Fellows Fold International

So it's June.

(I know, I know – how did that happen? No clue.)

But it's June and that means a few things.

First – it means our year as Fellows is coming to an end. There's been a lot of lasts lately – last morning prayer, last family dinner, last day of classes, last day of work. This past weekend was our final retreat. I sat on a porch with my favorite people, listening to rain fall and thinking – how did it go so fast? It feels like just yesterday we were sitting on that same porch, sharing our favorite books and movies and talking about what the next ten months would bring, and now here we are, retelling stories from the past ten months.

It's been an incredible year, to say the least. I don't know how to accurately describe what the Fellows program does for you, but I can honestly tell you it's been life-changing. It's a community that will last through eternity. It's challenging your theology and learning how to worship the Lord with your mind. It's living out your faith in the workplace. It's getting up before the sun to pray together. It's a perspective on life that keeps Christ in the center.

We're all different people – better people, I believe – because of our time as Fellows. And as we say – once a Fellow, always a Fellow. The program is ending, but our friendship isn't. It's just going to look a little different next year.

But, sappy emotional endings aside – June means something else. June means we're all getting on a place and flying to Rwanda.

We'll be spending two weeks in Rwanda, visiting our sister parish in Karangazi, learning from a Hope International savings group, visiting Compassion School Projects and seeing the work of ICM. Redeemer has a long-standing relationship with the Karangazi Parish, and many of the people going on our trip have visited Karangazi before. That's what makes this trip feel so special – we're stepping into an established relationship with our brothers and sisters. Andrea, a member of the Fellows Class of 2012-2013, is returning with us this year and can't wait to see her friends from her last trip. Many Redeemer families sponsor children through Compassion – in fact, Sarah Moubray and Stacey are co-sponsoring a sweet girl named Phionah and will get to meet her for the first time.

We're all so excited to see what God is doing in Rwanda, to get a wider perspective on the church, and to grow closer as we travel together. But – we need your help.

First: pray for us. We absolutely believe in the power of prayer. So many of you have been praying for the Fellows this year and we would really appreciate if you could just cover us in prayer a little bit longer. Pray for safe travels, pray for eyes to see and ears to hear what God is doing, pray for protection for those who aren't taking malaria medication (no really, pray for that.)

Second: turns out international airfare isn't cheap. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us financially? As a group, we're trying to raise $3,000 to help cover our trip costs. We've already raised a portion of that (shout-out to anyone who bought a t-shirt!) but there's still a ways to go. If you'd like to support us financially, there are a few ways to do that!

We're running an online auction through Better World Collective to raise money. There are some great things up there for sale – you get an awesome deal and we get funding for our trip! It's a win-win. Check it out and see if anything catches your interest! https://gfp.betterworldcollective.com/

If you'd prefer to just donate directly, you can do that too! Our Donate page has all the information you'll need. You can donate by credit card or check...we like to make your life easy, so do whatever is best for you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone who has supported us this year, in everything from praying to opening your home to writing a check to feeding us. This is possible because of you, and we're all incredibly humbled by the knowledge that so many of you believe in the Fellows and believe in God's work through the Fellows enough to invest in us. We have been so blessed through you – thank you for showing us God's love.

Finally, if you want to follow our journey to Rwanda, all our adventures will be documented here on the Redeemer to Rwanda blog. We'll be sharing pictures, stories, and prayer requests from our trip. Follow along as we take the Fellows Fold international!

With much love and thankful hearts,

the Greensboro Fellows Class of 2015