I hate goodbyes. The morning we left Rwanda and was THE hardest goodbye I've had to say yet on the Race.. and this is Month 10!
This past month in Rwanda was super special. Probably my favorite month yet on the World Race. Probably even surpassing Thailand — it's a close call. The difference is I loved Thailand because it was all glittery & shiny & exciting: markets, temples, elephants, monks, prostitutes —everything was so crazy & hyped.
Rwanda I loved for a deeper, more 'real' reason, it's inspiring: the mountains, the people, the sense of community, the LOVE and PEACE that their country and culture carries — it's beautiful & contagious! I want to be more like the Rwandans I spent the last 30 days with. I want to love, give generously, forgive, build & serve my community, and live ON FIRE for the Lord like they do!
Talk about generosity:
-I posted on FB about the woman whose breast tumor I got to pray for. Her name is Constatine. She was so sweet! And she was so thankful that I had come 'all the way from America to pray for her' that she told me she'd be my Rwandan mother 🙂 And, in typical motherly fashion, she wanted to shower me with gifts! The second day I came to see her, she greeted me with a big smile and a hug and then she took my hand in hers and tried to slip me money! I couldn't believe it — it was a 1,000 Rwandan Frank bill (the equivalent to about $2 USD). I giggled and hugged her and wouldn't accept it. And when I went to tell Moses, our translator and 'big brother' for the month, he told me, "WOW. 1,000 Franks is hard to come by here in the village. That's the equivalent to about 4 days worth of food!"
I was so moved that she would sacrifice that much, for me. When I wouldn't accept the money, she went and bought me a bunch of bananas, instead. Those I did accept gratefully. She told Moses that this is how she takes care of her own children when they visit, so because I am her daughter – she wanted to do the same for me.
-And family:
Our Pastor, Bishop Peter, also adopted us as daughters. When we first arrived, I was a little nervous. We never know what our ministry activities will be until we get there, this was my first month as a leader, and my girls are TIRED. So when I sat down with Bishop Peter to schedule for the month and he asked me, "what do you girls want to do?" and told me, he "wanted us to be happy and comfortable with his family"… I was so happy I literally cried!
God had gone ahead of me and worked out all the details – just like He always does.
–Hospitality!
They brought an all new meaning to the word. Moses, our translator, guide, and big brother would drop what he was doing to go and buy us sugar if we ran out at breakfast. He would fend off anyone who looked at us the wrong way. He would defend us against people who tried to overcharge us on bus fare or road-side fruit. He was the BEST!
–Fun!
We got to speak on a Kigali Radio Station, speak at a University, do door to door evangelism in a remote mountain village with the whole church congregation of like 30 people trailing behind us — now I know what Jesus felt like with the crowds following him everywhere! We visited and spoke to a Reconciliation Village where 1994 Genocide survivors and perpetrators live together in community, we joined our church in praying for their nation as they celebrated 40 days of 24-hour-prayer in remembrance of the genocide, we were encouraged, we were loved, we were inspired.
Even though a lot of my girls were sick this month (I told God when they all started coming down with stuff, "If you're gonna have me team lead and do this, you're gonna have to keep me healthy!" And he kept his end of the deal. ;)…. and this was the month I got my beloved Blackberry stolen…and it was my first month with added responsibility of "Leadership"….it was an AWESOME month.
When we bid farewell to our church, they told us:
We are different from the other muzungus
We love everywhere.
We sit everywhere.
We eat everywhere.
We are not muzungu (white people)
We are Rwandese!
They told us that we carry the presence of God.
That when we speak, the Holy Spirit releases his glory onto those listening.
They told us that the prayers that people are praying for us are really working, because the anointing on our lives is so special and the presence of God is so apparent on us.
They told us that if they could, they would write letters to 'the people who sent us and thank them! Because we have been a great blessing'. ….So thank YOU! -From my Rwandan family 😉
When we told our church that THEY were the ones who were so amazing, they told us:
"God takes us through challenges and suffering in order to increase our anointing
God has taken Rwanda through tough times – so now we are strong.
We have to keep fighting in order to fend off the enemy's attack.
He put a permanent stain on their history, and now continue to fight in prayer to keep peace and unity for the future."
God took that weakness and made it their greatest strength!
It's beautiful how God does that! 🙂
I cried so much when we said goodbye to Bishop Peter, Moses, and the rest of our Rwandan family!
Bishop Peter told us, "You are my daughters. I am black – you are white- but we are the same."
I love Rwanda!!
