This fall, I have the blessing and opportunity to join Mosaic Church as they partner with Africa New Life to bring the hope of God and the power of His Spirit to the people of Rwanda. Will you partner with me as I prepare physically, emotionally, and spiritually for this trip?
I was blessed to be raised in a family that not only loved God and His church but also the people around us and in the world. From as early as I can remember, we served locally at nursing homes, food pantries, and soup kitchens. We also collected coins in Lottie Moon rice bowls and filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to reach the nations.
When I was a pre-teen my father and I participated in several weekend trips to Mexico. We slept in a gym on the US side of the border, then loaded up in church vans, crossed into Mexico, and drove up and down dirt roads among rows and rows of huts built from junkyard scraps like cardboard boxes, aluminum foil, and, for the lucky few, cinderblocks. Once we found a cluster of kids, we’d put on one-day versions of Backyard Bible Club. No one had electricity, and many of the children didn’t have shoes. Even after two decades, I remember how much it impacted me to see people living with so little when I had so much.
Our youth group took trips as close as Dallas and as far as Colorado. But I especially remember a week-long choir trip to a Native American reservation. It was so hot that the leaders walked between rows of cots, misting us as we tried to sleep. During the day, we worked around the mission compound. We put on concerts in the evenings, drawing a crowd and opening hearts before the local mission pastor shared the gospel in their language.
I didn’t outgrow my love of missions. In 2019, my brother and I went to Acuña, Mexico to help with a pop-up clinic. After helping set up, he took vitals for the volunteer doctors while I entertained the waiting children with my limited balloon art skills.
Each trip modeled Jesus’ example of meeting practical needs to open hearts to hear the hope of the gospel. But they were also some of the most impactful experiences that shaped the woman I have become. Participating in local missions is a blessing, but nothing compares to the transformational power of leaving my comfort zone to meet people in their world.
On this trip to Rwanda, our team will begin with two experiences to help us connect and empathize with the people we are there to serve. We’ll work on a local farm and visit a museum and memorial about the Rwandan genocide. While here in America, ‘genocide’ is a word in textbooks, many in the villages we’ll be visiting still have the scars, both visible and invisible, from surviving the nightmare.
Once acclimated, we’ll be taking trips to different villages where we will host prayer and worship services. We’ll also visit students and their families sponsored by Mosaic members throughout the year. Toward the end of our trip, we’ll prepare and serve a traditional American Thanksgiving feast for the staff and volunteers of Africa New Life. They look forward to it every year, not just for the good food, but also for the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate all God has done in Rwanda.
The most important way that you can partner with our team is through prayer. Begin now to pray for the people of Rwanda, that their hearts would be softened to receive the message God has for them. Pray for each of the individual members of our team to be physically, emotionally, and spiritually protected as we travel and serve. And for me, personally, that God would transform my heart and that I will not come home the same person I was when I left. Please join the WhatsApp Prayer Group to receive updates and specific prayer requests before and during the trip.
Because of some challenges with the flights due to current politics, the total cost for my trip is now about $4,500. If you would like to provide financial support, you can visit My Trip Page to donate by October 15th. Your gift will first help cover the cost of my trip. Additional funds will help teammates with fundraising gaps. Once our trips are covered, remaining funds will be used to purchase and transport supplies that are difficult to obtain locally for Africa New Life’s ongoing ministry in Rwanda.
Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!
Jenn Barrett
Thoughts?