Bibles for Boneza
Boneza, Rwanda
Ten years ago, God began a work in a very poor village on the shores of Lake Kivu in Boneza, Rwanda. It was then that Arise Rwanda Ministries was born. This ministry is an example of what God can do as we surrender our lives to Him. Because of His power, all things are possible. There is nothing that this world can do that will stop God from accomplishing His will on earth. He is a God of His word!
And now we tackle a vision bigger than ourselves, something that can impact Boneza for generations to come. We are in the process of distributing 8,600 Bibles to every household in Boneza. Because of the poverty, most cannot afford a Bible. Currently, 95 percent of the homes in Boneza do not have access to the Scriptures. When the Word of God is planted in a human heart, it changes lives! We believe that, through the power of God’s Word, God will bring life-change to the entire community of Boneza.
Dave Knibbe who is on our national board for Arise Rwanda has been the visionary and the one who helped bring all of this together. God knew we would need help to be able to pull this off, and oh did He help us. We were able to join forces with the American Bible Society and Bible Society of Rwanda. The American Bible Society committed to match up to $42,500 in funding to reach our goal of $85,000. That would be $10 per Bible. It did not take God long to help us raise the funds and get those Bibles purchased in the Kinyarwanda language. What a blessing to the wonderful people of Boneza!
As you may remember from past newsletters, another big area of ministry for us is working with the pastors in Boneza. There are close to 50 churches in Boneza and we have established a wonderful relationship with all of them. We have done numerous leadership conferences to help further equip them for the very important work they are doing in that part of the world. Here is the icing on the cake: We invited the pastors to join us and to help us distribute the Bibles through their churches and other relationships they have in the community. This gives them ownership and leadership of our “Bibles for Boneza.”
In closing, I would like to thank those of you who have been so supportive of ETM and the work we are doing around the world. Thanks to those who have contributed toward planting God’s Word in the hearts of the people in Boneza. Your generosity has been etched in heaven! You played a part of bringing the truth, the hope, and the love of Christ to 8,600 households in Boneza, Rwanda. They will now experience the love of their Father in heaven who speaks their language!
The start of the Bible distribution took place in the Valmark Arena on the Kivu Hills Academy campus. The pastors were ready to go and the students would be the first to receive their very own Bibles.
What a powerful picture, one of our volunteers getting ready to unleash God’s Word in Boneza.
The students of Kivu Hills Academy are ready, with spiritual sword in hand and ready to carry God’s Word throughout Boneza.
Kivu Hills Medical Center
Boneza, Rwanda
With the help of many in the community, construction began on the 1.2 million dollar, 50,000 square foot building in October 2021. Doors are expected to open to the public in the summer of 2023.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” Isaiah 60:1
It has been a real honor for me to serve on the board of directors of Arise Rwanda Ministries. God has done so much in Boneza since the ministry was started in 2011. We have five program areas where we focus our resources and man power, and it is all done through education, clean water, pastoral outreach, economic development—and soon healthcare. We are so excited about our new healthcare program, which will be housed under the roof of Kivu Hills Medical Center. It all started with the idea of a small day clinic. As days went by, more people got involved and, before we knew it, we are now in the process of building a 50,000 square foot medical center in the hills of Boneza. KHMC is being constructed on four acres of land near the campus of Kivu Hills Academy and will cost about 1.2 million dollars. Its central location will provide access to millions of people in the surrounding regions.
It doesn’t get any bigger than this. Healthcare is such a need for the people of Boneza and the surrounding area. This western region of Rwanda faces much poverty and so many medical needs. This medical center is a gift from God and an answer to so many prayers. Just when I think God has done it all, He does something even bigger. Not only has Arise been able to minister to the spiritual needs of these wonderful people, now we will have the opportunity to minister to their physical needs. This is just another example of the depth of God’s love that we would provide this brand new medical center. We already know that Jesus is the Great Physician and that He is going to use this medical center to change the lives of so many people. I am praying that one day this medical center will be a center of His many miracles that He will do each and every day.
If you would be so kind to join us in prayer for the rest of the construction, the hiring of staff, and for all the equipment, which is being donated, from the U.S. That is a miracle in itself! If you would like to make a donation to the medical center, you can go to our web page and give through our PayPal account or just send your check to ETM and I will get those funds transferred. Thank you for your world vision!
Larimer County Jail
Authentic Manhood Program
Your prayers are so important for these men. As you pray, your prayers will break through the walls of Larimer County Jail and will touch the hearts of the men that we minister to.
I have some more exciting news to share with you! For a number of years before Covid, ETM had a very fruitful ministry through our Authentic Manhood program in the Larimer County Jail. Once Covid started, all volunteer programs were suspended in the jail. During that time, they started a major construction project in the jail, which is still going on as you read this newsletter. They have completed enough of the project that some programs will be allowed back in. I am happy to report that we are now getting ready for our May return into the jail!
My good friend, Jeff Monson, and I will be going in on Wednesday evenings to start, and hopefully will have more of our team to follow. We have been praying for this opportunity and looking forward to all that God has in store for the men. The word from the staff is that they have really missed all the volunteer programs and realize how important these programs are to the sheriffs and the men who are in the jail. We are looking forward to picking up right where we left off, bringing forth the truth and the hope of Christ to all the men we come in contact with.
Through our Authentic Manhood program we will have the opportunity to challenge the men to become authentic men of God. We will cover many different topics and give the men some real and practical applications that they can apply to their lives. The four pillars of Authentic Manhood are, reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously and invest eternally. Many of these men have never had a real father figure in their lives. The main goal of ours is to introduce them to our Heavenly Father where they will learn the true meaning of real fatherhood. It would be a real blessing to us if you would keep us in your prayers. We face real spiritual warfare each week, we know our enemy the devil does not like us bringing the truth and the light of Christ into that facility. Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support of Empty Tomb Ministries.