IRM's May/June 2012 Ministry Trip......

Dear Ministry Partners,

How exciting it is for me to see God continue to provide ministry opportunities in the beautiful country of Rwanda. The IRM leadership has been praying and actively working on details for this next trip. Our itinerary has had many changes as we followed the Holy Spirits leading, knowing full well that God may be using this current plan just to get us there. Then we will watch Him reveal to us what his perfect plan is for our time there just like he did last year. This will be the ninth trip IRM has taken to Rwanda and it is scheduled for May 28 through June 26, 2012.

I remember how I was challenged in 2005 by one of Pastor Ron's messages: "Was I willing to take a risk for the gospel that God was asking me to take?" I continue to answer "Yes!", just as I did then, echoing the words of Isaiah, "Here am I, send me." Actually, almost as soon as I return to America, my petition to God is, "May I please return to Rwanda and how soon can I go?"

During the last trip we saw the Holy Spirit bring to salvation 14,732 Rwandans and yet as I walked outside the walls of Mpanga Prison I asked Him the same question that I ask every time, "Please God, can I see you bring one more to saving knowledge in Jesus Christ, just one more?" That day before leaving the prison compound we saw him answer that prayer with a "YES" as first seven and then one more received God's free gift of salvation.

Because of your faithful partnership the work that IRM is doing in Rwanda continues to expand. On this trip we plan on traveling to South Western Rwanda to do crusades in two new prisons along with prison Spiritual Leader Trainings Sessions and Women's Conferences. Crusades at TIG camps, a village, a refugee camp, a school and street evangelism are currently scheduled along with ministering to the HIV/AIDS women who gather at the IRM office. I will also be meeting with government officials, wardens and a new Agency prior to the team arrival.

I am thankful for your prayer and financial support as together we "Go and make disciples of all nations."

That none would be lost,

Arlene

Making online donations for Bibles is easy now !

1. Go to the IRM Ministry web-site @ http://www.newlifeirm.org/
2. Click on "Donations"
3. Click on "clicking here" in blue
4. Follow the easy remaining few "steps"

Merry Christmas.......

Ministry Partners and Friends,

We just wanted to take a moment to wish you a very happy holiday season as you celebrate the birth of our precious Savior, God's gift to us.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matt.1:23

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1:31-33

God, through his angel, tells us that wrapped in Christmas is good news of such great joy that, if we believe it, we won’t be able to contain the celebration within us.
God’s good news is so much more than our circumstances! The joy of Christmas is based on the truth that God loves us, God is with us, and God is for us. So, indeed it is time to celebrate with family, friends and those we meet.

Merry Christ's Birthday to you!

Arlene
and
the International Reconciliation Ministry Staff

This Christmas Give a Gift That Will Change a Life......

Ministry Partners and Friends,

The celebration of the birth of the Savior of the world brings special meaning to this time of year. This Christmas is an opportunity for a new way of gift giving. In addition to the traditional gifts to your family, make a gift, in their name, to the “Rwanda Bible Project.”

Prisoners reading their first Bible

This holiday season is an opportunity to share tangible gifts of God’s love that will bring hope and encouragement. For $8.50 you can purchase a Kinyarwanda Bible and Discipleship Booklet that will make an eternal difference to each one who receives them.

Making online donations for Bibles is easy now !

1. Go to the IRM Ministry web-site @ http://www.newlifeirm.org/
2. Click on "Donations"
3. Click on "clicking here" in blue
4. Follow the easy remaining few "steps"

A treasured gift for the village women, dying of HIV

"THANK YOU"....
for being a partner with IRM and the ministry that takes place in Rwanda because of your generous giving.

Arlene

Happy Thanksgiving.....

Ministry Partners Today I Am Remembering God's Blessings for you and for me.........

1. Christ's gift of salvation. No matter what trial we're facing, it is microscopic next to the enormity of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf.

2. Assurance of God's love. The Lord cares for us unconditionally

3. Answered prayer. We have the awesome privilege of talking to the Father about anything burdening us

4. A personalized plan. The Lord has a will, plan, and purpose for our lives

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from.....

Arlene
and all the IRM Staff

14,732 received God's free gift of salvation..........

Ministry Partners,

Sharing the Gospel Message, tracts and scarves

It's hard to believe I have been home for 3 weeks. I miss Rwanda so very much but as I look through the photos from the trip I am reminded of the powerful work of God that the team saw Him do there. We all followed suit as Steve would say every day, many times a day, "WOW".

