Today, the 17th of March, was the second graduation in Sonrise School history. In the prior evening, it appeared there was a chance of rain, but not one raindrop did fall that night or on this day. The sun was shining and the wind provided a gentle and comforting breeze to all of us in attendance. The ceremony took place on the walkway between the primary school and St. Michaels. This walkway, which had numerous tents, chairs, and benches set up, was approximately 120 yards long by 30 yards wide. There were over 40 graduates, and in addition to their families and friends in attendance, Bishop Mbanda, Bishop John and his wife Harriet, the Mayor of the Musanze District, the Governor of the Musanze District, and a high ranking official in the ministry of education were among the other dozens of guests present.

The entire ceremony took place over three and a half hours. The graduates proudly marched to their seats underneath their tent in their caps and gowns, and they marched behind a beautiful banner that Tam Daley had made and we had brought for this occasion. There was much dancing, praying, and speeches for the students and all the attendees to see and hear. To try to go into all the details of every song and speech is beyond the scope of this blog, but everything said and song was heartfelt.

One of the main themes that seem to come across to me that many of the speakers were talking about was that they wanted the graduates to continue in their journeys and to help the nation. There is a sign above the school that reads “the light upon a hill”. A candle is not lit just for it’s own shake, it is lit to provide light so the lighter and others might better see. Attending and graduating Sonrise will help these men and women have a better chance of achieving their dreams, but it will also help them to help others they encounter and the larger community. However, they will not go out alone, numerous speakers, including Bishops Mbanda and John, pledged they will continue to walk with them. Graduation is an achievement and not an end, and I hope we all will continue to support these men women in prayer and other means as the Lord calls us so that they might truly live their dreams and be “the glory of the nation” as they sang during the ceremony.

Written and Posted by Otto Zimmermann

Today (Thursday the 15th) Pat Daley, Dan Hanlon, and myself spent much of the day with Pastor Deo. Pastor Deo has been called to many ministries, but two of them are prison reconciliation and reconciliation villages. These villages are where victims and perpetrators of the genocide live together and work together in the hope that by living together, reconciliation may and will occur. After visiting one such village today, if it is not a miracle, it’s only one level below it, because reconciliation, real reconciliation, is occurring.

The village we visited is about one hour east of Kigali. It is made up of around 130 men, women, and children. Everyone works in the fields harvesting hay and corn by hand with hand tools. Goats are used to fertilize the grounds, and they’re a couple of cows that are attended to for the production of milk. Homes are for generally five people and are made from concrete with tin roofs. There is an outhouse behind each house for the occupants’ use. Water is collected thru gutters on the homes and moved thru pipes to storage tanks. There are solar panels on each house that power the one or two internal lights each house has.

Most of the 130 are survivors of the genocide, but there are people there who have just been released from prison for committing acts of genocide, and there are those who are still serving their sentence but live and work at the village and are supervised by guards. It seem those still serving their sentence work apart from everyone else, but for those who completed their sentence, they are working besides the victims, sometimes, their victims. When we arrived, there were around 30 people working in one place, and we gathered on a hill to meet them. Pastor Deo asked for testimonies. A woman, Lauren, stood up and announced she had lost her whole family in the genocide, but she has forgiven and reconciled with the man responsible for taking the lives of those who she cared for. Immediately after this testimony, a man stood up and said he was the one responsible for taking them. I can’t quote exactly what he said, but he was standing no more than 5 feet away from that woman, and I did not detect hatred in her or in him. They have and will continue to work together in the fields, and they have, in both of their testimonies, reconciled. They did not run away from one another and avoid one another; they have found peace with one another. Following all the testimonies, the four of us shook hands and gave hugs to everyone, including these two who inspired us.

Another amazing story was told no less than 20 minutes later. A male survivor who was close to Pastor Deo had either lost his leg or his leg was severely damaged because he used a cane to get around. It wasn’t till later that Pastor Deo mentioned his head when we noticed the machete wound on it. This man, and we asked Pastor Deo a second time later to make sure, had married the widow of the man who had killed his family. A challenge to us all, if a person can reconcile with someone who has killed their family, can you and myself reconcile, or at least begin the steps of reconciliation, with others who have wronged us, whether big or small?

Following the visit to the reconciliation village, we stopped at Nymata. Nymata is a Catholic church where over 10,000 people died in one day during the genocide. 10,000 Rwandans fled to the church for sanctuary. Organized genocide parties found this church, and realizing it will take too long to kill all the people inside and outside of the church, our guide said, and I quote “they called in the government for the heavy guns and hand bombs”. What happen inside I will not put down into words. It is said “the light overtakes and shines in the darkness”, in this case, “the light highlights the darkness”. From seeing this church today, it made the light of the reconciliation village from the morning all the more powerful.

Posted and written by Otto Zimmermann

Today we started our day by paying a visit to Pastor Sam. The joy he had in seeing Pat and myself revealed true friendship. He wasn’t glad because he had to be glad, he was glad because he was glad. His friendship with us shows friendships can be made even over great distances, and these friendships cannot only be started, but they can grow.

