2013: What a Year!

As I look back at this past 365 days, I realize that it has been a year full of change; the biggest for me being the birth of Rachael and my first child. As I write this, my baby son is sleeping peacefully in the next room. The past few months seem like an absolute blur of activity, but not everything was easy peasy. At first, we debated having the birth in Rwanda for many reasons, not the least of which being financial. Thanks to the generosity of our families, they made the decision to come back to America a no-brainer. This was fortunate as we learned early in the pregnancy that the baby only had a two-vessel umbilical cord, which could lead to growth restriction (and an early delivery). Returning to the U.S. for the birth ensured that Rachael could maintain the perfect diet for baby’s growth. The ability to have a more diverse diet also would prove critical as Rachael learned late in the pregnancy that she had gestational diabetes. The hardest part (for me anyway) of this whole pregnancy was that Rachael and I were separated for eight weeks in her third trimester. We have promised each other that we shall never endure that kind of separation ever again. The pregnancy and childbirth ended in a C-section, which was followed by a second surgery to stop internal bleeding caused by the first. Fortunately, while all this was going on, Beau was healthy and we had our families right there with us (in fact Rachael’s mother is an L&D nurse at the very hospital where we delivered; she was working when Beau was born and helped in his delivery!). 

During Rachael’s time away, I moved us into a new house. Moving is always a stressful ordeal, but doing it in a developing country has to be the most stressful. Thanks to our friends here in Rwanda who were more than willing to lend a helping hand, the move was made very brief and painless, which is amazing considering there is no such thing as a moving truck here. We now feel very blessed in our new home; a perfect place for Beau to begin life. We are very happy to be back in Rwanda, where there were many people anxiously awaiting Beau’s arrival. After having a very blessed time at home (in Washington) with minimal distractions from just being together as a young family and soaking up time with our families and friends, it was hard to jump right back into work, but there are many things to be optimistic about as we move into 2014. 

The program continues to grow and develop. We now have four Church partners as we added the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches in 2013. We also had a wonderful staff retreat in December, where we recounted the many blessings the Lord has shown us over the year. The field staff (employees of the Churches) has never seemed more committed to the work that they are engaged in and willing to use the program to impact people’s lives on a spiritual, social and economic level. At the Rwanda head office we are getting ready to bring on two additional staff members to continue to make the program the best it can be and to hopefully move the program closer and closer to the goal of self-sustainability apart from HOPE. The testimonies of what the savings program has done in people’s lives continue to flow.  Of course, this is the most rewarding part of my work!  I’m really excited to see what God has in store this next year. As I reflect on all the changes it is encouraging to know that no matter what happens, it is all for the best. Being confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. – Philippians 1:6

Happy New Year!!!

Unto Us a Child is Born

You will have to forgive the long absence from the blogosphere, but I believe I have a pretty legitimate excuse. On October 5^th, we welcomed Beau William to the Fujiwara family. At 8 pounds and 7 ounces, he was a healthy baby, despite some complications with the birth which I will let Rachael describe in her own post. Thank you so much for your prayers and words of congratulations. We could not be happier to be together as a family and have some very special time with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousin and friends. We are blessed to be able to culminate this time at home with Thanksgiving, because certainly there is so much to be thankful for. We will then head back to Rwanda on December 1^st. We are a little anxious to travel back with our infant son, however, we are excited to trust God in everything and to have this special time with Beau in Rwanda (my boss, Erisa, has given him the Kinyarwanda name Shema, which means one who brings pride). We are also very excited to get back to a place that we can call home. It has been an overwhelming and incredible blessing to be hosted by our families while in the States, but I look forward to putting the days of living out of a suitcase behind us. While we are also sad to not spend another Christmas with family, we are glad that we will get to spend it with our dear friends in Rwanda. 

Even though we have now lived in Rwanda for almost a year and a half, returning there will be a whole new experience. We not only return with a third person in our party, but Rach will be going back to a house that she has never lived in. I had to move us into our new house after she left to prepare for the final stage of childbirth. Hopefully, it doesn’t have too strong of a “bachelor pad” appearance to it. Despite working remotely, I’m sure I will have a long list of things that I need to catch up on at the office. I hope to use what is a quiet December and January to prepare for a busy spring. As a Rwanda office we are looking to add more staff and bring more standardization and quality measurement to the program. We want to say thank you again for all the support and Happy Holidays.  

