Hope out of suffering

Today is Good Friday, the greatest paradox of our Christian faith. Our Lord and Savior is brutally crucified; He bled, and died so that we may celebrate healing, restoration, and eternal life with Him. We grieve the horrible nature in which He died for our sins, and we give up our sins daily to be crucified on the cross. All so we may serve, honor and experience the amazing love and grace of our Healer. For us, it's a GOOD Friday! But for Jesus, it was an agonizing Friday.

On this same day, April 6 in Rwanda, my friends and neighbors here remember and grieve the beginning of the 1994 genocide, which marked the brutal killings of one million people in 100 days. It's been 18 years, but for many of my loved ones here, the vivid memories and noises and events are still fresh in their minds and souls. On this day, many lost their whole existence, multiple family members, their innocence, their children, their homes, and their own lives.

This week is a week of tremendous mourning in Rwanda. And today, believers all over the world also mourn the death of our Savior.

However, much has occurred in Rwanda since those tragic 100 days 18 years ago. We are a new nation! A nation of hope, perseverance, and triumph. While Rwanda still remembers and mourns, their future today is bright and full of hope! In contrast to many nations who have been involved in a bitter civil war, Rwanda is united now, and fully committed to carving a new existence and new reputation in the world. They are viewed as the new "Singapore" of Africa. Even the new "Switzerland" of Africa. In the short time I have lived here, I have seen massive positive changes take place in education, roads, the business sector, adoptions, and tourism. People are coming here; not to give handouts or to scold. But coming to walk alongside these beautiful people and learn from them, and learn from each other how to move upwards and institute change. Business are growing. Forgiveness is the model that leads here. There are no guns. There is no death penalty. Rwandans have hope and seek peace! They have emerged from the grave and new and alive nation.

We can thank our Lord that the story doesn't end with the cross on this Good Friday. Not in Rwanda, and not anywhere. Death does not prevail! On Sunday, April 8, believers in Rwanda and all over the world, will celebrate the resurrection of our risen Savior. He arose from the tomb, and conquered death, so that we may live eternally! I can only imagine how my Rwandan friends view this great paradox in our faith. Those who have lost all, but still cling to our risen Lord. Rwanda has hope! They truly do. Like none other I have seen before. These people have hope! They know there will be a day when they are reunited with loved ones lost. They know that Christ was with them during those 100 days, and Christ is alive in this nation now. Rwanda has risen! We are risen, if we are identified with Christ, and His sacrifice made for us all. Satan doesn't win. Love has won in Rwanda!

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He is risen!"  ~Luke 24:5

Family

Gabriel Mugisha and his forever family, the Jacobs. He can't take his eyes off his mom. :)

"In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves." ~ Ephesians 1: 5-6

A week in pictures...

Just wanted to share some pictures of my life in Kigali this week. Enjoy! And thank you all for your prayers and support of many ministries here!

4th grade chapel skit about Noah's faith in God

Our international basketball team! We're still trying to help start other programs at some local schools so we can have some competition! :) (and help empower girls as athletes!)

Chloe, holding our class pet, Gilbert, the Giant African Land Snail. We found him in November and he's been a lot of fun. It's been interesting, to say the least! He can come out of his shell a good 6 inches! Well, I call him a "he", but really I've learned they are hemaphrodites. Gilbert has laid close to 200 eggs already...which is one reason GALS (giant african land snails) are totally illegal in the U.S.!

My sweet friend, John, and his kids at Mana Fasha preschool. John does wonders with these kids, and he does it with not many resources at all. It's such a pleasure to visit them and read and teach his children there.

We celebrated Dr. Seuss week last week. This was a shot from Wacky Wednesday! :)

Beautiful Kigali sunset from the upper courtyard at KICS. (sorry for the blur!)

I got this great shot of our "pet" iguana, who hangs out in our frontyard. He's so cute!

This is Beatrice, our beloved househelper/dayguard that we share with the other house of girls. She often brings her precious daughter, Karia, to work with her. Beatrice takes great care of us!

It was an honor to be a judge in the annual KICS Talent Show on Thursday. We've got some talented kids here! Above are two of my students, Joy and Iness, dressed in traditional Rwandan attire , as they sang In Christ Alone. They are beautiful!

I was hungry...

