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Sunday, February 13, 2011

Pat Donahue and Family to Damange Chantal

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Pat
Date: Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 6:45 AM

Hi Steven,
I hope you are doing well.  The children are excited about the Skype calls here at 15th Street meeting.
It was good to receive the letter today that your wife gave me from Damange Chantal, who responded to my note.  Is this the best way to send a letter to her? There was no address or email listed on the letter, so if you can, please give this to her.

-- 
Dear Damange Chantal and family,
Thank you for your letter and the beautiful picture of you and your children. Congratulations on your new baby boy, Iranzi Elisa! your other son looks like a fine young man also. My son is 9 years old and is named Daniel. He enjoys sports, especially baseball and soccer.  I work as an administrator in a large hospital and my husband is a writer.
 
I hope you and your sons are well.
Your friend from 15th Street Meeting in New York,
Pat

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My dear friend living in America.

I wish you peace in Jesus Christ.  I just gave birth, and am now in the hospital.  But, God gave my child life - he is a boy.
So please pray for me.  

Gisenyi Friends Church
Wishing you peace,
Your friends,
Domange Chantal
P.S. The child is named Iranzi Elisa!!
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Damange Chantal replies to Pat Donahue

Dear Pat,

Damange Chantal here at Friends Church of Gisenyi received your card and wrote back.  Damange is the new mother seated in the attached picture.  Please also find attached a copy of her letter.  Domage is particularly amazing - she found the time to write the letter the same day she gave birth: Wednesday Jan 26! 

Also, would you mind if I post the letter to a blog - QuakersAcrossBorders.blogspot.com

Sincerely,

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My dear friend living in America.

I wish you peace in Jesus Christ.  I just gave birth, and am now in the hospital.  But, God gave my child life - he is a boy.
So please pray for me.  

Gisenyi Friends Church
Wishing you peace,
Your friends,
Domange Chantal
P.S. The child is named Iranzi Elisa!!
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Letter from Gisenyi - Jean-Baptiste Twagira

(my email:  j.btwagis@yahoo.fr)

I am very happy to be directly faced with someone from another part of the world entirely.  America is very far from us, but let us live together in Jesus Christ.

I am very proud of you, and of all the community.

May God bless you, my sincere thanks.

Jean-Baptiste Twagira

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Note: Jean Baptiste is the "dirigeant" of the church, meaning he does a lot of the direct management work, working with the church inventory etc.  He also plays keyboard during the services.  I tried out the keyboard, about a quarter of the keys only work half the time.  The keyboard got referenced a few times in a recent church fundraising meeting.  

Jean-Baptiste speaks very good French, and runs a refrigerated storage facility across the border in Goma along with Fabrice, another member of this church. 

Letter from Gisenyi - Elitien Mutuyimana responds to "a child named Tennille"

My dear in Christ Jesus' name,

I am very well.  I am studying in the third grade in elementary school (third form in primary).  But, life is also not going very well because the life of an African is difficult.

May God bless you,
Mutuyimana Elitien
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Note: Elitien is the third grade-looking boy in the picture.  Elitien just got a new baby brother!  His father is Etienne Harerimana and his mother is Damange Chantal.

Letter from Gisenyi - Alphonsine Niyongize

I greet you in the name of our King, Jesus Christ - how are you?

My name is Alphonsine Niyongize.

I love you very much!!  I am from the Friends Monthly Meeting of Gisenyi.
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Note: Alphonsine is on the right in the picture.

Letter from Gisenyi - Domitira Uwamariya

I greet you warmly!  How are you?

We love you very much!  My name is Domitira Uwamariya.

From the Friends Monthly Meeting in Gisenyi
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Note: Domitira is on the right in the picture

Letter from Gisenyi - Anastasie Nzwanimana

How are you?  I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ.

My name is Anastasie Nzwanimana.  I am from Friends Monthly Meeting of Gisenyi.
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Note: Anastasie is on the left in the picture.

Letter from Gisenyi - Pascal Mugisha

I begin by greeting you.

I pray that you will have blessings and good fortune in your life.  My name is Pascal Mugisha.

From Friends Monthly Meeting in Gisenyi.

Thank you,
-Pascal
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Note: Pascal is on the left in the picture.

Letter from Gisenyi - Védaste Ndisetse

I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, our king.  How are you?  My name is Védaste Ndisetse.

I am from Friends Monthly Meeting of Gisenyi.

We love you very much!  Thank you.

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Note from Steven:  Védaste is very friendly - I will meet with him this Thursday to review remaining construction works on the Gisenyi Friends Church - he was the main foreman for much of the construction that was done on the Peace Center over the last few years.

