It is a humbling privilege to be back in this beautiful country for the second time. Our first day together exceeded my expectations in every way. The people of Rwanda welcome us with love and song everywhere we go, their hospitality makes me feel like I have belonged here long before I even stepped foot in this country. Today we visited Gahini, a community made up of homes, a boarding school and a hospital. Gahini is also the home of the cathedral of the diocese. As we walked through the unpaved streets that have come to feel so familiar and safe, I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. It is incredible to see how much this community has grown in two short years and how the Lord continues to bless the people of Gahini and our partnership with them.
Gahini is in the process of constructing another church building and also renovating the hospital. I could share a handful of stores about our day, but for the sake of time I will share my favorite one. The first part of the community that we visited was the boarding school. We met with the principal of the school who explained that the school is run in part by the government and by the church. The school offers primary and secondary level education. After talking with the principal, he gave us a tour of the small campus and one of the classrooms. After we were greeted by the students, we got to sit and talk with them a little bit. I sat in a row of desks with an open seat and started talking to the students that were sitting beside me when I recognized a familiar face! It was the face of Adeline, a student from our sister church at Karangazi who had come to the boarding school to continue secondary level education. One of my favorite things is unexpectedly seeing a familiar face, so you can only imagine my joy and excitement as I reconnected with Adeline and heard about her family and school life.
That sweet reunion felt like I was reconnecting with a family member after two years apart. We are truly family with the people here and I am anticipating so many more reunions during our time here. However, reunion I anticipate the most is the reunion we will all share in heaven! What an incredible reality it is that we will share eternity with people from every tribe, nation, and tongue. Thank you so much for your prayers and support during our two weeks here! We are so blessed by the community we have in Greensboro and cannot wait to share what God is doing on this side of the world with you all. We remember and pray for you and as we tell our friends here about our wonderful church home too.
Written by Andrea Cuevas
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