Day 5 – Present your bodies as living sacrifices, which is your reasonable service
PREPARATION FOR THE FUNDAY
It’s the funday tomorrow! Hallelujah! 106 children from Kabajeje project will attend a fun filled, activity packed day tomorrow, please continue to pray for the team but more importantly that the children will be impacted eternally by the love of Jesus Christ.
We have just finished preparing the various activities for tomorrow, amazing balloon creations, papier-mâché flower samples, knitted purses, crepe paper flowers, stick men, plastercine, sequins, beads, copious amounts of colouring, drawing and painting material including watercolours. Games including football skills, parachute games, bats and balls, skipping ropes and a bubble making machine to name just a few will amount to hours of fun. Our praise and worship team (Sean, Lottie, Stephen and Danielle) were practicing songs that we will be singing with the children, there was joy and peace in the preparations. Thank you Jesus.
THE JOURNEY TO BUGANANMANA CHILDREN PROJECT
Early this morning, we began our journey to one of the 190 Compassion children’s projects in Rwanda, 20 meters west of Gisenyi, in the hillside community of Bugananmana. Before we drove off, Eugene informed the group that he had a touch of malaria. The group joined in corporate prayer for his healing. At the onset of the journey we could tell that we definitely have come to a visibly more deprived part of the country, the poverty was awakening. The drive from Rwanda’s capital to Gisenyi ill prepared us for the stark contrast we encountered. During yesterday’s journey we observed Rwanda’s rich green landscape, a masterpiece of our creator’s handiwork. The rolling hills that stretch for miles lay regally amidst the stone houses with tin roofs dotted across Rwanda’s mostly fertile terrain.
Today’s Journey revealed poorer communities. Despite the evident poverty the same diligence and will to work was in action, women sweeping dusty roads, people everywhere, men, women and children putting their hand to work or gathered to find work for the day. During the drive the rolling hills appeared less frequently but set the grand backdrop to some of the sights and sounds of the villages we passed through. Through the window of the van, two children were playing earnestly in a tree, many women walking carrying heavy loads on their heads or back. One little child walking alone, children playing football, volleyball using a reed held up in the air by a friend as a net. We observed a lady washing her clothes by hand upon the rocks in front of her house, oblivious to passersby.
People walking with yellow water containers to the nearest pump have become a common sight. Throughout the journey the team sang songs of praise and worship accompanied by Stephen on the guitar. As praises rang out of the windows of the van, our prayer was that the Holy Spirit would visit those streets and the people of Rwanda we passed.
Suddenly Eugene got up in the van and declared the healing he had received during the praise and worship. He shared from 1 Peter 2:9. With a heart full of joy he said regardless of our colour or background, we serve one God, one Saviour. He wanted us to know that he didn’t take it for granted that God gave His only son, Jesus. Eugene spoke of his excitement, he said that the life he has in Jesus often makes him want to jump or fly, even though he knows the latter is not possible for man. He boldly declared “There is life in the scriptures and that we are just passing through this earth.”
He told us that he has been saved for 15 years and was called to ministry after 2 years and he loves to share what Jesus has done for him.(1Cor 3:11). He ended his spontaneous exaltation by stating “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for Jew first and then Greek” (Rom 1:16). Hallelujah! We thank God for Eugene’s healing! The journey continued and we passed hundreds of tea pickers in the fields, mother’s working with babies strapped to their backs, we passed the government bus that operates once a day, transportation is still a problem in this area.
As we approached the Bugananmana area, children waved and ran alongside the van, the delight on their faces as the team handed out crisps and sweets are memories to treasure. In some parts we were welcomed with waves, warm smiles and cheers, there was a sweet aroma of joy and elation at being afforded the opportunity to experience such love. We were connected to the people on these Rwandan streets through God’s love. Before we arrived at Bugananmana project, we passed Kabujeje project, our project (Worldwide Mission Fellowship). A beautifully constructed building offered a taste of what we will experience when we visit our project on Saturday.
ARRIVAL AT BUGANANMANA CHILDREN’S PROJECT
Out of the entrance of a Presbyterian church attached to the project, came excited children some in traditional customs singing and dancing to greet us. We were escorted into the church past the crowds of gathered outside.
