A couple of summers ago, some Portico Church friends and I visited Rwanda for the first time. We spent a couple weeks working with Peace House Ministries, a non-profit organization that ministers to teenagers living on the streets of Kigali, Rwanda. Peace House is doing incredible work to reconcile kids back to their families, themselves, and God. I fell in love with Peace House and the Rwandan people and left secretly hoping I'd be back soon.
I learned that Peace House had started a new program for vulnerable young women, many who have been involved in prostitution. Because a large part of the girls' program is focused on trades-training, Peace House was looking for someone to teach the girls how to make and sell income-generating items. That's where I came in! I spent January-April 2013, teaching the Peace House girls to sew, make jewelry, and create products to sell at their local markets and in the US. It was a life-changing experience for me and an adventure of a lifetime. I now count those precious women on the other side of the world as dear friends who God used to teach me invaluable lessons about life and love.
Learn more about Peace House and read some of the girls' bios at www.peacehouseministries.org.