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Easter Greetings from Rwanda

Sr. Laetitia wrote this letter April 16th and sends Easter greetings to all her friends in the U.S.

Sisters Catherine and Win are Sisters of St. Joseph from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. They spent a little more than two months in Rwanda with the Assumption Sisters as part of their research in Peace Studies.

Dear friends,

I am taking this opportunity to send you greetings and Easter wishes. I can’t believe nine weeks are over since Sisters Catherine and Win, SSJ arrived in Rwanda. Cathy and Win arrived in Kigali on February 2nd, so excited and happy of such an adventure. They experienced a lot in a period of 66 days. They shared in our Assumption life (have been in eight communities out of nine), gave some English lessons in one of our secondary schools and were able to meet different people both individuals and groups, listened to their stories, sympathized and cried with them. Remember that the purpose of their visit was to experience our efforts of reconciliation and country rebuilding. Dear Cathy and Win, please, share with all the friends of Rwanda your experience and work. You are the only ones to have the proper words…do not leave out your French improvement. Do not forget your words in Kinyarwanda until next time. We thank you very much for all we received from you and the friendship that is developed from now on. Come again and soon. It is a privilege for us and for me particularly to see the seeds of friendship built during my stay in the U.S.

In my letter last January I expressed our gratefulness and thanks for your willingness to support our projects. Thank you for your feedback and continuing support. Sister Mary Ann, RA at 11 Old English Road was able to send $ 5,385 last January, thanks to your generous contribution. The $5,000 was used:

• To get six sewing machines and material for the 23 young men and women who are taking sewing lessons since February 6th. The training is a six month period.

• To buy 4 pigs.

• To build a cowshed for two calves.

Three students will receive a second trimester scholarship with the additional $385 which was sent.

Our reconciliation center is quiet at the moment. We get more groups and individuals in June – July. The friends from Florida are thinking of coming again but they are still working on the plans.

All the Sisters are doing fine in their apostolate sites. It is break time for schools. We begin the mourning week today until April 14th. It is a hard time for the while country. We pray that God continues to heal so many wounds and broken hearts, that we may live in reconciled families.

I thank you on my behalf and on the behalf of my community. We wish you and your families a very Happy Easter. Enjoy the beauty of Spring. I miss it very much.

Sr. Marie Laeititia Byukusenge, RA
Religieuses de l’Assomption
B.P. 939 Kigali-Rwanda
(250) 5 7 11 82 / 08605647
Email: mlaetitiab@yahoo.com

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Sr. Marie Laetitia, RA

Rwandan students at Assumption school

Rwandan women learning sewing skills