Honor Your Loved One With A Sheep!

At True Vineyard Ministries, we look with great hope to the New Year for exciting growth opportunities in Rwanda. In January, Diana will be heading to Rwanda with a small mission team for the purpose of caring for our flock of sheep and hopefully welcoming even more women into the TVM family. With the increase of more sheep, we will have more wool for the TVM women to spin, and this will allow us to partner with widow sponsors to hire more Rwandan widows.

This December, there are opportunities for you to make a real difference in Rwanda through a year-end gift. Currently, our most urgent need is to acquire 150 merino sheep in the next year to grow our flock. Sheep have become an extremely important source of livelihood to Rwandan community members and the widows at the TVM women’s group. Here’s how your generosity can make a difference this year in Rwanda: 

1) Give a gift of hope this Christmas by purchasing one sheep, a flock of sheep, or a herd of sheep for a loved one! One sheep costs $100, one flock costs $300, and a herd costs $1000. Through your gift of one or many sheep, there will be an increase of wool for the TVM widow’s group to spin into yarn and sell here in the United States. The greater wool supply we have in Rwanda, the more chances there are for changed lives in Rwanda, which leads us to our next gift opportunity. The gift recipient will receive a card in their honor like the one below:

2) You also have the opportunity to sponsor a widow for a three-month gift of $105, a six-month gift of $210, and an annual gift of $420. Each widow typically has a minimum of three children under her care and often has adopted children living with her. Through your commitment of a widow sponsorship, you are helping us provide her with a salary, health insurance, and counseling opportunities which empower her to rise up out of poverty and become a leader of change in her own community.

Visit our online store to purchase sheep or sign up to be a widow sponsor, or you can mail a check to the following address:

True Vineyard Ministries, Inc.
317 W. San Antonio St.
San Marcos, TX 78666

Together, we can make a big step forward in the lives of Rwanda’s poorest through empowerment, job creation, and skill-building. This Christmas season we encourage you to be generous and give hope to those who desperately need it. We thank you for all your support.

Have a blessed and peaceful Christmas and holiday season!

Ways to Give This Christmas: Transformation in Rwanda

Transformation. We use this word frequently at True Vineyard Ministries. Why? Because transformation of a person's body and soul is the key ingredient that ensures lasting change in some of the poorest communities in Rwanda.

Colette, one of our newest members, was hired by TVM while still suffering the traumatic effects of poverty. Out of desperation, she had made harmful decisions just to make ends meet before she had this job. It wasn't a salary alone that has brought her to a place of joy today, it was transformation of her heart as well.

Through forgiveness and reconciliation with God, encouraging friendships with the other TVM women, and the ability to feed her children, she is on a hopeful journey to lasting change. We believe God intends to use Colette as a beacon of hope and a leader of change in her own village because of her incredible testimony.

This Christmas season, consider participating in this lasting change by giving a year-end gift to True Vineyard Ministries. Here are some important ways you can make a difference in Rwanda:

1. Widow Sponsorships

Your contribution could allow TVM to hire one or more widows for an entire year. A one-time gift of $420 sponsors one widow for an entire year. Your widow sponsorship helps us offer a steady job and holistic work environment to one of Rwanda’s most vulnerable. You can also sign up to sponsor a widow on a monthly basis for just $35 a month.

2. Sheep

As many of you know, our partnership with KidKnits has taken off this year! KidKnits sells the handspun and naturally dyed yarn made by our TVM widow cooperative in markets across the States. To supply the yarn KidKnits needed, we purchased our first flock of merino sheep through the generosity of our donors. The demand for the TVM yarn continues to grow, and TVM needs more sheep to provide more wool to the TVM widow’s group so the women can continue to spin the beautiful merino yarn. You can buy one sheep ($100), a flock of sheep ($300), or a herd of sheep ($1,000)!

To sponsor a widow or purchase some sheep online, visit our Gifts of Hope page by clicking here.

You can also send a check made out to: True Vineyard Ministries at 317 W. San Antonio Street, San Marcos, Texas 78666

And here in Texas... Our Christmas celebrations are continuing! You can also make a difference by attending our first  African Christmas in Gruene, Texas! See below for details:

Many thanks and Christmas blessings!

