We received some urgent and very exciting news from Rwanda this past week. Eric Irivuzumugabe, author of "My Father Maker of the Trees," phoned me to inform us that the Rwandan government has requested that our annual conference for orphans goes national. Every year since 2005, Humura Ministries and Shouts of Joy Ministries have teamed up to host conferences for the orphans of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide. The past conferences have been quite successful in organizing the displaced kids, teaching them about handling their post traumatic stress symptoms, sharing the Gospel, and stitching them into a community of loving Christian brothers and sisters. This work is so fundamentally important in Rwanda and the surrounding area. These young people were stripped of everything in the 1994 genocide. Their lives have become unbelievably difficult in its aftermath. The ability to forgive and heal is paramount to stopping the cycle of violence and we have been offered an opportunity to share the grace and love of Jesus Christ on a National level. Eric is expecting over 5,000 orphans if the money comes in for traveling expenses and food for the kids who will attend from all over the nation.

The Rwandan Ministry of Sports and Culture has offered the Amahoro small stadium for the event. Many dignitaries and officials will be in attendance. They have asked Eric to launch his book during this time as well. He is planning to share his testimony and to introduce "My Father Maker of the Trees" which has a very strong salvation message of hope and forgiveness in its content. This is a significant opportunity for both of our ministries.

For some time now I have been feeling the prompting of the Lord to return to Rwanda for the event. We need to take care of a number of issues regarding moving Shouts of Joy Ministries forward on the ground in Rwanda as well. We have long term goals of opening a coffee washing station and living there with our family for an extended period of time. So we have many things to accomplish in preparation while we are there. After hearing from Eric last week we have been praying about the need to go for the event and including in the trip what we were hoping to accomplish later this year regarding laying the groundwork for our move. To be able to attend the conference and assist in that day we will need to raise $10,000 in the next two weeks.

Please take a moment and ask the Lord if He is prompting you to give. This is a strategic opportunity with endless benefits to promoting the Gospel through Rwanda and Africa. Your giving will be an enormous assistance to the work there. Donations are tax deductible and can be made by sending a check to P.O. Box 41, Little Chute, WI 54140 or going to www.shoutsofjoyministries.com/contributions.shtml and making a secure deposit through PayPal.