Rwanda Challenge - Blog

Team Rwanda - Christ's Church

11/21/2020

Victoria Bishop - Thursday - Saturday, November 19-20, 2020

As our week of teaching came to a close on Thursday and Friday all of us has been touched in ways that none of us expected. I know for me I have been touched by the hard work and determination that our students have shown this week. I have been amazed to see the progress that our students have made this week. Their hard work and determination has paid off. I cannot wait to see what our students go onto to do in the MACU program and beyond. We tried to send off our students with the assignment to write everyday and find ways to continue learn and grow.

Our students also gave us the best send off at the end of the week. Our group went around and shared why they were thankful for us coming and that we were good teachers. My partner and I told our students that we could not have been such good teachers if we did not have such good students. Our students also got together and gave us each our Rwandan name. The name that our students gave to me was Neza, which means kindness. I have been touched in so many ways this week and I am excited to see what these students go onto to do.

On Saturday we went to the wedding of Angel and Billy Graham, the daughter of Theophile's. During the day we participated in a traditional dowry ceremony. Part of our group carried in the gifts that were presented to the families during the ceremony. During the ceremony we all also presented with gifts from the family, which we are all touched that the family would think of us to give a gift. After that we then participated in the wedding ceremony at the church. After that we were in a reception party to celebrate the marriage.

All in all our group has had a good week and have been touched in ways we never expected. Some of us are already planning our planning our next trip to Rwanda. I cannot wait to see what God does with these students and how he continues to use them as part of His mission.

Rwanda Challenge - Christ's Church

11/18/2020

Sabrina DeWald - Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Greetings from Rwanda! Happy Hump Day! Today is day 3 of our English teaching in Kigali. We are EXCITED to see the learning progress of our students. This morning the task of our students was to identify sentence fragments and correct the sentences to make them complete. We are very pleased at their critical thinking skills. They are understanding the basics of what completes a sentence which is one step closer to writing a paragraph! This afternoon we focused on computer work, typing sentences in a Word document, and saving them in a file. These Rwandan students work very hard and are a blessing to us. Please continue to pray for our team as we teach throughout the week. Also pray for the students to have sharp understanding minds so they can ultimately obtain a diploma and serve in their local churches to further God's kingdom.

Team Rwanda - Christ's Church

11/17/2020

Tim Turner - Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Day 2 for the Rwanda Team teaching was awesome again. What wonderful students we have the privilege of sharing with. The team is doing a fantastic job. God is definitely using them.
I have some pictures and a video. The video is of the students praying for my mother. She has had a rough week. I hope this will lift her spirits.

Team Rwanda - Christ's Church

11/16/2020

Travis Taylor - Monday, November 16, 2020

Today our team began its first day of teaching computer skills and introduced basic English grammar. Our training is being held at Zarephath Christian Church here in Kigali. We have 24 students and they were split up into three groups of eight. While there are some barriers in teaching in this context, we all as a team experienced a lot of encouragement from our time with the students. We are excited to see how God is going to use this time to further train these future church leaders. Continue to pray for the students and for our team as we all are learning in how to best help these students excel as much as possible.

Team Rwanda - Christ's Church

11/15/2020

Karlee Hardison - Friday, November 13, 2020

We had a busy but fulfilling day today! We were able to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Nyamata Genocide Memorial. After reading about the genocide of the tutsi’s before coming, it was eye opening to be able to see first hand just how horrific it was. We walked through one of the churches where 10,000+ tutsis were murdered and were able to see the blood soaked clothing and belongings of the victims. We also got to go into one of the mass graves where 45,000 bodies are buried. While this was incredibly heart breaking to see, it was a very humbling experience that makes you grateful for the freedoms we have.

Jonathan Dewald - Saturday, November 14, 2020

Safari Day - Akagera National Park

Sabrina and Jonathan Dewald

Travis Taylor, Karlee Hardison, Jennifer Parker, and Victoria Bishop

Frank Reynolds and Tim Turner

Jennifer Parker - Sunday, November 15, 2020

What a great day in Kigali, Rwanda! Today’s my day to post an update so here you go! This morning we had church in our rental home and dug into the concept of love and what loving others intentionally really looks like. May this trip be a means for me to experience love in a way I never have - creating relationships with my teammates and the wonderful people of Rwanda. Today we enjoyed delicious Italian, visited the market, had the fellas measured for their suits for the big wedding day, and did some more shopping in downtown Kigali. Tomorrow we start teaching! Our team is ready to impact lives and we are ready to meet our first group of pastors to help equip them with English and computer skills training. As much as I miss my family, I am having an amazing week and am thankful for this life changing trip. My first mission trip has been both heartwarming and heartbreaking. More tears, smiles, laughs and memories to come. Sending hugs from Rwanda. I am now family, and I think I’ll come back.