Artisan Relationships

Currently, our Executive Director Diana Wiley is on her way back from Nairobi, Kenya after an eventful week of selecting new product in preparation for Christmas in Texas! After cashing in some well-earned air miles, off she went!

Some people ask us why we personally go over to Africa to select product for the The Vineyard Marketplace instead of simply ordering via the internet (which we also do sometimes with long-term partners).

True Vineyard Ministries supports the social enterprise of African artists and cooperatives.  We develop strong personal relationships with the artisans so that we actively participate in ensuring the sustainability of their cooperative. Through long-term relationships with our partners in Africa, we can successfully tell their stories of hope and empowerment that accompany the beautiful products sold on their behalf.

We also have the unique opportunity to work on product development ensuring the highest quality products for our customers in the States. The personal relationship is mutually beneficial – we provide encouragement, counsel, and business through face-to-face interaction. The feedback that we offer  often helps them to better position themselves to expand their market to other people and organizations. One-on-one interaction helps us and our partners uphold the highest possible integrity in our business transactions.

Upon creating a new buying relationship with a women's cooperative in Nairobi, Diana says, “Our recent order just paid their November salaries!” In return, we are able to provide you with exquisite accessories, jewelry, and other items along with knowing that we are making a real impact in Africa. We also have excellent accountability with our partners, ensuring our partners and their employees are receiving a fair wage for their earnings as we pay for everything in full upon initial purchase.

Talk about Shopping for Good! I hope you're getting ready for our incredible Christmastime Trunk Show in November (details to come)!

Weaving Communities Together

It is no secret that partnership is a key element in achieving lasting peace in our world. Against the tide of upheaval and instability today, we at True Vineyard believe there is a greater counter movement of goodwill that is making a difference today. When we link arms with other people and organizations that are working to make a difference in their own way, we can help each other make great strides toward our goals.

That is what happened two Saturdays ago at The Stone Coffee Bar in Gruene, Texas. True Vineyard Ministries was privileged to be a part of "Kids for Kids: Weaving Communities Together." Our friends from KidKnits were there and Ellie (KidKnits founder) taught a group of people how to make their own KidKnits hat from yarn handspun by 21 Rwandan widows. Individuals then donated their completed, woven hats to pediatric cancer patients. Furthermore, Brilliant Starts Learning Academy hosted a bake sale to raise money for pediatric cancer research!

It is pretty incredible that communities came together to support widows in Rwanda through a purchase of a KidKnits kit, only to turn around and provide encouragement and support to pediatric cancer patients. Talk about doubling the difference!

True Vineyard's Executive Director, Diana Wiley, was able to catch up with the kids from Brilliant Starts Learning Academy who knitted a cap together. She was able to thank them personally for doing their part to make a difference for good in the world. They were thrilled to learn about Rwanda and the importance of helping other people. As Ellie, the 10-year-old founder of KidKnits likes to say, "You're never too young to change a life on the other side of the world."

Thanks for making a difference in your own way. Let's link arms together and make a difference for goodness in our world.

This Weekend: KidKnits Extravaganza!

If you haven't caught on, we're pretty thrilled about our partnership with a social business called KidKnits. KidKnits markets the  merino yarn that is handspun by our very own Rwandan women by selling the yarn in craft kits for kids. Right now we have 21 women working hard to create beautiful products like this:

And saying good-bye to poverty forever. By the way, want to learn how the women make this beautiful yarn? Check out the cool slide show here.

So here's the weekend scoop:

SATURDAY
Make a day with your family and friends and hang out in Historic Gruene. Do you want to help people while you're at it? At The Stone Coffee Bar (1198 Gruene Road!) there is a pretty huge joint venture going on to support Rwandan widows AND pediatric cancer patients. Get this: Brilliant Starts Learning Academy is hosting a bake sale to raise money for pediatric cancer research. And we are partnering with KidKnits to sell the knitting kits so that YOU can learn to knit your very own hat (with yarn handspun by an incredible Rwandan widow) and then you can donate the completed hats to cancer patients. It's at 10 a.m. at the patio at 1198 Gruene Road.

