Almost all of my life has been spent in Africa. I grew up in Zambia for 7 years, and Kenya for 10.  I came to University in the Vancouver area of British Columbia, but was drawn to Rwanda just one year later towards the end of 1998.  Having served in Rwanda for a year and a half I made it back to Canada and finished my University studies, but was back in Rwanda right after that.  My heart delights in serving alongside of my African brothers and sisters, and I consider myself so blessed to lead Wellspring’s work in the beautiful country of Rwanda.

But right now I am enjoying one privilege of service that sometimes just about takes my breath away.  Jodi, little James and I are in Canada meeting with many supporters of Wellspring’s work, updating them on what God is doing through Wellspring in Rwanda.  As I sit down for a coffee, lunch, breakfast, dinner, or dessert (boy this month will be hard on my waistline : ) with people who support our work, I am truly amazed!  

Wellspring’s donors exhibit extraordinary faith!  The older I get the more I realize just how full of faith the supporters of our work really are.  How in the world did people get behind Richard and I and little Wellspring before we had accomplished anything at all?  That sort of faith borders on craziness!  I am so privileged to engage with folks who teach me so much about faith in a God who can supply abundantly for all of the good work that he places on people’s hearts to do.   I am deeply humbled in their trust in us to utilize their sacrificially given resources to bless Rwanda.

Wellspring’s donors show such hope!  It is incredibly refreshing to my spirit to meet supporters both old and young who hope for so much more for Rwanda.  When I might expect people to be tired or bored with supporting our work, I instead find people who urge me to keep on thinking of how we can impact even more schools, teachers, and children.  They have a deep rooted hope in God for a better future for Rwanda, and that inspires me.  I thought I was supposed to be the one to inspire them!

Wellspring’s donors demonstrate love!  I cannot believe how full of love they are.  After church on Sunday where I shared about Wellspring for a few minutes, a man I had never met walked up to me and hugged me tight and told me he loved me and the work that I was doing.  That took my breath away!  Over and over again I am blessed by people’s words of encouragement, by their prayers, by their gifts to support the work that I am so fortunate to be a part of.

As I reflect on my life I wonder how I am so privileged to be associated with so many beautiful people in North America.  I grew up on the other side of the world, and had virtually no friends in Canada.  Now I come back, and can’t even fit into my schedule enough meetings with so many of the amazing people who truly love us and the people of Rwanda.  

The Scriptures say… “now these three remain:  faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love”.  1 Corinthians 13 goes on to describe the characteristics of true love.  I have experienced from our support community so many of these attributes.  For me this is an amazing privilege of my service.