Rwanda Mission Trip Team Blog-A Window into the Soul

Jenn with one of our children at the Child Hope Center

Written by Jenn O’Neill

What does community mean to you? Webster Dictionary defines community as, “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” One thing I quickly realized when I came on my first mission trip in 2019 is that Rwanda does community probably the best I have ever seen.

Dancing at Harvest Christian Church

Today, after decades of fellowship between One Church and Bishop Theo, for the first time our team got to experience Sunday church service at Harvest Christian Church where Bishop Theo preaches in Kigali. Harvest Christian Church is right next door to Mission Life’s newest Child Hope Center in the Kimironko neighborhood. What a blessing it was to be with our Rwandan brothers and sisters who we have come to know and love.

Like any Rwandan church, from the moment you step out of the team van, you hear the music. You hear the beautiful voices singing and rejoicing. And right away, as you step foot inside, you are welcomed by people you do not know and people who do not know you but there is no awkwardness here. You immediately feel their love and you have this immediate desire to love them back. It reminds me of the message at One Church. No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done and no matter what’s been done to you, God loves you and here, you immediately feel His love surrounding you.  

I love to look around the church because it only takes a second before you will make eye contact with someone and you’ll both experience true joy. It starts with the eyes, then you may get a nod and then there’s an exchange of smiles. I may not “know” each individual person I make contact with but when I experience God’s love here through community and fellowship, I have this strong desire to hug every person in the room.  

Their welcome doesn’t end there. As a guest, we each take our turn to introduce ourselves and they respond with even more smiles and clapping. After the sermon, there is more worship and the singers come to us one by one and invite us to come to the front to sing and dance with them. And after services end, people come up to greet you, to hug you and to shake your hand. 

This is what community is. It is sharing true joy. It is taking the time to make each other feel welcomed. It is caring for one another. This is God’s love.

“Let all that you do be done in love.” - 1 Corinthians 16:14