In October, I spent two weeks in Rwanda. I enjoyed the opportunity to visit schools, meet with teachers and students, and deepen my relationships with the gifted and committed Wellspring team, who have done so much to improve the quality of education there.

Trips back and forth always require a heavy load of luggage. On the way there, I had a carry-on bag packed full of laptop computers. These laptops will make it easier for teachers to participate in Wellspring’s technology training and get on board with the Rwandan government’s desire for students to become proficient in Information Communication Technology. The first challenge, of course, is getting the computer hardware into under-resourced schools. For this reason, I happily served as the delivery service.

On the way home to Canada, I had two large plastic bins filled with beautiful Rwandan handicrafts. Baskets, carvings, tapestries, bowls, children’s toys like stuffed elephants and giraffes, and beautiful pieces of bold and geometric Imigongo art. Wellspring will have a booth at a cultural festival in Ontario this summer, where these items will be available to purchase. Really, though, the display will be an opportunity to tell people about Wellspring’s success—for almost twenty years now—in improving children’s experience of education in East Africa. We’ll invite them into the journey toward quality education. Again, with heavy luggage, I cheerfully stepped into the role of courier.

Full suitcases are symbolic of the relationships that have formed between Canada and Rwanda over the years. We deliver supplies, messages, and a sense of hope to our colleagues and friends there. We come back in awe of our gifted team, ladened with gratitude for the lessons we’ve learned from these skilled educators. The lesson I’ve most taken to heart is the blessing that comes from total dependency on God. Time and again, I hear our team talk about how heavily they lean upon the arms of Jesus. How much they need him.

We learn from them and do what we can to support them. So, back and forth, we go, always with the desire that our work together will reflect the love of a God who gives to all of us with the expectation of nothing in return.

Thank you for supporting this important work.

Warmly,

Kevin Dixon, CEO