Innocent, the driver, and Stephen, the interpreter, picked me up at 7 a.m. on Friday so we could arrive in Rusozi in the East Province in time to teach that morning. The plan was for Theophile and me to travel on Thursday afternoon so we could wake up at the teaching location on Friday morning. Plans were changed due to the death of Theophile's father. I attended the funeral with Theophile on Thursday, but the funeral continues through Sunday afternoon.

Rusozi is the first location on this trip where "the six" will assist in the teaching. Theophile met with six church leaders at the beginning of September for the specific purpose of preparing them to teach on this trip. We intend for them to share in the teaching, apply the teaching in their local church, and then to join Theophile in teaching church leaders in neighboring countries. Joshua, one of "the six," was successful in bringing nineteen church leaders together for two days of teaching. So we taught on Friday and Saturday and then I preached this morning.

Ntwarane Anastase, President of the Church Forum in the Kirehe District (like a county) participated in the two days of training and attended the worship service this morning with his wife and baby. Yesterday, after experiencing the two days of teaching, Anastase invited Rwanda Challenge to return and teach fifty church leaders from many denominations. These church leaders continually express their thanks that someone would come to the east to bless them

Even though the plans for Rusozi changed, God did bless and Joshua did a good job. This coming week Theophile and I will conclude the study of Genesis with twenty plus church leaders. Then we will continue the "Rwanda Tour 2013" with 'the six" for the remainder of October.

God is blessing,
Frank

Joshua, Neema, and four of their seven children. On our way back to Kigali they asked me to pray in their home. I prayed for their marriage, their family, and their home.

Filing by Zacharie's casket in his living room

Theophile picked me up at the Kigali airport on Tuesday evening. Once I was settled into my room, he went home. On Wednesday morning he shared that he received a call in the night that his father, 71, was having difficulty. Theophile traveled to Muhanga, almost an hour from Kigali. His father died in his arms that night.

Theophile expressed that they wanted me to attend the funeral. So this morning, Thursday, I was picked up by our driver just before 9 AM. First, we traveled to a location in Kigali where we joined Theophile and several dozen others, along with the hearse (a station wagon).

Next we traveled to Zacharie’s home. As we were nearing the home, a car with a videographer sitting outside the car began to lead the processional. When we arrived at the home we went inside to a packed living room. We were pressed against the wall because of the number of people (maybe a hundred). The casket was brought in and we had a short service. Then a small door at the top of the casket was opened and people filed by to view the body. There was weeping and wailing at the loss of their loved one.

Once the room was almost empty, the casket was taken back to the hearse and we proceeded to the church building. They seated me on the platform with about fifty church leaders. I would estimate there were a thousand or more people inside and outside the building. Multiple church leaders spoke and then the family. At the conclusion to this service people filed by the casket again.

From the church service, some people walked and some rode to the cemetery. During the service it had started to rain. So now several hundred people are walking to the graveside in a light rain and the Rwandan terrain (Rwanda is called the land of a thousand hills). A concrete grave was already poured and set. After a graveside service the casket was lowered. Then the grave was covered with planks, followed by a sheet of plywood, followed by rebar, followed by concrete brought in by buckets, and then flowers on the fresh concrete. Most people waited at the grave until the grave cap was complete. In a few weeks the cap will be permanently finished.

Before we returned to Kigali, friends and family gathered at a “guest house” for Fanta. So, we arrived back in Kigali about 9 PM. Even though it was a twelve hour process, I was blessed to be there and Theophile and many church leaders seemed to appreciate my presence.

On Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM my plane landed in Kigali, thirty minutes early. On Sunday afternoon I was not sure I would be making this trip. My passport was nowhere to be found. I always put it in the same place. So, I assumed… But Sunday morning it was not in that place. Nta kibazo (Rwandan for “not a problem”). I am thinking there are a few obvious places to look after the morning worship service. But, when I looked in the afternoon, my passport was not in any of those places. Where do I look now?

When I returned from my last trip to Rwanda there were many things happening at home. There was interior painting left to do from the renovation as we transitioned to multi-generational housing. That meant things needed to be moved. Alison, my summer intern, was working on my library, which meant more things needed to be moved. Move this box over here. Move some back. Move some to the garage. Move some out of the garage.

I had looked in every hiding place inside the house that I knew to look – but no passport! Now I am getting anxious (and praying). But Paul says don’t do the anxious part, just pray.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.                         Philippians 4:6 NIV

Well, "Jesus knows exactly where that passport is and maybe He has a reason for me not to get on that Monday morning plane. Maybe I can still 'rush' my passport and get on a different plane this week."

Myra had now joined in the hunt. She was in the garage for a different purpose, but felt led to look in a particular banana box. “Why am I looking in this box?” Only because she felt like she was supposed to look in that box. So she starts digging around and about half way down there it is. She came back into the house shouting and rejoicing like a woman in Luke fifteen who found a lost coin.

I was amazed at two things.