"Stranded" in Virginia

4/10/2020

Myra and I left for Virginia/North Carolina on February 5th and intended to return home earlier this week (about April 7th). We were halfway into our trip when church services were being closed, first in NC and then VA.

The purpose of our trip was to seek partners in the new mission of Rwanda Challenge: to offer an associate degree in Bible in Rwanda. New laws in Rwanda created the need for this new mission. By September 2023, a local church cannot meet without a legal preacher. A legal preacher is required to have an associate degree in Bible/theology by September 10, 2023. Multiple churches and individuals in VA/NC were communicating excitement about Rwanda Challenge partnering with Mid-Atlantic Christian University to provide the necessary degree. Then everything stopped; churches were not meeting, budgets were closed to anything new, and future decisions were on hold until they could assess the new normal.

In future blogs I will provide more info on the present status and future possibilities. But, for now, Myra and I are waiting for COVID-19 to calm down in New Hampshire – 268 known cases yesterday in Rockingham County compared to three where we are staying in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. So, we are “stranded” in my niece’s camper by the Banister River where we enjoy watching two bald eagles nesting in the tall pines.

Giving thanks for small gifts while we seek God for a huge need in Rwanda.

Pondering the Rwandan Genocide in a COVID-19 World

4/8/2020

Yesterday, April 7, 2020, was the 136th day since the earliest reported case of COVID-19 and the 26th anniversary of the beginning of the Rwandan genocide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over 80,000 deaths in 136 days.
The Rwandan genocide claimed over 800,000 lives in 100 days.
Some estimates are as high as 1,000,000 or more deaths.

Today, most of the world is intensely aware of COVID-19. In 1994 most of the world, and especially the United States, had little to no awareness (or interest) of what was happening in Rwanda.

My intent is not to undervalue 80,000 deaths resulting in countries shutting down and borders being closed.
But I do intend to help us to pause and reflect on 800,000 to 1,000,000 deaths when the U.N. and the U.S. stood by and did nothing (except to debate the definition of genocide).

A Point to Ponder
Because every life is sacred, every life (or death) matters; whether 1 or 1,000,000.

In 1994 did Rwanda matter to me?

In this current pandemic will I, will you, pause to “remember” with our brothers and sisters in Rwanda?

"Before the week, I was in a tomb, but after the teachings, I was resurrected.”

6/10/2019

As I reflect upon the teachings from this past week, I am in awe at the work God did in these leaders’ hearts and minds. As we wrapped up on Friday, several of the leaders spoke about what they had learned this week. And then this morning, several of the Equip the Next Generation leaders shared more about what they had gained from last week. Here are what a few of the leaders said (with interpretation by Theophile):

Oscar (Equip a Church Leader): “I am now armed with power to stand before those who deny the existence of God… I now have a box of tools to respond to questions.”

Eric (Equip a Church Leader): Before this week, “personally I was lazy in my thinking. I thought that thinking a lot was not good...I meet many people who deny God’s existence. I now have a full box of materials to defend the existence of God...I will share these teachings to my congregations.”

Betty (Equip the Next Generation): “If I had not been here last week, I would have lost the best opportunity of my life...My life was rescued. I was wounded for a long time...I would be happy around people, but when I was alone, I was not. Last Thursday, I shared everything from my heart in our small group, and I am now free. I plan to take the 1st step ... to tell the people who hurt me that I forgive them…. Before the week, I was in a tomb, but after the teachings, I was resurrected.”

Moses (Equip the Next Generation): I learned that “Everywhere God puts you–if you can approach it from God’s truth–you can be a good servant in that area. Where you’re working is not about your salary but how God is using you there...If we apply what we learned, we can change Africa, not just Rwanda.”

As these leaders shared with the group, I could only express gratitude to God that he would use me to bring about the transformation these leaders had experienced. Frank put into words what I was feeling: “This is God’s Church, and these leaders deserve better than us; BUT, we are here. God has put us here.” God has prepared a way for me to be here and teach. I am brought to tears that the God of the universe would use a broken vessel like me to train up these leaders.

