Final papers were in, exams were completed, practicum hours
came to an end – but USP wasn’t quite over yet! On the other side of a 12-hour
road trip, neighboring Rwanda held many more lessons for us about culture,
reconciliation, faith, hope and love. While in Rwanda, we visited a variety of
organizations and heard from some amazing speakers. By the end of the week, our
experiences with these diverse people and places developed into a multifaceted
picture of Rwanda that we will always hold in our hearts.
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| The beautiful Rwandan countryside |
On our first day in Rwanda, we visited the Kigali Genocide
Memorial and the church memorial at Nyamatta. The story of the Rwandan Genocide
weighed heavy on our hearts and left us with many unanswered questions. The
next day, however, we worshiped with Rwandan Christians in Kigali churches,
joining them in singing, dancing and expressing gratitude for God’s goodness. While
it didn’t lessen the hard realities of the genocide, partaking in the joy and
unity of the Church gave us a glimpse of the hope that exists in Rwanda.
We spent a morning hearing from Brad Burnfield of Youth for
Christ and touring
Kigali Christian School, which is offering affordable primary
and secondary education for Rwandan children of all backgrounds. We also spent that
afternoon with
Bridge2Rwanda, networking with Rwandan university students who
will soon be studying at schools near our homes in the States!
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| Listening to Bridge2Rwanda students share their stories and aspirations |
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| Ellen and Esther with a new friend from Bridge2Rwanda |
At
CARSA (Christian Action for Reconciliation and Social Assistance) we watched an amazing documentary about forgiveness and reconciliation between genocide victims and perpetrators.
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| USP and Honours College students with friends from CARSA |
At Amahoro Ava Hejeru, a women’s sewing cooperative in
Kigali, we met and heard from survivors of the genocide who create beautiful
handmade crafts to provide for their families. With
Hope International, we visited several sites where community microfinance
efforts are blossoming and enriching Rwandan’s lives.
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| Anna looks through the colorful fabrics used by the women at Amahoro |
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USP and Honours College students with members of a
Hope International microfinance group |
At Heaven Restaurant we enjoyed delicious gourmet cooking and heard how this restaurant is one of the many successful efforts to develop Rwanda through the private sector.
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Listening to Josh Ruxin share about the work of
Heaven Restaurant and Rwanda's future |
We ended our week in Kigali with a visit to the
Inema Art Center, where we met with Rwandan artists and watched a children’s dance group
perform Rwandan traditional dance. This fusion of old tradition and
contemporary art forms was a beautiful reminder that the image of our creative God
is – and always has been – present in Rwanda.
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Eddie, Gilbert and Micah take a rest in the
garden outside the Inema Art Center |
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| Micky with a dancer from the children's traditional dance group |
USP’s Rwanda trip would be incomplete without debrief at Lake
Bunyonyi in Western Uganda. The stunning scenery and peaceful lakeside setting
gave us much-needed space to breathe, rest and process the intense experiences
of the week.
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| Katie and Rachel out on Lake Bunyonyi in a dugout canoe |
While it was a challenging week, our time in Rwanda was filled with incredible examples of forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, development and joy in creativity. In the midst of all the hard questions and conflicting emotions that remain, we are grateful for the people of Rwanda and the way they have welcomed us into their stories and dreams for a better future.
