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News from Jeffery Komant28 May 2003Dear Friends in the Class of 97, Greetings. I know it has been forever and a half since most of you have heard from me. It's hard to believe that we graduated six years ago, and that we are all grown up now. As for me, God has done much work in my life in the last three and a half years, and I am happy to be a growing disciple of Christ Jesus. In a month and a half I will be getting married to Jodi Suzanne Hubler, a lovely woman who I got to know in my senior year at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia. During and after my time at University getting my degree in International Studies, I have had the privilege of doing some development work in Rwanda with a new church that was established there in 1999 named Christian Life Assembly (CLA). It was in Rwanda that I discovered what I would do as my life work. It was a scene that all of us have witnessed, yet somehow, God opened my eyes as if for the first time as I saw young street children rummaging through dumpsters below Kigali's main market for food to eat. Perhaps for a moment I was allowed to see those children with God's eyes of compassion, and I promised my life to God to serve the poor, needy and oppressed people in Africa. Since that time the Lord has lead me through times of diverse challenges and blessings to prepare me for this life of service. I hope that you are encouraged that God is still doing good work in people's lives, and that He is still in the business of restoring broken people to Himself. The following letter details the work that God has called me to do as I seek to bring His hope and love to the land of Rwanda. It was just a few weeks after I got to Kigali in July last year when I was busy putting a coat of anti-rust paint on a new pastor's water tank, and heard that there was someone at the gate to see me. I went out, and there stood two of the young boys that I had played soccer with very often when I last worked in Rwanda from 1998-2000. There was Sadiki, a kid from the neighbourhood where we used to live, and his friend Didier whose mother we had helped the family bury a few years ago. In my still-faltering Kiswahili I asked them how they both were. Didier told me that his father had since died (most likely from AIDS), and that he now lived with his older brother and his family. Sadiki told me that he had come to find me because he desperately needed my help. In the space of the two and a half years that I had been gone, Sadiki had also been orphaned, but unlike his friend, he had no one to turn to because his extended family had been killed during the genocide. I found out that he was staying with a very old man who had nothing to share except for a small room with a dirt floor and leaky tin roof and whatever food they could find from time to time. Sadiki wanted so much to be able to continue with his schooling, but had no means to do so. With my limited personal funds (because of being a volunteer) I wondered how much I could help, but felt very clearly God's instruction on my heart to do so. In the book of Isaiah, God speaks to his people about "true fasting", the kind of sacrifice that pleases the Lord. As opposed to an external flourish of religious piety, God says a sacrifice that is acceptable to Him is "to loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke. To share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him?" (Isaiah 58, 6-7). After having supported him for nearly a year, Sadiki will soon begin working at the summer job I secured for him at CLA. During that time, Sadiki will be able to earn the money for his school fees and supplies, and be able to help keep food on the table throughout the year for himself and the kind old man who is keeping him. As I sat down on the only rickety chair the old man owns and explained how Sadiki will now be able to continue with his schooling, he said to me, "let him never forget, that is his future." James 2:14-17 says; "what good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has not deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." The story of kids like Sadiki and Didier is nothing if not typical. I could tell you so many more stories of the lives of the people in that one small community where those boys stay, and the number of hardships they face. Because you also lived in Africa, you know these stories, and perhaps have been faced by the question: how can we make a difference? There are many terrific people and organizations that work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of many people in Africa, and Rwanda in particular. They distribute food and clothes, build shelters and orphanages, dig wells, and provide vocational opportunities to people in rural and urban areas. These are praiseworthy and necessary efforts that presently lessen some of the suffering for many people's lives. But when the needs are so much greater than the capacity to address them, there is a question that demands to be answered: "what will happen next?" What will happen when the food is eaten, the clothes wear out, the shelters become broken, the wells dry up and the jobs are insufficient to meet the needs of the ever-growing population of poor people? Clearly, attempting to meet the needs of today alone is insufficient, because the needs of tomorrow will be even greater and more overwhelming. The answer then, is not to be found in long-term aid programs, but rather in empowering people who will be able to creatively address the problems that they face; people who will themselves be creators and innovators, who will find their own answers to their problems and build systems that will bring hope and justice. So how can we make a lasting difference? We can participate in building up the future leaders of Rwanda! The government of Rwanda has acknowledged the acute need for developing its people as the primary means to improving the quality of life within the nation. They have put forward thinking policies in place to encourage initiatives that address this need. This gives us an excellent opportunity to make an impact in Rwanda because education is the most important means for building the nation. Educating and empowering creative leaders will provide innovative solutions for the future of Rwanda. These leaders need to be equipped with skills, solid moral values and dedication.
