Audience of One

DMM Rwanda – 5 Year Planning Retreat

This weekend the Rwanda Team will be having a 5 Year Planning retreat together. We've worked hard to develop the vision, mission and core values for the Disciple Making Movement in Rwanda that we are praying for. Now it's time to set objectives and goals that we can work towards to accomplish the Vision that God has given us. Please join us in prayer for the weekend…

• Please pray that the Lord would open our hearts and minds to see Rwanda, it's people and their needs, as He sees them.
• Please pray that the Lord would give us eyes to see clearly what He wants us to do in the next five years.
• Please pray that the Lord would bless each of us with insight into the specific areas that He has equipped us to work in.
• Please pray that God's hand would be upon all those leading and facilitating the weekend's activities.

Thank you for your faithful prayers for our family and ministry in Rwanda!

5 Biggest Church Planting Mistakes–Corrected

Biggest Church Planting Mistakes:

1. Rushing ahead

2. Underestimating the cost

3. Violating the Sabbath

4. Hanging on too long

5. Not having a coach

From "Most common mistakes church planters make" by Shawn Lovejoy and David Putnam, both of ChurchPlanters.com

Marthe

I don't usually write blog posts but Murphy asked if I would write about Marthe.  We moved into our house in Kicukiro, Kigali in February last year and soon after moving in a young woman came to ask if we wanted to have our house sprayed for mosquitos.  I said yes and gave the young woman our information.  She told me her name was Marthe and pointed out where she lived, just up the street from our house.  She told me she had a five year old daughter and that was the end of our conversation.  Almost as soon as she left our house I felt burdened for her.  I started praying for her every time I passed her house.  On two occasions I tried to visit her but she was never home.  I added her name to my prayer list and started lifting her name before the throne every morning.  

A year ago we moved to Rwanda from Togo, West Africa.  It was the most difficult move I have ever made.  Saying good-bye to my Togolese sisters and brothers felt like ripping my heart into pieces.  My first six months in Rwanda were challenging.  I cried a lot mourning the loss of friends and life and  in Togo.  I was unsure of the reason God called us away from Togo to Rwanda.  I did feel certain of the calling so I dove into language learning and began asking God to show me His purpose for me here.  Right away I felt a resounding sense, deep in my heart, to be patient and to trust God.  God led us here and he would show us his purpose in His perfect time.  

At the beginning of this month,  I was having a heart to heart with God about the up-coming year.   I was telling God, "I have been patient, I have been learning language, now what?" The words Jesus spoke to Peter in John 21 came rushing at me like a freight train.  "Simon son of John, do you love me", …"then feed my sheep".  I immediately went to those scriptures and read that dialogue.  I felt like Jesus was saying the same thing to me.  Jesus was challenging Peter, he was challenging me.  At that point in his life, Peter was broken and at the end of himself, now Jesus could use him.  Will I be broken and come to the end of myself?  I hope so!  Yes Jesus, I love you!  I will trust you and feed your sheep, please show me how!

Just a few days later Marthe came to our house.  It had been almost a year since I last saw her.  I had been praying for this woman daily for nearly a year without ever knowing why.  She was at our house conducting a survey for our neighborhood.  I asked if I could come and visit her at her home.  She seemed eager and happy for me to come.  This past Thursday I went to Marthe's house.  It was only my third time to speak to her but I felt like I had known her for so long.  We sat awkwardly for a moment and then she sprang up and announced that she had some photos to show me.  She left and came back with an album and a sack full of snap shots.  For an hour I sat in her small cinder block house, on her gold colored velour sofa sipping warm Fanta and listening as she shared her life with me.  I saw pictures of her as a teenager, pictures with her friends at the lake, pictures of her family.  I saw pictures of her wedding and learned that her husband lives in a town three hours away.  She didn't tell me the reason.  I saw pictures of her siblings and their weddings.  I saw pictures of her teachers and classmates at a technical school and later pictures of her students at that same school.  I saw pictures of her daughter and listened as she explained that four months ago her husband came with civil authorities and took her daughter away, she hasn't seen her since.  In the moment she told me that her loneliness felt palpable.  

I left Marthe's house amazed at the God we serve.  I may never know exactly why he burdened my heart to pray for her but perhaps it was because of the difficult journey that lay ahead of her.  I was overwhelmed by the the love God has for her and for all of us. He knows Marthe intimately and allowed me the opportunity to take just a glimpse into her heart.  I now have a specific prayer to pray for Marthe.  I don't know my future but I hope Marthe is in it.  I praise God for his patience with me!  I feel encouraged to keep pressing forward with my language learning and keep trusting God and feeding his sheep.  That may take many forms and shapes and I pray that everyday my eyes and my heart will be open so that I don't miss the opportunities He lays in my path.