SUNDAY
1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Ten Thousand Villages
Ten Thousand Villages is hosting a KidKnits trunk show on Austin's South Congress Avenue. KidKnits will be selling their knitting craft kits for kids and also will be releasing their new color. It's going to be a blast! Come one, come all!


Get in touch with us for questions: info@truevineyard.org

Sponsorship = Partnership

At True Vineyard Ministries (TVM), when you decide to sponsor a Rwandan widow, you become her partner in her journey out of poverty. If you haven’t heard, TVM has doubled in size in the past six months, employing 21 Rwandan widows in total.

When a widow enters into the True Vineyard family, she is in a safe place to face her healing journey before her. Each widow has a past that is often traumatic, which is not resolved through a job alone. Many of these women suffer from long-term illnesses like HIV/AIDS, were severely malnourished prior to coming to TVM, and were subject to unthinkable housing situations. They also endured watching their children suffer because they were not able provide for the most basic needs of their own children for so long.

Your partnership contribution of only $35 a month allows her to work in an environment where her healing and development process is a priority. Your support helps provides counseling, health insurance for her and her children, contributes to her salary, and keeps the lights on and the doors open at our TVM Rwanda office.  You also have the opportunity to provide her with encouragement through letter writing. We hope to implement video messaging between yourself and the widow you sponsor in the future.

TVM wants to hire more women so that more lives can be changed for good, forever. But we can’t move forward until we receive sponsorship for our current widows. Right now five widows are not yet sponsored. If you can spare $35 a month for the life of a Rwandan widow, we encourage you to embark on this journey! Or pass the word. You will change a life of a Rwandan widow, and who knows, it might just change yours.

Movers and Shakers

Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. Do these names ring a bell? We need movers and shakers in our world to shape the direction of society towards justice, goodness, and peace. Do you ever wonder where you fit in to everything that's happening in our world today? How can you be a force for good?

Just talk to Ellie. She's a ten-year-old American girl who started learning about the country of Rwanda and the Rwandan people. She started thinking about Rwandans, and how they are just like you and me. But then she learned that some kids in Rwanda get up in the morning to go to work instead of going to school. Sometimes they don't even have food to eat. What's a ten-year-old to do when she learns something like that?

Well, for starters, Ellie knows how to knit. She also learned that in Rwanda there are merino sheep that produce high quality wool. Then she and her parents learned about True Vineyard Ministries and that a small group of widows were spinning wool into yarn to earn a living to feed their children and send them to school. Ellie then started talking to her parents about finding a way to sell the yarn in the States so that the widows could have a steady source of income for the beautiful yarn they were creating.

Ellie and her family turned an idea into reality through the creation of a social business called KidKnits. KidKnits sells knitting craft kits so that kids in the States can learn how to knit and at the same time help other kids in Rwanda go to school because their moms have jobs.

Since KidKnits began, the number of widows hired by True Vineyard Ministries has grown from 10 widows to 21 in just a number of months! Each widow has multiple children living under her roof, and because of their jobs with True Vineyard Ministries, 134 Rwandans are directly impacted by their salary.

Ellie is a modern-day mover and shaker. You can be one too. Find your passion, run with it, and figure out a way to use your talents and abilities for good. Shake things up in your town, city, school, and place of work. Start telling stories, educate people, and do something that makes you feel alive. Be part of a movement of change in Rwanda.

Check out Handspun Hope and KidKnits to learn more about this incredible partnership. You can start by purchasing a KidKnit for yourself or somebody else and change a life while you're at it.

Movers and Shakers

Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Martin Luther King. Do these names ring a bell? We need these movers and shakers in our world to shape the direction of society and be a firm voice for justice and peace. Ever wonder where you fit in to everything that's happening in our world today?

Just talk to Ellie. She's a ten-year-old American girl who started learning about the country of Rwanda and the people there. She started thinking about people in Rwanda, and how they are not so different from you and me. But then she learned that some kids in Rwanda got up in the morning and had to work instead of go to school and sometimes didn't have food to eat. What's a ten-year old to do when she realizes something like that? 