As Oscar expressed, these leaders are being “armed with power!” Yes! God is raising up an army of church leaders here in Rwanda who are ready to give a defense for the hope they have (1 Peter 3:15). And amazingly, he is using imperfect people, like me, to raise up this army. Part of God’s mysterious ways in working in the world is to include us in the blessing of bringing His kingdom here.

Let us give praise to God for the transformation he brought about in the leaders’ hearts and minds this past week!

Alison

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done” (1 Chronicles 16:8).

“Are you raising up an army?”

6/8/2019

The two groups on Friday celebrating after a week of “An Introduction to The Christian Worldview.”

This past week was the first time the church leaders (EACL) and the next generation (ETNG) joined together for a week of teaching. Alison DeLong introduced the two groups to ten major categories of a Christian worldview; interpreting every area of life (philosophy, ethics, science, law, etc.) through the lens of God’s truth. This seemed to be a new approach for the entire group. The approach of considering how the Bible applies to every sphere of life was different than studying the life of Christ, the journeys of Paul, Galatians, etc. Also, this approach heightened their realization of living out what they claim they believe. There were expressions of confession and repentance. It was truly a powerful week. They requested future weeks where we go deeper in politics, economics, sociology, the place of mind and emotions, etc.

Alison and I rejoiced with the many things they expressed and how the Holy Spirit was working in a powerful way. However, one of their questions caused us to pause. One of the church leaders was expressing his excitement about what he was learning and how this was different from how they had ever approached the Bible. Then he asked a question about the Church in the United States. Are you raising up an army to teach this? I understood him to mean, raising up an army for Rwanda, Africa, and the world to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

What do you think? Are we raising up an army?
Frank

EACL and ETNG groups under the tent with Alison, Theophile, and Frank

Untie the Cords of the Yoke

5/31/2019

The pastors split into groups to engage and discuss 2 Thessalonians. They studied the text, African Bible Commentary notes, and the study notes in their Kinyarwanda Study Bible in order to gain a deeper understanding of the passages.

We as Americans can never fully understand the true feeling of poverty. If I were to have any trouble here in Rwanda, I am grateful to know that I have many people back in the United States who would help me financially and make sure I return to the United States safely. If the extremely poor in Rwanda (or other countries) were to be in trouble, they do not have these people or resources in which to turn. I mentioned in a previous post that the poverty in Rwanda is less about the physical condition and more about the emotional conditions that may result from low-income. There is a feeling of voicelessness or hopelessness as they have few places to turn to help them out of dire situations. Grudem and Asmus write in the Poverty of Nations that “while poor people mention having a lack of material things, they tend to describe their condition in far more psychological and social terms than our North American audiences. Poor people typically talk in terms of shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness.” While we may have anxiety in the United States over our finances, there is still some sense of control, that we can do something to get out of the current situation. For those living in true poverty, there is a “lack of freedom to be able to make meaningful choices–to have an ability to affect one’s situation” (When Helping Hurts, quoting economist Amartya Sen).

Just today, I have felt annoyed and frustrated that I have not been able to access the Internet. I sense a minor feeling of helplessness, as much of what I need to do is contingent upon having Internet connection. And this helplessness is minor compared to the feeling of powerlessness in not being able to provide for one’s family or have a safe place to live.

With this understanding of poverty in mind, it is important that when we seek to help others, we affirm people’s dignity and help them “contribute to the process of overcoming their poverty of being” (When Helping Hurts). If we are giving them everything they need, then there is still a sense of powerlessness as they are dependent upon us. Instead of a hand-out, let us give them a hand-up in order to use their own God-given gifts and resources to improve their situation. An example of a hand-up ministry is Theophile’s organization, Africa Hope Initiative (AHI). With the financial partnership of Christians in the US, AHI gives women, who were formerly prostitutes in order to provide for their families, microloans to start their own businesses. These women pay these loans back, and now they have power and a voice to change their situations, stepping out of fear, hopelessness, and desperation. In the context of Rwanda Challenge, we teach the Church leaders so they can pastor and lead the congregations. We are not leading the Rwandan churches; we are empowering the church leaders to use their gifts and abilities to lead and teach. I love being a small part of a ministry that is producing dignity and confidence within Rwandan pastors.

Alison

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6).