Muraho! (Hello)

Welcome Friends and Family to my Rwanda Blog!!

I cannot express how thankful I am for your prayer and support that enabled me to spend last summer in Kenya. It was an opportunity where I was able to learn about an incredible culture, hear testimonies of Jesus Christ’s amazing grace from the mouths of people serving Him all over the globe, take part in praise and worship with them, be His hands and feet through healthcare outreaches and sharing of the gospel, build friendships that I will have for a lifetime, and be stretched to grow in my faith more than ever. It has been almost a year now, but the impact of that trip continues to shape me as I see the world through a changed perspective and make choices about the future. I will begin my senior year of nursing school this fall, planning to graduate in May with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing, a minor in Health Promotion, and a Global Studies cognate. I am still prayerfully considering going overseas full-time once I have had a couple years of experience in the United States (required by most organizations). I am avidly learning, making plans for, and heading in this direction as I trust that God will direct, withhold when necessary, and guide me according to His good and perfect purpose. Therefore, this fall I am planning to travel to the heart of Africa to Rwanda. November 16^th-26^th I will be joining about ten other students and several instructors to visit the women and children of widow and orphan villages, the Star School where Liberty University student teams have been meeting and working over the past two years, the village of  Reconciliation, Hotel des Mille Collines (Hotel Rwanda), Church of the Blessed Mango Tree, and several more. I will need to be surrounded in prayers and raise $3,950 by September 4^th. A large portion of these proceeds will be used for medical supplies such as antifungal creams, deworming pills, soaps, vaccinations, etc. that we will be distributing alongside the church already established there. The genocide that shook the nation of Rwanda in 1994 continues to affect the lives of so many. However, thousands have begun to find restoration and healing in Jesus Christ and still more wait to hear. So once more, I am asking for your prayer and support to make this trip both possible and covered with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Join me in learning from this amazing people, encouraging the church of Rwanda, and advancing the Kingdom of Jesus Christ!

Want more information?

• Contact me --> Anytime at jconti@liberty.edu
• Read --> As We Forgive: Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda by Catherine Claire Larson (We will be staying at the Shalom Shelter written about in this book!)
•  Check out online --> this article from Liberty University’s most recent trip to the village at http://www.liberty.edu/champion/2012/12/liberty-sponsors-academic-tour-to-rwanda/