My dreams came true in Kigali, Rwanda!

So I’m here in Kigali, Rwanda. 

Only in the dreams I had as a young child had I ever dreamt  of stepping on this land – back when I first heard about the genocide here… and in those early dreams I saw snot-nosed African children in tattered and torn clothes, running up to me with arms wide open and with such joy painted on their faces… 

Those dreams came true for me today. The dreams that I had as a child to bring hope to a country ridden with such pain and suffering – those dreams came true for me today.
As these children came running down the hill to greet me, I felt I was back in my dreams again. The joy that surrounded me despite the circumstances was just so unreal, unexplainable and just unbelievable. Like I said I’ve seen it in my dreams but I never thought I was going to live it in this lifetime and I didn’t prepare for it – I’m not sure how I would have but all I know is the moment struck me head-on and I was so overcome…  

One thing was very different than what I’d expected. In my dreams, I dreamt that I would be the one to bring joy to this place, to these kids — but I was so utterly wrong. I currently live in a sector of the city struck with such unimaginable poverty – no electricity, no running water (for bathing or drinking or anything really), no sewage system, no paved roads, no access to healthcare, HIGH population of adults, youth and little children infected with HIV, and other fatal diseases, shoe-less orphaned children covered in dirt, bloody cuts, bruises and scabs with tattered and torn clothing, etc.- a place that seems so forsaken… But here’s where I was wrong – JOY – in a land marked with such suffering and despair, His joy abundantly overflows here. I can’t explain it and honestly, it’s illogical but its here and this joy hit me like a rock this afternoon as these children ran into me.  

Back home, we worry about so much and because we are so consumed by our worries and stresses, we are unable to tap into the joy of our Father that is in us.  Here, there is so much more to be worried about but yet, they give their worries over to God and take joy in knowing that God has their lives in the palm of His hands. At some point, we need to realize that God loves us more than we love us… God loves our parents, children, spouse, friends, etc. more than we ever could and because of that He will watch over us and provide for us in ways we cannot even fathom. We need to learn how to truly put all our trust and all our faith in Him and His plans for our lives, because it is far greater than we could ever imagine. 

“Seek Him in the lowly places.”