A Home and A Hope

Meet "Mama Theogene."  My husband and I began sponsoring her son, Theogene, about 5 years ago through a non-profit organization.  She is an amazing woman of God who survived the genocide in Rwanda,  and who has raised 9 children (including a set of twins!)on her own for the past 15 years after her husband died of AIDS when Theogene was a small baby.  She, too, has AIDS but is currently doing well thanks to medical insurance provided through the sponsorship program.  I have been blessed to visit her twice in Rwanda over the past 3 years and have seen the condition of her house.  She has lived in the same mud-brick home since getting married almost 40 years ago.  The walls and foundation are crumbling, the wood supports are rotting, and the roof no longer keeps them dry in the rainy season.  Mother Theresa said, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."  I cannot build a hundred  houses, but my dream is to build one. 
And through that house comes the hope of a future for her and for her children who will sleep in a dry bed and know that somewhere across the world from them are people who care.  While Mama Theogene is well for now, I do not know for how long that will be true.  My prayer is to give her peace of mind knowing her children will always have a roof over their head.

Please help give hope to Mama Theogene and her children by donating funds for a new home.  For about $4000 she can receive a new mud-brick house that will last her a lifetime, a few months of food, and some items to help the family such as mattresses and bedding.  I am traveling to Rwanda again this summer to continue mission work, and it would be such a blessing to this family to let them know that a home will be provided!

God bless you,
Margaret Strong
Washington State, USA