Remember Rwanda


Last Saturday, April 6th marked the 19th anniversary of the beginning of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide when the president’s plane was shot down over the capital Kigali. The week that follows is dedicated as the week of mourning. Shops are closed as villages mourn with candle-lit vigils and commemorative ceremonies. Continuing for 100 days there will be no celebrations or parties of any kind until their Liberation Day, July 4th, which marks the end of the genocide.

This time of the year has proven to be a very difficult time for our ladies. The time of mourning can also evoke trauma and pain in their lives. They, along with other Rwandans, are reminded of the horrible things that occurred and relive the tragedies of pain and loss that occurred 19 years ago. For many, it affects their work and is immobilizing.

What made the genocide so devastating was the lack of outside help for the ongoing massacre that plagued the Rwandan countryside. I was reminded of the devastation as I watched the Frontline documentary, Ghosts of Rwanda. The wake of the genocide waded to the ends of the earth. Everyone felt its impact. Those that were closest to the crisis felt the pain and those who turned their heads against it felt the guilt. No one was untouched by its chaos.

Now 19 years later, the genocide remains to be an ever-present reality for many Rwandans while for us on the other side of the world this genocide is nothing but history. It is easy to close your eyes to something you can’t see, but that does not mean that it is not there. I challenge you to make yourself aware to the suffering of our brother and sisters in Rwanda. Let’s not ignore their need again, but rather come to their aid.  Join us in praying for peace in their villages and in their hearts, especially for our 35 widows and their families.

Another way to offer up encouragement and support during this difficult time is to sponsor one of our 35 widows. Sponsoring is more than just assisting her with her salary, but it is affirming her work, valuing her as an individual and walking through life with her. What better way to lay a healing touch to the genocide’s aftermath—commit and invest in her future! A $35 monthly contribution allows a widow to work in a holistic environment that provides her with spiritual and emotional support, health insurance, group and one-on-one therapy, and a steady salary.

 Visit http://www.truevineyard.org/our-widows to read more about the women we serve in Rwanda. Let us not forget the tragedy that affected so many Rwandans in this season by praying and loving them fervently! 

Come celebrate with us!

We can't believe it! Four years at The Vineyard Marketplace!

 Please come to our 5th Annual Springtime Trunk Show, benefiting True Vineyard Ministries!

 This show will feature our new jewelry line from Raven + Lily.  This beautiful collection is made by women with HIV in Ethiopia from melted bullet casings and vintage coins. We will also feature Sseko sandals, made by young Ugandan women who are raising funds to further their education. If you can't join us please consider shopping our online Marketplace!

 But if you come...enjoy complimentary appetizers prepared by Chef Marcien Rusuriye of Burundi while you Shop For Good! Chef Marcien cooked for eight US ambassadors and has prepared meals for two US Presidents...and tonight he's cooking for us!


We hope to see you at The Vineyard Marketplace tonight from 5:00-8:30!

317 W. San Antonio St.
San Marcos, TX 78666

512-392-8463


Carl Wilkens


Early on the evening of April 6, 1994 Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira died when a missile shot down their airplane in Kigali, Rwanda in what was determined to be the pretext of The Rwandan Genocide. Over the course of the next 100 days almost one million people lost their lives to a machete in one of the worst humanitarian crisis of our lifetime.

Carl Wilkens was the only American to stay in Rwanda during those 100 days. With chaos and terror exploding outside his door, he was terrified, but he says he told God if he died, he would trust him.  “That’s when I felt freed from fear, “ he says.

Carl’s telling of his own experiences in Rwanda puts a human face on genocide, showing us that the perpetrators, victims and resistors will not soon be forgotten.  He is a internationally-recognized expert and activist believing strongly that popular groundswells for change are born when individuals look outside of themselves and reach out to one another. “We need to live for each other," Carl has said.

April 6, 2013, on the 19th anniversary of The Rwandan Genocide, please join the San Marcos Seventh-day Adventist Church to hear Mr. Wilken’s along with True Vineyard Ministries’ Executive Director, Diana Wiley, for an open forum.  The forum discussion will be held at 10:00 am, followed by a formal presentation by Mr. Wilkens at 11:00 am.

San Marcos Seventh-day Adventist Church
1523 Old Ranch Road 12
San Marcos, Texas 78666