Rwanda Partnership Update Jan/Feb 2022

Church of the Redeemer has a sister-to-sister partnership with the Karangazi parish in Rwanda which largely stems from the ACNA’s original formation as a mission of the Anglican Church of Rwanda to America.

Redeemer is one of several parishes partnered with Friends of Gahini, a non-profit organization which seeks to foster relationships with churches in the Gahini Diocese of Rwanda. MOUCECORE (French: “Mouvement Chrétien Pour L’ Evangélisation, le Counseling et la Réconciliation,” English: “Christian Movement For Evangelism, Counseling and Reconciliation”) is a Rwandan Christian organization which aids churches in Rwanda in community development and facilitates relationships with other parishes, such as Redeemer’s relationship with the Karangazi parish through Friends of Gahini.

We are so thankful for our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Karangazi parish and the Gahini Diocese more broadly, and are looking forward to seeing them again when we visit May 2-12th, 2022! If you would like to come along with us, please let Dr. Jason Myers know before March 20th.

During Epiphany 2022, we heard in a video testimony from Rev. Ananias Karamuka (a pastor and projects coordinator for the Gahini Diocese) about some of the things the Lord is doing among the people of the diocese, as well as from our own Ben and Cherie Weber about the Lord calling them to move to Rwanda to partner with our brothers and sisters there. Check out the testimony here!

Now, here’s a January/February 2022 update on our sister parish from our MOUCECORE representative, Rosemary Uwineza.

End of Month Report

A banner which hangs in Bishop Alan’s office as a congratulations from our brothers and sisters at MOUCECORE for his consecration as a bishop

Church of the Redeemer has a Sister-to-Sister partnership with the Karangazi Parish which fosters a cross-cultural relationship and ministry alliance between Anglican Mission churches and Rwandan parishes. MOUCECORE facilitates the partnership by providing different services and administration support. This end of month report will help maintain clear communication and follow up on projects being implemented in Gahini Diocese supported by Friends of Gahini.

GAHINI DIOCESE UPDATES 

KARANGAZI PARISH UPDATES: 

Karangazi Parish members are doing well and are grateful for God’s love and protection in 2021 and the beginning of the new year of 2022. They are thankful for God’s continued protection from Covid-19 and those that got sick have recovered too. 

Karangazi Parish is grateful for various things that have happened in 2021 and some include: 

1. Church growth. Karangazi Church is growing in a marvelous way irrespective of the challenges of covid-19 and the Church being closed for a long time. In 2021 the Church welcomed 32 new Christians. On New Year’s Eve, the Church welcomed and baptized 12 people, and also 9 people received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Church is so grateful for the work God is doing and continues to do in Karangazi Parish. 

2. Construction of Karangazi’s new Church was put on hold for a long time due to financial problems. In 2021 Church members were able to raise money to put on a rooftop and they have started to pray in the new Church now because Church members have increased. A lot remains to be done for the completion of the Church and they are hoping that it will be done in this year of 2022 we have started. They humbly ask for your prayers and any other support will be much appreciated. 

3. They are grateful for the re-opening of 4 local churches in Karangazi Parish which include; Rugendo, Kizirakome, Karangazi, and Mbare which have been closed for over a year. They continue to pray for the re-opening of all churches that remain closed. 

4. Two (2) Pastors of Karangazi Parish Namely Rev. Mugabo Fred and Pastor Ndugutse Eliphaz have started their studies of Theology in EAST AFRICAN CHRISTIAN COLLEGE that is located in Kigali, Kabuga. This was one of the prayer requests the Church had, for their Pastors to get higher education and they are grateful that God has made a way for them. 

5. All of Karangazi school students performed well, those who did National exams in P.6 (primary 6) have all passed with good grades, 23 students came in First grade and 4 students came in Second grade and they are all going to secondary school and they are thankful to God who enabled them. 

6. Number of students enrolled in Karangazi Church School has increased, wherein the first semester they enrolled 35 students and in the second semester they enrolled 20 students and now they have a total of 280 students. This is a good thing as it shows that the school is performing well. 

7. Karangazi Parish has started a program of helping the poorest children who can’t afford education to study. At the start, they have begun with 12 children and they are grateful to God who is enabling them. 

Karangazi Self-Help Groups (SHGs) Updates: 

Karangazi Self-Help Groups, namely Ubumwe SHG, Imbuto z’urukundo SHG, Abatiganda SHG, and Karangazi EAR youth unit SHG are doing well, members of each Self-Help Group are working very hard to grow and become strong well-functioning Self-Help Groups that have transformed spiritually, socially, and economically. 

