redemption

Today was incredible. Our first full day in Rwanda.

After awaking to a gorgeous sunrise through the fog over Kigali, we enjoyed "making the most of every opportunity" in devotion and rich fellowship over breakfast of baked oatmeal, fresh banana slices and yogurt. Today's plan included church, lunch at a special restaurant aptly named "Heaven", the Rwanda Genocide Memorial and visiting a market of local crafts before returning for rest and dinner.

We made the brief five minute journey down the road from the Africa New Life Guest House to New Life Bible Church for the English service. Wow. What we experienced was nothing short of the most joyful, abundant and authentic worship we may have ever been around. And we got to visit with our month-old friend Rose and meet her husband Eugene. The hearts and grace of the believers in this place was truly a model of how Jesus calls us to walk our days in worship of Him, and in relationships of love with each other. And this with a people group that has carried the burden of the devastating scars from the 1994 genocide that saw one million men, women and children lost in 100 days time.

The memorial was sobering. Darkness through this land of a thousand hills saw neighbors pitted against neighbors and even family members against their own loved ones. Indescribable.

And yet, the hope, healing and restoration we saw in the people today was such a picture of the redemption of God. His redeeming grace and mercy, showered over a nation of people who desperately needed nothing short of a nation-saving and life-giving miracle. His church - continuing to extend forgiveness and survivors even advocating for leniency for perpetrators who took their families away.

Redemption. We are humbled to be joining these people for a week, to learn, to love and leave changed.

#Rwanda #redemption #grace