Sometimes coming home is more challenging than going; we come back different people as a result of what is experienced during a ministry trip. Our vision is expanded, our hearts softened, and our minds challenged. Only those who shared this particular experience can truly understand the impact, and then again, none of us has truly processed it all to see all that God has done and is doing through it in each one of our lives.
As a part of encouraging team members to think through how they want to communicate about their ministry experience, we encourage them to think of three descriptive words that capture the essence of the trip. We do this ourselves, though with the number of trips, we sometimes have "repeat" words. For this Rwanda/Burundi trip I chose these three words: piercing, surprising, and compelling. Being in Rwanda during the Genocide Memorial week, hearing so many testimonies and seeing news footage of the last genocide truly pierced my heart. The pain and aftermath became brutally real. I was surprised at the stark contrast between Rwanda and Burundi. Rwanda has enjoyed peace and stability for a number of years now; there is new development going on. Kigali is clean; flowers are growing. Though there is yet much to do, but a lot has been accomplished. By contrast, Burundi is still a country divided by conflict with little resolution. Tension and fear are evident. Rebel bombing outside Bujumbura resumed the night we flew out to return home. The believers are amazingly strong; such perseverance! But there has not been the same sort of resolution and rebuilding in Burundi as is seen in Rwanda; they are desperately in need of help. All this leads to my last word, compelling. We feel even more compelled to support and gather more support for this ministry! We saw and heard for ourselves just how life changing this ministry is in the lives of those who are part of the training programs and outreach ministry. As woman after woman shared her own story, we truly saw new life. Where there was no hope and despair, now they have hope, skills, and aspirations for the future....and they know it is because of Jesus.
During our last visit with the women at the training center in Burundi, I shared Psalm 10. Though written hundreds of years ago, the words are so very appropriate to their situation today. If you read through the chapter, you will sense the frustration and despair of being victimized by evil people who seem to "get away" with their evil plans, preying on the innocent and the unfortunate. The wicked say "God has forgotten," and it is tempting to believe that if you look only at the circumstances. BUT....the Psalm ends with the affirmation that God is the helper of the orphan. He is the King forever; He hears the desire of the humble and will strengthen those who suffer. He will vindicate the orphan and the oppressed! We believe and trust that the Lord does indeed hear the cries of His people in Rwanda and Burundi. He cares about those who suffer, is a father to the fatherless and a husband to the widow. These women are standing on these truths! We are committed to standing with them, praying for them, supporting them and anticipating with them the good things the Lord does for His Glory! Please continue to pray for Peace, Ruth, all the women who serve with them, the families touched by this ministry, peace and resolution for Burundi, and the unity and impact of the church in this region, "that man who is of the earth may cause terror no more." Ps. 10:18
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