Team Devotional - God's Love

Seven Ways in Which Our God Loves Us by Chinwe Soares:

Every night as a team we partake in a devotional. In this devotional one of us will talk about a passage from the Bible, or certain prayer requests that people might have, or give a personal testimony about how God has been working in their lives. On Monday the 28th of July, Chinwe gave us a talk about some of the numerous ways in which God loves us, this is what she said...

The Seven Ways:

God loves us with...

1. Atoning love
2. Calling love
3. Redeeming love
4. Justifying love
5. Adopting love
6. Sanctifying love
7. Glorifying love

onshouldersofgiants.wordpress.com

God's Atoning Love:

John 3: 16 - 17 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."

• God's love for us is what motivated him to send Christ into the world to save us, his sacrifice brings us into a personal and loving relationship with him.

God's Calling Love:

1 Peter 2: 9 "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light"

• He calls us out of sinful darkness into the light of fellowship, he calls us to himself promising to protect our relationship with him, he has promised that he will never leave or forsake us.

God's Redeeming Love:

Romans 8: 3 - 4 "The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we winners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit."

• Because of our sinful nature we have no power to fulfill God's love. But God's love is demonstrated through Christ who paid the price we owed for our rebellion.

testimoniesofhisgoodness.wordpress.com

God's Justifying Love:

Romans 3: 23 - 25 "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for Sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past"

• He shows His love by declaring us innocent by grace through faith in Christ. God see's us through Christ's righteousness instead of through our sin.

God's Adopting Love:

Romans 8: 15 "So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him 'Abba Father'."

• God shows how deep his love is, not only by cleansing our sins, but also by adopting us into his family. He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints.

God's Sanctifying Love:

Hebrews 10: 10 "For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time"

• We are sanctified positionally and progressively.  Positionally - Christ made himself as the perfect sacrifice and has paid for all of our sins, so we are set apart to obtain salvation through Christ. Progressively -  we are saved through grace and not through our works, its about how we live after we are saved, to live and be more like Christ Jesus.

God's Glorifying Love:

1 John 3: 1 - 2 "See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us and his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't recognise that we are God's children because they don't know him. Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is."

• Throughout our lives we will wrestle with sin, but we're promised that the good work God beings in us will be completed. When we go to be with the Lord our sinful nature will be left behind and we'll like him and with him we will prosper.

Team praying whilst during a devotional

All of the Bible verses where taken from the New Living Translation.

Picture of the Day 31/07/2014

 Today we visited GATENGA catch-up school and taught classes in Music, Hygiene and HIV/AIDS Prevention. We also played games with all of the children.

Preparing to play duck, duck, goose at playtime!

Picture of the Day 30/07/2014

Today we visited two 'Self-Help' Groups, we hope to go back in the future to provide them with training about making business plans in order to get loans.

Members of two different 'Self-Help' Savings and Lendings Groups set up by AEE; in their weekly meeting.

Picture of the Day 29/07/2014

Today some members of our team visited the beneficiaries of the Hope 'Self-Help' Group; to see how the savings and lendings scheme was helping them to boost themselves economically.

One of the beneficiaries of the Hope 'Self-Hope' Group, with her charcoal store.

Picture of the Day 28/07/2014

Chinwe leading the team in our week nightly devotionals - she led us all on the many different ways that God loves us.

Members of the team praying before our devotional, held in the comfort of our very own living room!!

Structural Learning Week 1 - Global Inequality and Trade Injustice

Global Inequality and Trade Injustice by Beth Milburn:

Structural learning sessions are a feature of the ICS programme whereby one member of the team shares with the rest of the team about an issue to do with development that they are interested in.

I chose to do my session about global inequality and trade injustice because it is an issue I’m really passionate about and feel that it is not often spoken about, let alone explained.

I began the session by asking the team to play a game of higher and lower where they had to guess the answers the questions:

1. How much is international trade worth every minute?

- £5.9 million

2. The world’s poorest 3 billion people have the same amount of wealth as how many of the world’s richest people?

- 300

3.If African countries increased their share of world trade by 1% how much more money would they gain every year?

- £40 billion. (5 times the amount they receive in aid)

I chose these statistics because they illustrate the fact that: "Well-managed trade has the potential to lift millions of people out of poverty.”

