When I returned from Africa last year, I was left with one compelling thought:

To heal the wounds of poverty and injustice in Africa and move forward, we simply need to help build tomorrow’s African leaders.  Africa doesn’t need more things.  She has the solutions to her own problems sitting at desks at secondary schools across the continent. 

I knew this was the work I wanted to invest in and shortly after leaving AOET, I started watching These Numbers Have Faces.  TNHF is a small nonprofit started in 2008 with the goal of helping young adults become the change makers in their communities.  They started in South Africa but are now in Rwanda, Uganda and hoping to expand.  The model not only addresses the financial gap that prevents students from getting to college but also has a holistic curriculum that includes discipleship, financial management, entrepreneurship and leadership training. Students also commit to community service hours and learn the joy of helping others from their own experiences.   The model is really strong!

A few months ago, I connected with Shoshon Tama-Sweet, the Global Programs Director and he mentioned the idea of sending of me to Africa to support the staff, grow partnerships and gather stories from the students.  I remember, he casually mentioned the possibility—I assume to get my reaction—and I was stunned by the idea.  Here was an organization that I really believed in and they wanted to send me to Africa to help build the capacity of the work?!  Sign me up!

Well, a couple months and lots of prayer later, the funding came through and I booked tickets to depart 2 weeks later.  Many of you haven’t even heard me talk about this at all and here I sit in Kigali.  I’m sorry if I didn’t have time to keep you all in the loop and I hope you will forgive me. Once I got confirmation and we got tickets, I was in preparation mode and had some tunnel vision.  I will be here for 7 weeks—about 5 in Rwanda and 2 in Uganda.   I will arrive home just before Christmas!

I will definitely be updating the blog as I go along.  Stay tuned and I value any prayers you can send my way.

Specifically please pray for:

• 
• A quick connection and rapport with my counterparts in Rwanda and Uganda.
• For ears to listen and consider points of view that are not my own.
• That I am able to build on existing healthy  elationships and grow new relationships throughout both countries.
• For too much joy!