We are missionaries with Evangelical Friends Mission to Rwanda, Africa, and we have lived and worked in Rwanda since 1997.  

Since our last newsletter our lives have changed drastically!

New home: we live in Newberg, Oregon in a beautiful house that we enjoy very much.  The school playground is right out our back gate so the kids can go for a run and play as often as they want (that is when the rain in Oregon lets up for a while).

Kids:  we asked many of you to pray for our kids during this time as they adjust to a new home, new culture, new foods, and especially a new school and new friends.  It has been quite a process for them, but they are all doing well.  Some days they come home so tired from school they can hardly sit up, just all the figuring out what to do and what to say and who to sit with makes them tired.  Sometimes they are outright thrilled because they made a new friend, or aced a test.  It has definitely been a valuable cultural experience for them all.

Health:  We have been spending a fair amount of time in Dr’s offices since we’ve been back.  There have been a number of things accumulating that need a doctor’s attention in the last year or so and we’re so thankful that we have found doctors who are helping us.  Aren was diagnosed with gluten (wheat) intolerance, and we are all being tested for it now.  We are all on a gluten free diet, which has been a challenge, but we’re getting the hang of it now.  Debby has been struggling with various health problems for the last year.   We now feel that we are getting to the bottom of it all.  It is estimated that it will still take her another nine months to a year to fully regain her strength and energy.

Church:  Newberg Friends Church has graciously allowed us to be a part of their family for the last months.  Even though Dave and I have done some traveling to Ohio, Phoenix, etc, we are happy to have a church home that we can be a part of.  They have been extremely supportive and loving.

David just finished his masters degree that he’s been working on for 10 years!  We are thankful for all he learned, and thankful that he’s done.

Starting in January we will be spending the bulk of our time in fundraising efforts.  We are presently at 45% of our needed funding.

We sense God’s love and care for us during this time, we are glad to be his beloved children.

Ministry  Business as what?  Is it possible?  Missionaries doing business?  Yes, it’s not only possible, it’s a wonderful way to be God’s hands and feet in a country that desperately needs God’s ways to become a part of their society. Look around you right now.  How many things that you see and use every day were made available to you through business?  We live comfortable lives in a large part because business is done well in our culture.  God is the God of business.  He created it.  He has really great ideas about how business ought to be done.  And yet, so often, we as Christians shy away from business because we feel it isn’t really ministry.  Well, we have started a business as mission enterprise here in Rwanda.  Doing business IS ministry in every way.

This business turns the highly nutritious leaves of the Moringa Tree into a dried powder that is a nutritional supplement.  We are packaging this in small packages so that even the poor can afford to buy it for children who are malnourished, or pregnant or nursing mothers. The business has 4 bottom lines: 1. To be a profitable business, making 10-20% profit, 2. To disciple our employees (using discipling for development) and the farmers and communities from which we gather the leaves, 3. To carefully steward and protect the environment, and finally 4.  To have a broad impact in Rwandan communities through Discipling for Development, 70% of profits go towards D for D in Rwanda.

To date we have land, and have started building a production facility.  We also have farmers who have planted moringa and are ready to sell us raw leaf.  We have packaging, and are gaining the permission to sell from the Rwanda Food Standard Bureau.

Presently, we are looking for a final investment to get us into large scale production and profitability.  Anyone who is interested to see the business plan please contact Debby Thomas at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Life Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight."

How to Support the Thomas:

Timeless Prayer

• For spiritual renewal in the hearts and minds of the leaders—a renewal that will focus all eyes on Jesus and on His priorities.
• For unity among the leaders as they pursue the Lord.
• For intercessors to be raised up to build a solid foundation of prayer so that hurting people may be successfully reached with the good news of Jesus Christ.
• For the Rwandan leaders, that they would be open to new ideas and ways of doing things in the areas of church planting, evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development.
• For creativity in discovering the specific methods God has for growing His church in Rwanda at this time.

Connect

Blogsite: http://nexttomytree.blogspot.com/

March 2012