BUT

There are many obstacles preventing this.

This short video clearly explains the issue of inequality and why disparities between countries continue to widen rather than decrease despite vast amounts of foreign aid being transferred.

(If you don’t have time to watch the video then this diagram shows the main point, which is what I love about the video.)

This is a clear illustration of the inbalance of the transfer of money across the nations.

There are three issues that rob developing countries of approximately £1170 billion every year: debt, tax avoidance and unjust trade rules. Although this diagrams differentiation into ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ country is rather crude – the diagram makes me angry and passionate, because if these issues could be resolved then developing countries would see massive development without the help of foreign aid. It’s not all about aid; these issues need to be tackled in order for millions of people to be lifted out of poverty.

For example, £3000 is lost from Africa every second due to corruption. We discussed to what extent governments vs Western companies can be blamed for this. Tearfund’s Unearth the Truth campaign contributed towards the European Union passing new transparency laws in June 2013 which means that European extractive companies have to publish what they pay. “This will make corruption harder, so poor communities have more chance of sharing in the wealth” (Tearfund, 2013).

We discussed Tearfund’s current campaign called ‘Secrets Out’ which is calling on world leaders to push for an end to corruption and increased transparency at the G20 this November. You can sign the campaign and find out more at: http://secretsout.tearfund.org/

We then discussed issues to do with trade. It was hard to fit this massive topic into a short space of time but I tried to give a brief overview of the main issues through looking at global value chains, tariffs, subsidies and dumping.

Firstly we looked at some of the reasons why those producers at the bottom of global value chains get such a small amount of money for their produce compared to those at the top such as retailers.

Secondly we looked at tariffs and subsidies: Tariffs are a form of tax paid on imports and exports. Subsidies are grants given by governments to help industries keep their prices low. This means that developed countries where governments can afford to give high subsidies can then export their farm crops at prices a third lower than the cost of production.

Tariffs and subsidies cost developing countries approximately £70 billion a year – which is twice as much as they receive in aid (Oxfam).

High subsidies lead to dumping which is when the subsidised products are exported to developing countries and sold at a lower price which out-competes the local industries and therefore is harmful to the development of that local economy.

Trade liberalisation and free trade are forcing the removal of protective tariffs which has led to an increase of dumping and damage to local economies. This is a current issue that needs addressing.

To end with we read some of Isiah 58 which is a biblical call to fight for justice to emphasise that we have a role to play in these issues too. We explored what we can do in response to this and these are:

1. Campaign

2. Pray

3. Shop ethically

This video then demonstrated to us that justice really is worth it...

So although this seemed like a really heavy topic from the outset, it was really good to break it down and explain  it briefly. I am passionate about these topics because trade has a huge potential to lift millions of people out of poverty, as does improvement in economic issues such as debt and tax avoidance. Although these are huge structural issues and inequalities in the world system, there is also hope. 

We all have a role to play in fighting for change, justice and  a fairer world.

Picture of the Day 27/07/2014

Three members of our team ready for church - today we visited the church that both David and Henry attend; Zion Temple Celebration Centre.

From left to right - Vicky, Chinwe and Rachel

Picture of Day 26/07/2014

Saturday Morning on the 26th of July 2014 we partook in umunganda; a beautiful and inspiring community spirit and environment!!!

Joining together with members of the local community to help level out and construct a road - such an eye opening experience!

Picture of the Day 25/07/2014

Five members of our team visited a catch-up school with Madame Donatile, one of the projects we hope to get massively stuck into during our time here!

Madame Donatile with some of the children who attend the school.

Picture of the Day 24/07/2014

Busy morning spent tilling one of the fields at the GIKOMERO co-operative, where there are 210 women as members of the group.

Team working hard at the GIKOMERO co-operative

IBYIRINGIRO (Hope) Self-Help Group

On Monday 21st of July 4 members of our team were lucky enough to be taken out by Madame Donatile - one of the AEE staff -  to visit the IBYRINGIRO self-help group set up just down the road from where we are staying. This self-group was set at as a savings and loans project, whereby each member contributes a certain amount each month to the group which is then given out in the form of loans in order to improve and create the members businesses.

