Calgary wife to return to Africa with son
In the summer of 2008, Lyndsey Prete went to volunteer with Amani Baby Cottage in Jinja, Uganda. That is where she would meet her future husband, Richard Enyimu, a local in the city of Jinja.
Lyndsey’s first impression of Richard was that he was a kind-hearted individual, and he knew how to make her laugh. Richard also shared the same beliefs and passions as Lyndsey, and the two became good friends.
After her volunteer experience ended, she returned home to Canada, and kept in touch with Richard. It was not until that October that the two would officially begin dating. For the next three years, the couple kept their relationship through long distance, with Lyndsey visiting Richard every summer through volunteer positions with an organization called Our Own Home. Eventually, the two married July 23 in Jinja, Uganda, and had their first son, Noah, here in Calgary. This past December was the first time that Richard came to visit Lyndsey in Canada. Before December, he had never travelled outside of his own country.
The pictures in this photo essay document some of Richard’s stay here in Calgary. His stay was short, and the family is now once again separated for another six months. It won’t be until Lyndsey’s graduation from Mount Royal University this fall that she will finally be rejoined with Richard in Jinja, where they will be starting a ministry called “Rejesha Ministries International.” This ministry will provide Bible studies and other knowledge classes to prisoners in Jinja. It will also provide support to prisoners’ families by doing school sponsorship, medical, and counseling programs. The word Rejesha means restore in Swahili, the local language. The couple liked the meaning of this word because it relates to the idea of restoring the prisoner’s dignity, as well as restoring their family’s hurts and pains.
For more information about the organization, please contact: lyndsey_prete@hotmail.com
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epoon@cjournal.ca