Last Sunday, one of our pastors shared a different version of Matthew 25: 34-45. And I wanted to share it with ya'll. I have to admit, all of these statements hit me pretty hard, as I can say that I've acted like all of these before. It's a good reminder of what's to come in verse 40. Someday the King will reply to us..."Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." We are serving the King! Let us not grow weary!

Peace! :)


I was hungry and you formed a humanities club to discuss my hunger.
-Thank You.

I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel to pray for
my release.
-Nice.

I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
-What good did that do?

I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
-But I needed you.

I was homeless and you preached to me of the shelter of the love of God.
-I wish you'd taken me home.

I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me.
-Why didn't you stay?

You seem so holy, so close to God; but I'm still very hungry, lonely,
cold, and still in pain.
- Does it matter?

Author Unknown

Happy Birthday Gabe!

Gabriel Mugisha was rescued one year ago, and lovingly fostered by our pastor and his family of six. Their adopted daughter, Ruth, is above, cradling baby Gabe. Gabriel was a premature baby, weighing only 1.3 kilos when he was born on March 11 last year. His biological mother abandoned him at the Rwamagana hospital the day after he was born. He came to our pastor's house, and immediately began gaining strength. They named him Gabriel Mugisha, which translates to Messenger of God. Gabriel has indeed been a messenger of God for all of us during his short life. His story and strong spirit captures everyone who meets him.

In August, doctors found a cyst on his brain. In November the cyst grew rapidly, and he began having seizures multiple times a day. Surgery has never been an option. The Jenkins consulted many well-trained physicians in Rwanda and Kenya and the U.S., and began Gabe on medicine, and the seizures have decreased, but not totally disappeared. God's glory has shone brightly in this child's life. He has brought together a church, a commuity, and so many others who pray for him and praise Him for his life.

This weekend, as we all come together to celebrate his first birthday, and praise God for seeing Him through this year....we welcome a new family, his forever family to Kigali! Gabriel is being adopted, and his family from Texas arrived this weekend! The judges have ruled in their favor, as no biological members of his family can be located or traced, and all the paperwork is being processed now. We pray that it is a smooth process, that all the red tape is dealt with properly, and that the transition process is an easy one for the Jenkins and precious Gabe.

It's a happy day here!

Gabriel Mugisha is spoken for!

Book Review: Reluctant Pilgrim

"As soon as I met her, I could tell she was one of those people who see the world as though through a kaleidoscope: everything has the potential for beauty and light if seen through the right angle, and the broken pieces reflect the richest colors."

I love this quote, from Enuma Okoro's book, Reluctant Pilgrim. It reminds me of how we are all broken creatures, in need of grace, and I am better than no one. Here, there, or anywhere. But yet, God takes our brokeness, owns it, makes it His own, and transforms it into something beautiful....if we will allow Him.

I love seeing His light and beauty in people, even when they don't recognize it themselves. Not yet, anyway. And when they finally do....it seems that the light in them shines brighter than all the rest; all the rest who maybe have lived less peculiar lives, less riskier, less raw. Those have been my observations, anyway.

He can do so much with the broken shards! He can make a masterpiece of them!

Enuma's book is a great reminder of that, as she relates her spiritual journey in this book. She's a Duke Divinity graduate who lives in Durham. I totally recommend this book, especially to ladies! She is so honest about her life in and outside of the community of church, and her desperateness for an authentic faith is refreshing. (and funny too!)

Here's a few more quotes from this book!

"I'm figuring out that experiencing God's love and presence isn't just about my being obedient and performing well for God. It's simply about God's love. It's not about tests and being strong enough and doing whatever it takes to not be rejected by God. It's about love."

"Grace is not about being perfect or pushing others to be perfect. It's more about patience, acceptance, and a willingness to see individuals for who they are in Christ, and as they stand alone, with all their disheveled parts messing up the pretty picture. It's so much less about "what's in it for me" and so much more about the transformation that happens in us and between us that helps us spill our lives, somewhat clumsily, outside the boundaries we've comfortably drawn around ourselves."

Enjoy this book ladies!

Little readers

My students have been sharing their love of reading with my friend, John Bosco's preschoolers, and our "adopted" classroom at Groupe Scolaire local Rwandan school. I have tremendous little readers, with servant hearts, and we all have been blessed by our visits to our outreach schools, and listening to these precious children read, some of them for the first time! Their joy is contagious! Let Him receive the glory!

" To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark. "

- Victor Hugo