Rwanda Team: Going Deep

Blog posts keep coming in from the Rwanda Team. . .

Imana Ishimwe (God be praised), Alleluia, awesome!  I’ve used these words a lot since arriving here last Friday.  However, there are no words to describe Tuesday for me.  We went back to the Gikeomero Church to have individual prayer time with church members who would come.  Pastor Alfred only announced this time on Sunday when we were at worship.

We arrived at 9:00 and had some worship time.  At 10:00, Pastor Alfred split us into two prayer teams with Curt and Eric and two other Pastors and one interpreter in each team.  Our particular team was outside and the other team was in Pastor Alfred’s house.  We could not pray inside the church because people kept coming, so worship, singing and dancing continued in the church.

People started lining up at both stations.  Some helped to keep it orderly.  For quite a while, two ladies from the church stayed with us outside and helped pray for many people.  The sun was bright so they held two umbrellas over us.  The people kept coming.  All the school children were out at different times, either in the church singing or watching from a distance—several teenage girls from school came for prayer.

I turned around at one point and saw children hanging out of the doors and windows of the church, children filling up the school yard, music and singing filling the mountainside from the church and a long line of people waiting for prayer(Praise God).  We prayed for four and one-half hours—none of us even realizing the time.  As I have pondered that sight since Tuesday, I have realized it was the most perfect picture of heaven God has ever shown me where all of God’s saints will be singing, praising and worshipping Him continually!

It was a joy and privilege to be part of a team praying for friends from our “sister” church.  I have never felt the Holy Spirit moving in such real and powerful ways.  The needs are deep, the prayers went deep and the good news is we serve a God who wants to “go deep” with us!

Alleluia, Amen

-Barbara Wilson

____________________________________________________________________________

July 24, 2015

It has been an absolutely beautiful week.  As much as I have missed Erin and my kids, it’s hard to believe that we are coming to the end of this wonderful journey.  I wish you could see the view from the dining room where we stay.  The wonderful mountains, the homes nestled into the banana and eucalyptus trees.  The most amazing part, though, is the huge and shining smiles of the people that we have encountered.

Those smiles were nowhere brighter and larger than the smiles we encountered as we spent time with compassion children that team members have sponsored.  I was truly moved meeting Claudine who my family sponsors and prays for.  Claudine was an absolutely delightful young lady.  She is 10 and really enjoys school.  My daughter Sophie T asked that we bring Claudine a jump rope.  Her excitement over the jump rope was really special.  Maybe even more special was that as we went outside to play with the jump rope for the first time, Claudine shared with the younger children before she even used it herself.  New toys in the Solomon household are not cherished or shared with such joy.  

Talking with the children was not necessarily easy and happened mostly through a translator.  One of my big learnings this week is how much can be communicated through the common language of pointing, smiling, and simply being together.  Through conversation with Claudine, however, I learned that she is a twin and has a younger brother.  The children live just with their mother as their father left several years ago.  They grow beans, but she did say that it is very difficult without her father and she asked that we pray that her father would return with a pure heart.  She also asked for prayer for her schooling which is going very well, and asked for prayer that she would see Jesus every day of her life.  

I had the honor of praying for and with Claudine as our time came to a close.  I prayed for the things listed above, but also for her health and growth.  Claudine, at 10 years old, then prayed for me, my family and our church.  I was blessed to tears, by her faith maturity, her kind and caring spirit, and her love of the Lord.  And, truth be told, moved to tears in writing these words to you today.  

After visiting with these very special children, and seeing the deep need, I am grateful that God has opened this opportunity for Erin and I to serve the kingdom through our small contribution to Compassion.  And I know if you are interested in serving through writing letters and praying for a child or two in Rwanda, Teresa Kincaid would be more than happy to help you make that happen.

-Curt Solomon

Rwanda Blog: Team Gratitude

It’s the last night of the trip. The Team scattered to pack up for the 30-hour trip ahead of us. We’re absolutely exhausted and inexpressibly glad for all we’ve seen God do this week.

Will just led us with his signature straight-forward, compelling honesty in a devotion about returning to the States with courage to tell about God’s works and to keep seeking him and serving him. 

Then, to cap things off, we created the list below, attempting to list as many things we as we could that we were grateful for. We could have gone a lot longer, but here’s the top of the list. 

Enjoy! See you on American soil! Yesu ashimwe! (Jesus be praised!)

• this team

• hospitality of the Rwandans 

• intentional team discussions

• team devotions 

• answered prayers for Clementine to obtain a job

• prayer request book at the cell group

• Pastor Alfred, his family, and their testimony 

• Jennifer & Claire who served us meals

• honesty and openness of prayer requests

• prayer ministry with Gikomero 

• Pastor Prosper

• leadership of Curt and Eric and Teresa 

• seeing and meeting our compassion children

• P-A-U-L

• the children and families thirst for knowledge of God

• simplicity of life

• Eugenie

• Kigali Genocide Memorial

• living for the sake of others

• mosquito nets

• Claudine

• open windows

• health

• Rev Gasana

• tiny bananas

• charades

• Pastor Joseph

• 12 days of good weather

• breakfast soup

• nutella

• running 

• sunsets and sunrises

• renewal of the Wilson’s wedding vows

• raptor attack

• Bishop Kalimba’s testimonies

• Healthy Mums

• hot water

• Celestine

• our amazing finance keeper Taylor 

• prompted to pray and anoint people

• Prince of Peace

• catching up with old friends // being treated like an old friend

• being prayed for

• dancing with church choirs 

• fiber gummies

• baby powder

• bananagrams

• instant coffee

• cabbage spaghetti sauce

• seeing God at work

Rwanda Blog: Bishop Jared

I could be a great Christian if I lived in Rwanda.

