Its been a while people! Sorry for the lack of blogs in Rwanda. I’m in Jinja, Uganda now with the squad, spending a few days together to rest, change things up, and raft the Nile! But more on that later.
So Rwanda. What a curveball of a month, let me tell you. Such a challenging and growing month with the Lord that I’m so thankful for. We spent our month working with Christian Fellowship Church in Kigali. Serving alongside sweet Pastor Innocent who loved and cared for us so well. We spent the first three weeks preaching every night at his church. And then the last week we helped out at the church’s nursery school in the morning and continued our preaching in the evenings. We got to explore Kigali a lot which was so legit and even got to go to the genocide memorial with one of the pastors who lived through the genocide. When we first arrived in Rwanda, you would never imagine that a horrific genocide took place here only seventeen years ago. This country is marked by such redemption and reconciliation that only comes from the Lord. And its such a gift to be able to see it firsthand.
So let me tell you a few highlights. One, I got to celebrate my birthday in Rwanda. Legit. But one of the sweetest moments for me this month was on Christmas day. Every Sunday, our pastor preaches on the radio from 6-7am. So on Christmas Sunday, I woke up at 4:45 and went with our pastors wife to the radio station to preach. I really had no idea what I was going to talk about for twenty or so minutes. But the Spirit just took over. Giving me words and allowing me to share about the gift of the Gospel that comes through Jesus Christ. It was so sweet. Afterwards, I find out that not only is this radio station one of the best in Rwanda, but it also broadcasts to three other countries! Uganda, Burundi, and parts of Tanzania! What?! Crazy! What a gift that the Lord used me to preach the Gospel to four different countries. And I even got to pray over Rwanda, declaring truths of what the Lord is doing in this beautiful country. And thats not all folks. That following Friday, Val and Daniele went to church to preach. And they come back telling me that a woman with a terrible tumor on her neck traveled 100 km to our church to get prayed for after she heard me on the radio. Praise God! So sweet and encouraging. It still humbles me thinking about it.
Our last week there was also really good for me. Had some incredible nights at church, praying alongside my Rwandan family and preaching what the Spirit so graciously puts on my heart. These people are beautiful. Their hunger for the Lord inspires me. Their faith encourages me. These people welcomed us into their church as family and loved us as such.
The Lord grew and refined me a lot this month. Not only as a leader but also as His daughter whom He loves. And while there have definitely been some hard days, its been so sweet to see Him transform my heart to see the joy that can be had in every day. Seeing every day as a sweet gift of life to be lived to the fullest, if you choose to. There is so much to be had even the most seemingly simple of days, but sometimes you have to choose to see it and walk in it. I’m so thankful we serve a God who loves us so much, He cares to teach us even through the little things. To grow us into the people He created us to be, His chosen people walking in light of His love and favor. I love that He is a God who refines us, so that we may come out more precious than gold, clothed in His beauty and grace, with a deeper, richer understanding of who He is and who we are.
the kids are beautiful!
going to a rwandan wedding in traditional rwandan wear!
lunch with our pastor and his wife! notice my hair is in fact a fro.
visiting the genocide memorial with pastor moses, an incredible man who lived through it! his story is outrageous!
amazing women of our church. love them!
And now Uganda begins!!