Garrett in the Mist (Midst)

Last week, I had the opportunity to go gorilla trekking with a group of HOPE donors visiting from the U.S. It was easily one of the coolest experiences I have ever had in my life. It was a moderately challenging 1.5 hour trek up into the mountains in northwestern Rwanda, but the end result was an hour with 14 Mountain Gorillas, including two Silverbacks. The total gorilla population is less than 900, which is far better than the estimated 254 that remained in 1981. I have to admit that I was a little jealous of our guide and the trackers whose jobs are to spend time following and studying these creatures. I was also thankful for Dian Fossey, whose research and conservation efforts made seeing them even possible (see 1988 film Gorillas in the Mist).  The family of gorillas that we visited was named Kuryama, which means to sleep. They were aptly named (see picture below). They entire family seemed to take a nap together, but that’s after one them decided he wanted to make his presence known by aggressively coming at us a couple of times. All in all, an amazing time.

Kuryama Gorilla Family

One would think that this experience would be hard to top, but in about five weeks I will become a father, which I’m sure will top even seeing Mountain Gorillas. I couldn’t be more excited, but currently I’m in the midst of being separated from Rachael and my unborn son. Even with all the technology that allows us to connect, this has to be the hardest time, emotionally, in my life. Thankfully, I will head to the U.S. in three weeks. So far, everything with the baby looks good and so on or around October 4^th, we will be able to announce some great news! Please continue to pray for my heart (and Rachael's) during this time of separation as it is challenging for both of us, although we see God's hand and perfect timing in it all and continue to trust in this.

Our baby boy at 31.6 weeks

Fortunately, to take my mind away from being lonely, and unfortunately, because I’m exhausted, I have been extremely busy with work the past few weeks. We hosted a group of donors two weeks ago and I spent this last week almost entirely in villages in the Southern Province of Rwanda facilitating and overseeing trainings. It was a pretty stark contrast to go from eating in the nicest restaurants in the country to being in places where there are no restaurants. It was a good reminder of how truly blessed I am both in terms of quality of life and the opportunities I have. Little by little though, the lives of the people in the villages are improving and it is an immense blessing to see God’s work happening through HOPE in Rwanda.

There were 60 people at this training, most were outside at time of photo

In case you haven’t heard (and you probably haven’t because the media tends to ignore everything that happens in this region) Rwanda has been shelled recently by rebel forces in the DRC, resulting in the deaths of some Rwandan civilians. Just to note, I am no way in any danger from the shelling. It’s tragic though, that peace can never seem to fully exist in this region and that politics, ethnic tensions, and valuable resources, are causing innocent people to lose their lives. Pray that the conflict does not escalate and that peace could truly be found here. 

The Lord of the Ring(s)

It’s only been a little over a month since we’ve been back in Rwanda and already we have hosted 25 people to the country through HOPE. First was a group of HOPE supporters, next was a group of HOPE staff here to discuss how to make our program better. Finally, we had a film crew from Christian Broadcasting Network to make a mini documentary about Rwanda and our savings program. Although it’s over now, the two and a half weeks of visitors went incredibly well and was a lot of fun. Fortunately, there will be a couple more groups coming in the next two months. The tough part of about hosting so many visitors is that the other work must continue on. At HOPE, Garrett is already into a long stretch of trainings that will last until the end of September. This past week focused on training new Field Coordinators and refreshing the training for our current Field Coordinators. The coordinators are hired by our Church partners to be our primary connection with the various regions in which we have savings groups. When we first arrived this group was 14, and now we are up to 26. It has been an amazing experience to see the way the program has grown and continues to grow. In a country and region of the world where savings is not really valued, we have heard so many stories of lives changed by the simple power of savings groups.

During the busy past month, we both needed to get away for a little while and chose to go Lake Kivu (Rachael’s first time there, Garrett’s third time) with some friends. Lake Kivu is truly a retreat as it is unlike anywhere else in the country. In addition to being a prime coffee growing location, it is picturesquely beautiful and serene, especially during dry season, which we are currently in. 

