In 2010, Trinity’s Rwanda Mission expanded to include Global ALPHA Trainings (GATs). The ALPHA course is a practical introduction to the basics of Christianity centered around a talk and a small group discussion. Trinity has been hosting the ALPHA course for years, so it seemed a natural step to add training Rwanda leaders on how to run the course at their churches to our Mission. Our September 2010 trip was focused on the construction of a new home in Nyamagabe and hosting GATs in Kigali and Butare. Our team was split into two groups: one team was focused on building a house, while the other team was focused on the ALPHA trainings. Members of the village chose a family to receive the new home we helped construct: Beatrice, a grandmother who is crippled from disease, and her grandson Ernest. Working with locals on the new home for Beatrice and Ernest was a meaningful and powerful experience for the build team. The ALPHA team hosted a two-day GAT at Africa New Life’s Dream Center in the capital of Rwanda, Kigali, and another two-day GAT at a church in the city of Butare. All together the team trained approximately 125 pastors and church leaders on how to run the ALPHA program at their churches. During the trip, we were also able to visit with our sponsored children, which was a highlight for many team members who have been sponsoring their children, through World Vision, for years.