Well, for starters, Ellie knows how to knit. She also learned that in Rwanda there were merino sheep that produced high quality wool. Then she and her parents learned about True Vineyard Ministries and that a small group of widows were spinning wool into yarn to try to earn a living to feed their children and send them to school. She started talking to her parents about finding a way to sell the yarn in the States so that the widows could have a steady source of income for the beautiful yarn they were producing. 

Ellie and her family has turned this idea into reality by starting a social business called KidKnits. KidKnits sells knitting craft kids so that kids in the States can learn how to knit, and at the same time help other kids in Rwanda go to school because their moms have jobs. 

Since KidKnits began, the number of widows hired by True Vineyard Ministries to make yarn has increased from 10 widows to 21 in just a number of months! Each widow has multiple children living under her roof, and because of their jobs with True Vineyard Ministries, 134 Rwandans are directly impacted by their salary. 

Ellie is a modern-day mover and shaker. You can be one too. Find your passion, run with it, and figure out a way to use your talents and abilities for good. Shake things up in your town, city, school, place of work. Start telling stories, educate people, and do something that makes you feel alive. Be part of a bigger movement of change in Rwanda. 

Check out our page Handspun Hope to learn more about what the widows do, and check out KidKnits to find out more about how you can buy a craft kit and change a life while you're at it. 

Glad You Are Here!

Welcome to our new look and website! We are excited that you are here and invite you to stay awhile and browse our pages! Learn how you can be a part of the TVM story as we seek to empower widows and their families.  Through a collaborative effort we can help them break the chains of poverty and become transformed from the inside out.  See the fresh new products under the Marketplace tab and learn how easy it is to Shop For Good online!  Don’t worry if you missed Abbey Henderson’s photo exhibit, More Than a Thousand Words! The showing of photographs from Abbey’s travels with TVM last summer has been extended.  The Stone Coffee Bar in Gruene, Texas will continue the exhibit through Thursday (September 15).  We are grateful to Abbey and The Stone for their great support of True Vineyard Ministries.

Rwanda Photography Showcase: Friday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.

Friday evening in Gruene, Texas, The Stone Coffee and Juice Bar will be hosting a showing of extraordinary photographs from Abbey Henderson Photography documenting the work of True Vineyard Ministries in Africa. There will also be special music by artist Mary Claire LeDoux.

Brand new end-of-summer and fall product will be available for purchase from The Vineyard Marketplace. All accessories, jewelry, house ware, and artwork are all handmade by African entrepreneurs to support fair trade.

All proceeds from sales goes to support the work of True Vineyard Ministries, empowering widows and their families to break the chains of poverty and become transformed from the inside out!

Now is a crucial time to step up and support True Vineyard Ministries. In the past six months, we have doubled the number of widows whose lives are changed through employment with True Vineyard Ministries, totaling 21 women. 

Come celebrate what is happening in Rwanda through True Vineyard Ministries this Friday at 7 p.m.!

Call for details

512.391.8364

Sifora

Sifora was born in Rwanda in 1957, and in 1959, her family immigrated to the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Her husband was a businessman, and he was killed in a car automobile accident, leaving Sifora with 9 children.  Seven of her nine children were killed in the DR Congo during the civil wars of the late 1990s.  She returned to Rwanda in 1999 with only 2 daughters.  In 2005, she lost one of her daughters to illness.  Before coming to work for True Vineyard Ministries, she worked at construction sites.  It was difficult to find work every day because of her age, and it was physically demanding, requiring her to carry heavy things.  At times she was unable to find work, she was not always able to feed her family.  She believes working for TVM will help her greatly.

Right now, she lives in Susa Village with her remaining daughter, niece and grandson.  She attends Restoration Church.

Rosette

Rosette was born in 1973.  She, her husband, and their three children lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo until they returned to Rwanda in 1999.  That same year, her husband was killed by a raiding party of Rwandan rebels living in the DRC.  After the death of her husband, life was very difficult.  In 2001, she decided to return to the DRC, but while she was there she became very ill and returned to Rwanda for care.  She then learned she was HIV+.  Since then she has struggled with her illness, contracting tuberculosis and spending long stints in hospitals while her children lived separately.  At this time she is taking antiretroviral medicine, and she has been reunited with her children.  Before coming to work for True Vineyard Ministries, she was making and selling a local drink from sorghum.  Since joining the women at TVM, she has been received with joy, and she is happy that God has given her consistent work with other women because it removes her from loneliness and isolation.