Since it was a rather hot day, when we drove out to Kivu, the first item on the agenda was to cool off in the lake. After a good swim around the cove that is next to the hotel where we were staying, we settled in for some sun bathing. That’s when Garrett realized that his wedding ring was missing. After a frantic search, the group of six came to the conclusion that it was going to be nothing short of a miracle to find this “needle in a haystack.” As a note of reference, the bottom of the lake drops off rather quickly a few feet from shore. One member of our party though, Dan Klinck, took this as an adventure and a challenge and proceeded to inquire about the availability of snorkel equipment. It wasn't until the next day that some was procured though and unfortunately, it arrived only half an hour before the boat cruise that the group was taking to explore the islands. The short search recovered nothing. This disappointment did not deter us from having a nice time on the islands which included seeing a large amount of fruit bats and a monkey and enjoying a nice lunch. The search resumed the next morning when Garrett decided to take a turn searching for his ring. He started early with Rachael being the lone observer from the beach. After twenty minutes of diving down and coming back up, Garrett spotted something in the sand about 15-20 feet underneath the surface. With Golum-like obsession, he reached into the sand and pulled up his ring. What a recovery! I guess our God is Lord over all, including rings. What was going to be the most devastating loss turned into a joyous moment and a tale to tell. We both feel that this whole ordeal is a powerful symbol that our promise to one another will never be lost (even if someday one of our rings does in fact go missing for good). We owe a lot of thanks to Dan whose acquisition of the snorkel gear made this whole thing possible. Thank you as well to the rest of the group who never lost hope either.

While this above story is a huge praise, we still need a lot of prayer as Rachael heads back to the States this Thursday. We feel this course of action is necessary for the best development of the baby. Unfortunately, it also means several weeks of separation for us. Garrett is planning on heading back at the end of September about nine days before the due date. Please lift us up in prayer and pray that God encourages us both during this time we are apart. Also pray that everything goes smoothly and that we will be able to welcome a healthy child into the world. We couldn't be more excited about the upcoming arrival of our first son!

Lake (Break) Time

It was just about one month in Washington State and over a month since leaving Kigali to go to the annual HOPE Leadership Summit. The trip for Garrett included a stop in Haiti for some savings methodology training. God in all His infinite wisdom knew that this trip was exactly what we needed to recharge and revitalize our souls as well as renew our vision for the work that is taking place in Rwanda. Our time with family and friends could not have been more precious. Although, most of our interactions were brief, we were able to savor each moment together. We cannot thank everyone enough for the gracious hospitality offered to us while being home.

The Leadership Summit provided us time to get to know fellow HOPE coworkers and refocus on the core mission of discipleship through microenterprise development. While every session of summit was meaningful, the one that sticks out particularly for me was one about idolatry in our work. I foolishly let myself think that going to a developing country to serve the Lord omitted me from having any idols in my life. This session called me out in the most vulnerable of ways and I am so grateful. Another standout time was a devotion entitled "Treasure in Clay Jars." I don't really need to go beyond the title to describe what the talk was about, but it really encouraging to two weary hearts.
In the midst of our time in Pennsylvania, we were also able to spend time with Chris, Kristen, and Emelyn, Kenney, who made the drive up from North Carolina to see us. Although brief, we had a great time exploring all (mostly the food though) that Philadelphia offers.

Lake in the pool

Our time in Washington is where the title of the post is derived. We were able to stay at Rachael's on Mercer Island, where there is a beautiful view of Lake Washington from the living room window. We even ventured into the lake at one point. Probably more significant is the time we were able to spend with our 15 month old niece, Eleanor Lake. She is now quite the character as well as quite mobile. It was a little sad to think of the time that we've missed in her life to this point. Fortunately, with Momma Ashely working, we were able to spend some quality time with her on several occasions. During our time in Washington, we were also blessed with incredible weather. Washingtonians know that late May and early to mid-June is usually dreary as everyone prepares themselves for the glorious three months of July, August, and September. Somehow, the only real gloomy days we experienced were the first day we arrived and the day we departed to return to Rwanda. I wish I could fully describe the wonderful fullness of our time in Washington that included visits by Rachael's Grandfather "Poppa"and aunt "Tia" and cousin Kate, all coming from Colorado. We were able to see our dear friends Liam and Carolyn Murphy, up from Santa Barbara. We took a trip down to Oregon to see Quinn and Katy Burke, Terry and Ellen Yarbrough, Andrea Tang, and Sophia Maletz. The travels also took us to the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park (Hurricane Ridge) for a Fathers' Day getaway with the Fujiwaras (sans Graham, we miss you).

