Church!

Celebrating our Lord Jesus Christ among our Rwandan brothers and sisters is always an exciting and joy-filled experience! We got to to share/hear testimonies from, sing with, and worship alongside many people from the Blessed Mango Tree church (they used to meet under a mango tree before they had a building). We had the privilege of serving them lunch, playing with the kids, and buying goods made by students at the vocational school. It was a wonderful thing to be a part of praising our Creator together!

"Your Words Were Found, and I Ate Them"

We were able to return again to Kabuga village, only this time, we brought hundreds of Bibles in the Kinyarwandan language to give to each home. We split up into teams with translators, and the people were ecstatic to receive them. It was an incredible experience.

  One house we came to was that of blind man. We asked if he had anyone who might be able to read to him. He explained that he in fact had a wife, who was working outside the village since he couldn't work, and a son, who could both read. So we gave him a Bible and asked if we could share one of our favorite verses with him and then prayed together. The man was so moved, and his eyes were welling up with tears as he said to us, "I am so thankful for this book that is life. Even the words you have spoken to me today have helped me. Because I am blind, not many people care about me or visit me, and so I want you to know that everything you have done for me this day, you have done for Christ. I pray God blesses you." Upon hearing this, we choked up a little too, thanked him for being so kind and for welcoming us, and told him he would be in our thoughts and prayers.

At another house, there wasn't a lot of room and I already had several kiddos wrapped on my arms so I offered to wait outside while two of my team members went in. The Kinyarwandan phonetics are very similar to Kiswahili, so I was able to read some of my favorite passages in the Bibles we had with the kids. They loved seeing a white person saying the words of their language, and would all laugh if I pronounced one of the words wrong and would correct me. It was so much fun!

The Star School

These are some of the beautiful faces of joy and laughter that we got to visit at the Star School. Many of these kiddos are sponsored through World Help to go to school. 

 We were able to get microscopes and school supplies for the school to have an entire science lab. We also brought an autoclave to the clinic at the school so that instruments can be sterilized. We also visited a trauma center that was built alongside the school. Many children who suffer the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following the genocide can come here to receive counselling, therapy, and education on how to move forward. 

It was pretty heartbreaking to play and laugh with a little child, and then learn that they didn't have any family or anyone to sponsor them to go to school. Sometimes they would ask me with the sweetest eyes and most sincere earnest, if I would sponsor them to go to school. I wish I could pay for all of them to, like my own children. Its hard when you go to places where you see so much pain and suffering, and you just want to save the whole world. You look around at the scope of the problem, into the eyes of each sweet child, and feel utterly helpless. Cyrus, one of our leaders from the Dominican Republic of the Congo who serves as the Regional Director of Africa for World Help, said something about this that I believe is true. You can't save the whole world, but each of us can make a difference in the life of even one person, that can transform their entire world. And that is something beautiful. And so each day that we got to spend with some of these little ones, we hoped to let our actions be those that would make a difference in the lives of those that we met. We only got to spend a few days with these children, but as we continue these relationships from afar, and make our way home making relationships with those around us, I think this principle should be one that shines through us.

A Day at the Vocational School

In Rwanda, as in many African countries, it is not uncommon to come across "street kids" on your way to town or the market. Many of these kids have no family to care for them  and no place to go, so they end up begging on the streets, often getting into trouble, and leading a life consumed with prostitution, drugs, or violence. In an effort to end the vicious cycle, the church who we partnered with on our trip, has built a Vocational School where children can be sponsored to come, learn a trade, and go on to support themselves and their families with their newly learned skill, instead of resorting to other means. It is a way that they can gain accomplishment, honest work, and esteem within their community, but most importantly, while at the school, they hear the message of Jesus. They are able to spend time among peers who share similar stories, encourage one another, and be experience the love of Christ as the people within the church, teachers, and community pour into them during their stay. We had the privilege of visiting the school, meeting many of the students, sharing our stories with them, and hearing theirs.

 Cooking and sewing are pictured above, and those training to be electricians and carpenters are pictured below, just a few of many trades offered at the school. Liberty University sells shoulder bags in the bookstore that are made by the women here who go to or have graduated from the sewing program. This helps them to pay school fees or get on their feet when just starting out their new business.

After meeting many of the students, we had a chapel service where we danced and sang with the students, sheared some of our testimonies, and passed out cycle beads. We had hand made and prayed over each bracelet prior to our trip, with the help of many gracious Liberty University students who volunteered to help. These bracelets, or cycle beads, help provide education and understanding, and allow the girls to plan accordingly for their monthly cycle, as missing school is often an issue for this reason. We also brought lots of women supplies that were donated. We were able to explain to each woman, how just like we have patterns for sewing or welding or wood-working or building, God also created each of our bodies with patterns. And He has made each and every one of us with remarkable design and uniqueness in His own image. 

The Widows Village

On our first day in Rwanda, we went to the beautiful village of Kabuga, on the outskirts of Kigali where we were greeted by these joyful children, welcoming us with singing!

 Here, mainly orphans and widows who were affected by the genocide live. Liberty University built a well and a school nearby where many of the children are sponsored by World Help and now attend (the yellow shirts with blue shorts are the uniforms for the school, we visited during summer break but these are the best clothes many of the kids have so that is why they were wearing them!). We were the sixth team from our school to come and visit them, so they were very familiar with who we were. As soon as we went out to greet them, they ran up to us with bear hugs and bright smiles. After learning their names and playing, we went to each home doing general check ups, bringing things like water jugs and mosquito nets, and praying with them. We got to sing and dance with them, hear about their lives, and share testimonies.

 It was amazing to love on and share with so many brothers and sisters in Christ across the world who had endured so much, yet praised the Lord all the more. Singing about Jesus with these children of God and reminding them how much He loves them, was an indescribable joy, one that I will never forget.

Arrived Safely in Kigali!

About 25 students, a mix of residential and online, studying mainly nursing, psychology, counselling, or seminary, all met up alongside me in the Washington Dulles international airport on Saturday, to journey over 7,000 miles together to the beautiful country of Rwanda. It was great to get to know one another better, hearing story after story about how God had handpicked and provided for each of us to follow Him to this place. After several bouts of nodding off, lots of reading, praying, and thinking, a few charlie horses, and many glances out the window (too see amazing views like this one over the Swiss Alps!) we arrived safely at last!

As I stepped off the plane, the warm air filled my lungs and I took in the sweet familiar scent. It was so good to back in the amazing continent of Africa. We rounded up all of our luggage (enough to fill an entire bus-not even kidding!) and made our way to Solace Ministries Guesthouse where an entire display of colorful food awaited us, a reminder of how hospitality is never ever in short supply here. Looking up at the mosquito net above me in bed that night, my imagination drifted off to what lay in store in the days ahead. The words I read by David Platt earlier that day swirled in my head and became my prayer, "When You come to Jesus, His Spirit fills your spirit. His love becomes your love. His joy becomes your joy. His mind becomes your mind. His desires become your desires. His will becomes your will. His purpose becomes your purpose, His power becomes your power." I thought of Philippians 2:1-8 and prayed that our team might follow in Christ's footsteps of servanthood.

Updates Coming Soon!

Thank you to everyone who has supported and been praying for my team and I! God has been doing so many incredible things among the people of Rwanda! I was unable to have internet access during our trip, so unfortunately I was not able to post updates while we were there, but I will be following up with several highlights soon!