Our 9 am and 11 am Worship Services are back at Bishop O'Connell High School this Sunday. We will be at BOC until the last Sunday in July. The 9 and 11 am Services will be at Kenmore Middle School on July 28, and then we return to BOC. 
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Sonrise High School
About the Sonrise School
The Sonrise School opened its doors in Ruhengeri, Rwanda in 2001. Inspired by the vision of Reverend John K. Rucyahana, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Shyira in Rwanda, Sonrise was created to provide a Christian-based education for hundreds of children who were orphaned in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Most of the children at Sonrise have lost one or both parents and need the close, caring attention of a loving staff member in addition to life’s most basic necessities – shelter, clothing, nutritious meals, and health care.
At Sonrise, the children are flourishing. They are well educated, loved, and cared for, and they have found joy in friendships. The Sonrise Primary School has been so successful, in fact, that it has required the creation of the Sonrise High School.
Sonrise has made great academic strides in just a few short years, having been ranked as one of the top schools in the country. However, its greatest achievement is the faith that its children engender. They love the Lord and are filled with His Spirit. Sonrise students have a powerful desire to share the fruits of their education with others and to make a difference in their community and in their country.
The Challenge that Remains
The addition of the Sonrise High School is a great blessing to Rwanda. However, as Sonrise grows and expands, it also poses a great challenge as the cost of infrastructure, maintenance, staff, materials, food, and clothing rise.
The children of the Sonrise High School need caring sponsors. You have the power to provide these amazing young people with a life-changing, and possibly nation-changing, educational and home environment.
How the Sonrise Sponsorship Program Differs from other Sponsorship Programs
Unlike other sponsorship programs that supplement what a family and community are able to provide for children in need, the Sonrise Sponsorship Program provides for children that do not have a family or community. Sonrise is their home. Sonrise provides shelter, food, and clothing. Sonrise staff members are parents, teachers, nurses, and friends.
How to Become a Sponsor
With a minimum monthly contribution of $40, and a commitment to building a relationship, you can sponsor a child at the Sonrise High School. Your sponsorship will help educate, clothe, nourish, house, and care for your child. Because it costs $120 a month to fully fund the expenses of a high school student at Sonrise, each student may have up to three sponsors.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please fill out and return the attached Sonrise High School Sponsorship Program Form to: Sonrise High School, c/o The Falls Church Anglican, P.O. Box 690, Falls Church, VA 22040. Alternatively, you can send the requested information in an email to the team at sonriseinrwanda@aol.com.
Correspondence
It is our hope that sponsors will communicate with their child at least once a quarter by sending their letters to: Student’s Name and ID Number, Sonrise High School, P.O. Box 154, Ruhengeri, Rwanda. Because of the cost, letters from students may be limited to a few times per year. Sponsors will receive updates concerning their students and the happenings at the school.
About the Sonrise Orphans Ministry
The mission of the Sonrise Orphans Ministry is to provide for the educational, physical, health, and spiritual needs of the children that God has placed in the care of the Shyira Diocese in Rwanda. Initially a project of the Anglican Church, the Sonrise Orphans School is ecumenical in scope, and it receives support from all Christian traditions. The Sonrise Orphans Ministry is a ministry of the Mustard Seed Project (http://www.mustardseedproject.org/), which is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Donations to the Sonrise High School Sponsorship Program are tax deductible, and we are committed to applying 100% of sponsorship donations toward the sponsorship of one’s child.
About the Team
We are a team of seven of various ages and from different walks of life in the greater Washington, DC area. We have all visited the Sonrise School on global engagement trips with The Falls Church Anglican, and returned with a burning desire to be used by God to further the effort of this truly amazing work. After much consultation with Robert Dwyer of the Mustard Seed Project and with the blessing of Bishop John Rucyahana, we have agreed to assume the responsibility of coordinating the Sonrise Sponsorship Program for the current and future high school students at Sonrise.
Questions?
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact the Sonrise High School Team at:
Address: Sonrise High School
c/o The Falls Church Anglican
PO Box 690
Falls Church, VA 22040
Email: sonriseinrwanda@aol.com
View pictures from Sonrise School in our photo gallery.
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"Something must be done for these children or we will lose an entire generation." Bishop John Rucyahana |