Toward Noon, we arrived at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The memorial was very well done; it’s hard to truly believe this ungodly massacre occurred less than 20 years ago. In the museum, there were many pictures that revealed the vast and personalized horrors of that event. One room contains the human remains and clothing of a few of the victims, this room made the following statement to me “this occurred, and it occurred to human beings like yourself, don’t forgot”. The last room of this memorial had pictures of different children displayed. Under each picture was the name of the child, what their favorite activity was, where and how they died, and how old they were. Two of the children had died in the middle of a church they and they families fled to for sanctuary. For churches to be bulldozed down, had grenades thrown into, or had machine guns fired upon it, all with men, women, and children inside, struck me. At more than one of these churches, the pastors, these people’s shepherds, were partially to blame. May the Lord grant all of His sheep good Shepherds to watch over them.

Written and posted by Otto Zimmermann

On the way to Rwanda, we spent a day in Brussels, Belgium. There, we ran into Pat Daley’s old friend, Robert, who immediately made us feel at home. We spent much of the day at Waterloo, site of the famous battle in 1815 where Napoleon was defeated for the second and final time. The term “Waterloo” has been used since to mean “final defeat”. As me and Pat journey to Rwanda, we are continuing a journey with our brothers and sisters. With Church of the Redeemer deciding to affiliate with Rwanda thru PEAR USA, we are committing to our relationship. This isn’t a second chance for Redeemer, but it is the continuation of a relationship already begun. I am glad and give thanks to the Lord that the Church of the Redeemer and our brothers and sisters in Rwanda has not had a Waterloo moment, and with the Lord’s help, we never will.

We arrived in Rwanda last night (Tuesday the 13th of March). We were greeted immediately by a beautiful night sky and a temperature of 84 degrees, quite different from our climate in Chicago. After making it thru passport control, we immediately saw Dan and Kari Harlan waiting for us. We exchanged sincere hugs and greeted one another. What encouragement to see two friends waiting for us at the airport, I hope we can be of great encouragement to them.
Around 9PM, we arrived at the Mercy House, the Anglican Guest House, at St. Etienne’s. A little later, we tried finding an internet connection. Not finding any Wi-Fi at the Mercy House, we asked the guard if we could find internet access anywhere close by. He instructed us to walk to the Cathedral, about a block away. Deciding as there was Wi-Fi, we had to have it, we started walking up the street. I was a little surprised to see so many Rwandans walking the street at 9:30PM. They weren’t roaming, they were walking, and each seem to have a purpose in their walk. When we arrived at the cathedral, we were let in after we told them we wish use to the Wi-Fi. It struck me how amazing this was, in America if a stranger came by and wish to use to my interent (whether at home or at the church), I think myself and most of us would refuse. But the Rwandan who was guarding the gate trusted us, two foreigners who he has never seen before.
While we were skyping with family and friends, multiple cars pulled in over the next 20 minutes. Dorothy, the woman, who let us in the Mercy House and lives at the cathedral, told us it was for a prayer session. Again, I was a little shocked. I’ve heard before of Rwandans being committed to communal prayer, but to see a prayer session occur before my eyes starting at 10PM made me realize how much Rwandans believe in the power of prayer. I hope one day that myself, and all of us, will have this same gift and discipline in prayer. This was written and posted by Otto Zimmermann.

If the video is not showing above, click the following link to see how small and vulnerable many of these street children are — http://vimeo.com/21435383

Like many cities around the world, Kigali has many homeless children that live on the streets, facing disease, extreme hardship and violence. But the problem here has been made more severe by war in the early 90′s and the devastation of HIV/ Aids. UNICEF estimates that there are over 7,000 street children in Kigali, Rwanda’s booming Capitol.

Several years ago the executive director of the Rwanda chapter of Prison Fellowship, Pastor Deo Gashagaza, along with his wife Christine, began an outreach to help break the cycle of poverty and oppression for some of these children. Today they serve 85 children each week in the vicinity of the Prison Fellowship office. Ranging in age from very young to 22, these children are either totally orphaned and living on the streets (under bridges, etc) or in such dire home situations that they spend most of their time on the street with very little opportunity. This ministry, partnered with Mustard Seed Project, feeds them a healthy meal three times a week, gives them a chance to bath, offers counseling services, some basic educational skills, and spiritual support. Some of the older ones have begun to attend vocational school, and school opportunities are being sought for the younger children.

“We can’t fight trauma and crime by providing only food, only skills training, only counseling, only Bible teachings, only reconciliation work, or only shelter,” observes Pastor Deo. “We must provide all of these things, because they all operate together for optimal growth and well being”.

