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Friday, January 19, 2018

From the Field Friday: RW-533

Today's pastor letter comes from project #533 in Rwanda. It sounds like the people in this community are really seeing their livelihood threatened, and quickly! I am so glad Compassion has come to help them secure success as their lives change around them.

This is the project my boy Cedrick attends.



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Dear Kayla, 

Greetings to you in the precious name of Jesus Christ! I am Rev. Pastor Dusabumeremyi Donatien and I am partner with Compassion International in the Musambira Student Center. We minister to your sponsored child. Thank you for your sponsorship of Cedrick. I am al the pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Rwanda, Musambira Parish. The church and center are situated in the Kamonyi District of the Southern Provicne of Rwanda. 



I wish to express my sincere gratitude for the love and kindness you have demonstrated. The community served lives on the outskirts of the city that is slowly encroaching on their land. Agriculture used to be the main activity, but due to the construction activities of the rapidly growing and expanding city, the land for agriculture is drastically getting reduced. Further, the land the community used to depend on has lost its fertility due to land overuse and the severe oil erosion. There is also a problem of the high family birthrate that leads to land fragmentation. Due to cultural practices, each male child is entitled to a piece of land by his parents to inherit, to do his farming, settle upon, and start his own family. As a result, the land continues to diminish each year, rendering it less productive to those who own it. 



There is a big problem of insufficient food to feed the family, hence malnutrition, ore especially among infants and young children, who are the most vulnerable. This result is various diseases related to malnutrition. The problem of lack of clean water for domestic use is rampant in this community and many of the children suffer from all sorts of water borne diseases. In addition, school-going children take long walks in search of water for domestic use and don't have enough time to study and do homework. 



The church has a big problem of ministering to the community that is hungry, sick, and uneducated. The church, therefore in partnership with Compassion International, initiated this center of sponsoring children of poverty. Many sponsored children, with their parents and caregivers, are attending the church. 

The church has had a big impact on the lives of the sponsored children with their families through many aspects. Supported children are provided with school fee subsidies, school uniforms, and various other needed school materials. They further received clothing, shoes, and domestic items like mattresses. Also they received water filters that give them cleaning drinking water. This benefits not only the sponsored children, but their families. 



Many of the supported children's families now attend the church and have either converted to Christianity or renewed their Christian faith. During this past year alone, the church congregation is now raised to 734 faithful Christians and continues to grow. 



At the time of the first Compassion registration at the center, most of the parents were desperate and they had no hope of their children going to school. They now enjoy the benefits of their children being registered with this center and in school. We wish we could accommodate more children. 



Communication is the most important aspect of the child-sponsor relationship. Sponsored children are delighted to receive letters from their sponsors. Those who receive letters are very proud and feel loved and cared for. Those that do not receive letters are sad. Please write Cedrick a letter as it makes each child so very happy to receive mail. Thank you for your kindness and the love you have demonstrated. 



God bless you abundantly! 

Pastor Dusabumuremyi Donatien 

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