Today was another full, amazing, overwhelming day.
The prison mini-festival was our first thing! The brief history I have of this prison is that 5(?) years ago, it was taken over by a new director. They had been beating prisoners and conditions were awful. Now they have a well organized, calm system. About 2000 prisoners, men and women, came outside to hear Andrew speak and see the rest of the stuff we had planned. They wear different color uniforms: Pink means you re still awaiting trial, and orange means you have already been convicted. (or vice-versa, I'm a little confused.) In the end, over 100 inmates came forward after asking Jesus in their hearts. Then it was our job to speak with them, pray for them and hand out literature to help them get started. Talk about overwhelming. The men I prayed with were Alan, Edward, Lucien and Jean Claude. One of them was convicted for selling drugs... I don't know about the others. I never asked any of them, but the one offered that information. The director of the prison is a 32 year old woman... a genocide survivor. She was amazing. She was definitely in control, but once things got going, she really loosened up and smiled, danced with the children (some of the women inmates had children with them), and enjoyed the event. Apparently, she goes into cells if invited and counsels the inmates. Many of the guards in this prison are Christian and they are using their faith to show love to the prisoners. I don't want to make it sounds like it's all happy... but it was very striking how well cared for they were.
From there we went to the reconciliation village. I was wrong in my explanation yesterday about the reconciliation village. The proceedings I described do happen, but this is totally different. The is a village created for survivors and killers to live side by side with the specific purpose of living in forgiveness. There is an Anglican pastor who lives there. He had 6 of his family members killed by a neighbor who had been a close friend of his. After the genocide, he began to see the need to forgive him. They now live together in this village. When I speak of this reconciliation... please understand it doesn't happen overnight. One thing said over and over again today was this: Forgiveness and reconciliation don't happen without the power and love of Jesus. When we understand what he did for us, and how we deserve none of it, then we can find the strength to forgive others.
We had one of the stunt guys, Vic Murphy, with us with his BMX bike. As we walked toward the church in the area, he began to ride and do tricks. Within minutes, he had a following of children surrounding him. It was really way more fun than seeing them in the big arena with the big ramps!! We had a mini church service where they welcomed us and sang for us and Dave Lubbens, who is doing some music for the festival, sang for them. I just love the Rwandan church services!! :)
We were all on such a high after this experience, full of hope for what change is happening here. On the way back, one of our leaders remembered a memorial thre he wanted us to see. It was the site of a massacre inside a church. I believe it was Ntyarima, which I had read about, but it's all a bit confusing to follow where we are sometimes!
(This part is not be kid-friendly... use discretion!) 6,000 people died inside this one building. They had taken refuge there... and were trapped when the militia came. There were so many in there that no one could sit down and some older people died just from the heat before the militia showed up. We walked into the church and it just has clothes heaped on all the benches. It is full of all the clothes they were wearing when they died. The alter cloth appeared dirty and stained to me, but then I was told it was blood. Downstairs, in a little alcove, they had skulls and bones and a coffin of a specific woman who was raped and stuck on a post. There are so many atrocities... but it makes no sense to say anymore. I had read so many before I came. Once you've heard so many, it seems like you can't absorb any more... but to see it real.. that is different. There is just one story I DO want to tell. By chance, we met there a 23 year old man who is one of only 3 survivors of the 10,000 total that were killed there. (4000 more were outside because there was no more room inside.) He showed us the hole in the wall were he stuck his head (a relative forced him to do it so he would look dead, but was killed himself.) The blood was at least a foot deep, but he could breathe in this hole. After the massacre, the interahamwe would occasionally spray pepper into the church and kill anyone that sneezed. He was able to breathe because of the air hole. He was 8 years old. He stayed there a total of 7 days (about 3 just laying there, I believe) before he made it out of the church to a swamp nearby and was eventually rescued by the RPF.
I'm sorry to share this with you... but it was so overwhelming. It was hard to see after we were so full of hope. Tonight as we debriefed, some folks shared that they just needed to not think about the past for a bit. I feel the same way. Tomorrow we are joining a work crew in the morning that is building something. I honestly don't totally know what it is, but I'm sure it will feel good to look toward the future.
Thanks for all your emails and comments. I do read them, but don't have much time to respond. Sorry that sometimes my entries are more just stream of consiousness... but it's still all jumbled up in there and this is how I'm getting it out!! Love you all!!
