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25 March 2009
by Joie Pirkey
History of Eric's Book
During our first trip to Africa in the winter of 2005, I was sitting in a make shift conference room with over a hundred orphans from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. We were in Rwamagana; it was hot and
the hotel waitress had just finished handing out bottles of Fanta to each of the young men and women sitting in anticipation of some sort of message from the Muzungu. The Muzungu was me. Quite unprepared I
rose to my feet, desperately asking the Lord what to say to these terror stricken children, without parent, without support, most without hope. What did I have to offer? I didn’t have enough money to
pay for the trip home much less food or school fees for even a handful of them.
Literally as I was standing I heard the Lord ask me, “Do you have a lunch?” Yes, I thought. I have a lunch. “You give me your lunch and I’ll feed 5,000.” So I
stood there and told them honestly "I don’t have school fees, medical supplies, food, and clothing." I was not a rich Muzungu as they may had been hoping. But I told them "I have a lunch;
a lunch like the small boy in the Bible who had two loaves and five fishes. A lunch like some of you may have. If I give Jesus my lunch he can feed 5,000. If you give Him your lunches He could feed
5,000 more and 5,000 more and 5,000 more. I am here to ask you to rise up with me to help restore Rwanda. Will you give to the Lord what you have, as little as it may be, so that He can do a great work in
Rwanda? He needs you. He needs me. He needs anyone who is willing to say yes and give what they have. In doing so, He can and will restore Rwanda.” An odd thing happened then. They jumped to their
feet in a loud roar with clapping and yelling in affirmation. They were tired of empty promises from westerners, they were hungry to feel useful and wanted and needed. As I took my seat and made way for the
host to speak I heard the Lord again, “You see that man?” He asked. It was Eric, the man who was hosting the meeting. Eric is an orphan from the genocide himself who turned around and began to
assist and love and father these hundreds of orphans I was seeing before me. “Give this man your lunch.”
When I returned to the room where we were staying I took some time to pray about what the Lord was asking from me. He answered directly. “I want you to have Eric’s testimony written.”
So I contacted Eric and had him come to our apartment, sit down and share with me his story. We discussed at length what the Lord was sharing with us both about how God wanted to use his story to impact the
world. I asked my husband, Douglas, to take a picture of us speaking to each other because this day was going to be important. I told both of them that God was telling me that He was going to use
Eric’s story all over the world and that this conversation was an historic event. We laughed and took the photo, believing that God was about to do great things.
The same week that we returned home to the U.S., I received a call from my Pastor who had recently reconnected with a friend of his from seminary. Her name was Tracey Lawrence and she had become a famous
Christian writer for many big named Christian authors. Pastor Tim had spoken to her about me and asked her if she would be willing to write a book about some things that had recently happened to me.
So, he gave me her number. When I called her I told her all about Eric and the orphans and how God was asking me to have his book written. She was excited and in time took the project. Tracey, Eric and I have
been working for over a year now preparing the book of Eric’s story. Baker Publishing House is publishing the book and the title is My Father, Maker of the Trees, “How I survived the Rwandan
genocide,” to be released in August 2009.
From one small phone call came a book that will feed thousands the gospel of Jesus Christ. The money earned will feed and clothe and school thousands of Rwandan orphans, and also will teach the world about
forgiveness, hope, and the power of Jesus Christ when we give to Him our small and seemingly insignificant lunches.
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COMING AUGUST 2009!
My Father, Maker of the Trees
Eric Irivuzumugabe with Tracey D. Lawrence - Baker Publishing
To pre-order Eric's book "My Father, Maker of the Trees," please click here.
As soon as the books arrive in early August we will contact you. We will email you as soon as we know the suggested retail price.
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Check out Eric's new web site created by Little•Pirkey Designs: www.irivuzumugabe.com
Annual Conference for the Survivors of Genocide
We have raised just over a thousand dollars for the upcoming conferences in Rwamagana and Kigali for the survivors of the genocide. These conferences are a very
important part of what we do in Rwanda and have an enormous effect on the orphans and widows, in so many ways.
Thank you sincerely to those who have already given.
It is our desire to supply Humura Ministries with the entire amount needed to host these conferences and so we need about $3,000.00 more. Please prayerfully consider
making a donation toward this cause. We need the funds by the end of March so that we can send them by April 1st.
-- James 1:27 "pure and unblemished religion in the
sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated
from the world."
For easy, safe online giving, click here and then click on the Contribution button.
B*A*R*F Party
This past Sunday evening Joie spoke at Christ's Church of the Valley B*A*R*F Party about the teens in Rwanda and shared their plight with the
youth group. After explaining to the young folks that the Word of God says that faith without works is dead, Joie went on to explain that missions, spreading the gospel
of Jesus Christ, and tending to the orphans is directly from God's own heart. Joie shared about an orphan in Kigali who attended the Genocide Conference last year and
that Pastor Tim Snell lead her to the Lord there. This orphan lost her entire family in the genocide and now finally found a family in Christ! Underground, the CCV
Youth Group decided to support this young orphan and pay her school fees through High School.
Thanks Underground, your heart for the Lord is so awesome!!!
*** REMINDER ***
Joie will be sharing the testimony of when she was healed from heart disease.
Friday, March 27
7:00 pm
Country Inn and Suites
Little Chute just off Hwy 41
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