A Week in Butare

January 21 – 27, 2012 (Day 27 – Day 33)

On Saturday (Day 27), we drove for three hours to the southern part of Rwanda called Butare. While on the bus, we had a stretch brake and picked up a woman who needed a short ride. While she was in the car, Immaculee was speaking to her in Rwandan. By the end of the ride when the woman got out, she had accepted Jesus.  When we got to the children's centre called "Let the Little Children Come to Me", we were welcomed by Bella. We had a chance to quickly settle in before the children of the project presented to us some songs and traditional African dances. After lunch, Taryn and Bianca shared their testimonies concerning the father heart of God and faith. Then Peter did a short sermon on children singing joyfully for Jesus. Afterwards, there was an opportunity for the children to accept Jesus. Seven children, ranging from 8 to 15, accepted Jesus. Then we prayed for healing for those who were sick. When they had left, some of the neighbourhood kids came to see all of the Muzungos (white people) and we played with them until the sun went down. Then we had debrief and prepared for the coming week when we would be ministering to the children's parents.

On Sunday (Day 28), we were given fancy traditional Rwandan dresses to wear to church. Taryn gave the short message on fixing our eyes on Jesus during trouble and Kaitlin and Sarah shared their testimonies. Then Immaculee gave the long sermon on how important it is to pray about the name to give your children and God redeems all things. Then there was an opportunity for those who had cursed their children and called them bad names to repent and bless their children. Then two people came to the front and wanted to accept Jesus. To end, there was a general prayer for healing.

On Monday (Day 29), it was a rest day. So most people rested, slept or prepared for the next three days.

On Tuesday (Day 30), we were planning to start the ministry at 9am. However, there was a meeting for the whole town. The governor was coming to make a speech and there was mandatory attendance. So while the mothers were at the meeting, we had team time. We affirmed a few people and worshipped. The meeting took five hours but the women said that they wanted to listen to what they had come so far for. So Taryn spoke on the topic of the father heart of God and wove her own testimony into it. We had planned to go to some of the women's houses in the afternoon but since they didn't leave until 5pm (originally supposed to be 1:30pm), we decided to leave it for the day.

On Wednesday (Day 31), Peter started with his sermon on the bridegroom and bride relationship between us and Jesus. He was supposed to go Monday but we decided to move him to Wednesday as the women were tired the day before. After the break, Kaitlin shared a testimony from the DTS about God revealing his love for her to sum up the theme of Monday, which was love from Jesus. Then we shifted into the theme of a believer`s authority and Sarah shared her testimony on taking authority over fear and anxiety. Then Laura taught on the believer`s authority and used examples from her own testimony. Then we prayed for some specific people who wanted healing. Then, in the afternoon, we visited two homes. We split up into two groups. The first group (Immaculee, Laura, Kaitlin, Ashley, Rebecca) went to a woman`s house and was able to hear her heart on what she had been learning with us. She especially liked the testimonies that we had shared. And at the end we were able to pray for her. The other team (Richard, Bella, Franzi, Sarah, Bianca, Peter, Taryn) went to another woman`s house and prayed for different illnesses that the household was feeling.

On Thursday (Day 32), it was our last day with the women. Bianca started with a teaching on God`s forgiveness and read out of John and the story of the adulterous women who is supposed to be stoned. Then Franzi spoke on identity and how we don`t do anything to earn what Jesus did but we are still worthy in him. Then Ashley shared her testimony on always being very stressed and anxious and then moving to have more peace.  Then Kaitlin spoke on identity and how things like fear and shame aren`t a part of us and the blessings that Jesus gave us. Both Franzi and Kaitlin were able to use their own life testimonies to share the teaching. Then there was an opportunity for the women to share their testimonies. A few of them shared testimonies of the genocide or about their own family lives. One woman said that before that day (because it was her first day), she didn`t know that white people struggled with the same things that they did. There was a guy there who also became a Christian. Then the women danced and sang for us as a goodbye. And we took many pictures with them. Later in the afternoon, the children from the project came back and danced for us again. Then we prepared for half of the team to leave to pray for someone off of the compound. There was a man who Bella knew that had both of his first two wives die during childbirth with the child. And his third wife was pregnant again and they asked us to come pray for them. However, when we prayed as a team, half of the team felt that they should stay and pray at the centre for the people who were going. So when the first team (Immaculee, Bianca, Laura, Peter, Bella, Leonard) left, the second team (Richard, Taryn, Kaitlin, Rebecca, Ashley, Sarah, Franzi) started to intercede on their behalf. When the first team got there, they went into the prayer room with the couple and started to pray for them and the baby. When they entered the house, Laura had a bad feeling concerning the mom and the baby. But when they left, the feeling was gone. Sarah and Kaitlin did a very good job at interceding through worship. Although the others might not have appreciated their voices, they persevered as martyrs for Jesus. Even though they were faced with much opposition and jeering, they continued to sing at the top of their lungs. After dinner, Bella washed all of our feet and painted some of our toe nails.

On Friday (Day 33), we had a huge breakfast waiting for us from Bella. There were crepes, omelettes, samosas, fruit salad, cereal, biscuits, and fresh juice. All week, Bella had been feeding us so well but we were all surprised that morning. After breakfast, there was a very emotional goodbye with Bella and the staff at the centre. Before we had arrived, Bella felt that this was a group that had to be mothered. And every day, she made us delicious, huge meals, gave us good breakfasts, had a stock of water, braided our hair, gave us hugs and always made sure our needs were met. So saying goodbye was hard, but we had to get back to Kigali and the YWAM base. When we got back, most of us washed clothes, had showers and unpacked all of our bags. Such a good week but we were all so excited to see the YWAM Rwanda base again.

Some prayer requests are health and homesickness. The malaria pills are still giving us headaches and stomach aches. And we are starting to get close to the end of our outreach. So please pray that we wouldn't be distracted.

Adios amigos, Immaculee's Babies