The Hope Co-Operative Meeting being led by President Vincent

The IBYRINGIRO (Hope) group has been set up in the Kanombe district. The group was originally formed in 2007 with 48 members, later in 2013 the group split into two - one of which became the Hope savings and loans group which currently has 16 members; in this group there are 14 women and 2 men.  The group is thriving; July is the closing of the annual reports and they are ecstatic that not one member has any loan left to pay off. Furthermore in their accounts they have 420,000 RWF which they can use to invest in new projects such a clothes and charcoal selling.

The way in which the group creates these substantial savings is through a system where the group meets twice a month and each member contributes 1,100 RWF - 1000 goes into the main budget, and the remaining 100 goes into a pot for emergencies. AEE has trained the members of the group in how to manage their budgets, and how to create sustainable savings plans which can be used to transform the lives of those who are a part of the group. 

Anne Marie who is the group's treasurer, she deals with the accounts and money

The Hope co-operative has had a massively positive impact on the lives of it's members. They are now all able to pay for health insurance as well as school fees and scholastic materials. Additionally they no longer find it hard or struggle to get accommodation. The members of this group are no longer facing major challenges in day to day living. AEE has created independence for them meaning they are not reliant on AEE for help, instead AEE helps to facilitate change through teaching new skills and abilities.

Claudilida being interviewed by our team leader David

During our trip to the IBYRINGIRO group we interviewed one of the members Claudilida Uwitonze and asked her to tell us how this project has impacted on her life. She is a charcoal seller and through the savings and lending scheme she has been able to vastly improve her financial standing and stability. Moreover she has been able to invest in a piece of land and a new house for her and her family. She can now pay for sufficient food and clothing, as well as health insurance. This group has allowed her to create a savings account for her children therefore by the time they come to secondary school age she will be able to pay for their fees without any difficulties. As well as providing Claudilda with these physical and monetary benefits, the group has abolished her loneliness and isolation whilst furthering her knowledge and understanding of business skills and tools.

It was truly amazing to be able to see the difference that our partner organisation AEE was having in the community. The way in which their projects create independence for their members is awe inspiring and demonstrates the sustainable nature of their work. The Hope co-operative is giving it's members dignity, pride, self-confidence and a safe network. We cannot wait to work more closely with this group and other similar projects in the near future.

Picture of the Day 22/07/2014

A busy Tuesday morning for the whole team spent watering plants at the KIMIHURURA farming co-operative!!

Getting down and dirty mucking in at the farm...

Picture of the Day 21/07/2014

The IBYRURUNGIRO (Hope) Savings and Loans group set up by AEE aims to promote sustainable business through a process of teaching their members about savings and business techniques.

Anne Marie - at the meeting of the IBYIRINGIRO self-help group set up by AEE

Picture of the Day 20/07/2014

Team circuit training round 1 - so very very intense!!

Working off the triple carbs after church!

Picture of the Day 19/07/2014

So many new skills being learnt - first off of the list hand 'washing' clothes - think we need quite a bit more practice!!

Cultural Exchange - Three Brits attempting to learn how to hand wash clothes with the help of our wonderful Claire!!

Picture of the Day 18/07/2014

"Before being supported by AEE our children were malnourished and suffering diseases due to malnutrition, but after being supported by AEE they are now in good health... I do not know what malnutrition is due to AEE"

Members of the co-operative working hard to prepare the tomatoes in their five green houses.

SSF/HIV Project

We visited the SSF/HIV Project on the 16th and 17th of July 2014 with the coordinator from AEE.

The SSF/HIV Project - funded by the Global Fund - works to empower the poorest members of society by training them as members of associations and providing them with livestock such as cows and goats. There are many benefits to having such livestock: milk to sell and drink, livestock to sell, manure for kitchen gardens and a rotation system whereby other members of the community get the offspring. They also share the by-products with their neighbours. Through creating such a sustainable program the success is bountiful and ever growing.

One of the members of the association having received her cow.

Across the two days we were lucky enough to meet both beneficiaries of the scheme and RUKWAVU Ethiene who is in charge of social affairs of  the Nyamiriambo sector. 