Letter from Gisenyi - Yvette Niwewanjye

Hello,

My name is Yvette Niwewanjye.  I love you very much!  I am from the Friends Monthly Meeting of Gisenyi.  

I am very happy that you sent Steven to stay with us.

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Note: Yvette is on the left in the picture.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Outreach Concepts for the Congolese Quaker Youth Group

The following is the unedited text of Aime's original January 16 brainstorm with his Congolese Quaker Youth Group:

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Club des Jeunes pour Echange Congolo-Americain

I. Motivation
Vu, le frein qui a anticipé le pays de la RDC càd le développement nétant qu'un mythe, le jeune Quaker Congloais; pour sortir de ce fléau; a besoin d'un certain échange voire même une Coopération entre les jeunes de différents coins du monde pour développer l'ideal, initier ses projets ainsi que les initiatives.
Il est évident de rester branché voire même Connecté à un monde extérieur pour bénéficier des expériences qui ne peut se faire qu'à travers une entraide mutuelle car le soutien d'une telle ou telle autre idée ne peut venir qu'après expression des sentiments de l'une ou l'autre partie, sur une situation malheureuse ou mettant en danger la vie sociale en commun.
Dans ce même de développement tant social, culturel qu'economique; le présent club s'acharne à lutter contre l'analphabétisme en y attribuant une éducation ou sens de restaurer les aptitudes scientifiques, mais aussi d'initier les jeunes à la technologie moderne qui s'effectuerait à l'aide de travaux manuels, à l'aide de l'artisanat.
Etant donné que le leadership africain en géneral, le leadership de la sous région des Grands Lacs en particulier; est emboiteux; L'on soutient que des méchanismes soient prévus pour porter des solutions à cela, car le développement est remise en cause, c'est suite au manque de volonté politique. Tout cela fera objet d'un échange mutuel entre les Congolais et les américains pour pouvoir bénéficier des idées extérieures capables de nous inviter à une évolution positive.

II: Objectifs
Pour y arriver le Club Pour Echqnge Congolo-Américain va fonctionner selon un certain nombre d'objectifs notamment:
 - Permettre aux jeunes une expression libre de leurs pensées à travers différents moyens de communication; moyens desquels d'ailleurs seront tirés des rapports ainsi que des recommandations pour que les choses marchent dans la région des Grands Lacs
 - Mettre l'accent sur les valeurs culturelles de chacun des groupes supposés être à la scène
 - Permettre le bien être social en inculquant dans les jeunes l'esprit d'équipe ou une solidarité toute entière en une de s'unir ensemble pour faire face au grand obstacle qui les opposent ou auquel ils sont opposés
 - Améliorer ou initier les jeunes à participer au bon fonctionnement du leadership dans leurs sociétés
 - Initier les jeunes à la machination en développant un savoir faire en eux en vue de les lassier pouvoir rechercher le travail à partir de leurs aptitudes physiques
 - Développer les valeurs intellectuelles dans la jeunesse en luttant contre l'analphabétisme, mais aussi en les ouvrant au monde scientifique actuel C.à.d à travers l'échange avec les étudiants de l'extérieur, ce qui peut conduire à produire des ouvrages ou même à bénéficier des ouvrages des autres jeunes de l'extérieur.
 - Permettre le bien être sanitaire C.à.d emisoyeant des mécanismes préventifs de certains épidémies ainsi que les maladies sexuellement transmissibles comme le VIH / SIDA qui reste une maladie actuellement la plus grave en Afrique.

III. Les Thèmes à Débattre
 - Le conflit comme source du sous développement en Afrique
 - Les intiatives privées dans le secteur économique "L'esprit créateur" (esprit de créativité)
 - Le jeune africain et la technologie moderne
 - L'analphabétisme comme le facteur du sous développement en République Démocratique du Congo.
 - Du leadership nouveau dans nos sociétés
 - La pauvreté comme élément déterminatif du sous développement dans la sous région des Grandes Lacs
 - De la bourse d'études comme un droit
 - De l'injustice comme frein au progrès social
 - De la corruption comme obstacle au développement
 - La participation de la jeunesse dans le développement d'un pays
 - Le savoir faire comme point de départ pour le développement
 - De la place des droits de l'homme en République Démocratique du Congo
 - De la guerre comme source de malnutrition en République Démocratique du Congo.
 - De l'assistance judiciare en République Démocratique du Congo
 - De la torture en République Démocratique du Congo
 - De la torture en République Démocratique du Congo
 - Des violences sexuelles fqce à la femme Congolaise
 - De l'atteint à l'intégrité physique en République Démocratique du Congo
 - De la protection des droits de la personne humaine en RDC.

