begin!

CHEESIN' SO HARD!

I am truly humbled by the grace and love each of you have shown me throughout this journey.  It has been laced with joy, heartache, tears, laughter, rejoicing and praising.  It has also come with great sacrifice.  A sacrifice that I encourage everyone to experience.  A sacrifice of boldly living for the Lord with an unquenchable hunger and thirst for Him.  This does not mean you have to uproot and move to Africa (haha)... This could mean loving hard on those around you, right where you are at this moment.  Whether that be in Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas where my incredible parents live, or at San Antonio Christian where my rock star brother Blake coaches football, or in Addison, Texas where my oldest sister Lindsay impacts her community daily, or in Highlands Ranch, Colorado where my sister Sydney shines a light wherever she goes... We can change this world for Christ "with all boldness and without hindrance" just like Paul did.  The Lord truly asks us for our whole lives.

Maybe you can start today with saying hello to a stranger, encouraging a friend, showing patience when it's hard or saying a much overdue prayer.  Whatever your day may look like, I encourage you to live with purpose and be mindful of the impact you make on this world.

My prayer for you today - Father God may you recapture our hearts moment by moment.  May we feel your all consuming love and grace as you guide us through each passing day.  May we fall so in love with you that we can't help but bring others to You.  Guide our feet and remove the masks from our eyes.  Help us to love like you love and serve those around us with everything we have.  Thank you for being all-sufficient and pure.  Let us be bold on this day and every day.  In your Son's name I pray, Amen.

SO MUCH LOVE AND GRACE!!!!!!

britt