But God

Earlier this year I had the privilege of being able to go on a mission trip to Rwanda. Until then, I had never left the United States or flown for that long and I’ve certainly never been so immersed in a foreign culture. To say I was out of my comfort zone is an understatement!  BUT GOD was telling me I needed to go. In fact, I had felt the pull to go for 3 years before I said, “yes Lord”.

I could not begin to fathom how difficult and rewarding that trip would be. The endless hours of travel time, different foods, no hot showers, unsafe drinking water… BUT GOD.

Each day we crammed into little beat up commuter style vans and drove 3 hours, to the top of a remote mountain village. We and our ministry partners unloaded and met with our local host and began going home to home to deliver the gospel to all who would hear.

In the States, we call countries like Rwanda a third world country, but I honestly don’t see it that way. In my time there, I quickly realized we have it all wrong and they are much “richer” in their remote village than we are here in the land of plenty… for so many reasons.

We might think that they are sad and depressed with their plight in life. Most of them live in mud huts made with sticks. They don’t have much in the way of furniture, they sleep on mats they weave, they eat only the food they are able to grow and they have little clothing or other worldly possessions.

But - I didn’t want to write this story to talk about what they don’t have, but rather about what they DO have.

The Rwandans have unspeakable Joy! They smile, laugh, dance and praise all the time! They are so thankful for the provisions they have. They welcomed us into their local church with so much praising, and dancing, that it was a bit overwhelming for this American girl! We all packed into a small, hot church and I thought I would move myself to the edge of the room and just observe… but NOPE! One of those joy-filled ladies grabbed me by my hands and dragged me out to dance with the rest of the group!

They have a true community. Some people in the village make bricks for homes, some are seamstresses and make clothing, they all have crops of various kinds, some have goats, cows or pigs. They all help discipline and look after the children in the village. Even the children help care for younger siblings. It was not uncommon to see a five- or six-year-old wrap a baby on their back just to give mom a break.

The Rwandans take pride in their community. They keep their village neat and clean. The lady that hosted us in her home each day swept the dirt in front of her hut for us before we arrived and wore her nicest dress. In fact, one day we arrived and she was just coming in from her crops and she ran in to her home, quickly changed out of her dirty work clothes into her dress and then came back to greet us. It was the same dress each day; likely, the only nice outfit she owned. 

The Rwandans are seemingly very healthy. They have great teeth and skin. They are lean and muscular. They have no trouble walking all over their mountainous village with a baby on their back and a basket on their head – while the Americans are huffing and puffing and out of shape. Women work their crops, out in the sun, daily, with babies on their backs. They are some of the hardest working people I’ve ever seen!

God created us to require sunlight and exercise for the health of our bodies. He did not intend for us to be stagnant, in front of TVs and devices. The Rwandans eat what they can grow. There is no processed food there.

One of the homes I was able to visit, we met with a 105-year-old man and his grandson. I was so thankful to be able to present the gospel to them and the elderly man accepted Christ that day! The grandson already knew the Lord, but we were able to bless him with a pair of reading glasses and he was thrilled to be able to read his Bible for the first time in 8 years! I believe that God sent me to Rwanda just for those two men, in that remote village in Bugarama!

Just this morning, I woke up with a voice message from our Rwandan ministry partner that the old man I had presented the gospel to, passed away recently at 106 years old. He passed knowing the Lord and will be spending eternity in heaven because of God’s perfect plan, on that day in the village!

Can you believe a man, in a “third world” village in Rwanda lived to be 106 years old?!

The people in Rwanda are happy to have visitors come to their homes and they are so welcoming! They will pull out their nicest chair or bench for their guests. They will stop their work for a short time to allow for a visit. Can you imagine going to a stranger’s house in America unannounced and be welcomed like royalty?

Perhaps we could learn some lessons from the Rwandans, like having joy in all our circumstances (1 Thes. 5:16). Praising the Lord like no one is watching (Psalm 145:1-3) and being thankful for our many blessings (1 Thes. 5:18). Perhaps we should embrace community the way they do in their village and help each other when there is a need. (Acts 2:44-47).

We know that most Americans could definitely spend more time outdoors; getting some exercise and eating less processed foods would help our overall health too! (1 Cor 6:19).

I definitely came home with a healthy appreciation for the many blessings we have in our country but also feeling very sad for the things we lack too. The Rwandans lead a simpler, but yet, happier life than we do. We are too busy, too distracted, and honestly we just have too much! I will say though… I was very appreciative for that first hot shower after returning home!

If you ever get a chance to go on a mission trip out of the country, I highly recommend it. It will humble you in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.