#GodMove

     This baby is called Moses.  He has been at Kimisagara since late July.  Look at the gaze that the adults that live in the orphanage are giving him.  Attentive and loving.  This baby makes eye contact, is on track developmentally, and clearly attached to Papa Antoine.  When asked where the baby slept, Antoine, gently rubbing Moses' back, replied "With me."  Just what this orphan baby needs.  Touch and nurture and love.
     Although Moses' his happy, he isn't healthy.  His belly is round and big, distended from malnutrition.  He waddles along near the derailed hallway, a 20 foot drop just a stumble away.  There are bug bites on his face and yeast in his mouth.  A good bath, some regular meals and diapers would make his life a little healthier.
     He is one of five new kids that have moved into Kimisagara since July.  The other four are preschool aged.  A set of twins and another set of siblings.  There are at least 98 children and young adults that need a sponsor now.  God is moving; a lot has been done to make a path.  Yet the needs are so great.
     Ryan and Kara Higgins spent the last week in Rwanda, touring schools, meeting with other advocates for vulnerable children and hiring a staff person.  The trip was a whirlwind of blessings.  Stones laid.
     Meet James Odongo.  He is officially our in country staffer.  We are beyond excited to have him advocating for all the widows and orphans of Kimisagara.  His story is one of pain, loss, redemption and hope.  "My purpose in life is to make disciples.  My second love is to serve widows and orphans," was his response to our proposal.  And it was obvious everywhere we went that this is indeed how he lives his life.  Touring schools, someone was always calling his name, embracing him and telling us what a difference James had made in their life.  As we introduced him to the children, some even had tears.  One boy said "James is the reason I accepted God as my Father."

     During the trip, 8 schools were visited.  Three were colleges/universities and the remaining were boarding schools for primary and/or secondary.  The boarding schools all provide a clean, safe living space, three meals a day, excellent academics and clubs/sports.  Some were private while others were associated with another ministry and were Christian.  The Imana Kids board will work this weekend to decide on which of these schools is the best "fit" for the children of Kimisagara.  We hope to have the prices and profiles within the next 10 days.
     Additionally, the de-bedbugging of the orphanage was a success.  The older boys received a lesson on bedbugs; then excitedly went to work on applying the mattress covers and the diatomaceous earth.  Each of them grinned ear to ear, chatted nonstop and even applied a little of the earth on their faces.  One of the young women said "We may sleep too late if the bugs don't bite us."  We all decided that we could get an alarm clock if needed!

     The other development that took place in country is that we met 4 women from James' church who were former prostitutes.  All of them are joyful and loving, working hard to leave behind their old lives.  We believe that they may be the perfect women to fill the role of nanny, "Auntie" for the younger children at Kimisagara.  This would employ them and provide loving care to the little ones.
     Please take some time to consider sponsorship.  We need commitments from our sponsors because we know it would be devastating for a child to be sent to school only to be sent back to the orphanage again because of finances.  Not only are you investing financially but also emotionally.  These kids are just as excited to have someone to write to and pray for, someone to call their own.
   

Tough Choices.

     Imana Kids board members had some big decisions to make this week.  Gracious donors have raised over $4000 to assist us in our start up costs.  How big is that?!  We feel so humbled and thankful; not to mention a little intimidated to be moving forward...

     Moving forward means spending some of this donation money.  It means deciding when and whom should be traveling to Rwanda.  Truthfully, most of the board would love to be the ones to head to Africa and attend the meetings that need to occur so that we can continue to work toward our goal of a January start date in the boarding schools.  However, we know that what we want and what we need are usually very different things.  As a group, it was decided that Ryan and Kara Higgins should be the first two board members to return to Kigali.  We want our donors to be aware of the "whys" behind each of our decisions.  Ryan and Kara adopted two children from Rwanda in late 2009; the director of Hope for Homes (the governing agency for vulnerable children) was a part of their adoption and there is established rapport between her staff and the Higginses.  They also have several friends, both Rwandan and American, that live in Kigali and will provide assistance with meals, lodging and travel.  The board also felt that Ryan was the most business-minded of the group.  

     It was also decided that board members will continue to contribute as much of their own personal money as they can during trips regarding Imana Kids business.  

     Additionally, responsibilities were delegated among members and a monthly meeting schedule was established.  This weekend some of the board will be traveling to Urbandale, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines, to give two presentations at Gloria Dei, a Lutheran church interested in sponsoring children as well as sending a Visiting Orphans team to Kigali in the future.  And on August 15 we will attend the Omaha Kiwanis Chapter meeting to present our nonprofit opportunities.

     We also wanted to share some "updates" on the kids of Kimisagara.  They have been on holiday over the last few weeks after taking national exams in the public schools.  Their holiday is spent in the orphanage, helping Papa Antoine with chores and watching over the little ones.  The older boys have been unable to sleep more than a few hours a night because of bug problems.  We have been trying to decipher the situation: bed bugs vs bat bugs vs fleas vs mosquitoes.  Our hope is that in the near future, when the first board members return, we will have the necessities needed to rid the sleeping area of the pests so that for the time being, these kids can rest well at night.  

    In addition, we are excited to be invited to send some of the young men and women to Esperance Institute's first English certification program in Kigali.  Check out their website to learn how they are empowering young adults through education. 

     We are at approximately 30 families/individuals that have expressed a desire to sponsor a child for the 2014 school year.  Thank you and expect to hear from us after the have more specific monthly costs outlined.