By Patrick Nzabonimpa
12 members of Teen Challenge Oklahoma, who arrived in Rwanda on the night of September 3, are set to share stories on how God changed their lives and carry out different charity activities.
Teen Challenge Oklahoma is part of Teen Challenge Global, a movement which established many drug rehabilitation centers across the world with an aim of reaching out to young people entangled in the bondage of drugs and alcohol.
For years, they’ve reached out to young people from all walks of life with drug-related challenges, rehabilitated them, and turned them into new and reformed individuals.
According to Willy Rumenera, CEO of Teen Challenge Rwanda and Regional Director of Teen Challenge for East Africa, the team of young people is also set to move around Rwanda praying for the sick, distributing food to the poor and will build a house for a family residing in Cyanika, Burera District.
He declared that they have been his partners and friends for a long time and have helped him to establish a Teen Challenge Center in Kigali which is rehabilitating different young people.
He added: “We are excited to have them around and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for them.”
Deborah Sheckels, Program Director of Teen Challenge Oklahoma Adolescent Centres, is part of the team.
She said that every time they come to Rwanda, they learn something new – a motivation that boosts their excitement whenever they return to the country.
“We learn from the experience we get from Rwanda, go back to our schools and let our teenagers get to minister and share the word of God. We talk about drug addiction, being able to overcome it while also giving hope to others by letting them know that there is a different way they can take and thus they don’t have to stay bound by addiction,” she said.
“There is hope in Jesus,” she continued. “You don’t have to stay in the bondage that you are in. He really can set you free.”
Sheckels also noted that Pastor Willy and the entire Teen Challenge team are there to help anybody who is ready to reach out and are ready to meet them and help them walk through their difficulties.
Tisha Boney, President of Comfort My People International, who is part of the visiting team, started partnering with Pastor Willy for Teen Challenge in 2014.
She said their vision kept growing and led to the establishment of Comfort My People International’s side office in Rwanda.
According to Boney, they are set to continue spreading Jesus’ name throughout Rwanda, Africa and across the globe.
