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A Special Day For Mothers
You won't want to miss this fantastic chance to shop our new product line! Shop for Mom. Help a Mom. Shop for Good! (Double click on image below to enlarge)
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.
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.
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.
March Mission Team Arrived!
Greetings to our True Vineyard Family!
Just a note to say that the mission team arrived in Rwanda safely. Apparently, they hit the ground running! There's a lot to do in a short period of time.
For those of you who haven't yet heard, TVM acquired a stunning and spacious piece of land to lease close to our office ( and to the famous Volcanoes National Park!) for our merino sheep to safely graze and multiply. This land is almost ready to go, but a secure fence is necessary before the sheep can move onto their new home!
Typically, livestock fencing in Rwanda consists of low-to-the-ground rock walls. However, since we have one of the purest flocks of merino sheep in Rwanda, we need to keep our valuable sheep safe from natural predators or theft. This is why TVM is bringing a small group of incredible people to erect a secure chain link fence around our leased property. Typically, our mission team members work alongside Rwandans on construction projects. We purchase as many materials as possible locally, in order to support local Rwandan construction organizations and small businesses. Every time a construction project occurs in Rwanda, it means a large cohort of ready and able Rwandans have an opportunity to work and bring home well earned pay from their long day of construction or sales.
Please pray for Diana, Jill, Steve, Jeff, and Chas as they work hard to serve TVM and the people of Rwanda.
Today, everyone is going to meet all the wonderful women of TVM - all 28 of them if you can believe it! They are in for a joyful celebration!
We will keep you posted and hopefully the mission team will soon be sharing photos of their work.
Just a note to say that the mission team arrived in Rwanda safely. Apparently, they hit the ground running! There's a lot to do in a short period of time.
For those of you who haven't yet heard, TVM acquired a stunning and spacious piece of land to lease close to our office ( and to the famous Volcanoes National Park!) for our merino sheep to safely graze and multiply. This land is almost ready to go, but a secure fence is necessary before the sheep can move onto their new home!
Typically, livestock fencing in Rwanda consists of low-to-the-ground rock walls. However, since we have one of the purest flocks of merino sheep in Rwanda, we need to keep our valuable sheep safe from natural predators or theft. This is why TVM is bringing a small group of incredible people to erect a secure chain link fence around our leased property. Typically, our mission team members work alongside Rwandans on construction projects. We purchase as many materials as possible locally, in order to support local Rwandan construction organizations and small businesses. Every time a construction project occurs in Rwanda, it means a large cohort of ready and able Rwandans have an opportunity to work and bring home well earned pay from their long day of construction or sales.
Please pray for Diana, Jill, Steve, Jeff, and Chas as they work hard to serve TVM and the people of Rwanda.
Today, everyone is going to meet all the wonderful women of TVM - all 28 of them if you can believe it! They are in for a joyful celebration!
We will keep you posted and hopefully the mission team will soon be sharing photos of their work.
Save the Date ~ Our Springtime Trunk Show!
Come and Celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of The Vineyard Marketplace!
Ring in the first days of spring by attending our 5th Annual Springtime Trunk show and celebrating our 3rd year at our storefront in downtown San Marcos!
Monday evening, March 19th from 5:30 – 8 p.m. at The Vineyard Marketplace
317 W. San Antonio Street in San Marcos
Highlights of the evening will include:
A FANTASTIC live African drumming performance performed by our partners ComeDrumForFun! Visit their website at http://www.comedrumforfun.com/
A sampling of complimentary appetizers from The Stone Coffee and Juice Bar
Our new fine jewelry collection from Madagascar and Mozambique
And of course, all of our new fair-trade merchandise just in time for spring!
Monday evening, March 19th from 5:30 – 8 p.m. at The Vineyard Marketplace
317 W. San Antonio Street in San Marcos
Highlights of the evening will include:
A FANTASTIC live African drumming performance performed by our partners ComeDrumForFun! Visit their website at http://www.comedrumforfun.com/
A sampling of complimentary appetizers from The Stone Coffee and Juice Bar
Our new fine jewelry collection from Madagascar and Mozambique
And of course, all of our new fair-trade merchandise just in time for spring!
This will be an evening you won’t want to miss! Come and support True Vineyard Ministries NEXT Monday evening!
Holistic Model of Care, Part 1
Over the next few weeks, True Vineyard Ministries will be sharing a mini blog series providing a close-up view of how we promote a holistic model of care with our work in Rwanda.
To date, True Vineyard Ministries employs 27 Rwandan widows in Northern Rwanda. True Vineyard Ministries desires to equip the widows to be responsible with their financial earnings and be active participants in Rwanda’s economy. Last week, a Banker with Rwanda’s Umurenge Bank came to the TVM office and spent time with the ladies and each woman opened her own bank account. Every single woman is receiving social security and each woman is now set to plan for retirement. The women are prepared with greater financial viability for loan options and opportunities for future investment.
True Vineyard Ministries believes that access to capital is a crucial step forward for an impoverished individual to break free from poverty forever. Each widow is taking ownership and responsibility for her finances that allows her to care for herself and her entire family. As a result, she becomes an empowered decision-maker and a community leader in the fight against poverty.
True Vineyard Ministries is passionate about holistic transformation in the lives of Rwanda’s most vulnerable. We believe that freedom from physical poverty is an essential first step in the encompassing work God is doing in the lives of the poor. When people have food in their stomachs, warm clothes and safe shelter, they have greater capacity to partake in the deeper transformation work God is doing inside of them.
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