Tupperware Fundraiser

Just a reminder, the Tupperware fundraiser is still on-going.  It ends June 20, 2014 and is Canada-wide.  Learn more here.  Again, thank you to Tasha Hart for her help in this endeavor!

If you look to the left of the blog, you will see the fundraising "thermometer" we have added to help you visualize where we are at with our goal.  $4000 needs to be raised.  This is an estimate we have received from Home of Hope and may change slightly as the trip comes closer.  The total depends on fees for flights, lodging, etc.  We appreciate any donation and your prayers as well.  While there is a year to fund raise, it would be best to not leave it until the last minute.  Michelle's goal was reached literally within hours of the due date.  A deposit also has to be sent to Home of Hope several months ahead of time.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers!

About Rwanda

Hello readers! For my next post I would like to share some information about Rwanda and Kenya. The two places I will visit next May. I am doing this for two reasons. One, to give me an excuse to do some research and learn about these places, and to share with you where God has called me to serve. This post will focus on Rwanda.

Rwanda is a landlocked country situated in central Africa. Also known as ’the land of a thousand hills’, Rwanda has five volcanoes, twenty-three lakes and numerous rivers, some forming the source of the River Nile. The country lies 75 miles south of the equator in the Tropic of Capricorn, 880 miles ’as the crow flies’ west of the Indian Ocean and 1,250 miles east of the Atlantic Ocean - literally in the heart of Africa. Rwanda is bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the democratic republic of Congo to the west.

Basic Facts

Land Area: 26,338 square Kilometers.

Population: Approx. 12 million (new census to be carried out in August 2012)

Source: http://www.gov.rw

In 1994, Rwanda experienced a massive event affecting millions of people. There was a civil war happening which resulted in genocide. Here is some information on that.

The Rwandan Genocide was a genocidal mass slaughter of Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority. During the approximate 100-day period from April 7, 1994 to mid-July, an estimated 500,000–1,000,000 Rwandans were killed,[1] constituting as much as 20% of the country's total population and 70% of the Tutsi then living in Rwanda. The genocide was planned by members of the core political elite known as the akazu, many of whom occupied positions at top levels of the national government. Perpetrators came from the ranks of the Rwandan army, the National Police (gendarmerie), government-backed militias including the Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi, and the Hutu civilian population.

Rwandan Genocide
Nyamata Genocide Memorial, Rwanda
Location	Rwanda
Date	April 7 – July 15, 1994
Target	Tutsi population
Attack type	Genocide, mass murder
Deaths	500,000–1,000,000[1]
Perpetrators	Hutu-led government, Interahamwe andImpuzamugambi militias

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide

There are many victims of the genocide and their families still suffering in Rwanda. I am hoping to help some of those still devastated in the aftermath of this tragedy.

Thank you for reading and following my blog. As always, if you would like to donate to my cause, please click on the links on the right or contact either myself or my wife, Michelle. Also, don't forget about my Tupperware fundraiser going on. For more details, send me a quick e-mail at michael.maisonville@gmail.com and I'll get you all of the info. Thanks and God bless!

Home of Hope

I thought I would take an opportunity with this post to share some information about the organisation I am taking this journey with. My wife, Michelle, went on the same trip last year with them. They are called Home of Hope. 

I am so very blessed to be going on this journey with people who I feel are genuine, caring, positive people. My wife has told me many times how much she appreciated the folks she went with. To me, this trip has dual purpose. One, to spread the love of God through ministering, worship, and fellowship both in a group and one on one; and, two, humanitarian activities like feeding programs, infant care, and helping in very practical ways. 

Home of Hope is an organisation that has been working in other nations for years. Currently, they are present in six countries. They provide many programs for helping in these areas that address the needs of many people. Some of these programs include; the Animal Project, Feeding Project, Dream Centre Project, Medical Project, Stella Project, Microloan Project, Tumaini Project, School Project, and the Pregnant Mothers Project. As you can see, Home of Hope is active in many areas and thus, affect many lives. 

These are some of the reasons I have chosen to go on a mission trip with Home of Hope. I hope you will take the opportunity to browse the Home of Hope website using the link below. 

Thank you for reading and I encourage you to continue following my blog as I prepare for this awesome task. 

Once again, if you would like to donate to this cause on my behalf, you can click on the links on the side to make a financial contribution. If you do, please type "Michael Maisonville - May 2015" in the notes. Please also follow and like my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/heedhiscall and stay tuned for exciting news and fund raising auctions with products that might interest you. Tomorrow, my wife will open up the first event with Tupperware. 

Here is a link to Home of Hope's website. Take a look and see what exciting things I will be a part of!

http://www.homeofhope.ca/

The Journey to My Journey Begins!