These were my words the other night at dinner.  

Today our group was privileged to spend the day with Bishop Jared Kalimba.    He is captivating.    Truly, captivating.  First of all, the manner in which he speaks English with a beautiful Kinyarwanda accent is mesmorizing.  He was present during the genocide and is one of the few elders that remain in the community.   A whole generation is an entrepreneur.  But what was most impressive is how every word spoken goes back to serving Jesus.  

Rwanda Blog: Compassion

This morning we met our Compassion children that we sponsor.  As the children were all playing together, I noticed a verse on the back of their t-shirts.  The verse was in Kinyarwanda but I was able to decipher that it was from Luke 2:52.  At the first available opportunity, I looked up the verse:   

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.  Luke 2:42

This verse perfectly captures my prayer for my sponsored child, Justine, as well as the others with whom we spent the morning with.  I invite those of you with children you’ve sponsored through Compassion International to pray the same for your sponsored child.    

Rwanda Blog: A Supernatural God

Tuesday, July 22, 2015

Gikomero, Rwanda

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me . . . (Isaiah 61:1a)

This is it.  Today is the day we go to Gikomero to do what we came to Rwanda to do.  Pray.  Sure, we’ve been praying at various places and for various people since we arrived in Rwanda, but today is the day we go to Gikomero to lay hands on those who have come to receive healing prayer.  This time will be similar to communion prayer time at COTA and RAC, only it will be extended by about 3.5 hours.  As I eat breakfast with the team before we leave, I can feel the Holy Spirit at work in me.  He is telling me that he has already gone ahead of me to select the people I will pray with and for and that He will put His word in my heart and on my lips.  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say (Exodus 4:11).  With that, I am ready.  Not anxious. Not apprehensive.  Just ready. 

We arrive at Gikomero and go directly into the sanctuary where we join some folks for a short time of worship and to hear a brief teaching on Jesus’ healing of a paralytic as told in Luke’s Gospel.  (Luke 5:17-26)  Then it’s time to divide our team into two prayer groups.  As we do so I pray – “Lord may these groups be divided according to your will and for your purposes.”

Prayer team #1 – Pastor Eric, John, Teresa, Elizabeth and Patterson – is to go to the Pastor’s house to pray along with some Gikomero church members and a translator. 

Prayer team #2 – Pastor Curt, Barbara, Will, and myself, along with Pastor Alfred and three other Gikomero church members – are stationed just outside of the sanctuary – in the sun – and about 50 yards away from an outdoor stable housing about 8 very chatty cows.  Before I can even ponder (i.e., freak out about) all of the distractions surrounding me (school children are now starting to swarm), the Lord puts a hymn on my heart.  “For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies . . . Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.”   

I (silently) call on the Holy Spirit just before we begin and immediately He sends a steady, cool breeze and the women inside of the sanctuary begin singing and I know He has surrounded us.  Time to get our prayer on. 

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion.  Isaiah 61:1b-3a

Our first patient (not sure what the appropriate noun is in this situation) is a woman requesting prayer for healing from a tumor in her belly.  Got it. Prayers are said. Amen. Who’s next?  But then the Spirit moved in Pastor Curt and he asked if the woman was a Christian.  And thus the proverbial floodgate was opened and we were introduced to our first of numerous persons requesting prayer for healing and protection from the effects of witchcraft, curses, or demons. 

This woman had attended a wedding in which a “healer” was also in attendance.  She was healthy before the wedding, but soon thereafter developed a massive tumor in her belly ("Massive" as in she looked about 5 months pregnant).  The culprit? Witchcraft.  And she had been questioning her faith in God ever since.   

Being the logical person I am, I was quick to slough off the idea of witchcraft.  My response was to chalk these ailments up to something that I could understand.  Something I had experience with.  Something – well – logical.  The only thing I could wrap my brain around was a medical diagnosis (I’ve read enough on WebMD.com.  I know the drill.  You’ve got a common cold, cancer, or you’re pregnant. Easy enough.)  Before I could finish assessing this woman’s symptoms, the Lord interrupted my thoughts with Scripture from Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not again flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

Almost instantly, I could feel the darkness pressing in on all sides.  There was a spiritual battle happening around our prayer circle and the presence of evil was palpable.  But stronger still was the light of Jesus Christ.  “The light that shines in the darkness and the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:5).  It was clear to those of us praying what the task before us was.  So with full confidence in the power of Jesus’ name, we entered into prayers for spiritual cleansing and protection knowing full well that it is only because of Jesus’ shed blood that we were able to rebuke Satan and his effect on these people’s physical and spiritual health.  Jesus Christ died once and for all.  The enemy has been defeated and Christ is seated on the right hand of the Father.  The strife is over, the battle won.  