Rosette attends the Seventh Day Adventist Church and lives in a government-built house in Susa Village with her three children.

Colette

Colette was born in 1967, and she lost both her parents at the age of 12.  After the deaths of her parents, she lived with her great aunt and one of her maternal uncles until she got married at the age of 17.  Her first and second born children died in infancy, but later God remembered her and gave her three children.  In 1998, her husband was killed by a raiding party of Rwandan rebels who crossed into Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Afterward, her husband's family abandoned her, forcing her to move out of her house and to leave her three children with them.  She had nowhere to stay and no family to take her in.  Before coming to work for True Vineyard Ministries, she would do any work she could find, like cleaning, washing clothes, and gardening.  The work was inconsistent, and sometimes she would spend a whole day looking for jobs without finding any.  Now that she has a job at TVM, she has found a new hope and a dependable job.  She is proud to be in this community of women.

Since 1998, she has had two more children who are with her, but she is still currently homeless.  She attends Restoration Church.

Béatrice

Béatrice was born in 1977, and she got married in 1996.  In 2000, she became a widow when her husband was poisoned by a drink in Tanzania.  She has a son and a daughter, both of whom are in school.  Before she came to work at True Vineyard Ministries, she used to find work at construction sites carrying sand.  The work was inconsistent, and there were days when she was unable to feed her children.  Now that she has a consistent job and dependable income, she is happy for the work.  This job helps her keep food in the house and helps her afford clothes for her children.

She lives in a government-built house in Susa Village with her children, and she attends United Methodist Church in Musanze.

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Team 2 is here and all is well!

Advocate For Widows

God has and is blessing this ministry both at home and here in Rwanda. TVM belongs to Him and He should be glorified for the progress that has occurred over the past several months.

For those of you who may not know, the first team just returned to the States after a life changing two weeks in Rwanda working with TVM's women. This weekend some of our partners at KidKnits will be joining us as part of the second team. Ten-year old, Ellie Zika, the visionary of KidKnits will arrive with her father and grandparents to meet the women for whom Kidknits has created so many opportunities. She is an amazing young woman who has already impacted the lives of many Rwandans because of her passion to partner with True Vineyard Ministries and because she responded to the desire God placed in her heart to serve the poor.  She is the hero of many, including our newest hires; Seforia, Rosette, Beatrice and Coletta who started full-time employment last week.

Kidknits began marketing the yarn, which the widows of TVM make, several months ago. KidKnits sells knitting kits for kids, and already there is a booming demand for these interactive kits, which includes our yarn! Currently, our women cannot spin enough wool to keep up with the demand for yarn. This is a fantastic problem to have because it means we need to hire more women to spin wool. Providing this invaluable opportunity to the widow is the heart of True Vineyard Ministries. Providing women with an income means provision, growth, and health for herself and all of her many family members.   We want to see these women empowered to be Christian leaders in their own communities.  Our prayer is that through what God is doing in their lives that many other lives will be transformed by their leadership and service.

True Vineyard Ministries is hiring more women so that we can meet the demand for yarn, and consequently, more wool! KidKnits  has already confirmed that from some large retailers that the kits will be in their stores for this Christmas season. Our ministry is growing and we need to grow with the demand. We also need more sheep, and very soon more land to accommodate the growth in sheep! We have also outgrown our current office space due to the large number of women currently working.

When we hire a new woman, we commit to keep her employed full-time. A full-time salary means providing health insurance for herself and her children and paying school fees for her school aged children. TVM cannot provide this life giving salary to the women without your advocacy and generosity. This is why we need sponsorships for all of our women.  A financial commitment of $35 each month means that you will directly impact a widow in Rwanda.  When you advocate for a widow with TVM - you become an advocate for her entire family.

She will earn an above-average salary that will put food on her table and will provide very basic needs, like clothing and soap.  It also means that she can pay to keep a roof over her head and buy medicine when she is sick.  It means a life of transformation.

