God puts people in your life for a reason and He put a special person on our path during my first mission trip to Rwanda. One of my most unforgettable memories was meeting the pastor’s wife in the rural village of Batima. Therese stood out to me immediately as we pulled up in our white vans outside the church. We could hear their beautiful voices from afar before we saw them. Then, Therese and her church members appeared at the road to welcome us, singing and dancing in their beautiful, colorful dresses. I was overwhelmed with emotion and I couldn’t control the tears coming down my face. It was such a beautiful moment.

Therese and her husband, Pastor Nicodem were called to serve this ministry, having moved from Uganda. They have 6 children, most of them under the age of 5. We were only the second team to visit Batima and we were told ahead of time that the village was struggling due to a severe drought. We saw evidence of this almost immediately as we drove on the dirt roads and saw the clouds of dust behind us. There was nothing growing in the fields. All you saw was dirt.

As the singing and dancing continued, the team was excited to see the improvements inside their church -- a new cement floor and roof. Not long before our trip, we learned that the government had recently issued new building safety requirements in order for churches to remain open. Churches were scrambling to find the means to complete the work before the deadline and it seemed Batima somehow was well on its way to getting there.

Therese talking with us with some of her children in her home

It wasn’t until the second day that I learned of the incredible sacrifices made in order for this to happen. The women in my group were invited to visit Therese’s home. It was a modest 2 room space but great care was taken to keep it well swept and ready for visitors. We were welcomed to sit on 3 long, wooden benches. Then, Therese took her shoes off and sat on the floor with 3 of her smallest children to talk to us and answer our questions. I could tell she was a strong leader in her community. I loved her instantly.

Before it was time to leave, she asked if we could pray for her and her family and bless her home. A couple of our leaders followed her behind the curtain into her bedroom, where the family all slept on a mattress, to pray. She handed them a letter that she had written and translated into English to read to the group. In her letter, she asked God to please watch over her family and help her and her husband find a way to continue to provide. At that moment, the details of their sacrifice came to light. In order to keep the church open, they had sold their previous bigger home and used the money to complete the required church renovations. They were currently renting the space we were gathered in. Therese also took the little money she earned through her small business to complete the work at the church, leaving very little to buy food for her children. Therese and her family were sacrificing everything they had to keep their church open; the meeting center and livelihood for their entire community. Tears were streaming like a river down my face as I put the whole story together. Here was a mother of six, living under extreme circumstances to selflessly serve God and carry out His plan.

God was present that day in Therese’s home. Her story moved all of us and made us reflect on sacrifices we could all make for the good of others. God uses his followers to share his message and He definitely left an impression on us that day. A few weeks after we returned home, God put it on several team members’ hearts to pool resources to help them build a new home, right near their church.

It was God’s plan and an unexpected blessing for this beautiful and selfless family.

Therese outside their 2 room home with 4 of her children in 2019

Sacrifice to Serve God in Batima