This mission trip to Rwanda being my third and considering I’m only 15, I expected to be fearful in some sort of way; I have been on my past trips. Last year I went without my family and I was overcome by fear. God really taught me last year that I need to give that fear to Him and not let it overcome my life. I gave it to him 100 percent and it changed my whole experience. I can honestly say I had NO fear during this trip. One moment stands out as a shining example of this to me:  when we took two of our sponsored children (Yvette and Jean Peter who are in the Asante Children’s Choir) to visit their families. These children are beautiful, healthy, educated and even know how to speak English. When I saw them next to their friends who were wearing rags, and no shoes it just hit me that if these kids would have let fear overcome them they wouldn’t have auditioned for the choir and wouldn’t be who they are today. I remember we were sitting in Yvette’s home and we were using a translator, but as soon as the translator started talking Yvette’s grandmother said no, I want Yvette to translate. It just hit my heart that these kids now have a future and hope and God brought me to Africa for this moment, and if I would have been too full of fear to leave my comfort and scheduled life I would not have been standing in this little girls home overcome with the Holy Spirit; a moment that changed me forever. I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. Because of it, today, I am different inside.

Emma Stephens

I am literally having the best time here in Africa!  I am loving the freedom of someone else scheduling my day and showing me new things.  We are back in Kigali (from a short trip to Burundi & Butare) and resting up to go out tomorrow and help out on the construction of a house for the grandmother of a sponsored child in the AMA program (she is also an Asante choir member).  I am really looking forward to the weekend though…it is when I will get to go and visit Charlotte at her home.  Charlotte is one of my family’s sponsored children.  I was able to meet with Steven (our other sponsor child) and his family last week, but due to time we weren’t able to fit in my visit with Charlotte.  Luckily, she found me when we stopped by the school (Hilltop Academy).  Imagine that…she was looking for me!  She had heard that I was coming to Kigali to visit with her, so she asked one of the teachers to help her find me…and she did.  I can’t wait to show up at her house and be able to sit and visit with her and her family (she has 2 brothers that live with her and her mother).  It is amazing to see and touch a face that has been hanging on our refrigerator for the past 6 months.  It makes it so real!  I am so thankful for this opportunity to get to know this country better and to get to know the people as well…it is a remarkable country!!!

Amy Stoddard