DEVELOPING TIMES: If I could only...

Welcome

Mission Statement
Rural Empowerment Initiatives (REI) mission is to collaborate in the reduction of poverty through investment in rural areas and training of local people.

Vision Statement
REI's vision is to treat every created being with dignity, respect and love. We strive to work with those most in need by empowering people to recognize their God given talents, enabling them to make the world a better place and providing them hope for the future.

Our Principles
REI believes that all people are created equal.
REI will develop small to medium businesses (SMEs) as one approach to reach those most in need by creating jobs that build the economy in rural areas.
REI's partner businesses will be led, managed and majority owned by local people.
REI will always seek a triple bottom line of economic, spiritual and social transformation.
REI seeks to build sustainable community-oriented business models.
REI's focus of support is to the economically disadvantaged.
REI will seek attractive market and growth opportunities.
REI will incubate pilot projects with capable management.
REI believes in collaboration. We seek partners whose strengths complement our own in an effort to build well-rounded projects of lasting economic value for the communities in which we work.
REI is inspired by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and is therefore rooted in the Christian faith.

Friday, April 18, 2008

If I could only...

Here I am...a little jet lagged and believe it or not happy to be in Senegal....photo courtesy of my daughter...catches me in the real moments...

Ben and Kirsten just got married last year...Ben is a missionary kid (MK) who grew up in Cameroon West Africa and Kirsten was with us last year. I have a feelin this isn't the last time they will visit West Africa and my bet is they will spend some considerable amount of time there one day...

this was Jane's third trip to Senegal. Jane has a heart for the village no smaller than anyone.

Mary's first trip to Senegal. Dave's wife...she's heard the stories...now she experienced them. She was honored with having the name of our friends in the village name their daughter after her.

Dennis first trip to Senegal after other trips to other parts of Africa. Dennis has been appointed by my organization to go to Senegal in the next few years. I believe that Dennis was touched with what God is doing here.

Mama Monica... I wish I could have captured her reunion with her friend in the village...it was like that commercial years ago when two people ran from a distance and happily reunite. Monica proved to us that hugging and crying in this culture is allowed.

Dave's fifth visit to Senegal. Dave and I have had many experiences together, in which most of them have been very rich...except when Dave gets up and starts dancing with the village. I've been paid well to never show those video's :)
Seriously though, Dave's heart for Senegal and people are worn on his sleeve.
Love you Man.

Sadie returned after waiting seven years to return. The village was amazed. This time I will treasure fer sure.

I met Andy at Echo farms over a year ago...he's doing an internship with the local NGO there...I introduced Andy to our village and we are praying that the relationship grows.

Brad...in the green...he's the man. Clean Water and Brad Saltzman are synonymous.

Here's a excerpt from a few team members...

If only I could get on paper all the sights, sounds, smells, and pictures I have whirling around in my head. If only I could write down in vivid color all the memories I have stored in my heart. I think constantly of the faces and the stories that need to be told but mostly I think of the women. Truthfully we in the US know nothing of hard work. I am barely civil in the morning until I have consumed three cups of coffee and these women face monumental struggles everyday just to survive. Pounding millet sometimes before the sun hits the horizon. Hauling buckets and buckets of water up from the well several times a day and all with a baby strapped to her back. Things are very different in Africa. So many struggles are faced each day and yet I look around and I see all the smiling faces. I see contentment in their simple lives. Truthfully I envy them their sense of community, how they care for each other, how they work together, cook together, eat together, sing and dance together. This is true community. As we arrived I saw familiar faces welcoming us once again into their lives. When the day came that we had to leave our friends I saw something I had never seen before in Africa. This year I saw tears. I do admit that most of them were flowing down my face but thinking back to that moment something strikes a chord in me. Before I left on this trip my friend Amy prayed that we would be the hands and feet of Jesus while in Africa. I was there and I believe I saw that prayer answered.
Roog ah fa ha (God is so good).

- Monica

Being with your team was an awesome experience. That was an opportunity to serve villagers through your ministry and see how God is good by touching people in different ways. God used you as a team for serving the villagers and made some friends and as you could notice friendship could be a powerful tool for spreading the Gospel in Senegal. Hope all of you are fine.
May God bless you!

- Comment from one of our translators

You know one of the cool things about leading or co-leading a trip like this is to experience people's reaction to Africa. I pray that all of them react to what God puts on their hearts.
I also pray they never forget.I won't ever forget you guys.