Can you believe the summer is over?! The Runzo kids are all officially checked into school now and awaiting the first day (August 15th).  We are certain summers get shorter every year!  The family kept busy this summer but enjoyed our time immensely.  The big news is that Brennan got his driver license and now has a perfect teenager Kia Sportage (many years used) to get himself to school, football practice, and most importantly his job at Pizza Hut, where he has been industriously working all summer!

VIEW OUR SUMMER PICTURES HERE

Helen went on a mission trip with our church where the youth group stayed downtown and worked at several locations in the community.  She also got to go to her first lacrosse camp at the Air force Academy, which she loved and feels sure is now her calling in life (thinking scholarships for college?).  Hayley finished her softball season in June and took horse lessons all summer.  She also feels that she has a new calling, although we keep telling her there is no way we can support it (Has anyone ever heard of a college scholarship riding horses?  I don’t think so!).  She is already figuring out how she can work and save for a horse!  Andris stayed close to home, went to a fun summer school program focusing on math skills, and is looking forward to going back to school this year.

22nd year Anniversary

Lisa has been really busy taking some of her last masters classes before she starts her practicum/internship program.  She begins her year-long internship September 1st at a nonprofit agency in town, working with children in foster care, along with foster care parents and biological parents who are working towards reunification.  After almost two solid years of coursework, she feels ready to be in the field!  Graduation will be one year away, and this is exciting news for everyone in the family!

The best part of this summer by far was the many joyous reunions we had at home.  Because of Lisa’s school we couldn’t really travel too extensively, so many people came here.  We got to spend time with many friends and family throughout the summer, and it was wonderful!  We were extremely blessed to have long-time friends from the mission field in Latvia, who now reside in England, here for the last two weeks of our summer.  We were able to show them some of the beauty of the Rocky Mountains while camping, fishing, and hiking.  It was an amazing time, and we are all still trying to come down off of the “Rocky Mountain high.”

Friends and family really make life meaningful, and we feel very “full” as the summer comes to a close and we look towards the fall season.  So, what IS happening this fall for the Runzo’s?  Lisa will be busy juggling her internship, school requirements, the kids and the home.  The kids will be busy trying to do school plus everything else they love (football, music, horses, lacrosse, softball, and Andris has decided he would like to become a Cub Scout – to name a few).  Scott will be heading to Africa in September (see below, Highlights in Africa).  We are anticipating a very full and hectic season and praying that God will give us the strength to do everything we need to do while not losing sight of why He has us on this earth; to know, love, and serve Him, while engaging in authentic, meaningful relationships with others.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers (see below Prayer Requests) and consider supporting our family as we continue to do this Kingdom work.  We thank you for your continued interest in and support of our family and God’s work in Africa!

Highlights in Africa

Scott will be in Eastern Africa the last two weeks in September.  He will be traveling with a team of 8 people from Phoenix and Colorado.  Scott will be working on the Uplift a Family ministry and setting up new systems so CALM can be more effective. They will also be looking at a future pig farm project and begin to discover how the new vocational center will impact the ministries of CALM.  This is a very packed trip, please pray for his travels and safety.

There is a lot going with CALM and  I would like to highlight just a few.

First, the Uplift a Family program is up and running and many families are being sponsored and are working on becoming self-sufficient by creating a family plan that will help them provide for their most basic needs and find hope for the future.  CALM has families waiting to be sponsored if you or anyone you know would be interested in this ministry. (Click HERE to find out more)

Pastor training- it has been in the planning stages for awhile but  last week 50 pastors came together to begin a three year training program.  Most of these pastors have little Bible training but are leading a small church.  These are the pastors that CALM works with to bring the gospel to thousands and help Children and families reduce the daily hardships they face.  If you or your organization would like to here more about this contact me.  Scott will get to spend some time with these pastors in September and will report back to you with some of their stories, it should be a real encouragement.

Vocational building Center- CALM has been asked to be a part of helping develop a training center that the local government has donated.  The center will be used for pastor training, job training, and will reduce the cost significantly so more ministry can happen.  This center will open up the doors for many new ministries that will really help families and children with long-term security where there was none before.  Scott has been part of a fund raising campaign to roof and develop the inside of these buildings. Donors have given over $20000 dollars to help.  Contact me if this is something you would like to be a part of.

Prayer Requests and More

• Please continue to pray for the three programs listed above; Uplift a Family, Pastor training, and the vocational center.  These programs bring indescribable hope to the people of Rwanda and are dependent right now on us to grow past the embryonic stage.

• Please pray that our family will stay connected as we go in so many different directions this fall.  With Scott working with CALM and traveling and Lisa in full-time school, it’s difficult to stay centered as a family.  Our desire is to live on mission and see Christ lifted up in all that we do, and staying connected as family must be a foundational pillar to our ministry work.

• CONSIDER DONATING TO THE RUNZO’S MINISTRY ACCOUNT. The last couple of months we have had a lot of medical expenses that we had to take from our reserve.  In addition, our insurance has been raised yet again.  Keeping six people healthy is incredibly expensive in our country right now.  Sometimes, it feels impossible.  In addition, Scott will need to travel to Africa soon and we need to build this account up.  We simply cannot do this without you, and WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTIUNED SUPPORT OF OUR WORK IN AFRICA! CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Friday morning we shopped around in Kigali for a few supplies. We brought a lot of things from home (toothpaste, soap, clothes, the basics) but we needed a few things like shampoo and conditioner. There is a pretty big store in Kigali where you can get mostly anything. The prices are a bit more than you may expect as almost everything is imported. So we got that, water, and a couple other things. Then we headed up to Ruhengeri where we will be living. It is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours from the city. It is beautiful here! Very green and tropical. It has rained everyday since we’ve been here.

Today, Saturday, we woke up at 3am and couldn’t sleep! Jet lag is hard–we are 9 hours ahead of Arizona. I was able to chat with my sister for a little bit this morning and a friend this afternoon! Thank you all for your thoughtful notes to us. It means a lot that family and friends are thinking of and praying for us. So after breakfast we went back to sleep until 1pm and have just been hanging out since (it’s now 4:30pm).

Christian African Leadership Ministry (CALM) is committed to glorifying God by empowering and equipping individuals, families and villages to do the work of ministry while creating life-changing results within the African community. It is our desire to partner with individuals, churches and organizations to bring hope to children, families and villages currently living in spiritual and economic poverty.

Our mission objectives are as follows:

• To equip the church by providing ongoing Biblical and leadership training for local pastors and lay people
• To empower the people by providing medical, physical, spiritual, learning and self-sustaining vocational opportunities
• To transform villages through strategic partnerships with mission-focused churches and organizations
• To build and sustain New Hope Homes in Rwanda for orphans and abandoned children

CALM is a faith-based evangelical ministry supported solely by donations from individuals, churches and foundations who wish to make a difference. By sharing the love of Christ to a needy people in Africa and building Godly leaders to outreach within their community, we can accomplish our goals and make a powerful impact on many lives