And so it was for the remainder of the morning.  At times the Holy Spirit prayed through me as I interceded for patients.  Other times it was necessary to intercede for the other members of our prayer team as they fought against the forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  It was at these times that I had a clear vision of Aaron and Hur holding up Moses’ hands as he prayed on the hill top when Joshua and the Israelites fought against the Amalekites.  “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.  When Moses’ hands grew tired . . . Aaron and Hur held his hands up” Exodus 17:11-12

Periodically, the Lord would give us a small respite from the battle.  One which was particularly memorable came in the form of a woman who was a week past her due date requesting prayer for the safe delivery of her child.  I had the good fortune of laying hands on her very pregnant belly and feeling her baby move (leap for joy?) at the mention of Jesus’ name.  It was a beautiful experience and most certainly a gift from God. 

There was also a young woman whose family was Muslim but she wanted to receive Christ.  What a joy and honor it was to walk alongside this young woman as she confessed her sins and received Jesus.  We later heard from Pastor Alfred that she was going to go home and share the Good News with her family.  Yesu ishimwe! 

Despite the weight of many of the prayer requests we received, I left our time of healing prayer confident in God’s faithfulness to his promises. 

He will bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.  Isaiah 61:3

Although I may not ever see how the Lord responds to our intercessions, I know that He will.  How do I know this?  Because I’ve experienced His supernatural empowering of my prayers through His Holy Spirit.  He was there while we prayed.  He heard our cries to him for mercy and healing and he did not turn a deaf ear to us.   And he will answer our requests in ways unexpected, because He is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine.  Thank you, Jesus for your great love for us!

Can I get an Alleluia, Amen, Imana Ishimwe (Praise be to God)?  

---Taylor Waren

Rwanda Blog: The Power of God

Blessed are those who consider the poor!    --Psalm 41: 1

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow  put into small copper coins.  And he said, “Truly, I tell you this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

I had a special privilege of witnessing the power of God’s Word in Psalm 41: 1 and Luke 21: 1-4 on Saturday and Sunday at COTA Church of Gikomero.  Our brothers and sisters, living in severe poverty, are giving out of their poverty to rebuild their new church which fell down.  

Saturday we saw the new strong foundation.  Pastor Alfred shared he is giving the funds received for his greatly needed motorbike to the construction of Gikomero’s new church.  Sunday a collection was received for the rebuilding of the new church.  A member brought forward a bag of vegetables, this was all they had to offer.  These were sold and funds used for the church.  One of our Interpreters was so moved by the love for Christ church, he promised to donate five 50 lb. bags of cement.  The congregation was thrilled with this precious gift!  

God desires us to love others as He loves us with a love we do not deserve!  Pastor Alfred and our brothers and sisters of Gikomero are loving others well!  They are sacrificing all they have for the sake of the gospel through the reconstruction of their new church and sharing the gospel within their community.  I am challenged to be more attentive and eager in seeking God’s will as He speaks to my heart in regard to making sacrifices to further His kingdom.

God gave me a beautiful gift on Tuesday as we toured the Shyogwe Diocese projects.  As we entered the Mother’s Union Vocational Sewing Class, I heard a young girl call my name as she jumped out of her seat and ran into my arms.  I looked into her face, and saw Belise, our Compassion child!  We sat together holding hands during the team’s visit.  My heart was overflowing with love for Belise and praise to God for this wonderful, wonderful surprise!  What a blessing it was to tell her I would visit with her on Thursday at the Compassion Project!  Claudine, director of the Mother’s Union, told me Belise is a very good student and will graduate in October.  I am very proud of Belise and grateful to the Mother’s Union for educating the young girls with the skill of sewing.  The Diocese’s desire is to have the opportunity to give each girl a sewing machine at the time of their Graduation, so they are able to work at home and help provide an income.  Currently the funds for these sewing machines aren’t available.  I pray the funds will become available.  As our brothers and sisters say, “God will provide.”

H.S. Mission to Ohio: Great First Day

Hello Parents and Church Family: 

We had a great first day yesterday! We are working in 3 separate groups and are doing a variety of activities -- building a wheelchair ramp, building a shed, and re roofing a house! Yesterday morning, we were able to do a "scavenger hunt" around the city where we are working. Many of us loved that -- it was such a neat opportunity to learn more about the community where we are serving! 

We are the only church group here this week, and I think we all agree that we love that! We have space to spread out and we are able to spend lots of time with the 10-person staff that is spending the summer here. Also the food is fantastic; they cook for us every morning and evening! We have had grilled corn on the cob and grilled chicken -- and homemade pancakes for breakfast! 

We are about to head out to our worksites for the day but I wanted to send you all an e-mail update. Please pray for good nights of sleep, as we all want to feel our best at our worksites. I am so proud of these students -- they make me love this job so deeply. Chris feels the same and just told me to tell all of you hello.

Have a great week! I will send another update soon! Thanks for letting us spend this week with your students. God is so good!  

--Kara Smith