Muraho update #2

Muraho again! An update I wrote for our group trip, soon to be posted on the church website (http://www.rezchurch.org/). Check there every so often for more updates, but I thought I'd include it here since it's fairly personal since I wrote it. Enjoy...

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Muraho again! Yesterday, the Rwanda team departed from Nyagatare,visited Bishop Alexis in Gahini, and safely arrived at the As WeForgive house in Kigali. Our brothers and sisters in Nyagatare sentus off with monster hugs and greetings to everyone. It is going to bedifficult to describe the intensity and impact of these newfoundrelationships with words, so we hope everyone will be able to see iton our faces and hear it in our voices when we return. We also had agreat time with the amazingly adorable children of Nyagatare, as wewere able to play football and dance with them, visit their schools,and receive informal lessons in Kinyarwanda (the native language,although many speak very good English).

Many of you will also be happy to know that the Rwandan prayers formarriage and children in our church have been fervently renewed byPastor Emmanuel and several members of their Development Committee(our Rwanda Group's counterparts).

Bishop Alexis and, today, Archbishop Kolini were incredibly gratefulto have us and shared wonderful advice and prayers in encouraging ourministry here in Rwanda and especially back home.

We got a real sense of the (material) poverty and desolation resultingfrom the genocide yesterday, yesterday visiting Jon's friends Aishaand Gloria, whose entire families were killed, and today visitingKininya, a reconciliation housing association in which victims andkillers are living and working together. As Blake said, in the Biblepeople went up mountains to meet with God. And as we were there in Kininya, we met Him as well. Friends, He is here and moving mightily.

Today we also attended a screening of As We Forgive at a local prisonhousing 5,200 inmates, over half of whom are there for genocidecrimes. The message of repentance and forgiveness was powerful andopened some wonderful doors for conversation.

We give thanks for the work that the Lord has done already, and forthe favor and protection He has shown us. We miss everyone from homebut are grateful for your prayers and the opportunity to be sent outon behalf of our churches. Please continue to pray for our health andsafety, as well as the As We Forgive church leaders' conference thatwe'll be attending the next couple of days.

Grace and peace from our Almighty God,

The Rwanda Team