Faith is Alive!
Vulnerable conversations within the fellows group — where we know each other and have walked through life together for months — is one thing; vulnerability with strangers who do not know you or your culture is a whole other thing. It requires an enormous amount of trust in God carrying you through the possibility that those listening may not hold your story well. I was deeply struck on Tuesday during our home visits. The fellows (and our wonderful leaders) had the privilege of spending time in the homes of two Rwandan friends and members of the Anglican church in Gahini: Canon Patrick Butera and Ruth Mutesi. We split into two groups and were graciously welcomed into their homes. It was a very timely experience, because we had just gone to the Kigali Genocide Memorial the day before. It was an honor to listen to people who had lived through the atrocity themselves — and the long and complicated aftermath — yet had maintained such strong faiths.
Their stories were incredibly moving. The demeanor with which they spoke was even more inspiring. It was clear to see how trusting God was not just something they claimed to do, but, in the most real sense, they lived it out. Their loyalty, forgiving attitudes, and patient spirits revealed a deep sense of peace and identity found in Christ. We could not pretend to remotely relate to or fully appreciate the impact that the horrors of the Rwandan Genocide and the accompanying ethnic tensions had on them; however, I was struck by the fact that this did not deter Ruth or Patrick from sharing. They could not have known how we would react or if we would understand their answers to our questions, but they opened up to us anyway. I will never get over how special that was.
As visitors in their homes, they blessed us with tea, treats, and generous hospitality. That being said, the most precious gift that we received was being witnesses to the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives. While they shared, the fruit of this work became clear: they had been filled with courage that only God provides. It would have been easy to listen to their life experiences and take away how strong and resilient they are (which would not have been a wrong assessment in any way). But, what stood out to me the most during my group’s time with Ruth, is that she continually pointed to God’s will and plan for her life as the reason she made it through the hard times. She is able to continue moving forward — and encourages others to do the same — because of God’s sovereignty over all things. Ruth emphasized her constant time spent in prayer and repentance, reflecting a deep relationship with Jesus and joy found in accepting His love. Ruth continually repeated “but we still praise God” and “Jesus’s blood covers all” while she explained different hardships she had seen and experienced.
These ideas were not entirely new to us, as we had learned about them during our tour at the memorial; however, it was made much more real and meaningful when told through personal narratives. We are so grateful for the time with our friends Patrick and Ruth, and I pray that we can carry on their spirits of forgiveness and tenacity in small ways in our own lives.
“Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’” Isaiah 35:4
With love,
Victoria