We were not approved to enter two of the prisons that we had applied for due to reconstruction we were told but God, himself, opened the opportunity to do ministry in 4 of the 49 TIG Camps. Actually, we were asked how many we would like to visit for ministry but our itinerary time constraints would only allow 4. These transition camps are small, 100 to 400, in comparison to the prisons but we were always warmly received just like we are in the prisons. What a wonderful and exciting opportunity.

We saw God bless your generous giving as He increased the value of the American dollar and we were able to receive 5,450 Bibles, putting us over our goal of 5,000.

"THANK YOU"

There were so many miracles of God on this trip, things that left us absolutely speechless, things that were amazing, things that only He could do. For the 14,732 souls that asked God for forgiveness and were added to the Lamb's Book of Life ..... I do not have adequate words with which to give Him praise.

There are many exciting new things that I will be blogging about soon.

One of which is.... I have been invited to be the main speaker at a crusade in Kigali, Rwanda next March. It is for the Great Lakes area of Burundi, Tanzania, Congo, Uganda and Rwanda with 100,000 expected to attend. This is WAY to big, I am so praying about this and would appreciate your prayers.

God provided ministry opportunities:

• 3 churches

• 1 Secondary School Crusade

• 1 Village Crusade

• 2 HIV/AIDS groups

• 3 Prison Pastors Training

• 4 Prison Crusades

• 4 TIG Camp Crusades

• 5 Days Prison Women’s Conferences

• Distributed 1,000 Gospel Tracts

• Partner donated scarves (400), ties (400) & shopping bags (60)

• 5,450 Partner donated Bible & Discipleship Booklet sets

God gave the “ Harvest ”

• 50 - Re-commitments to Christ

• 775 - Forgive Your Enemies Decisions
  

• 14,732 Salvation Decisions (decision counts are given to us by the Prison Fellowship Representative, prison pastors and/or other Rwandan partners)
  

Please continue for pray for:

1. The 2012 Ministry trip in March or June
2. Open hearts for the Gospel
   
3. Funds for Bibles
   
4. Wisdom for the IRM leadership concerning the "next step" in ministry
5. How YOU might be more involved.

Thanks again for your continued partnership with prayers and finical support.

That none would be lost,
Arlene

July 4........

Ministry Partners,

It's 1:30 am and I am sitting in my living room, safe and sound, after a long 2 days travel, having left Rwanda on Saturday.
Steve returned last week and the rest of us flew out of Rwanda to Belgium together. Pastor Al, Kathy and Pastor Roger flew home on another flight and Lovena flew home with me arriving at PDX at 11:30.
Sorry I was not able to blog more as the internet was down and I had computer issues.

"THANK YOU"
for your continued prayers. We saw the power of God move as never before. The team gives Him praise for what he did and for allowing us to watch him work in such amazing ways.
That's all for now, I'm off to bed.

That none be lost,
Arlene

June 26........

Sunday, June 26
Training......

This week was awesome. Pastor Al, Steve and Pastor Roger and Pastor Peter Deyali our translator, were able to do the three day spiritual leaders training at Butare prison. This coming week we will be doing the one day step-up training with Rilima & Nsinda prisons. What a week!!! We had 68 men in the training, 10 guards on the first day of training, three guards on the last day of training and 250 men who watched, listened and stayed with us outside the walls of the training center all three days.

We had seven denominations including three Muslims among our spiritual leaders.
Our first day we spent most of the day on relationship building sharing our testimonies and talking about our background experiences including family pictures. Then Pastor Al did an incredible job of teaching on the results of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. He took us from Adam to the return of Christ in Revelation in about two hours. I followed up his teaching with the 7 miracles at conversion.

The next day we taught on the 7 steps to spiritual growth... we continued to build relationships with personal illustrations and activities to build community. We were attempting to break down some of the denominational boundaries that exit even among prison spiritual leaders. We were emphasizing throughout the teaching of one Lord, one faith, one baptism. We finished the training on the third day with biblical character studies on servant-leadership.

Hierarchy is huge among African churches. Pastor Al finished our teaching with a humbling and incredibly moving illustration by washing one of the men's feet from Mt. 13. Jesus washing the disciples feet.

His question was a great question: What would you do if you only had one day left to live? Jesus met with his disciples and washed their feet, a common thing to do in Israel by the lowest of servants. We trust this teaching will be imbedded in their hearts and minds and their future teaching of others. We had an awesome time as a team and made some very special friends among the prisoners.

To God be the glory,
Roger
for the team