The prison mini-festival was our first thing! The brief history I have of this prison is that 5(?) years ago, it was taken over by a new director. They had been beating prisoners and conditions were awful. Now they have a well organized, calm system. About 2000 prisoners, men and women, came outside to hear Andrew speak and see the rest of the stuff we had planned. They wear different color uniforms: Pink means you re still awaiting trial, and orange means you have already been convicted. (or vice-versa, I'm a little confused.) In the end, over 100 inmates came forward after asking Jesus in their hearts. Then it was our job to speak with them, pray for them and hand out literature to help them get started. Talk about overwhelming. The men I prayed with were Alan, Edward, Lucien and Jean Claude. One of them was convicted for selling drugs... I don't know about the others. I never asked any of them, but the one offered that information. The director of the prison is a 32 year old woman... a genocide survivor. She was amazing. She was definitely in control, but once things got going, she really loosened up and smiled, danced with the children (some of the women inmates had children with them), and enjoyed the event. Apparently, she goes into cells if invited and counsels the inmates. Many of the guards in this prison are Christian and they are using their faith to show love to the prisoners. I don't want to make it sounds like it's all happy... but it was very striking how well cared for they were.
From there we went to the reconciliation village. I was wrong in my explanation yesterday about the reconciliation village. The proceedings I described do happen, but this is totally different. The is a village created for survivors and killers to live side by side with the specific purpose of living in forgiveness. There is an Anglican pastor who lives there. He had 6 of his family members killed by a neighbor who had been a close friend of his. After the genocide, he began to see the need to forgive him. They now live together in this village. When I speak of this reconciliation... please understand it doesn't happen overnight. One thing said over and over again today was this: Forgiveness and reconciliation don't happen without the power and love of Jesus. When we understand what he did for us, and how we deserve none of it, then we can find the strength to forgive others.
We had one of the stunt guys, Vic Murphy, with us with his BMX bike. As we walked toward the church in the area, he began to ride and do tricks. Within minutes, he had a following of children surrounding him. It was really way more fun than seeing them in the big arena with the big ramps!! We had a mini church service where they welcomed us and sang for us and Dave Lubbens, who is doing some music for the festival, sang for them. I just love the Rwandan church services!! :)
We were all on such a high after this experience, full of hope for what change is happening here. On the way back, one of our leaders remembered a memorial thre he wanted us to see. It was the site of a massacre inside a church. I believe it was Ntyarima, which I had read about, but it's all a bit confusing to follow where we are sometimes!
(This part is not be kid-friendly... use discretion!) 6,000 people died inside this one building. They had taken refuge there... and were trapped when the militia came. There were so many in there that no one could sit down and some older people died just from the heat before the militia showed up. We walked into the church and it just has clothes heaped on all the benches. It is full of all the clothes they were wearing when they died. The alter cloth appeared dirty and stained to me, but then I was told it was blood. Downstairs, in a little alcove, they had skulls and bones and a coffin of a specific woman who was raped and stuck on a post. There are so many atrocities... but it makes no sense to say anymore. I had read so many before I came. Once you've heard so many, it seems like you can't absorb any more... but to see it real.. that is different. There is just one story I DO want to tell. By chance, we met there a 23 year old man who is one of only 3 survivors of the 10,000 total that were killed there. (4000 more were outside because there was no more room inside.) He showed us the hole in the wall were he stuck his head (a relative forced him to do it so he would look dead, but was killed himself.) The blood was at least a foot deep, but he could breathe in this hole. After the massacre, the interahamwe would occasionally spray pepper into the church and kill anyone that sneezed. He was able to breathe because of the air hole. He was 8 years old. He stayed there a total of 7 days (about 3 just laying there, I believe) before he made it out of the church to a swamp nearby and was eventually rescued by the RPF.
I'm sorry to share this with you... but it was so overwhelming. It was hard to see after we were so full of hope. Tonight as we debriefed, some folks shared that they just needed to not think about the past for a bit. I feel the same way. Tomorrow we are joining a work crew in the morning that is building something. I honestly don't totally know what it is, but I'm sure it will feel good to look toward the future.
Thanks for all your emails and comments. I do read them, but don't have much time to respond. Sorry that sometimes my entries are more just stream of consiousness... but it's still all jumbled up in there and this is how I'm getting it out!! Love you all!!
It's not jumbled up. It makes perfect sense, and this can be part of your JOURNAL. I know you won't have a lot of time there, but you'll have time on the plane home so if you can get a journal, write down as many stories and feelings as possible, trust me, it will help down the road. Love you too!
ReplyDeleteI'm reading everyday! It is riveting to be getting an account as you experience what you are seeing, feeling, hearing, absorbing! I'm praying for you. Much Love!
ReplyDeleteVery moving, Amy! Really.
ReplyDelete