Ethiene told us that in the Nyamiriambo sector a total of 48 cows and 192 goats have been given to some of the poorest members of the community, who are living below the line of poverty. In total these have been split between 240 direct beneficiaries as they have created 12 groups each with 20 members. Moreover thanks to the expanding nature of this project there has also been numerous indirect beneficiaries throughout the community.

The project uses a rotation system whereby the offspring of the original cows and goats go to other members of the group who did not initially get those livestock, this means that in total there has been 68 cows in this sector. This will be an ever growing number and is credit to how sustainable and far reaching this project is.

Ethiene said "I am so pleased and thankful to AEE for their work, AEE are great partners of our sector, and I would like to thank AEE for their collaboration".

One of the beneficiaries with her goat.

On the first day we met some of the beneficiaries who had already received livestock, it was so inspiring to see the impact that these have had on their lives; transforming and evolving them in such a positive and forward manner. As well as progressing the community as a whole.

We met AHOBANEGEYE Esperance who received her cow in May 2013. She told us "... now I can cultivate and put manure on my crops, my cow is currently pregnant, now I drink milk and sell it for money. I have come from a bad life into a good life. I am in the Dusabane association and I am very happy to be a part of this project because it helped me to resolve many problems, my crops are now good and my cow produces 4 litres of milk a day so I can receive 1200 francs per day...".

We were also given the pleasure on the second day to see some members of 3 other groups receive their cows. Each group get between 4 or 5 cows, the allocation of which is drawn through lots, whereby the other members then receive goats.

Cows being released before they are then allocated through a series of random numbers to each beneficiary.

We were lucky enough to witness the process by which the cows are allocated to their owner. It was amazing to see the elation on their faces when they discovered which cow was going to be theirs. It was also hilarious trying to then catch the cows - which is a lot harder than you first might think!!

Members of the group waiting for their cow allocation.

Having been blessed enough to witness the success of this project through talking to previous beneficiaries, we are super excited to see it bloom through these new groups and blossom through the communities through it's direct and indirect beneficiaries.

Picture of the Day 17/07/2014

"I couldn't get an everyday meal, but now breakfast, lunch and dinner are always available"

Eugenie is a member of TWITEZIMBERE group. With the assistance of AEE she was able to set up her own stall selling shoes in her local market. 

Picture of the Day 16/07/2014

This SSF/HIV project funded by the Global Fund works to empower the poorest members of society through training to members of associations and giving them livestock.

Epiphanie is part of the group called DUFATANYE. Her goat has transformed her life, and is an excellent example of how sustainable this project is.

Meet the Team!

Welcome to team AEE Kigali! We are all volunteers with Tearfund ICS and will be spending the next ten weeks together! 

(Left to Right..) Chinwe, David, Vicky, Henry, Lion-Sam, Beth, Rachel, Claire

Chinwe is from London, UK. Chinwe likes to give out a lot of banter and brings a lot of energy to the group. She is our team photographer and along with Lion Sam she is in charge of this blog and taking photo's/ making videos!
David is the team leader, he is also known as Pastor David due to his passion and gift for speaking the Word of God. 
Vicky is from West Sussex in the UK, She is the nominated assistant to David. With a level head, and keen eye for detail she is sure to keep the team on track.
Henry is from Kigali in Rwanda. He's full of life and jokes, and along with Beth and Claire is in charge of creating our daily reports.
Lion-Sam is from Kigali, he is jointly in charge of the teams blog, he has an undying love for One Direction and Liverpool FC.
Beth is from Devon, UK. She has been tasked with keeping the teams daily reports, with a bountiful love of life she keeps the team upbeat and enthusiastic.
Rachel is from Essex, UK. She's the teams time keeper, food connoisseur and dungaree lover.
Claire is from Kigali. She is the teams nominated singer, she has such a beautiful voice and an extensive knowledge of Rwandan songs, as well as a new found love for Amazing Grace.

Group work during the in country Orientation

During our time at orientation we were asked to create a set of house rules to make out time in Rwanda run seamlessly. These are the rules that we came up with...

Kigali Team House Rules:

1. Do everything with joy and passion
2. Respect everyone
3. Equal roles and responsibilities
4. Being flexible and open minded
5. Have daily team prayer and devotionals
6. Eat together
7. Time keeping
8. Full participation
9. Support and encourage one another
10. Taking care of everything in the house/our environment