LIVING FAITH IN RWANDA

When I visited Rwanda this summer I learned something about faith. I saw faith at work there and now I can better relate to the bible’s statement that faith is the substance of things hoped for. (Heb 11:1) Very few of us have lived through the experiences that our brothers and sisters in Rwanda have encountered.

Most of you probably know that there was a genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Approximately 1 million people were killed. The war was fueled by racial hatred that was encouraged by a corrupt gov-ernment. The church, for the most part, failed the people. Many of the church leaders fled the country. Some aided in the slaughter. Many were killed.

This summer I joined a SOMA mission to Rwanda. There were five of us on the team, four from Canada and one from Uganda. We arrived in Kigali and began the mis-sion on July 20. God is so good; He opened opportunities for us to be prepared emotionally and mentally.

We were invited to observe a National Unity & Reconciliation Commission workshop that was attended by women leaders of various churches. This workshop gave us an idea of the situation in Rwanda today. The commission spokesperson provided information gleaned from extensive surveys and studies. In general, she pointed out that the genocide resulted from government corruption, poverty and lack of education, and that future efforts should concentrate on education. The participants at the workshop were given a chance to respond to the findings and we had an opportunity to witness the complexity of the struggle for reconciliation. We left the meeting with the sense that there was hope and an expectation of recovery.

That evening some of the team watched a video depicting the situation in Rwanda during and just after the genocide. The video helped us understand the deep need for healing and reconcilation in the country. It was powerful and extremely upsetting and when it ended we were left grieving and speechless. Sonja Koekstra-Foss, a missionary, broke the silence with a prayer. I remember clinging to the prayer as a ray of hope in the darkness.

We left the next day for our destination, a small village called Shyogwe. I expected to see evidence of destruction but saw only a few damaged buildings. We did, however, see the orphanage which houses 210 children. Orphanages throughout the country are slowly disappearing as children find homes, sometimes after joyful reunions with lost parents. How can I tell you about the kaleidoscope of images and experiences that run through my mind as I reflect on those next thirteen days? The Christians in Rwanda had their faith severely tested. They are now in the process of healing and need to re-establish trust in one another and in God. The Anglican Christians that we met have affiliated themselves strongly with the church and the church is attempting to meet their needs.

These needs are numerous. Food is required to feed not only the widows and orphans but the impoverished population. Water is scarce in many areas and reliable pumps are required. Adequate medical equipment, supplies and facilities are necessary. Schools are nonexistent in some areas. Where schools do exist, there is inadequate funding, so many children can't afford an education. In fact education was so disrupted by the war that many young adults have not finished high school. Trauma counselling and help with healing and reconciliation are needed. Many children continue to struggle and have flashbacks in school; some-times, whole days are spent calming an entire class. Training is needed in the churches, many of which are led by pastors who have not yet completed their high school education. Confusion abounds as various churches vie for membership and attack one another's basic teachings. Yet the Anglican Church is alive and growing.

. We were privileged to serve in the Diocese of Shyogwe and to minister in seven different churches. We taught the pastors and catechists about baptism and the Eucharist. We also held four church services and watched the people come to a deeper, richer experience of the love of God.

We also witnessed the ongoing reconstruction of the country. I was able to stand in a field watching scores of people digging an enormous irrigation ditch using hoes. The ditch was about ten feet wide and over 1000 feet long. John Wesley Kabungo explained that the ditch is part of a project to reclaim land for planting crops. Hills have also been terraced and there are fish ponds, chicken coops and pig stys. The workers were widows, orphans and the poor. Many have come to know the Lord because each working day is started with prayer and Bible study. The work gives them dignity and enables them to bring an offering to God to further His work. John has asked for prayers both for the work and for the funding to expand the projects to other needy areas.

Emilienne has committed her life to the Lord. She works with orphaned girls in Shyogwe teaching them skills which will enable them to earn a living. She, like John Wesley, starts her classes each working day with prayer and Bible study. One of her orphans, a girl named Grace, captured all our hearts. Grace walks with the help of a stick because her leg is crippled and she is in need of an operation.

Pastor Joseph is a man of faith. I can still see him standing inside the school. Pastor Joseph is waiting expectantly on the Lord for the funding to continue the work. Outside and down the hill sits Joseph's carpentry shop. He is a carpenter by trade and is training young men who are busy making a beautiful cabinet.

Probably not many of us work 17 hour days and sing praises to God as we work? Alphonsine Dusabe does! She provided me with one of the finest examples of faithful Christian service that I have ever seen.

She woke at 5:00 a.m. to boil water for our shower/bath over an open fire, carrying the water in an enormous tin pot with only folded paper to protect her hands. She cooked delicious and varied meals three times a day; did our laundry by hand using a fence to dry the clothes and then ironed everything to protect us from insect larvae AND she praised God all day in song

All these people ministered to us by their lives of faith, their actions and their willingness to serve the Lord with a profound commitment. I praise God for all of them and for the many others who we met during our visit.

Things we can do for them: