What April Means to Us

As we find ourselves at the end of April 2012, we at TVM hold in our hearts the nearly one million Rwandans who were slaughtered 18 years ago beginning on that horrific day on April 6, 1994. The entire country observes April as the month of mourning, recalling the overbearing grief that still visits the country most heavily every April.

In spite of the pain that still lingers in the hearts of most Rwandans, we move forward with hope towards a united and peaceful Rwanda. It is already happening. We see reconciliation happening through the relationships between the women at True Vineyard Ministries. Our 28 women are made up of the three Rwandan tribal groups: Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa (a small minority in Rwanda). We are overjoyed to watch them operate in peace, love, and fellowship with one another.

Through their friendship and teamwork in their fight against poverty, the widows at True Vineyard Ministries partake in something bigger than themselves. They are taking part in rebuilding Rwanda.

To learn more about the genocide and rebuilding of Rwanda, visit our About Rwanda page here

March Mission Team Returned!

The March mission team returned from Rwanda just a couple weeks ago, and it was a fantastic trip! The small mission team of fence builders worked long, hard days to build a sturdy and safe chain link fence for our sheep to graze on a larger piece of land. This land is necessary for the health of the sheep offers them more space for the merino sheep to multiply!

Steve, Jeff, Chas, Jill, and Diana worked alongside 30-40 Rwandan construction workers each day. Our team provided the oversight and vision for the fence, but all of them - the Americans and the Rwandans together - were working long, hard days. Every time a construction teams comes to Rwanda, it is an incredible chance to employ eager and able Rwandan construction workers so they can take home above-average wages. It is also a wonderful chance for the mission team to connect with local Rwandans and share life with them for a period of time. This provides the entire team with a beautiful vision of what God is doing through True Vineyard Ministries: catalyzing transformation through work-based solutions to poverty.

At the end of the work days, everyone went to bed exhausted, but content. This is because building a fence for our merino sheep is another stake in the ground proclaiming the enduring impact of what True Vineyard Ministries is doing in Rwanda. Keeping our sheep healthy and safe is one link in the chain of transformational livelihood that is being developed in Musanze, Rwanda. The work that is provided to the shepherds, the widows, and our Rwandan managers through Handspun Hope is life-giving, purposeful, and a small piece of the puzzle that is moving Rwandans out of poverty and into empowerment.