One of the Self-Help Groups called UBUMWE SHG was able to buy 16 goats for every member of the self-help group that will help them improve their standard of living. They have also planted 2 hectares of maize and potatoes and they expect to harvest this February. The plan is to sell the outputs and the generated income will continue to help the group to grow and do more income-generating activities like buying cows for each member of the group as this is one of the things they want to do this year of 2022 and so much more. 

Some of the members of Ubumwe SHG holding their goats 

All of the Self-Help Groups had so much they wanted to achieve in 2021 but with Covid-19 it became so hard for them to accomplish their goals, Covid-19 continued to hold them back. They pray and hope that in this new year of 2022 things will be different, better. They humbly ask for your prayers, that they will be able to accomplish their goals in this new year of 2022. 

Karangazi Prayer Requests: 

- They want to complete the new Church this year if all goes well. A lot remains to be done, Church members have started to contribute and they are hoping to raise 10 million among them, but there is still a gap because they need approximately between 70-80 million for the Church to be fully completed. They humbly ask for your prayers and any other support will be much appreciated. 

- Karangazi Parish has started a program of helping the poorest children in Karangazi who can’t afford education to study. They have started with 12 children but the target is 20 children, hence they ask for your prayers so that may God enable them. 

- Karangazi Parish is planning to re-construct Karangazi primary School, build 3 more classrooms, and install electricity in all classes and they humbly ask for your prayers that may God provide all that is needed. 

- They want to re-build local churches that are in Karangazi Parish and buy new instruments that are in line with the new church of Karangazi, hence they humbly ask for your prayers. 

- Soon they are planning to form 6 new Self-Help Groups that will be working with Hope International in Karangazi and they ask for your prayers that all goes well and these groups will be effective and improve the standard of living of the Karangazi community. 

KAMATE PARISH UPDATES: 

Kamate Parish is one of the Parishes that make up the Archdeaconry of Karangazi with Rev. Gideon Muhozi as the Parish Pastor. The last time I visited the Parish, I meet Pastor Gideon and some of the Church members and they are all doing well and grateful for God’s protection throughout the year 2021. They are also grateful for the things God enabled them to achieve in 2021 and some include the following: 

1) Church growth. In the last months of 2021, the Church welcomed six (6) new families and through preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in small groups of people called “cell groups” the Church is welcoming people who continue to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They are grateful that even though Kamate Church was closed for almost 2 years but Evangelism didn’t stop, it continued up to now all for the glory of God. 

2) Construction of Kamate Church primary school. With the support of the Church of the Redeemer, three (3) classrooms were built and completed. They are so grateful for this and they continue to express their thanks and gratitude to Friends of Gahini, for all the support they have provided to them and for praying for them continuously. 

3) Kamate Church together with Church members planned and organized a charity event to help the poorest among them. They gave them food, clothes and built small houses for those who didn’t have shelter. They are so grateful to God who enabled them. 

4) The Church needed a motorcycle to help them in transportation while doing Evangelism. In 2021 they were able to contribute and bought a motorcycle that is now helping them a lot in Evangelism to reach as many people as they can and they are grateful for it. 

Bricks for construction of Kamate Primary school 

5) Improvement of Kamate school student’s performance. All students from nursery school to primary 6 have performed well and those in Primary 6 have all passed National Exams with good grades allowing them to continue in Secondary school. This has made the school be one of the best schools in Kamate and they thank God for it. 

They had so much they wanted to achieve last year but faced various challenges hindering them from achieving their goals. With prayers and working hard, they have faith that much more will be achieved in the year 2022. The following are some of the things the Church wants to achieve in 2022 and they humbly ask for your prayers. 

1) To continue to expand Evangelism by organizing Church concerts, conventions, etc. 

2) To help new start-up Self-Help Groups in Kamate grow and become strong functioning Self-Help Groups. 

3) Construction of Kamate Pastor’s home 

4) To buy musical instruments for Kamate church 

5) Construction of commercial buildings in Kamate 

6) Kamate church primary school is still in need of 3 more classroom buildings. They have started with the planning and buying bricks for the construction, but the construction itself hasn’t started yet because lots still need to be done and they humbly ask for your prayers. 

Karangazi and Kamate Parish continue to express their thanks and gratitude to Friends of Gahini who never cease to pray for them and support them in different ways. They were very happy to hear that Bishop Alan was appointed as a Bishop because they had prayed for him and God answered their prayers. They wish to hear from you, how you’re all doing with your families, prayer requests they can pray for you as well. They pray and long to be with you all again one day, they miss you very much. 

Report done by: Rosemary Uwineza