Merry Christmas from the Crowsons!

Our family wishes you a very Merry Christmas this Holiday Season! May the Lord Jesus shine His Loving Light upon you and bless you in every way! To all of our family and friends in the States we want you to know that we love you and miss you and are thinking of you this Holiday Season!

We've had a fun week with four Xmas parties already and one to go! Monday we had a Christmas pancake supper and a visit from Santa (Thanks to Chris Shelby's parents for bringing over stocking goodies for all of the kids and for bringing "Santa"!). You will see pics of Stephen and Matthew with Santa in the slideshow.

Tuesday we made Christmas ornaments and had a party for Stephen and Matthew's neighborhood friends.

Wednesday we enjoyed hot chocolate, Christmas Carols and a White Elephant Gift Exchange. I was so glad to get rid of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 1. It was great when I was 7 years old! But now, 30+ years later, it's really cheesy…Heath was the lucky winner of that gift:) Enjoy brother… We also video taped our group singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". You'll see it in the slideshow. We do wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Today Christine and Stephen made homemade "York Peppermint Patties". Then she made Christmas Sausage Cheese Balls and is making Carmel Popcorn right now. It's a yummy Christmas!

Tomorrow we are going to have a "Progressive Christmas Dinner" with our teammates. We'll start with hors d'oeuvres @ 4pm at our house, then we'll head to the Shewmaker's house for the main meal followed by dessert at the Koonces (with another gift exchange—real ones this time). All are welcome!

Enjoy the pictures and video! We love you!

17 Years!

On December 19, 1992, I was wed to the most beautiful woman in the world. 17 years have passed and she's more beautiful every day!

Thank you Lord for the blessing of my wife.

I can't imagine life without her.

She loves Jesus with all of her heart. She serves others with all of her energy. She takes care of her family with all of her love. She spoils me every waking moment.

I love you honey!

One thing I love about Rwanda is the abundance of roses. This year I bought Christine 98 roses for our anniversary! Here are a few pictures of my lovely bride with her roses…

Headed to Togo

This afternoon Marty and I are traveling to Togo to visit our Watchi brothers and sisters in the Lord. We'll be gone around 10 days.

Please pray that the Lord would bless our trip and use us to encourage the Watchi Christians and Churches.

As well, please pray that the Lord will watch over my family while I'm gone, keeping them safe and in good health.

I'll let you know how things went when I get back!

Blessings and peace…

Murphy

Prayers this week…

I've got a couple of important meetings this week and ask for some special and specific prayers…

• Tomorrow (Tuesday) I'm meeting with the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) VP of Learning to talk about ways that ATN can partner with their mission in Rwanda.
• Wednesday I have a meeting with Cephas to talk about his work Rwanda and Congo.
• Also, I met a man who's job is to equip and empower prayer warriors in Rwanda! He doesn't speak french or english though. This is super motivating to me to keep learning Kinyarwanda! Pray that we can begin to form a friendship in spite of my struggling language ability!

If you could ask the Lord to bless these meetings that would be great. I want to help, serve, equip and empower Rwandans in every way that I can.

Adoption Paperwork Renewal

In answer to much prayer we received word today from the USCIS office in Ghana that our application to extend our I-600A was granted! Below is their official email. PTL! Thank you all so much for your prayers, encouragement and support!

Dear Murphy Crowson:

This is to inform you that your request for an extension of your previously approved I-600A has been granted.  The Form I-171H and original updated home study has been forwarded to you at your address in Kigali.

All other needed information has been forwarded to the Consular Section in Guangzhou by diplomatic pouch…

Embassy Guangzhou has also been copied on this mail.

Thank you,
USCIS, Accra

China Adoption Update: Fingerprints Cleared!!!

We received this email message from the USCIS in Accra, Ghana today:

Dear Murphy Crowson:

Your fingerprints have been cleared.  Your application is being reviewed and we expect to provide you with the determination by the end of next week (i.e.10/23/2009)

Thank you,
USCIS, Accra

PTL! Pray that as they review our application for the second renewal that they will approve us again to adopt a precious little girl from China!

Puppies!

Last month our yellow lab (Marley) had three precious puppies: Mia, Bolt and Tank. They are absolutely adorable and getting more and more fun everyday. The boys (and mom and dad) are having a blast watching their puppy antics and new adventures.

I posted pictures and a very cute video of them scarfing down some spaghetti on our Pictures/Video page. Enjoy:)