Worship in Burinda, Rubavu

  Sunday was a day of worship at Burinda Baptist Church - a typical 3 hour plus Rwandan service with 5 choirs, introductions of visitors, sharing of testimonies, dancing and preaching (by the way...no one has yet developed a deodorant strength for preaching in a packed Rwandan church).
   I chose to preach on Luke 4 and Isaiah 61, focusing on how God comes to exchange our brokenness for his abundant life. Isaiah says that once we have been forgiven and healed we become "oaks of righteousness, for the display of God's splendor." I brought along some oak leaves and acorns from my back yard, because oaks do not grow in Rwanda. We are healed in order to live to bless others and to display God's splendor, especially to those who do not know Him yet. And then the passage says that the very ones who were broken and wounded, once healed, become the ones to rebuild the ruined cities...to change things that have been wrong for generations. It will not be the Americans, or the government who change their communities, it will be them! They were encouraged to go out and simply enter the home of a lonely neighbor, the mother of a disabled child, any person they know is isolated or wounded, and to introduce themselves. To learn the name and listen to the story of their neighbor. It starts that simply. I said that if some were feeling isolated or wounded, in need of healing, they could talk with Jean Paul or other Shalom team members after the service. I learned today that a number of people, including several men, had come up to Jean Paul to learn more about the healing ministry he offers. Praise God!
   After a visitor preaches the pastor always gets up to summarize, and often improve on, the message. He told the congregation that next week he would be asking who had acted on something God said to them today. What a great idea. We should try it in our churches too.
   Both Bonnie and I noticed that the pastor looked very thin, and we were concerned for him. Jean Paul said it was probably "poverty" meaning that he does not get enough to eat. Sobering.

Joyful worship in Burinda Baptist Church with Pastor Emmanuel
and many visitors from the local Shalom Women's Clubs

Preaching on Luke 4 and Isaiah 61
Jesus would have been very at home in Burinda
He declared he came to preach GOOD NEWS to the poor,
to bind up the broken hearted and to set the oppressed free
He is doing that now through his servants

At the close of worship we received a lifetime supply of bananas
because they felt we were looking a bit too thin to be a good Rwandan women
and yes....there was another large chicken involved

   After worship we went to the home of key Shalom team member Eliane, who is the primary person reaching out to the women and youth of Rubavu. She has a powerful story of healing and transformation that began in 2010.

arriving at Eliane (key member of Shalom staff) and Eliphaz' home for lunch

Sharing a meal and fellowship together
yes, a familiar chicken was involved, but Bonnie and I went vegetarian

Presenting a complete study Bible in Kinyarwanda
to Eliane and Eliazar who is a tailor but also
trained as an evangelist

Elaine's family in 2010 when I first met them

The same family today (2 sons were not at home)
a transformed family by the power of God!
ready to change their entire community now
What am I doing with the new life Christ has given me?

  Bonnie and I brought a gift to the family of money they could use for any family needs, particularly school fees because I new school year begins Jan. 1. They wept when they opened the gift and said "the Holy Spirit spoke to you" because the day before their two oldest children, about to enter the upper secondary grades, had been expressing their dreams; Providance wants to go on to a good boarding school and Ephraim wants to do a two year program for electricity and plumbing. In order to move on in school they must have all school fees from the past three years paid in full. No matter how great a student you are you do not get your certificate to move on unless these bills are paid in full. The parents had outstanding debt for both children. With this gift they will be able to pay off those debts and have some left over to pay fees to begin the new school year. 

   Over and over we have seen God go before us. The Sermon on the Mount says "let your light so shine that others may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Truly God gets all the glory around here. He knew the heart's desires of those kids, and their parents. 

  We thought we were headed home after a full morning of 3 hour worship service and 2 hour home visit, but instead the car headed further out in the countryside so we could watch a few minutes of the Shalom football (soccer) team competing in a local tournament. As usual, the Shalom group includes young Christian players of all three ethnicities. In a culture where football is very competitive and causes real divisions between communities, Shalom is different. The team prays with other teams and shares their message of "peace through sport" during half time. Hundreds of people come out to see every match, and hear their message.

The scenery is beautiful, in the shadow of the volcano,
but on the football pitch you must beware of goat and cow pies here and there...

Halftime for the team - big crowds always gather for any football match
and hear Shalom's message

Captain Ngabo asked us for some of our water before the start of the second half
We think that made all the difference as they came right out and scored a GOOOOAL
winning 4-0

   Weary, but knowing it had been a very good day of worship and celebrating all God is doing, we  dropped into bed. Thanks for following our journey. Sharing helps us to process the emotions of the day.