Well, my children just returned from a two week hiatus with their grandparents. I missed them tremendously and I was so happy to see them yesterday. Now that they are back I can set my sights firmly on this mission trip.

I have thought about this trip every day since I decided to go. My heart beats a little faster when I do think of it. It's time to put some serious effort into planning and fundraising. I will be calling on you all for some assistance in this. Yes, I am asking for monetary donations to help get me there, but I am also asking for prayers and ideas.

Perhaps you can all help me by doing two things. If you have the means to donate to this cause by way of a financial contribution, you can click on one of the icons to the right. When you donate, don't forget to put "Michael Maisonville - May 2015" in the notes. Second, if you have any unique ideas on how I could raise funds, I would appreciate any suggestions you have. You can e-mail me at michael.maisonville@gmail.com or message me on Facebook. My wife, Michelle, is going to set up a Facebook page for me to share information and fund raise.

I'm not normally one to ask for money or anything else from people, but when it comes to helping others, I'm not too proud to ask for help myself. Not all my blog posts will be about fundraising, but they will probably mention it. Thank you in advance for anything you can do to aid in this journey to my journey.

God Bless!

The Reasons

Some time ago, I had a heart to heart with God. I don't always pray in the traditional sense. Sometimes I just talk to Him as if I were talking to a friend or a parent. On this occasion, I was feeling very small and in awe of His love for me, His mercy, His grace, and the fact that He has blessed me with so much. So, anyway, while I was talking to Him, I simply said this; "Heavenly Father, I am not a great man. I may never be the perfect servant, or the best; but, I promise you that I will always be the best servant to you that I can be. I will always give you everything I have and try to do your will to the best of my ability." 

This is the way I have tried to live my life. I believe that God puts us in places and with people that will teach us what He wants us to learn. Enter my grandmother. My grandmother is the strongest, wisest person I know. I had the pleasure of being raised by her for most of my childhood and I only hope to one day emulate her wisdom. Anyway, she laid into me at a very young age that helping others and being a source of strength for them is one of the noblest things a person can do. I remember her putting her own life on hold countless times for others. She raised her own children and others.  She took care of my grandfather and stuck by him through the best and worst of times. To this day she continues to be the matriarch of our family and she garners the respect of everyone who knows her. God knew that I needed her in my life to teach me how to love and serve. 

So, as life went on and I moved away from home, I never forgot her lessons. I had gone to a church in my home town where I met and shared life with great people. I had wonderful Pastors who gave me a very good spiritual education and basis for a life of faith. I also had great friends at church who kept me interested and motivated. 

As the years went by, many changes took place in my life including moving across the country, becoming a member of a new church, becoming a Deacon in that church, meeting my wife to be, marrying, having children, and moving from Lethbridge to Edmonton to Medicine Hat and back to Lethbridge again. In all that time, I was constantly driven by the need to serve. I went back to school after a twelve year hiatus to get a diploma in Child and Youth Counselling. I was privileged to work with the Salvation Army at their homeless shelter in Medicine Hat, and I have been honoured to serve others with some dedicated, knowledgeable and wise individuals. I have people in my life now that I consider to be great. These people include my spiritual leaders in Church, my family, and yes, my grandmother.

So, after all that, I  asked myself what was next? What could I do to serve in a way that might make a difference? The answer was an easy one. I have always wanted to travel to a place where there are people in need and just help them. Even as a child, I would watch programs from aid organisations and my heart would go out to those (especially children) who didn't have food, or shelter, or clean water and I would want to help them. My wife, Michelle, and I have talked about going on such a trip before. One day she said that she wanted to go (to Africa) and as a good friend was going, we decided that it would be a good idea. The experience was amazing for her and I was so proud of her for wanting to dot it. We had said that if we went on trips like this, we couldn't go together in case something happens. We didn't want our children to be left alone. So, we decided to take turns. 

Well, It's my turn and I am so excited about being able to serve in this way. I feel that God is opening up the door for me and that I am called to this. I am ready to answer this call. A lot of prayer and preparation is  going to go into this journey. I will be going to Rwanda and Kenya to help in whatever way I can. This kind of a trip is not free and in fact, not cheap either. I am asking for help with raising the funds for this journey. My wife, Michelle, has offered to manage this effort for me; but, I am asking anyone who can to donate to this worthy cause. Indirectly, I will be taking everyone who donates with me and you will be partially responsible for putting food in bellies and sharing love with those who desperately need it. Every baby I hug will be hugged with your arms too. 

Thank you for reading, your donations, and your prayers.

Michael Maisonville