We spent about an hour with the children during their usual Wednesday program, and we see the love they are receiving and the hope that is being placed into their lives. You can support this work through the Mustard Seed Project web site, especially as they are looking for people to provide sponsorships for school fees to get the children moving in a direction beyond the streets. The need is overwhelming, so we do what we can. Meeting these children in person does a lot to help us know that they are not statistics, but those who carry the image of God, with dignity and honour. Stepping into their lives changes us as well as them.

Last night my traveling companion for the last week caught a flight back to the States. Pat needed to head back to work while I stay two more days for additional time in Kigali with the Anglican Diocese and Pastor Deo Gashagaza of Prison Fellowship. Some may remember Deo’s visit to Redeemer in the last couple of years.

Its been good to be here with Pat. He’s a real people person, and everywhere we go he is a great connector. Sometimes I have needed to have one-on-one conversations with folks, and he has really helped to create space for me for that. When I preached in the cathedral he came to offer his support, even though he had already been to a 2 hour worship service Sunday that began at 7:30. There have been many moments of just hanging out, sharing observations and insights, and quite a bit of laughter.

If you want to get to know someone–really know them, go on a trip across the world. I’m grateful for Pat’s commitment to Redeemer’s Rwanda relationships, and his willingness to come here again to express that. On top of all that, we had just a great time.

Anyone who has travelled far from home knows how exhausting it can be. Heavy schedules, unusual hours, sleeping in strange beds and adjusting to new foods can leave the traveller longing for home and some rest. But along with the great experience of being in new places is getting to know others on the journey, either new friends or people we have already met. Going to a place multiple times allows you step into the flow of activity, and not just be a “tourist”. Some will come to a place like Rwanda and be forever changed. Others will come multiple times and not allow the situations and people to alter their strongly held views. Mark Twain noted that travel is fatal to prejudice, and that can be very true. It certainly puts you in relationship with others, dependent on their good graces and hospitality, and forges unexpected friendships. Come to Rwanda, cross the country, or visit Wisconsin, but don’t go alone. Its a good metaphor for life.

Even several hours of steady rain could not dampen the spirits of Sonrise School’s first graduates, their families and friends. Hundreds were on hand for the three (plus) hour ceremony at Musanze’s outdoor stadium, where the grandstand is covered. The thirty-eight graduates entered the stadium from the far side and processed around to the presentation area, carrying the banner that Redeemer children had made for the event. This was a long anticipated day, going back to the initial vision Bishop John Rucyahana had to care for the many genocide orphans, and the early work of partners such as Mustard Seed Project, Church of the Redeemer and Bridge to Rwanda. Several Mustard Seed board members were present, including Bob Dwyer and Joyce Wingett, who suggested the name of the school. Families were there to watch students graduate, teachers shared in the sense of accomplishment, and other dignitaries filled the stands. Bishop John Rucyahana, recently retired as bishop of the Shyira Diocese retraced the schools history, and called the students to a covenant in which they pledged to pursue God, integrity and excellence in their lives. A high ranking official from Rwanda’s ministry of education also spoke, along with several students, including Richard Ndekezi, Sonrise’s “head boy”‘ who visited Chicago last fall. He sends his greetings and love to all the friends he met through Church of the Redeemer.

A great personal privilege for me was being asked to present diplomas. I was the only non-Rwandan granted this honour, aside from the School’s current headmistress. The real tribute is not mine, but goes to those who began the Sonrise School benefit a dozen years ago and shepherded the ongoing support–I simply carry the baton for a lap of the race. It is those people, especially, that I wish could have been here, to see the fruit of their creative labours, and to grant us all encouragement and resolve for the next season.

These students officially finished last fall, but had to wait until March for national exams to be posted. Every graduating high school student across the country must take these exams in order to determine future educational opportunities. Each school, even those that have religious affiliation, is in partnership with the government. So these graduates have been out of class for a number of months. Several of them placed quite high in the national testing, including one who was the top Rwandan student. This is a great accomplishment and honour for the school as graduates now look to jobs and university.

Many said a school like Sonrise could not be built. Others questioned the wisdom of seeking to instill leadership values in children so scarred by the horror of genocide. Those of the first graduating class have crossed a tremendous threshold. They now get a chance to show us all what they have learned. If any people know the meaning of the word ‘hope’ they certainly do, and will continue to define it for themselves and the rest of us.

Scroll over photo for title, and click on any photo to enlarge

Today I did the most dangerous thing I will do in Africa: I rode across Kigali city on the back of a motorcycle taxi. I know, I know…it’s crazy. But I was stranded far from the guest house and needed to use whatever means were available, and Susan wasn’t here to tell me I couldn’t. Besides, it sounded like a St. Patrick’s Day kind of thing to do.

I would like to describe it for you, but not sure it would help. Let’s just say that if you’re of the thrill seeking variety (which I am not, usually) you’ll get it. If not, nothing I could say would sound like a rational defense.

My driver, named Innocent (that helped calm me a little) was good natured, friendly, and competent. I think the speedometer was broken, but it wouldn’t have made a difference, I think. At any rate, I got it out of my system…until next time.
Peace from Kigali.