A Diary of a Visit to Rwanda
Rwanda is the “Land of a Thousand Hills.” Carla and I were able to return there on November 6.
I say “returned” because she and I served as missionaries there from 1999 to 2005. It was a joy to visit there after 10 years of absence!
We were able to see many of our friends and make new ones as well. We spent a few days in Kigali. I (Russ) preached at the Remera Church of the Nazarene which is adjacent to the house where we lived during our service there.
The city of Kigali and indeed the entire country has experienced a lot of development and change in the last ten years. I am grateful to say that the church has as well.
Sunday afternoon, we made the trip from Kigali to Gisenyi— about a three-hour ride. On Monday, I began teaching a course to our pastors and some lay persons on Biblical interpretation. I had 19 students in the course.
The method of Biblical interpretation that I teach is tailored for Africa. Many of our pastors do not have adequate resources for Biblical studies. Despite the lack of resources, the method that I teach enables them to use the most effective tool that they have, i.e. their eyes. When their eyes are opened, they can begin to see all of the richness of God’s Word.
At the beginning of the course, I tell them that they are blind, but I hope that they will begin to see. One of the most rewarding experiences a teacher can have is to see the lights come on in the eyes of his/her students. I am grateful to have seen the lights come on for these students in this course! I believe it will pay rich dividends for their ministry as well as their personal lives.
Following the five-day course, I preached at a service held on Friday evening prior to the district assembly. My message was on Philippians 2:1-11 - a message on emptying one's self of self in order to experience the fullness of Christ. God really blessed!
Saturday, Carla and I attended the district assembly. It was such a joy for us to see the pastors and other leaders of the district where I served as district superintendent.
God is really blessing the district. The district has grown significantly. When I was there there were 26 churches; today there are 55 churches. There were 1,479 members in 2003; today there are 4,117 members on the district. In 2003, there were no ordained elders; now there are 12. God has been blessing the church there! And, we give Him praise! In fact, I just received word on December 19 that the district has now attained phase 3 which is a sign of good development on the district. Praise the Lord!
In the remaining days of our stay, we visited churches and friends in Rwanda, leaving on November 17. We give the Lord thanks and praise for what He doing!
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