IV:  Organization des Seances
Moyennant les moyens de communication envisagés nottament: SKYPE / video l'équipe des jeunes Congolais ayant tragaillé sur un tél ou tel autre sujet, pourra vouloir prendre les premières minutes pour faire un exposé sur le cas en démonstrant le bien de causalité entre tel ou tel autre facteur et le sous développement tout entier, en presentant également les effets pour pouvoir, par après dégager les suggestions, les propositions ainsi que les recommandations.
Deuxièmement, le débât sera ouvert entre les 2 équipes en collaboration C.à.d l'équipe des américains d'une part et l'équipe des Congolais d'autre part et par après l'on envisagera des solutions adoptées à la situation qui fait obstacle au développement de la jeunesse Congolaise supposée seule à etre maitre du terrain, car ces derniers ayant consulté la masse populaire, parlant à leur nom.  C'est le cas par example où l'équipe des jeunes Congolais, pour plus d'informations sur les violences sexuelles, voudra entrer en contact avec les victimes de violences sexuelles sur terrain et peut être prendre de photos pour être réelement sûr ou avoir de la preuve de ces actes de viols.  C'est le cas également des actes de torture qui se commetent au Nord-Kivu par exemple, cela nécessite une étude profonde sure ces cas, une consultation des victimes de ces actes, aussi requérir les recommandations au sein de leur communauté afin de pouvoir orienter le débât selon les besoins des particuliers ou des victimes de ces actes.
Nous pouvons également entrer en contact avec d'autres ONG militant pour la protection des droits de l'homme tels que: "Droits de l'Homme / Congo", "Heal Africa", pour plus d'information sur ces actes de torture en République Démocratique du Congo, car des questionnaires seront distribués et organisation des débâts au sein de toutes ces institutions des droits de l'homme ainsi que des intervies, mais aussi des émissions seront organisées aux différentes radios de la place pour décourager ces actes qui ménacent la population Congolaise.


-Steven Bhardwaj
Rwanda phone: 0784114209
USA phone (transfers to Rwanda): (+1) 917-725-5122 
USA fax: (+1) 347-416-6273

Letter from Gisenyi - Claire Tumusifu's response to Charles S.

Note from Steven:
Claire (on the left in the picture) is an exceptionally cheerful young member of the church, with an unceasing smile.  She is a frequent song-leader during Sunday services and other services during the week.

Response from Baraka Charmant and his mother, to a child (unsigned) from 15th St Meeting

January 26, 2011

To my dear friend,

I am very happy that you wrote to me.  Here in my home of Rwanda, the sun and the rain chase each other.  If there is sun, there is no rain, and if there is rain, there is no sun.  May God bless you, and give you a good life.

Thank you,
Your dear friend,
Baraka Charmant

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Note from Steven
Baraka Charmant is a really 'charming' and cute little kid.  Last Sunday he was running around the church 'stage' (elevated about 1' above the rest of the church) while his mother Penine was leading worship.  I think that Penine may have helped Baraka with this letter, just a little.

Letter from Gisenyi - François Nsengiyumva responds to Beverly

My dear, I greet you in Jesus' name.

I wish you peace, and I wish you a good New Year.  We must pray for each other so that our lives can be well.  The life of our spirit and the life of our body must both be well.

Your friend,
François Nsengiyumva

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François is on the left in the picture.   He lives in Gisenyi and works as a mechanic across the border in the Congo.  He seems relatively quiet and introspective - maybe I will try to corner him and chat next weekend, he may speak good French.

Letter from Gisenyi - Fabrice Kayitaba's response to a (un-signed) letter from 15th St

First, I greet you in Jesus Christ's name.

I am very happy to receive your letter.  When you wrote that you are a Quaker, that also made me very happy, because I am like you, in Africa.  We thank God, for Jesus is powerful.

Here in Rwanda, we are in the monsoon rainy season.

In closing, I thank you.  May God bless you.
-Fabrice Kayitaba

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Note from Steven:

Fabrice is on the left in the picture.

Fabrice is a very friendly guy, speaking good French, as well as Kinyarwanda and Swahili.  He leads the young childrens' Sunday school.  He lives in Gisenyi (Rwanda) but like many people here, he works across the border in the Congo.  Fabrice runs a refrigerated storage business along with Jean-Baptiste Twagira - Fabrice works the night shift.

Although the sender of the letter from 15th St. did not mention their name in the first letter, Fabrice would love to continue a correspondence.

Letter from Gisenyi - Jacques responds to a (unnamed) child from 15th St. Meeting

Note from Steven:
Jacques is an orphan living in Rwanda and studying at a school across the border in the Congo.  Jacques stays with his brother in Gisenyi, and attends Friends Meeting despite his Muslim brother's admonitions otherwise.  It's an interesting conundrum for Jacques, who likes to attend the 5am weekday services offered a few times every week.

