Saturday, February 1, 2014

About Our Trip

My name is Price St. Clair, and along with Pastor Jason, JJ Brown, and my mom Cameron, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to go to Rwanda in February to meet with and learn from the now more than 100 orphans our church supports through ZOE ministry. While there we will try to flesh out our values: live to make a difference. Everyone Everywhere Matters. Enjoy One Another. Next Generation Now.

Our trip will be less of a project trip and more of a learning, relationship-building experience. We will serve as ambassadors of Boone UMC to their community, and then represent them back to the church when we return.

One of the things I am most excited about is witnessing the positive change that ZOE can bring. ZOE is a transformational three year program moving beyond relief to help the orphans, stricken by poverty and disease, help themselves. After three years, most will be able to have a sustainable life and provide for themselves and others. Created by Rwandans for Rwandans, the program can’t change the world by itself. But it can mean the world to those impacted. It matters, because Everyone Everywhere Matters.

The orphans are divided into groups like our sponsored New Hope group, and are taught four main things. First, be healthy: how to prevent diseases and maintain good physical health. Second, be secure and establish a reliable means of income for a sustainable life. Third, be connected to God and to the community. Finally, ZOE wants to make sure that, after graduating from the program, the orphans are prepared for their future. Their mission is best described by Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This is ZOE’s vision for the orphans they empower.

Epiphanie Mujawimana, the ZOE country leader for Rwanda, believes that “at some point, people will stop asking ‘what can I have?’ and will start asking ‘what can I do,’ or even better, ‘what can we do together.’ There is no program that is going to save the world, but if we can change the way people think about helping others, it could mean the world to the millions saved.” Everyone Everywhere Matters. When we ask these questions, when we live out our values to make a difference, that is when we are doing our best being the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. I hope that through this trip we would that we would become more like Jesus, and that we would gain a richer view of his grace. Please continue in your prayer and support. I’m excited to share with all of you after the trip.

*Adapted from Mission Moment at Boone UMC December 2013.

2 comments:

  1. The Lamont's are praying for you guys to have a safe trip. Inspired in Christ!

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  2. Great writing Price. We will be praying for you!

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