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!