Please consider beginning an advocacy partnership with True Vineyard Ministries.  You will be a part of something miraculous that is happening here in Rwanda.  We especially need advocates for our newest employees.  I will be posting their profiles and stories over the next few days on our fan and group Facebook pages.

James 1:27

Blessings,
Diana

5 Days in 5 Minutes...GO!

Hey hey friends!  Mary Claire here, and I'm so excited to get to blog FINALLY!  I've now been in Rwanda a full week, and it's been a sort of atypical week (so I'm told; it's not like I've been here before), but it's been fun and educational, and I've gotten a taste of how Diana and Co. do their thing here in Rwanda.  We're a bit behind on our blogging, so I just want to start with: WE ARE ALL FINE.  Half the team left last night and should be touching down in Austin at any moment.  Now I want to pick up where Tori left off on Sunday.  Get ready for the highlights blitz:

Monday was a national holiday (Happy Independence Day, USA!  And Happy Liberation Day, Rwanda!), so the women all had the day off, and our team got a day of rest, which was much needed for some of us—David, Laura, and me especially. 

Tuesday we headed to the TVM office to hang out with the ladies and meet the four new widows newly hired by TVM.  It was my first experience with the widows, and it was a little overwhelming at first, but the ladies were so welcoming and excited to meet me that I got over that quickly.  We got there early to worship with the widows, to hear them praise Jesus in Kinyarwanda and then getting to praise Jesus in English.  Tuesday was the last day in Musanze for half of our team, so that afternoon before we left the office, all of the widows, the team, Simon, Thomas, and Evariste all prayed together and shared thoughts on our experiences over the two weeks of the trip.  It was my first opportunity to hear the widows share about how they have been impacted by TVM, how working there has changed their lives.  It was great to hear that from them on my first day, but even more than that, it was great for the four new widows to hear that on their first day of work.  Please pray for these women as they are brought into the work of TVM, are learning how to make the yarn, and are being welcomed by the other 15 women.  Since Tuesday was our last night in Musanze, we had a fiesta and invited Simon, Thomas, and Diana's friend Jock over to eat a Tex-Mex-Rwandan meal with us.  We had beans, rice, cheese, guacamole, and mango salsa burritos, and they were delicious, but it was also fun to have that time together.  Overall, a very full day, but it was also lots of fun and a good last day in Musanze for half our team.  The picture above is from that night.

Wednesday we got up early and piled into a bus with all the luggage and headed for Kigali.  That day was spent shopping for souvenirs and for the Vineyard Marketplace.  The group split in half, and Laura, Caitlin, and I got to shadow Diana as she shopped for the store.  I enjoyed seeing her interact with the different vendors and organizations from which she purchases wares for the store.  One of the coolest things about it was that by buying from these organizations, she's also supporting them in their mission.  I love knowing that by buying a handmade purse made by vulnerable Rwandan women, I'm helping create sustainable incomes for these women to provide for themselves and their families.  It's a beautiful mission that God has given Diana and TVM, and I'm humbled to be a part of the work.  That night, we had dinner at Phil and Becca Smith's house.  They made enchiladas with guacamole, and they managed to find tortilla chips in Kigali.  For 8 Texans (well, 7 and Rachel) to get to have Tex-Mex two nights in a row in Rwanda was nothing short of a miracle.  We spent some time that night worshipping together, and then we headed back to our boarding house to pack all of the Vineyard Marketplace merchandise to send home with the team.

Thursday was spent shopping a bit more and debriefing from the trip.  Tori was the victor of Diana's Rwanda scavenger hunt.  She won by a measly 5 points.  Lindsey was an honorable second.  Then it was time to pack up and head to the airport.  The team made it through security with little difficulty and then they were off.  Diana, Laura, Caitlin, and I went to dinner at a fabulous Chinese restaurant, and then we headed back to the boarding house and went to bed.

