Back to School

We are praying for our children and so many others as kids head back to school this week in Rwanda, including our friend Darisia.

Darisia is a young girl that we met back in 2023 while caring for her in the hospital. She is epileptic and had been burned on her face and head when a seizure caused her to fall into a cooking fire. Because of the severity of her burns, she was hospitalized for months, and we had the chance to get to know her and her mom during that time. She was always running up to staff and volunteers hugging them and calling out “Inshuti, inshuti!”, which means “friend” in Kinyarwanda. Sometimes she would sit next to me at the nurses’ station. While I charted on the computer, she would practice writing letters and numbers on paper. We saw her again this past spring when she returned to the hospital to have a follow up surgery related to the scarring on her face from the initial bun injury. When it was time for her to be discharged again after she recovered, we asked her and her mother if she was going to school. Darisia told us that she had tried to go to school after her burn injury but that other children were scared of her because of the scarring on her face. She said some of the younger children at school would even cry or run away, so she had stopped going to school completely. That seemed like a problem we could help solve. We spoke with Dr. Bernard, the hospital director general, asking for ideas on a school that would be appropriate for her. He shared about a boarding school four hours away that is specifically for disabled children. Emmanuel coordinated with the school and her mother to schedule an evaluation to see if she would be able to enroll there. I went with Darisia, her mother, and another nurse from the hospital, Claudine, to the evaluation where we met with an Occupational Therapist. Darisia was accepted, and this past Monday she started school! The pictures above are from the day we took her to visit the school. I love her pose; hands on her hips, big smile, just like any other 11 year old little girl. She doesn’t shy away from the camera even though some people may shy away from her. It hurts her that other children are sometimes fearful of her, but she doesn’t hide herself because of it. We are praying her confident spirit continues to shine at her new school, that she makes many new friends, and that she will be successful in her studies.

We began exploring this school as an option for her without specific funds in place, and just went in by faith hoping God would provide the funds for her. It is about $500 total per year for her to go to this school. Her family cannot afford it. School fees are paid only for the first term so far. If you would like to contribute to her schooling or to burn survivor care in general, click this link.

*Story and pictures shared with permission.

Back to School Events

• Burn Survivors: We also got to connect with Darisia and other burn survivors aged 8-16 years for a back to school burn survivor meeting we organized with the chaplaincy and social work teams at the hospital. We are thankful we can continue to support these children and their families emotionally and spiritually as they navigate a long healing journey. We also got to witness them connecting with eachother, which is so important. Each child recieved some school supplies before the end of the event.

• Kirambo Kids: Every Christmas, we assist with an event in Kirambo where kids are invited to come and have a free meal and hear about Jesus. This year, we were able to have a back to school event as well thanks to a generous donation from a previous volunteer. We had 517 chldren attend; the church was packed and kids were spilling out the doors. Along with the local Free Methodist Church, Youth for Christ, and short-term volunteers, we helped to prepare food, play games with the kids, and pass out school supplies. Pastor Alain from Kibogora Free Methodist Church preached, and I gave a small public health presentation on burn prevention and first aid care. Our friend, David, is a theology student at Kibogora Polytechnic, and this ministry in Kirambo is really led by him. He loves the work, and we love seeing God’s heart for these kids reflected through him.

As we transition out of summer and back into the normal routine of school and work. We are thankful looking back and praying as we look ahead.

We’re thankful for:

• This summer, I had another opportunity to go to Kenya when I was invited to attend and teach at the annual Free Methodist Women’s Conference there. I was able to participate by praying over the physical health of each attendee, teaching about cardiovascular disease and hypertension, providing blood pressure screenings, and administering automatic blood pressure cuffs for some of the women to take home. Nearly 200 women attended the conference. Amazing women’s ministries in Kenya, Tumaini Women Kenya (TWK) and Wunders, partnered with the Free Methodist Church to host the event. It was beautiful to see how God is at work in Kenya, and it was such a gift to be used by God in this way.

• We welcomed so many short-term volunteers this summer, individuals and groups. We really enjoy orienting and facilitating volunteers and seeing how God uses their different gifts to bless staff and patients at the hospital and even the greater community.

We’re praying for:

• The hospital has many ongoing projects. Some are nearing completion like the new physical therapy building and the hospice house that are both under construction, others feel a little more down the road like a CT scanner being installed and refurbishments to the Internal Medicine building. Praying God blesses these endeavors to positively impact patients.

Family Updates:

• We are about to start on our fourth year here. Kind of crazy looking back to when we first arrived with a one year committement. We’ve now decided that we will stay and serve here until June of 2026. We thank you all for your prayers and financial support that make our work here possible. If you’d like to give funds toward our additional time here, click this link.

• Noella and Matayo are transitioning well back to school overall, but they are tired and a little homesick. Praying for them as they continue to adjust back into the school routine.

• Luka is walking and starting to talk. He’s a happy, sweet boy.

• We celebrated the dowry and wedding of Emmanuel’s brother, Claude, this month. We’re so thankful we could be part of both of those ceremonies.

Thank you for your time in reading our updates and praying for us and our kids. We’re so thankful for your partnership and for your continued support through multiple extensions of service. We truly couldn’t do this work without you, and we appreciate you being part of it with us.

In Christ,

Rachel & Emmanuel