Reason For Living
Jerry’s 2nd Trip Blog from Rwanda
Philipe and Betty enjoy the safe water at one of the 12 new access points
Venuste wrestled with an inward turmoil. As a child, he watched and heard the screams as some of his family members were slaughtered and then ran for his life. These killers were not foreign mercenaries but his neighbors. He had been in their homes, played with their kids, and some of them had eaten together. All of this took place in Karama. And in 2017 Venuste felt The Lord was calling him back to his home. He said, “This is my Goliath.” Venuste was fully convinced that Farming God’s Way was the answer to prevent another genocide. He had to go train in his home village. Thanks to your investment in purchasing a motorbike, that year, the training began.
We arrived in the Karama just in time to witness the grand opening of a new safe water project. The entire village showed up, including some political officials hoping to look good before the July elections. This community, which had no safe water access, now has 12 new taps spread throughout its hillside. We heard from some of these villagers; many didn’t believe it was possible.
Philipe and Betty are two farmers I’ve reported on before. They were trained by Anaclet, who was trained by Donat, who was trained by Venuste. Philipe and Betty’s son, Gedeo (the young man who taught 49 of his schoolmates FGW), represents the 5th generation, and his classmates the 6th. Those kids are now contributing to their school fees.
Philipe and Betty testified at the opening ceremony. They said, “We used to struggle for food and clothes. Our children were constantly hungry, but then we started Farming God’s Way. With FGW, the foundation is food, then money. Now, we are transformed. Once our family was good, we were able to think about our community. Once we helped the community, the government took notice. Then, they asked us to help our country by planting tree tomato seedlings to be distributed to farmers nationwide. Then we focused on clean water.” Betty concluded by saying, “Where the blood of our relatives flowed, the survivors have gone back, and now water flows.”
The name of this FGW team in Karama is “Reason for Living?” It is based on 2 Corinthians 5: 14-15, which says, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Venuste said we are to “be a light and glorify God. Jesus is our reason for living.”
This chain reaction started with Venuste obeying The Lord’s call to face his giant. Now, Goliath has fallen, and the kingdom of God is shining bright. What began as raising funds for a motorbike to help Venuste and Peter go and train their hometown has brought a village-wide transformation.
Thank you for your investment to help poor farmers not only change their lives but also their communities.
Next, we head to Eastern Rwanda to visit “The French Beans Millionaire” and see what Peter has been up to. See you there.
Grace and Peace,
Jerry Jefferson
Director, Farming God’s Way
These boys will not have to suffer the same way their parents did.
This decoration was thoughtful.
The community gathering.
Venustes’ wife Edujie who runs the Dorcas Sewing Ministry.
The Dorcas sewing program runs for six-month cycles and has graduated three classes of teenage mothers. One has even bought her own machine and is training another teen mom.
Meet my friend and brother, Venuste.
