Chasing the Rats Away...

I have a Rwandan friend who moved to a new house last week. He invited me to come over on Friday evening to "chase the rats away" from this new house. "What??!!" I asked him...thinking that I must have misunderstood, or that he had become confused with his English.

"I want to invite you to come on Friday to chase the rats from my house," he repeated. As I often do with my good friends in Rwanda I had to ask exactly what that meant. It turns out it is a housewarming party. The guests come to enjoy food and drink with the host. They bring gifts to welcome the host into their new house. It makes the house a home...one that is free from rats.

I personally think housewarming sounds...uhm....warmer. And rat chasing sounds.....uhm....creepier. However, the general concept is the same and I was happy to have been invited to help make this house a home for my friend. 

I enjoyed the small gathering of friends in a living room about half the size of the area rug in my living room. My friend had even bought bottled water for me since I have cut back on the Cokes. (In Rwanda it is rude to offer guests water to drink, so this was definitely him being thoughtful and a good host to the American.) His house consists of a living room and the bedroom. The bedroom is about the size of the mattress he sleeps on. His floor is concrete. He is thrilled to be there because it is twice as big as his previous home. I. Am. Blessed.

I shared this because it is a great reminder to be thankful for whatever God has provided. It is true that I found "rat chasing" humorous, but I also think it shows the common human element. The desire for our house to be a home. The desire for our home to be free of disease, pests, germs, evil and rats. This holiday season fill your home with joy, laughter, friends and loved ones. Pray together and invite the Spirit of our God into your home. Pray for protection from Satan's schemes and that evil will not enter your home.

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas...and may your homes be free of rats.

Peace,

Brett 

The 12-12-12 Plan

Hello friends and family. We continue to be blessed by God in our work here in Rwanda. Since returning from furlough in July we have been in the midst of some challenges that are stretching us and growing our faith. However, we continue to see the fruits of our labor and are humbled by the way God us using us here in Rwanda.

The spiritual battles we have experienced in Rwanda and on the mission field are intense and it is so good to know that God has already secured the final victory. We thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue to take our cause before the Father whenever we come to mind.

The 12-12-12 plan is an idea we had to help secure the funding we need for the upcoming year. We would like to ask that you pray about and consider becoming a financial partner in our work. Without people like you we could not be in Rwanda doing Kingdom work!

Next year is 2012. There are 12 months in a year. (There were also twelve tribes of Israel and twelve apostles...just sayin'...) We are asking that you become a partner for 2012 in the amount of $120, $1,200 or even $12,000...that would equal $10, $100 or $1,000 a month. That is the 12-12-12 plan.

If you would like to do the 12-12-12 plan (or give another amount per month or as a special gift) then you can go to ROC Partners and click "Donate to the Shrecks" to schedule credit card or checking account partnerships.


To donate by mail write a check to ROC Partners with "Shreck" in the memo and mail to:


ROC Partners           
Attn: Jeanise Morton           
3007 NW 63rd, Ste 205           
Oklahoma City, OK 73116


Thank you, again, for your love, support, friendship and prayers.


Peace,
Brett, Keli, Kassidy, Natalie, Benjamin and Nicholas

The Old and the New

This picture is of my sons after returning from a walk with their mother. The boys love to take some Rwandan Francs with them on walks through the neighborhood...in hope of coming across the "pineapple lady". The pineapple lady is often found hanging out with the advocado or banana ladies. These women carry baskets of fruit on their heads and walk through the neighborhood selling the fruit. It is still common in Rwanda to see people carrying things on their heads, so the boys like to do the same on occasion. 

The main road you drive on to get to our neighborhood is paved, but all the residential streets are dirt roads. With the hills and rainy season it makes for some interesting terrain when you take a walk. Besides looking for fruit to buy the boys also like to track the cow herds by their droppings or hoof marks. They look for goat herds the same way. If they can't find goats it is no problem...the grocery store owner a couple of blocks from our house keeps goats in the back and he is happy to bring them to the front so the boys can see them. It is not uncommon to see chickens in the road.

The amazing thing about Kigali is that it is urban Africa and a quickly developing city, yet many neighborhoods still have a rural feel to them. It is not uncommon to see a boy who is herding cows or goats pull out a cell phone and talk while he keeps the animals in line with his staff. You might see a business man wearing a suit walking to a location to catch a moto (motorcycle taxi) with a briefcase on his head instead of in his hand. The mix of old and new, traditional and modern are a common part of our life in Kigali.

I have been talking to a young women this week about baptism and I keep thinking about this concept of old and new. While in a culture we often value the old and traditional while encouraging progress and modernization it is not the case in our spiritual life. When we give up our old self and become a new person in Christ we should leave behind some things. We can't hold onto the parts of our old self that don't fit with our new self even if they feel comfortable. We often do this out of desire or maybe just habit. It might be too hard for us to give up things that should have been left behind, but Jesus has promised us that through him all things are possible.

I am thanful that in our families and cultures we have some traditions that are "old school" and I think some traditions in our faith and churches are healthy too. However, sin in our life is something we can't hold onto. Be encouraged by the words of Jesus and pray for God to show you the old things in your new self that need to go away.

Peace,

Brett

Donations to the Shreck's work in Rwanda can be made at ROC Partners.

