It is with a real sense of gratitude that I look back on the response there has been to the recent visit that I and six others from our churches paid to Rwanda last autumn. This was my third visit to this lovely country, to amazing people who have suffered at a level I simply cannot understand, and where the church displays immense courage and trust in God.
Over the course of these seven years I have seen something of the real difference that support for these people makes, the personal contacts and friendships they much value, and it has been good to see that they have handled the finances sent with honesty, wisdom and integrity Ð and what a difference the money sent has made Ð support which encourages them to help their own communities.
I went on this visit as I had been invited to do some teaching with trainee church leaders Ð what a delight they were, with enormous enthusiasm to learn. We also went to listen and learn, and to establish links between Sarratt School, and a primary school in Gishali, one of the poorest areas of this poor country; classrooms just about standing: an enormous increase in pupils expected over the next few years; no equipment; only three toilets (of the long drop variety) for 700 children É..
We went on this visit saying to our churches here that on return we would be encouraging active support. Many have caught the vision. Rwanda calendars have been produced and sold: assemblies in schools have moved children, there was a large Christmas card growing in Sarratt post office, donations have come from the work place É All this before we have really started! Great!
This Lent season we are inviting every one in our churches to give to support the community of Gishali, through enabling that community to provide a house for its pastor, and to help train future pastors who are key leaders in almost every aspect of daily living Ð not just the spiritual, but heath care, nutrition, better use of land É.
Lent is often associated with fasting, which is the giving up of something good, to give energy to something better É.. What may seem not very much to us makes an enormous difference in a land like Rwanda – ask me for details!
May I wish you a happy Lent.
Jim Stevens