With the Murphys

Port Angeles with the family

We have arrived safely back in Rwanda now and had a weekend to get readjusted to the time difference. (Garrett is now bracing for the email backlog that awaits Monday morning.) However, we feel overwhelmingly blessed for each and every moment of the past couple months. Since it has been a while since the last post, the big news is that Rachael is pregnant! We are having a little boy and we're so excited. Lots of changes ahead though. Rachael will only back in Rwanda for six weeks before heading back to the states before the delivery. She is leaving a little earlier as we were told that she could not fly past 30 weeks of gestation. Garrett will travel home a week before the expected due date of October 4th. Please be praying for us. We have so much to be thankful for, but the next few months (and years following that) will be so full and busy. Several visitors will be coming in July for HOPE and there are still many logistics that need to be sorted out. Though it all, we know that the Lord is good and He is with us. We have seen an great outpouring of His love and hope that spills over to those we encounter.

Yep, that's the bump

Romans 8:28

Iminsi Myinshi

The title means "many days"; this is usually said in reference to not seeing someone in many days. While that is true for most of us, it has also been many days since the last blog post. I would apologize if I had just not cared about posting anything, but these past two months have been packed. We've been hosting people, both here for work and here for leisure. The biggest to note is that our friends, Adam and Emily Rapkin, win the award for being the first non-work related visitors! They lived with us here in Kigali from March 3rd-March 11th. What a wonderful time we had with them. While the visit was highlighted by a trip to Akagera National Park to see some wild animals, everyday was a delight. Just so you know, anyone is welcome to come visit and we would be happy to host! :)

Ready for the African Safari

Perhaps now may not be the best time though, as we are entering rainy season. I'm currently writing this in the shelter of a coffee shop, but it is indeed pouring outside. This weekend was an exciting weekend as well, as we helped to facilitate an engagement of our friends who met while in Rwanda! I don't want to spill their news in case, so they shall remain unnamed for now, but we wished them congratulations and all the best!

These wonderful and joyous events help to offset some of the recent hardships that we've faced. Rachael's phone was stolen recently. Fortunately, this is really more of an annoyance than anything, but apparently people witnessed the theft and didn't say anything until they were asked directly if they saw someone take it. It's really discouraging to think that some people don't really care about integrity or the well-being of foreigners. Due to communication and overall attitude by the administration, Rachael also left her job at the international school after months of trying to persevere through the obstacles. What's even more sad is that she barely got a chance to say goodbye to her students that she deeply cared about and would've not left under different circumstances. We have also learned that many of our closest friends here will be returning to the U.S. this summer for good. Rachael and I have felt incredibly blessed by the close and tight-knit Christian community that we have been a part of since living here. Sadly, that will look very different come June. Yet, we know that God is at work and is already preparing other believers to come to Rwanda. On top of these other things, over the past few weeks, we've really had a lot of water and electricity difficulties at our house. While we've come to expect these things living here, it doesn't make them any less inconvenient or frustrating. You would think that one's patience would increase while living in a developing context, however, I feel like mine is running out. We could both use prayer that God would refresh us and give us an extra measure of grace and understanding.

Fortunately, we have a break coming. HOPE's annual Leadership Summit is in May. Rachael and I have decided to tack on some time off after the Summit and will return to the Pacific Northwest from May 23rd to June 19th. We are really looking forward to being reunited with family and friends. Our separation from the people that we love and care about has been the greatest struggle living in Rwanda. We are so thankful for Skype and email, and even Facebook, which makes communication so easy.

A savings group visit

Rachael has been enjoying some free time and keeping busy. Now that she is not working full-time, she is being more intentional meeting with friends, exercising, cooking, walking our puppy and cleaning the house. She feels a relief not working at the school anymore and is enjoying just living life here and enjoying the small blessings of each day.

Things at HOPE are going well, but keeping very busy as usual. Fortunately, we are looking to bring over both another intern and hire a full-time staff member. This is justified as God continues to bless the program and grow it at quite an impressive pace. We soon hope to sign an agreement with another Church partner, while looking to add another one in the summer! Praise God.

P.S. We realize that we've been sparing with the pictures, so we hope to put up a photoblog post sometime soon!