I've heard the saying a thousand times. God never gives you more than you can handle. But I guess I never really gave it much thought, until my time here in Rwanda.
On the surface- this country is absolutely beautiful. In fact, this has been my favorite African country that we've been to! I literally catch myself being blown away by God's artwork, as I stare at the gorgeous views that surround the house that we're living in this month. The people are also beautiful in their own unique way. They seem so contempt and happy with their simple lives, much different than the hustle and bustle of America.
But underneath all the beautiful scenery and loving smiles, there's a dark place that will forever be apart of this country's heart and history: the 1994 genocide. And even though it's been 20 years since that terrible tragedy, the majority of the people we come into contact with have been directly affected in one way or another. However, despite the horrible events that they've lived through, they are still some of the most faithful people I've ever met.
We have the opportunity to minister to about 15 young girls in a sewing school this month. Most of these girls are between the ages of 18-25, and the majority of them come from extremely tough backgrounds. Some are even orphans, due to loosing their entire family in the genocide. Every morning we lead a devotional… and then the fun starts! We get to spend a few hours with the girls- watching them sew dresses, skirts, baby clothes, etc… talking with them… getting to know them… And sometimes if we're lucky, we might even learn a few tricks of the trade!
One morning, as we were talking about faith and trust in God- Mama Joseline (one of the sewing teachers) gave a brief testimony about surviving the genocide. She mentioned that she was among a group of people who were supposed to be killed. But, she never felt a peace like she did on that day.
"There were men around training young boys how to kill people. You couldn't trust anyone to protect you. Brothers were turning on brothers. Family members were turning on family. The UN didn't even protect us. When they saw fire- they would run away. When I saw them starting to run away, I knew that I should run too. I hid myself… and had no way to come out. That's when I knew that God was my refuge. I kept telling myself that God will protect me. That He created me… And He will protect me. I penetrated into God deeper than ever before. I had a strong sense of peace that I had never felt before… Flowing like a river. I didn't feel harm. God protected me."
She then encouraged us that with any problem in life- we shouldn't run to people (family or friends) for help; we should run straight to God! We should kneel down and continue asking God for help, until we feel that strong sense of peace. She now thanks God everyday for what He did for her… and for how He finds us in our struggles to reveal Himself in our lives.
Mama Joseline is full of so much joy and peace. I can't even begin to picture her suffering through something like the genocide. God clearly knew that she could handle surviving such a traumatic event. And He's definitely using her as an example of what it looks like to have a steadfast, unwavering faith/trust in God- despite the storms and chaos going on around her.
There's people just like Mama Joseline all over this country.
Last Friday, I met a young gentleman by the name of Fidel in church. He was about 25 years old. When I asked him what he wanted prayer for, he simply said that He wanted Jesus to change his life. I remember thinking- that's pretty broad… but alright here we go. After I prayed for him, there was still some time left… So I decided to start some typical small talk. I asked if he had any brothers or sisters. He smiled, and with such a peaceful spirit mentioned that he was an orphan. His mother, father, and all his brothers and sisters were murdered in the genocide. He was the only one left.
I had been working with Mama Joseline and the girls at the sewing school…. I had even visited the genocide memorial on one of our off days, but for some reason this one caught me completely off guard. It literally took everything inside of me to hide the tears that were obviously starting to fill up my eyes. I had no words. All I could say was- "I'm so sorry." It was like I could see right into his soul- the hardships growing up, the pain, the worries, the longing for a family. And that's when I knew what his prayer request was all about. He wanted Jesus to change his life by giving him a family.
And just when I wanted to walk away and cry… Jesus provided me the strength to encourage him- reminding him that clearly God has a purpose for his life. That as long as he continued putting faith and trust in God- he would be blessed tremendously.
Like I said, there are tons of people all over this country who have such a dark and painful past. But regardless of what they've been through- their warm smiles and strong faith in God are a constant reminder of God's powerful hand in our lives.
Even though I've never experienced even a glimpse of what these people have been through- I've definitely had my own struggles throughout my life. And unfortunately, instead of remaining steadfast in trusting The Lord- I ran the opposite direction. But by the grace of God and his STEADFAST love, I was pulled up out of the dark pit. And by the blood of Jesus Christ- I am redeemed!!!
Having this opportunity to live here in the city of Kigali, the exact city where it all went down 20 years ago- has put a whole new perspective on my faith and trust in God. Doing life among these beautiful people has truly been a blessing. Their testimonies have been a true inspiration and a reminder of the kind of faith I want to display from here on out!
So the next time a struggle or storm pops into my life- I can rest assured that God is truly in control… And that He definitely never gives me more than I can handle.
🙂