Which now brings me to today.  This morning we got up and went to World Relief HQ to join them for their morning chapel.  We sang a few songs in Kinyarwanda, and then I got to lead them in some praise songs.  It was an incredible time of worship, and as we sang Jesus Paid It All, the Rwandans jumped in in their own language.  I was reminded of how BIG our God is, and as we all stood in that room together singing one song in two languages to one God, we all experienced a bit of what heaven is going to be like.  It was one of my favorite moments so far, and again I was humbled by music and the power it has to connect us to each other and our God.  After we left World Relief, we ran a few more errands and then jumped on a bus for Kibuye on Lake Kivu for a weekend retreat.  We're going to spend the weekend getting rest.  Please pray for the four of us this weekend, that God blesses us with renewal and also that we use this time to get to know each other better.  We're strengthened through community, encouragement, and accountability, so I trust that God will use this time to make us stronger and prepare us for what's to come in the coming weeks.

This is long.  I know.  I'm horribly long-winded.  If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me.  Please keep praying for us, and please invite others to join you!  I love having friends that pray.  Prayer knows no distance.  Please pray for the team arriving home, that their stories and testimonies will carry behind them the power of Jesus and that lives will be transformed and inspired by what they have to share, and please pray for the second team that arrives in a week.  God's got some good work prepared for us.

We love you guys, we miss you, and we can't wait to share what God's going to do over the next few weeks.  Peace.
mc

Team one through security with all bags checked! They will see you in a couple of days!

Cherished Memories

Hello everyone! I hope that you are all well and able to celebrate this holiday weekend. Blogging tonight is Tori, I hope you enjoy!

Yesterday, the team headed out to the land and worked on moving more lava rocks. They moved many rocks to the perimeter of the property, allowing for more grazing area and a safer place for the sheep. Mary Claire was able to meet Velonica, Adera and Virginee, which was an exciting time for all.

David and I were fortunate enough to each embark on a Gorilla trek. I was able to meet the Ugenda Gorilla family yesterday and David traveled to meet the Susa family today. Both of us got quite a workout, David more than I due to his longer trek. We are both so grateful that we were able to have this opportunity. Being able to be so close to these creatures in their natural habitat with such peace was incredible.

Today, we were invited to attend Simon's church for an English service. It was wonderful to see Simon in his niche singing and praising God, as well as hear a great sermon by Bishop Imbanda. Mary Claire was asked to sing, which she did flawlessly and everyone loved worshipping with her. The service provided each of us with such high spirits. Afterwards, the team decided to go on a little adventure. We headed to a volcano tube and were able to explore it. Although it got our hearts pumping due to climbing and hearing bats flying above us, it was beautiful and an accomplishment once we reached the other end! The tube looks like a cave, but it has not been disturbed by the public at all. You would have no idea that it was under a road unless you knew someone who knew all aspects of Musanze. Luckily, we had Thomas to show us the way!

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. Know that we miss each of you, but are falling in love with and learning so much about this country and the people who call it home. This week is the final piece of this journey here in Rwanda for some of us, but the memories and the love won't leave our hearts. Please keep us all in your thoughts, as well as the new ladies who are joining the TVM family on Tuesday! We are all so excited to be there to welcome them on their first day. It will be a time of worship, greetings, and sadly, goodbyes for a few of us. Everyone please be safe this long weekend and enjoy your fourth of July!

Love,
Tori

P.S. Happy Birthday Casey, I love you!

New Adventures

Hello everyone! This is Lyndsey blogging today. I hope everyone reading this update is preparing for a restful weekend wherever you are. If you have read the previous blogs, you already know that we have had a truly blessed week with all of the ladies and the staff of TVM. If you haven't read them, you should!

Today was a national holiday in Rwanda so the ladies began their long weekend yesterday evening. That meant that the team was able to venture off this morning to see the enchanting Rwandan countryside around us and tour the Sorwathe Tea Factory. There really are no words to describe how amazingly beautiful this country is. Green, everywhere! The flowers, trees, hills, streams, volcanoes in the background, and all of the friendly people made the drive to the tea factory spectacular.

The Sorwathe Tea Factory was a blast! The picture is showing us in our fun outfits we had to put on for our tour. We looked hilarious! The factory was located on top of a hill surrounded by vast tea plantations. It was an incredible view. As we toured the tea factory, the team observed the entire tea process. I think I can speak for everyone, that we have a new appreciation for tea. After our tour, we enjoyed lunch outside overlooking the scenery.