The dimly lit church with only small windows and a door offering minimal sunlight was very simply decorated with an assortment of fresh and dried flowers. The hundreds of children inside under the age of 10 clapped enthusiastically and sang to us, we were later informed that we were the first visitors to this project. The welcome was humbling and seemed somehow unfitting as in our hearts we were applauding the children for their remarkable, resilience, bravery and courage in less than perfect conditions. We thank God however for His grace and His people, especially the children we have met in Rwanda. The Pastor of the church did the official welcome and we were introduced to staff and members of the management committee.
Mothers and fathers joined us in the sanctuary that was filled to capacity. The children preformed another song and dance and also recited scriptures they had memorized from the bible. It was then our turn to sing to the children “The name of the Lord is my strong tower” complete with actions, we then called some children to sing along with us and learn our dance, it was amazing fun as despite the language barrier little children lifted up their hands and did running actions as we praised.
Throughout the proceedings the children sat in an orderly fashion and responded promptly to their teachers. Despite the apparent poverty in the area, the joy we experienced was refreshing, like a cool glass of water. The two songs that the children sang to us translated, “Good to see you here”, “We pray for God’s peace to be upon you that you would live long and take the gospel around the world”. We then split into groups and visited the children in their classrooms, the group read stories and preformed songs complete with actions, this was a special moment.
Before we left we took group pictures with the children outside and swarms of flies had come to join us, it was amusing to watch ourselves trying to look composed and gracious as swarms of flies hovered over our heads or darted into our ears or faces, there was a lot of hand waving and ducking during this session that was just the team. The children and parents looked on bemused. Beautiful memories were captured and the children hugged us lovingly and shook our hands as we left.
HOME VISIT
We visited the home of Olive, a 7 year old girl and her mother. The mother greeted us as though we were long lost cousins, regardless of culture and skin colour. Olive is the youngest of 6 children, her father died. She told us she likes maths and wants to become a doctor. She helps her mum cook and goes searching in the bushes for fire wood. She was the most adorable, sweet natured child and the thought of this tiny little girl hunting for sticks in the bushes, was foreign to every aspect of our western culture. The independence of many young children in Africa speaks of the hand of God, because it is His protection that keeps these babes. (Psalm 23)
Pastor Dennis captured with clarity the image that could be seen as you looked out of this humble home.
When pastor showed Olive, her image taken on the digital camera, her smile became even bigger and her beautiful brown eyes sparkled all the more.
Olive was offered a sweet and the gratitude received was as though she had been given the pearl of great price, upon reflection our hearts were connected in Christ was that pearl, an unforgettable moment. Before eating the sweet clutched in her little tiny hand in an attempt to hide it from the hordes of children gathered outside, she showed it to her mum, the mother’s eyes signaled intrigue into the chocolate éclair that lay before her, so a handful more was given to the mother to ensure that Olive got to sample the sweet toffee. Again the mother’s gratitude overflowed, it certainly brought clarity and perspective to the important things in life, the condition of one’s heart. Are we grateful or ungrateful?
Just to melt our hearts further, Olive offered to sing to us. She sang in Kinyarwandan, the translation as follows: I am a sheep of the Lord, God provides for me and I am well taken care of, He takes me to green pastures and when the Lord comes, He will take me home.
We prayed for the family, Olive’s mother prayed God’s blessings over us (Psalm 91), a very humbling experience.
Tomorrow we will be meeting 106 children from Kabujeje project which belongs to WWMF in partnership with Compassion, most of whom belong to members of our congregation and the team will be meeting their individual sponsor children for the first time. In line with Natasha’s prayer, pray with us that every instrument including pens and footballs will be symbols of hope. Please pray for the team that God’s love flowing in and through us will bring healing and deliverance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Our God is indeed a strong tower. Some weeks ago, I booked to go on holiday to Plymouth in Devon at the end of July. God showed me this past week that the motto for Plymouth (from where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for the Americas on 16 Sept 1620) is Proverbs 18:10 and then I saw on your Blog that you were singing that song from Proverbs 18:10 on Day 5 of your Rwanda. Proverbs 18:10 is also one of the readings for 2 July. How I love how the Holy Spirit connects us across the miles and the centuries. When I look at the photos and see the videos of your home visits I am reminded of the opportunity I had in September last year to meet people in Uganda connected with Compassion projects and I remember how very joyful and generous they were with the very little that they had. We have much to learn. I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue his work in and through you as you seek to minister to the people of Rwanda.