Rwanda Team Update #2

Muraho again! Yesterday, the Rwanda team departed from Nyagatare, visited Bishop Alexis in Gahini, and safely arrived at the As We Forgive house in Kigali. Our brothers and sisters in Nyagatare sent us off with monster hugs and greetings to everyone. It is going to be difficult to describe the intensity and impact of these newfound relationships with words, so we hope everyone will be able to see it on our faces and hear it in our voices when we return. We also had a great time with the amazingly adorable children of Nyagatare, as we were able to play football and dance with them, visit their schools,
and receive informal lessons in Kinyarwanda (the native language, although many speak very good English).

Many of you will also be happy to know that the Rwandan prayers for marriage and children in our church have been fervently renewed by Pastor Emmanuel and several members of their Development Committee (our Rwanda Group’s counterparts).

Bishop Alexis and, today, Archbishop Kolini were incredibly grateful to have us and shared wonderful advice and prayers in encouraging our ministry here in Rwanda and especially back home.

We got a real sense of the (material) poverty and desolation resulting from the genocide yesterday, yesterday visiting Jon’s friends Aisha and Gloria, whose entire families were killed, and today visiting Kininya, a reconciliation housing association in which victims and killers are living and working together. As Blake said, in the Bible people went up mountains to meet with God. And as we were there in Kininya, we met Him as well. Friends, He is here and moving mightily.

Today we also attended a screening of As We Forgive at a local prison housing 5,200 inmates, over half of whom are there for genocide crimes. The message of repentance and forgiveness was powerful and opened some wonderful doors for conversation.

We give thanks for the work that the Lord has done already, and for the favor and protection He has shown us. We miss everyone from home but are grateful for your prayers and the opportunity to be sent out on behalf of our churches. Please continue to pray for our health and safety, as well as the As We Forgive church leaders’ conference that we’ll be attending the next couple of days.

Grace and peace from our Almighty God,

The Rwanda Team