Walls Coming Down

My family and I have been back in Rwanda for six weeks now. Our furlough in the U.S.A. was a good time to reconnect with family and friends, spend time with our church family at Quail and to take a break from living in another culture. While we love the beautiful country of Rwanda and her people it was nice to be able to relax and blend into our "home" culture for a few months. I had the opportunity to share in Bible classes, small groups, over lunches and from the pulpit what an amazing work God is doing here in Rwanda. One of the most difficult things about speaking about all the huge things God has allowed us to be a part of here in Rwanda is that I could speak for hours about the topic if anyone was willing to listen for that long!

One week after returning to Rwanda we had Kid's Fun Camp at Christ's Church Rwanda (CCR). Our theme this year was Joshua and the verse was, Choose today whom you will serve. (Joshua 24:15) I must admit that Keli and I were in that foggy jet lagged state of mind as we did the final preparations and kept wondering why we had done this to ourselves. However, we had lots of fun and the three days went great. The children from CCR can still be heard singing the songs from that week. If nothing else we planted more faith in their hearts and that is always worth the time and effort! What a blessing to hear over 40 children shout "GOD!" in response to the question, "Who are you going to serve?"

Become a Monthly Partner or Make a One Time Gift Online!

You can now give a one time gift or become a monthly partner at ROC Partners. Please consider partnering with our family in the work we do in Rwanda. We are needing another $1,200 in monthly support and an additional $11,000 in one time gifts for the year. Please feel free to email Brett if you have any other questions about our work in Rwanda.

Peace,
Brett

Happy 4th of July

Just wanted to wish all of our Rwandan friends a Happy Liberation Day and all of our American friends a Happy Independence Day! We celebrated by going to the Edmond Parade, followed by a lunch of fried chicken and then off to the southside of OKC for a cook out. Yes...Americans like their food! If the weather cooperates we will enjoy fireworks back in Edmond later tonight.

As I reflect on these important days for these two nations that I love I am grateful to God that I was born an American and am currently living in Rwanda. God bless both these nations! Have a great 4th of July!

Peace,
Brett 

A Future...

What does the future look like for the children in your life? Are their basic needs met? Are they able to get an education? Do they feel safe and secure?

As the country I live in enters this month of remembrance I am struck by what the children of this nation (and those who loved them) must have gone through during the genocide of 1994. This Thursday, April 7th, marks the beginning of a week of mourning and remembrance for what was lost in 1994...the innocence of children, the life of family members and friends and for some even the land they called home.

Before I came to Rwanda I was horrified by the images and thoughts of the genocide. I watched Hotel Rwanda and wondered how this could happen. How could a group of men become so full of hate towards another group? How does one's mind become so poisoned that the value of life is lost? How do you kill your neighbor...your countryman...your friend?

Now I live in the beautiful green hills of Rwanda and I have two sons who are Rwandan by birth. I am proud to call many Rwandans neighbor, friend and even brother. Now I am moved in a different way as I actually see the pain and grief on the face of survivors who are also friends. As I hear the stories first hand it becomes more real. Stories of how families left all their possessions and fled to the borders. Stories of young boys running to the toilet when they first heard the sounds of war. Stories of hearing or even watching a loved one being killed. Stories of hiding and running for days, weeks or months. These are stories that most Americans have only read in books or seen in movies. For Rwandans these stories are their history...their life...their story.  

What does one do with the thoughts and emotions that come during April while living in Rwanda? While the pain is felt and the tears are real there is also a sense of hope that comes with this time. Hope that is offered by the healing so many Rwandans have experienced through the power of forgiveness. A hope that the present is a new dawn and the future seems even brighter. Hope given by young men and women who aspire to further their education at a university. Hope provided by Rwandans removed from this country...at times for generations...who are returning to help build this nation.

Rwanda has made great strides over the last 17 years. The focus on infrastructure, education and building an entrepreneurial middle class will help many come out of poverty. The focus on unity and forgiveness allows God to heal the people. I pray that just as the sun rises over these hills each day that the joy of the Holy Spirit is also rising across this land. I hope that just as the heavy rains fall during this season that the Spirit of the Lord is pouring down upon the people. As we minister and disciple government officials, teachers, business owners and students we see what a huge impact godly thought leaders can have on this country.  

What does the future look like for the children of Rwanda? It has improved drastically over 17 years ago, but there is still much to accomplish. That is why it is imperative that this country have leaders who are followers of Christ. As the hands and feet of Christ these leaders in government, business and education can make sure the basic needs of children are met. They can help them to become educated. They can keep them safe and secure.They can give them the only true hope for mankind...Jesus!

With Christ the future is always bright and I thank God for the opportunity to be a part of his kingdom in Rwanda. Please join me in prayer this month for the people and nation of Rwanda. Pray for comfort in their sorrow. Pray for hope and a better future. Pray for continued peace. Pray that the people of Rwanda turn to God in a way never seen before in this nation.

If you would like to partner with my family and the ministry we do in Rwanda all donations are tax deductible and checks can be sent with Shreck in the memo to:

ROC Partners
Attn: Jeanise Morton
3007 NW 63rd St, Ste 205
Oklahoma City, OK 73116


 If you would prefer to do a monthly automatic withdrawal or credit card gift please contact me at brettshreck@gmail.com for details.
 
Peace,
Brett