Love
Life!
Speaks
This February, my 18-year-old son went with a team for our church on a mission trip to Rwanda. Like me, the first thing that popped into your mind when you read Rwanda was the 1994 genocide. Yes, the first thing that went through my mind was if it was safe? The family that led the trip has been making trips over there for years. Last year the pastor and his wife went to check it out, they had to feel that it was safe to take a team in. What gave me the overwhelming peace to let him go, was the God's provision of the funds he need to go. I knew this was God's plan for his life. This is about how a country goes from one of death to one of life.
The Rwanda genocide was started by extremist Hutus pressuring people to turn against their neighbors if they were Tutsi, to kill and steal their property. It started April 7th and ended in mid-July of 1994. Over the 100 days 800,000 people were killed, mostly Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Not all Hutus agreed with what was going on and would help protect their Tutsi friends at the risk of their own and family's lives. In mid-July the Rwandan Patriotic Force, RPF as it is called, took control of the capitol, Kigali, putting an end to the genocide. The commander of the RPF is now the President of Rwanda. In order to put the genocide behind them he has declared there is no more Hutus or Tutsis, just Rwandans.
One lady, a widow, hid a man they didn't know each other. She helped him because it was the thing to do. When it was over he left. Years later without knowing he went back to thank her. He had no clue what her name was. Somehow he found her and to thank her her furnished her house with beautiful hand carved furniture that he made. She has taken in orphans and is raising them.
Driving there would probably drive any American crazy. Basically if you can fit you can go. There was one time my son told me about where two cars almost hit each other. There was no getting out of the cars and yelling at each other and the only hand gesture was a friendly wave as they laughed about it.
As you can see in the picture that stickers is loves currency with the kids. OK, even some adults.
by
Bonnie
Beardsley