Last night (Sunday, November 22, 2009), the Rwanda Group shared several videos with us to celebrate Rwanda Night.  We learned more about our partnership with our sister church in Nygatare, Rwanda.  Please enjoy:

1.  Sarah’s photo slideshows of Nygatare, our family there and the surrounding region

Slideshow #1

Slideshow #2

2.  Video of our sister church worshiping, shot by Sarah

Worship Video

3. Greetings from our Sister Church in Nygatare, shot by Sarah

Greeting #1

Greeting #2

Greeting #3

4.  Amanda’s testimony of her visit in Nygatare and thoughts on our education project

Amanda #1

Amanda #2

5.  A video (shot by Kelsey during her visit) from our sister church discussing their English service

English Service Video

Pastor Deo from our sister church in Nyagatare, Rwanda has sent us photos.   He says: “The attached are photos of my family and my church choir.  I draw your attention to one special person: my wife, Beatrice commonly called Darling.  Her photo is the most beautiful surrounded by my four other children.  Thank you for viewing these beautiful, tremendous, phenomenal creatures.  Love all, Deo.”

Photos after the jump. Read More

Read “A Message of Hope From a Pile of Bones,” by Ellis Cose, here.

As Rwanda commemorates the 15^th anniversary of the Genocide beginning on April 7, we pray for our brothers and sisters there, especially in our sister congregation in Nyagatare. This first week of the 100 days of remembrance can be especially traumatic to many as it sets triggers of the memories of the sights, sounds and smells that filled their country with the death of 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutus.

 The first week will be a time when students are off from school, memorials services for those bodies still being recovered are held; visitation to the homes of the survivors in the communities; community meetings and speeches; movies such as “Sometime in April” and “Shake Hands with the Devil” will be broadcast on television; all to remember what happened so it “will never happen again”. 

Time does not heal all wounds. It takes the hard work of reconciliation and forgiveness. It takes the love of Jesus to forgive the sinner who repents and believes. It takes the prayers of intercession from God’s people to provide strength to continue the battle against evil.

We need forgiveness too, for being deaf to the calls for help from the people in Rwanda 15 years ago. Even now, it is so difficult to imagine the sense of fear, loss, pain and suffering that those in Rwanda experienced. Those Rwandans who were outside the country experienced the loss of complete families, survivor guilt, and the sense of helplessness, too. No one is untouched and all need the healing power of our Lord Jesus. Nothing else holds the keys to heal the anger and guilt, to restore a community and re-unite a victim with their adversary.

Pray for the reconciliation that is happening and needs to continue; for the widowed and orphans; for those who have loved ones in prison; for those in the prisons; for the leaders of Rwanda especially President Kagame.

Pray for the Church and her leaders to lead the way forward. For Archbishop Kolini and the entire House of Bishops. For Pastor Deo and Beatrice in our sister parish, and for the healing of the people there. For Laura Waters Hinson while she is in Rwanda this week, preparing to show “As We Forgive” there later this summer. Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on their land. Let’s hold “hands” with our sister churches and commit to pray for them.