A Day of Highs and Lows - Our Team Visits The Child Hope Center and the Genocide Museum
Nate with the children in Kimironko, one of Mission Life’s Child Hope Centers in Kigali, Rwanda.
Blog 3: A day of highs and lows
Written by: Nate Wasserstrom
One of our team members, Keith hanging out with the children.
Today was one of the most challenging days I won’t soon forget. It started out like any other day, breakfast with the team and chatter about the possibilities the day will bring. Little did I know that it would be a day of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Upon arriving at the Child Hope Center in Kimironko, we were greeted by a bunch of children all singing Christian songs that immediately brought me back to my childhood. I began to clap my hands and sing along, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, Jesus loves me this I know.” It was amazing and I am so blessed to witness these little gifts of God who will someday be leading our world into hopefully a much kinder, gentler place.
The enthusiasm was outstanding. I was absolutely in my happy place. We loved on the little ones and fed them a nice snack. They were all so polite, “please and thank you” could be heard all day. The leaders were fantastic. They instructed the children with thundering velvet hands, meaning they showed them so much love and care but with expectations of behavior. These were indeed model students. We played with them and hugged them. They loved to be near us and listened to us with their eyes and their tiny hearts. It was beautiful to witness. God is so good.
This particular Child Hope Center is made up of mostly preschool aged children and today we held a Bazaar just for them. They were given money (play money) and they were directed to tables that we set up with toys, games, bubbles, and tee shirts. They were allowed to “purchase” one item from each table. Their little faces lit up. It was a sea of smiles and I loved every minute of it! Their staff helped them and directed them along the way. Kudos to all of you.
A couple of the team members were so touched by their experiences with the children that they made on spot decisions to sponsor a Mission Life child.
We enjoyed a nice lunch with them, gave kisses and hugs and waved goodbye. We made our way to the awaiting vans. After a harrowing ride (just kidding, our divers are very skilled at negotiating these “roads”) we traveled to the Genocide memorial. The day was about to go in a whole new direction.
The grounds outside the Genocide Museum in Kigali, Rwanda. There are several mass burial sites in memory of the victims here.
The 1994 Genocide suddenly became very real, oh so real. It wasn’t just a story or an “event” you may have heard something about, oh no, it was very real indeed. I personally struggled immensely as I moved about the historical dedication areas. I heard eyewitness accounts, and stories from the survivors. I felt the horror and the terror deep in my soul, that must have been incapacitating, unimaginable to people who only wanted to be family, friends, mother and fathers, sons and daughters and grandparents. People who did nothing wrong but looked a little different or had a marginally different lifestyle or monetary status were to be eliminated, tossed out like trash like their human life meant nothing. Innocent people that God created in His image. I searched my mind for some logic, some reason, a purpose for this atrocity. I came up empty. In my mind I cried, abba father…..why? Why did this happen? How could you standby? I reasoned with myself, I wrestled with my thoughts. Oh sure we all know the Sunday school answer of how a good God can’t stop bad things from happening but now, it was so real and so heart wrenching. I almost backed out of writing this blog, but I can’t keep this in so I write. I write with a heavy heart. I still cannot grasp it. So, I begin to pray. Our Father in heaven, please continue to heal the people here. So many of them are still affected. Heal their hearts God, hold them close and reveal your goodness to them. Your good people of Rwanda still struggle. Be with them God every day and continue to guide them as they continue to heal. Amen.
Part of the grounds outside the Genocide Museum. The Rwandan word, “Kwibuka” means light and 28 marks 28 years since the Genocide.
A writing from a survivor tells her child to forgive the attackers and not to harbor hatred, as it is not good. If I had to be honest I don’t think I could forgive, I hope and pray I never know what that is like or be in a position to make the decision to forgive or not to forgive. And yet many did, they did choose to forgive.
So to say it was a day of joy and of sorrow would be a huge understatement.
I will forever be changed by the goodness and kindness and love I have witnessed in this place so far from my home.
May God bless you and keep you, my new friends and family.