Jacques is my regular dependable interpreter at Sunday services, translating the service into French.  Although he understands everything in Kinyarwanda, he never got around to learning to speak, because around here he can always respond in French or Swahili.  As you can see, his English is up-and-coming, but he is still very respectful of me, talking in French because that's the language both of us know the best,  even though he surely wants to improve his English like everyone else.

Letter from Gisenyi - Claire Tumusifu's response to Charles S.

Note from Steven: 
Claire is on the left in the picture.
She is an exceptionally cheerful young member of the church, with an unceasing smile.  She is a frequent song-leader during Sunday services and at other times.

Letter from Gisenyi - Adelphine M.'s response to Tennile and Dwight

January 26, 2011

We received your greeting, and are very happy.  We feel a need to be with you in Jesus' name.  I wish you and your family a good New Year, in all your activities during the year.

May God bless you,
Adelphine Muhawenimana

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Note, Adeliphine is on the left in the photo.

Letter from Gisenyi - Joseline Uwizeyimana's response to Alice Proskauer

January 26, 2011

I am very happy to see your letter, and I wish you a good time in the New Year.  I wish you God's Peace.

My name is Uwizeyimana Joseline.  Thank you, Alice, and please write back.

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Note: Joseline is on the right in the picture.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Letter from Gisenyi - Nyiramivumbi responds to Robert Fletcher

January 26, 2011

My name is Nyiramivumbi.  I am very happy that you decided to write to me.  Thank you very much, Robert.

I am an 82-year old woman.  I am very happy to see that a person living in America wrote to me. Thank you very much. If God wants it, we will see each other face to face.

I wish you a Happy New Year.

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Nyiramivumbi is on the left in the picture.

Note from Steven:  Nyiramvumbi is one of the threshers (practical finance and logistics managers) for the church: very friendly and always ready to help me with a Kinyarwanda word.  From her fantastic health and unflagging energy, she doesn't seem to be eighty-two.  (I'm wondering if that number may have been translated wrong, but maybe it's right!) 

Letter From Gisenyi - Response to Maria Sessa - from Vestine Ufiteinema

January 26, 2011

I greet you and I wish you peace.  I am very happy because you wrote to me, and I will continue to pray for you.  May God give you power, love, hope, and good luck.  I feel that I love you without even having seen you.  If God wills, then we will see each other.

Ufiteinema Vestine

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Note: Vestine is on the left in the photo.

Letter from Gisenyi: Solange Nyiraminane responds to Bobby S.

I am very happy to know you, and am happy that you wrote to me.  My name is Solange Nyiraminane.  May God bless you and your family.  Please, could you send me your email address?  I am a seamstress.

Thank you,
(signed) Solange

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Note: Solange is on the left in the photo.

Letter from Gisenyi - Ignace Ntambuko to Jon T.

From: Ignace Ntambuko
Friends Evangelical Church of Gisenyi

My Dear Friend,

I am very happy that you write to me, and I received your letter.  I thank God, because God moved you to write to me.  And God strengthened you with the love and power of the Spirit and the Body.  

May God help you.

See Thessalonians 5:23-24
With love, - Ntambuko Ignace

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(Ignace is on the right in the photo.)

Note: Ignate is a kindly man, by far the elder male in the church.  He speaks French quite well and is always ready to talk with me.  He gave a sermon a couple weeks back, talking about drinking problems.  On important occasions (once or twice a month), Ignace will do a solo dance during the church service, while the audience claps a rapid staccato rhythm.

Letter from Gisenyi: Vestine Ufiteinema responds to Maria Sessa

January 26, 2011

I greet you and I wish you peace.  I am very happy because you wrote to me, and I will continue to pray for you.  May God give you power, love, hope, and good luck.  I feel that I love you without even having seen you.  If God wills, then we will see each other.

Ufiteinema Vestine

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Note: Vestine is on the left in the picture

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Letter from Gisenyi (Mukaroni Immacule)

My name is Immacule Mukaroni,
My job in the Friends Church of Rwanda - Gisenyi is the greeter / usher.  
I wish you God's blessings, and may the peace of God be with you.
Thank you,
Immacule

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note: Immacule is on the left in the picture.

Letter from Gisenyi (Bonaventure)

Note from Steven:
I talked to Bonaventure for quite a while, he was very friendly, and explained to me much about how government-funded small business loans work in Rwanda.  Bonaventure is currently attending school in Goma, in the Congo, studying business. He has run a business before raising and selling rabbits, or hares.  I can't say they were being sold for pets, but so it goes.