Dear Friends,

On Saturday July 15th, Amahoro stadium was filled with expectancy - one of the greatest nights was about to unfold.

Twenty thousand people from across Rwanda had gathered together to sing, celebrate and declare the goodness of God for what had been an incredible and God inspired 100 days. Kigali's national stadium, once a place of refuge during Rwanda's darkness, was now a place of joy and celebration.

An imposing Mikolaj MI 17 Russian helicopter hovered over the stadium recording this poignant moment in history.

Although the spectacular Closing Ceremony hosted by Hillsong Church marked the end of the Hope Rwanda program, founder Mark Zschech took a flaming torch, symbolic of the fire of the Holy Spirit and lit the torch held by Bishop John until both flames burned strong. "With this," Mark declared, "We pass the flame of Hope Rwanda into the hands of the local church."

An inextinguishable flame of Hope now burns in Rwanda...

- John Fergusson & Nicole Partridge

Message from Darlene

It's hard to believe that the hundred days is over... but HOPE in Rwanda continues to shine brighter and brighter with every new day.

I continue to feel a sense of urgency about this nation as the silent cries of this land are heard deep within our spirits. I pray that you have caught a glimpse of what God is doing in this great land known as the heart of Africa. The fruit of Hope Rwanda is still unknown, but we would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Thank you to all the teams, friends, churches, connect groups, and businesses who contributed financially and prayerfully. To the staff both paid and unpaid, to John and Bron Fergusson, Steve and Yvette Giulieri, our beautiful Sam and others who have manned the office here in Australia and in Rwanda.

Thank you to the Rwandan Steering Committee and all our volunteers in Rwanda. To all those individuals who gave of their finance, their annual leave, their gifts and talents... only eternity will ever fully record the value of these last 100 days. All we can say is thank you God, for choosing us to be present in Rwanda at this time in history - for we each were born for such a time as this...

From a heart that is overflowing with love and gratitude,

- Darlene Zschech

Hope Rwanda - The Closing Ceremony

As the sun was setting in Kigali, 20,000 had gathered to celebrate as only Africans can. Paul Gitwaza, Vice Chairman of Hope Rwanda and MC for the night soon had the crowd "jumping and leaping and praising God"! Only Darlene Zschech could have followed that, and follow it she did, the crowd lifting their voices in worship to a mighty Saviour: 'How great is our God!'

Then Mark Zschech took the microphone and invited Bishop John Rucyahana, Chairman of the Steering Committee, to join him on the platform. In a moving ceremony - the lighting of two flames symbolically joined, the baton was passed to the Rwandan Church - the crowd roared!

Brian Houston preached a dynamic message on the real hope: Jesus Christ and over 1,150 people made decisions for Jesus. The day closed with an address by Charles Muragande, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who challenged the churches to greater unity and promised, "if the churches are truly united, any request will be granted by the Government of Rwanda." He also called upon the Rwandan Government to set aside July 15 as the National Day of Hope.

- John Fergusson

Provincial Outreach - Riverview Children's Foundation

Our team of 20 from Riverview Children's Foundation will never forget the Rwandan children - their beautiful faces, their inspiring stories and their squeals of excitement as we arrived to visit them!

Our work with African Evangelistic Enterprise began in Rwamagana where we visited kindergarten children, former prostitutes, former street children and children living in "child headed families". We met an incredible 23 year old woman who has cared for her two younger sisters since they lost their parents in the genocide. Our team prayed for her and supported her by rendering the walls of her mud-brick home and buying materials for a new roof.

We played a game of soccer against a local team of youth boys who were part of an HIV prevention program. The team was very professional and we got absolutely thrashed much to the amusement of the locals who gathered to watch!

We also spent time in Gitarama where we visited a couple of schools and ministered to the students through testimonies, songs and short messages. We had the opportunity to conduct training for women and childcare workers on child nutrition and development and we also ran a business skills workshop for young people who are developing small businesses.

We must have sang "My Redeemer Lives" to over 1000 kids throughout the 10 days and we even managed to clap, sing and move in time by the end!

We absolutely loved our time there, we really connected with the people and it was an incredible privilege to play our small part in what God is doing in Rwanda. We'll definitely be going back!

- Bridget O'Donohue

Some of the comments received during the 100 days...

Hope Rwanda - The Impact

Although '100 days of Hope' has officially ended for 2006, the legacy will remain for eternity.

Hope Rwanda involved over 3,000 volunteers from all walks of life and spheres of influence, representing more than ten nations including Australia, United Kingdom, South Africa, Uganda, New Zealand, USA, and Kenya.

Finally, one of the greatest legacies from the Hope project is the unity which has been evident in the church leadership throughout the country. This has not been seen since the genocide.

- Mark & Darlene Zschech

Rwanda - Personal Reflections

It's been a few weeks since I've been back in Sydney. I am ever grateful for my wife and three beautiful children. Any cares that I had, have diminished into insignificance. My heart and mind have shifted to a new place. I miss all the African faces. I think of the wonderful Rwandans we met, government officials, ministers, villagers, orphans, survivors. I can picture their noble faces, their bright smiles, and the joy in their hearts. I can picture the corpses, and bullet ridden buildings. I recall the face of the caretaker at the Murumbi Memorial, whose face was that of a broken soul, yet when he smiled, the joyful man who hid inside could be glimpsed. He represents Rwanda for me. A noble, cheerful people, who are starting to find their smiles from within.

Hope Rwanda was a symbol of what could be, for the Rwandans and their nation; where the restoration of their hearts, and the daunting task of forgiveness and justice, would wash away the sins of the past; where the shackles and burdens of genocide could be laid to rest forever. Not forgotten, because God knew their name: Rwanda.

- Philip Sohn

Precious moments captured by award-winning photographer

Award-winning photographer, David Oliver is devoted to capturing spontaneous, once in a lifetime moments that are treasured for posterity.

With incredible achievements in the field of portrait photography, David has been a three time reciprocate of the prestigious John Whitfield King award for excellence in portrait photography.

During the final week of Hope Rwanda, David captured those unforgettable moments on film. There’s been talk of publishing a book showcasing these beautiful photos, so keep your eye on the website for updates.