Leaving the tea factory, Diana informed us that we were going somewhere else that was a "surprise". We arrived at the Virunga Lodge. Once again, the view did not disappoint. The team enjoyed some delicious African tea and relaxed while enjoying our surroundings. Altogether, today was a wonderful and peaceful evening in fellowship with one another. God truly is the ultimate Creator.

Tomorrow (Saturday), the team will be going back to the property to continue moving the volcanic rock. For the first team, our time in Musanze is quickly coming to an end. Please continue to pray that all that God intended for us to do here is brought to completion. The people here have stolen a piece of our hearts forever. Thank you for lifting us up at home, your prayers are so important. God is so good and we can see His hands in all that we do each day.

My family and friends reading: I miss and love you so much!

With all our love,

Lyndsey

Sweet Time

Sweet Time

This week has been a precious time spent with our ladies...and the time is going by much too quickly. It's so hard to believe that this team has already been in Rwanda for a week! We are treasuring each sacred moment with each other, the staff, the widows and our TVM children.

Tuesday was spent at our piece of land as the ladies and the TVM staff took part in their bi-monthly training classes on sheep rearing. Our team worked all day moving volcanic rock to the perimeter of our land - just trying to give our property better footing conditions for our 25 sheep. The rams were introduced a few weeks ago so we know we only have about 4 months before things get overcrowded there! Acquiring additional land is definitely at the top of our needs list so we would appreciate your prayers for discernment as we are growing. Land is difficult to locate but we have been introduced to a very large piece, which is available for purchase near a main road with piped-in water. We are prayerful this land will be available when we are ready to purchase a larger area for our flock.  Our new training center and office will still be built on our existing property.

Wednesday we were able to make it to the office in time to share in the ladies' daily worship which begins at 7:45 am - each and every morning. This was definitely a high point in our week. To see these ladies on their knees before God, thanking him for the great things he has done here is the greatest blessing of all. Nothing else comes close.

We have been working side by side with the ladies at our rented office in Musanze. We are focusing on producing a really high quality yarn for our partners at KidKnits. At the present time we cannot produce yarn in the quantities that is already in very high demand! Our team worked on preparing the raw wool for spinning so the ladies could make a lot of progress in production. It was so sweet spending time with them and experiencing first hand how meticulous they have become about their work. They take so much pride in this work and they are growing more confident every time I see them.

Today we returned to the office and the women were bringing in loads and loads of Coreopsis petals they had collected for organically dyeing the yarn. The team was so intrigued as they watched the last step in this very tedious process - truly beautiful.

We have been so blessed to have been in community with these precious ladies this week. Tomorrow begins a holiday weekend here in Rwanda so the ladies will be off for a couple of days. We plan to visit a nearby tea plantation tomorrow and be back at the property to do some more rock hauling on Saturday.

We are thrilled that our worship leader, Mary Claire LeDoux finally made it to Rwanda tonight! It's going to be a great weekend!

The team sends their love and prayers! Everyone is doing great and really absorbing every precious second with these ladies they have very quickly come to love. Thank you so much for your continued prayers for True Vineyard and this team.

In His Grip,

Diana

Welcome to Musanze!

The team is in Musanze where they met our ladies today! Of course it was a celebration like no other as they sang and danced. Our office gate was strewn with flowers and banana tree leaves - it was really special!

Late this afternoon visited our land, where our merino flock and the children of Susa Village greeted us. We analyzed the property and determined that we will begin moving volcanic rocks to the perimeter of our boundaries in the morning.

The photo above is from last night's dinner at our friend Jock's house. Jock is the coach of the national cycling team, otherwise known as Team Rwanda. It was so nice to roll into town and have been invited for dinner. The team could not get over the fact that he has 1,000's of avocados in the trees in his back yard...and yes, we are planning a big guacamole fest soon!

Please continue to pray for this team and for discernment in TVM's next steps here.

In His service,

Diana

First team arrived safe and sound! It's about 9:30 PM now and everyone is going to bed! Stay tuned for some blessings! Continued prayers appreciated!

Love,
Diana