Gift of Voice

The children of St. Paul's have so many gifts and one I want them to share is the gift of voice. Children all over the world sing joyfully and what better way to share something that makes them happy.

St. Paul's kids sang two songs and were video taped to teach the children at the Urukundo Children's Home in Rwanda. Songs that are fun, with hand motions and share what they learn in Sunday School.

Led by Joanna and taped by Sarah two groups sang "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock" and "Inright Outright Happy All the Time".

What fun it will be to bring back a video of songs the kids in Rwanda love to sing. Voices will ring out across the world as they share their special songs of praise!!!

Birds of Bethlehem

Our sister school partnership with St. Paul's Preschool is alive with feathers and color!!! This year I gave the preschool the book the Birds of Bethlehem and asked if they would have their children make birds to go along with the story. They will be used in devotions and Sunday School in Rwanda. The kids had such fun and asked that our kids in Rwanda make birds that I will bring back.

The Birds of Bethlehem is a quiet, simple story told by pairs of birds who witness the Nativity scene in Bethlehem. Each different colored pair of birds is filled with wonder as something unusual is happening in town. The green birds saw a long line of people, the yellow birds saw the inn was full and the blue birds saw a man and his wife being led to a stable. Other birds hear the angels singing. Finally all the birds fly to the stable to see the new baby that has been born...baby Jesus.

What a wonderful time the children will have reading aloud this story and taking the role of the birds to announce the birth of Jesus.

Rachel Gives

For the past few years a young girl has been very involved with the projects in Rwanda. Rachel Foster started as a 3rd grader working with her Sunday school class to raise funds to buy two goats. Last year her class at Houserville Elementary worked on an art and writing project for Rwanda and she also worked with three high schoolers to make a handprint banner for the worship area in Rwanda.

This year, as a fifth grader, Rachel worked with Nancy Guild to coordinate the making of Nativity sets by Sunday School kids at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. The first day of that project Rachel was so excited to tell me that she raised money through her school's Arts, Crafts and Caring Fair where students sell things they make then donate proceeds to a charity of their choice. Thank you to her teacher Linda Andrews for this wonderful lesson in giving back.

As she shared in her letter to me, "I am going to donate to you because I love how you run so many mission projects to benefit Rwandan children's lives. I love that you care about all the children's lives, childhoods, resource supply, children's families, and letting them know that God and Jesus care about them. I hope you can do something amazing and great with the money I'm going to give you." She raised $37.02.

After talking it over with her Rachel decided she wanted to send a boy and girl to school for a year and use any extra for their school supplies. I can't wait to meet those two children and share Rachel's story with them. And bring back pictures of the kids to share with Rachel.

I am constantly amazing by the giving hearts of our children and youth. What an example they are showing that helping others is an important part of their lives.

Thank you Rachel for being a light to others, reaching across the world to children in Rwanda. And to the two children you are sending to school.