Together with my dear friend and fellow graduate from Trinity Western University and RVA, Richard Taylor, I am starting an initiative called "The Wellspring Foundation for Education" whose mission is "to promote high-quality, values based education in Rwanda that will produce creative, principled, and capable future leaders to serve in all sectors of society." Wellspring is to be a Canadian based, non-profit Christian organization that is committed to the empowerment of future generations of Rwandan leaders through progressive formal education. Wellspring will help to establish a model of education based on the needs of the nation, and will be involved in building, equipping, staffing and creating support networks for new schools that span from Nursery through to the Secondary level. Our broad program/project objectives are to:
As a society, our objectives are to:
With a lifetime of cross-cultural experience Richard and I are uniquely positioned to link caring Canadians with the Rwandan people. We have added education to our experience by earning our degrees in International Studies. Not only are both of us well connected in Africa but I have also established a strong network of contacts in Rwanda while working as the director of Christian Life Assembly's development project. As your African leaders who desire to empower our people we embody much of our organization's mission. We relate to the youthful and progressive Rwandan leadership and have the energy, drive and commitment to make our vision a reality. But we need you to stand with us if "Wellspring" is to radically impact the nation of Rwanda! We need your prayers and support as we start this new organization. This will be a key year for extensive networking, fundraising, linking together experts in various fields, and establishing our status with the governments of Canada and Rwanda. We will incorporate ourselves as a society, explore options for establishing an independent charity or partnership with a larger organization, recruit a Board of Directors, and prepare for our first project in Rwanda. In this year, the foundations for the organization will be put in place that will enable "Wellspring" to bring hope and God's love to the nation of Rwanda. Will you join with us? God promises that "If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always and he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." (Isaiah 58, 10-11) Your support will be fundamental to establishing Wellspring. Here are several ways that you can participate with us as we begin: Pray:
Network:Please tell others about Wellspring and put us in contact with them. If you have expertise in one of the following areas, or know someone who does, and would be interested in being part of our work, let us know!
Give:Through a link with Global Christian Center Ministries we will be able to provide tax-deductible receipts to both U.S. and Canadian Donors. During this set up time for Wellspring, Richard and I must be able to make ends meet, as well as cover work expenses such as travel, supplies, materials etc. We have been working full time on this initiative for the past three months, but cannot continue on indefinitely without a modest support base with which to live and carry out this work. All cheques should be made out to Global Christian Centre Ministries only, with a separate note indicating that the donation is for "Wellspring". Canadian cheques can be sent to: U.S. cheques can be sent to: Donations can also be made by Visa, Mastercard, or American Express through their web site www.lovealbania.com and hook up to PAY PAL. Simply go to the following address and donate to Wellspring: http://www.lovealbania.com/donate.asp?type=missionaries Keep in contact:We can be reached by e-mail at WellspringFoundation@yahoo.com, or jeffandjodi@telus.net, by phone at the Taylor's (604) 592-5062 or Komant's (604) 596-1945, and by mail at The Wellspring Foundation For Education, 6581 140th Street, Surrey British Columbia, V3W 5J3. Thank you for caring enough about the needy to become involved in providing lasting solutions for a better future in Rwanda. Sincerely, |
