by Pastor Andrew
My trip to Africa is proving to be rewarding. After the confronting poverty of Burundi, I was bracing myself for Rwanda, yet was pleasantly surprised to find it a relatively clean, developed and engaging country. The capital Kigali, at least, had an appeal that neighbouring countries lack, with good infrastructure and the feel of a rapidly modernising city.
Getting there was a whole other matter.
To save on flight costs, Matthijs and I took a ‘taxi’ from Burundi. The trip, which wound over stunning mountains and through intriguing villages, should have taken about five hours but our driver – let’s call him Leroy – had other things on his mind. After visiting his hillbilly girlfriend, his hillbilly girlfriend’s hillbilly family, and a string of small, dusty shopping centres teeming with legions of enthusiastic beggars, Leroy dropped us off ten leg-cramping hours later, but not before asking us for extra money because life is hard! Next time, we fly!
I digress.
The longer I stayed in Rwanda, the more impressed I was, both with the country and with our team there. DMI Rwanda has a young and energetic leader in Patrick and a young and well organised board. Every night, one of the board members would host us and the other board members for dinner and fellowship. They have a mission focus that sees the Deaf reached for Christ and makes food-poking, gutter-tripping, mangled-finger-signing foreigners feel most welcome. And oh how they laugh – both at me and with me! Their joy is paramount and contagious.
Despite my peculiarities, they invite me (and Matthijs – who fits right in like he was born here) to speak in church. And the church is full. Fifty people are seated and at least a dozen more are standing at the back, overflowing outside and peering in through the rear windows. “We could do with a new church building,” Patrick gently signs after the service. No kidding. The Deaf here are hungry for the Word and they are being well-fed. When the service concludes, we pass the peace to each other in a procession that lasts nearly as long as the service.
In the afternoon we are faced with a dramatic change of scene when we are taken to the Genocide Museum. This impressed me as much as it horrified me. It recounted most thoroughly the lead up to the genocide, the inconceivable number of people butchered and abused (over 600,000 deaths in 100 days of utter, utter madness) and the aftermath. Few families were left unscarred. In the years that followed and in the Museum, the overriding tone – astoundingly – was one of reconciliation and forgiveness. Nearly 30 years have passed since the genocide and I still sense a numbness about it all amongst the people – not an indifference but a numbness – as though what happened is still beyond comprehension, still beyond words and still beyond healing.
The days that followed were training days, superbly organised and run. Staff trainings (which we led) and business trainings (led by outside professionals) guided our staff into sound and fruitful ministry practices, and the Deaf community into well-planned commercial enterprises and business groupings, supported by our micro loan program. I would like to have invited Leroy along to learn a thing or two.
Significant needs remain which, with the right support, our team are poised to meet. A new head church in Kigali for starters, but also more staff for this growing field, more meeting rooms, more training, increased modes of transport, more visual materials for outreach. With support, our Rwandan field are going to change this country. How?
It’s the people.
I’m impressed by the infrastructure here in Rwanda. I’m impressed by the immaculate nature of the way things are organised. I’m impressed by how they have, as a community, literally risen from the ashes in a few short decades. But what impresses me most are the people here (except for Leroy maybe). The Deaf people, this community, this leadership team, are a beautiful people. Humble, sincere, capable, faithful. I have been embraced by them, eaten with them, fellowshipped with them, worshipped with them, interviewed them, and now they have my heart.
I look forward to sharing some of their personal stories in the coming blogs.
The needs – and opportunities – in Rwanda are significant. If you would like to contribute towards the ministry or development there, please click the red button below, or mail me at info@deafmin.org
you want to live with them out in the villages as well as the remote areas their are deaf folk + blind as well. They are a most beautiful people with such spiritually depth. I will be returning for my 11 visit since 2005 in April DV for another 3/4 mths. I do get the magazine.
Although so many are still scarred by the events their people know how to forgive but of course some are still coming to terms. But I have met many who have forgiven and are friends of those who damaged them. I was so glad I visited Neville + Lil just prior to his passing and now we have lost dear Alayne as well who was on the Japan board.
I was lead to adopt a single mum with 5 children who we have been sorting over the yrs. Not a legal adoption as such but drink + drugs are a menace like world wide so there is much work still to be done among old and young alike.
If I can be of any assistance just let me know. I was asked to set up an NGO the first time I visited the country in conjunction with there’s which has gone on from strength to strength after they got a few things sorted over there as it grew to fast with few staff at the time but that’s another story.