DEVELOPING TIMES: "It's all about relationships"

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.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

"It's all about relationships"

Recently friends revisited a village we have been building a relationship with for over five years. It's amazing how relationships continue to grow and new ones begin. Though we cross cultures...we are still connected by God's grace...here's a note from my friend regarding one relationship.

In so many ways this was a very sweet trip. The relationships we have with our friends in the village grow deeper every year. While we care deeply about the humanitarian projects that could improve our friends' physical lives, these trips are really about people and relationships.

We continued with a relationship from last years trip.He is a 25 year old who is apprenticing to become a bus driver. He has a girl that he is engaged to but he won't be able to marry her until he is able to drive. He rides in the back of the mini-bus we use to travel while we're in the country and unloads the baggage with the hope of someday being allowed to drive the bus.

"A"is an incredibly sweet guy. We made every effort to make "A" part of our "family" during the week in Senegal. We invited him to join us in just about everything we did from our morning devotionals to meals to our dance parties in the village. We wanted him to know that he was loved.

On our last night in the country, just hours before we left, we learned that "A' is not paid for his apprenticeship. He will occasionally get a tip from the owner of the bus but that doesn't amount to much of anything. We all chipped in and came up with a "tip" and gave it to him shortly before we all left for the airport.

As we were riding to the airport, "A' was sitting in his customary place at the back of the bus. His head was buried in his arms. He was sobbing. When we arrived at the airport we all got out, 'A' gave us our baggage and we all stepped forward to give him a hug. As we did so, he whispered to each of us in English - "Thank you. I love you."

It doesn't take much to bridge the gap between Black and White, Muslim and Christian, African and American. Just a little love.