Ministry Partners,
Sorry I have not been able to keep you updated since
my last post as I would have liked. Not sure quite where to begin but I will
try to do my best on this computer borrowed from Alfred, the story about my
computer to follow later.
May 30th. ---I thought that
after spending 10 hours in the Amsterdam airport terminal and having my
boarding pass in hand I would be good to go. With only getting 1to 1½ hrs
sleep in 2 days I was looking forward to the long flight to Kigali so I could
get some sleep.
But as I arrived at the gate I was told that I had
not been given the correct boarding pass and needed to wait until I could
obtain another one. In addition they told me they could not issue me a boarding
pass for the Nairobi to Kigali flight and that I would have wait to obtain one
from the Transfer Station in that airport.
On earlier flights I have had to use that Transfer
Station and I must admit I was not looking forward to that very real
possibility. In the past some people would be waiting patiently in line for their turn
while others seemingly oblivious to the designated line, would be pushing and shoving
in the front of the line so they could be first and not have to wait. Yet, for
sure, there was no use worrying about it and borrowing trouble from tomorrow, today
was having enough challenges of its own.
To say I was
grateful and excited to finally get seated on the plane is an understatement.
Again, God was caring for and providing for me before I even asked as there was
an empty seat beside me where I could actually lay down, get the pressure off
of my hip and get some much needed sleep.
The person in a neighboring seat was a pastor from
Kenya. We had a nice visit, ending with him asking me “When are you coming to Kenya for
a crusade?” I told him if God ever called me to Kenya I would certainly contact
the number he had given me and let him know.
May 31st. ---When I arrived in
Nairobi God’s faithfulness was evident as the young man providing my wheelchair
assistance did a marvelous job when he took me to the airport Transfer Station.
He took my passport and other papers to the Transfer desk after placing me (in my
wheelchair) a few feet away.
In that “sea of people” he disappeared for about 15
minutes emerging with my passport and much needed boarding pass in hand. He
then pushed my chair/me to the departure gate and assisted me and my carry-ons through
security. I was ever so pleased to give him a Gospel tract and $5. His broad
smile told me he appreciated the fact that I recognized his job very well done!
I waited about 1½ hours until boarding time and I
was ever so pleased to once again find an empty seat beside me so I could
elevate my feet. I was actually looking at my watch and counting the 1 hour and
15 minutes until the plane would touch down in Kigali and I would see Alfred’s
and Pastor Peter’s smiling faces greeting me when………we were not allowed to
depart and 4 airport staff boarded the plane.
Everyone’s boarding passes were checked again…….then
again…….then again a 3rd time. After sitting on the tarmac for an
hour and 20 min. we were informed of the issue. There were more passengers on
the plane than there were suppose to be, more than were on the manifest. They
were trying to determine who the extra people were and why they were on the
plane. Having finally made that
determination they gave the approval for us to leave.
I can never explain just how happy I was to finally
feel/hear the plane wheels touch down on Rwandan soil. But my “days of days”
was not yet over. I had filled out my country entrance card on the plane and
went through the airport checkpoint quickly and found a young attendant, with a
cart, to lift my luggage. As I waited for my luggage to appear I stepped
briefly to an area where I could see past the guards and there was Alfred
waving his arms and Pastor Peter…….goodness it was good to see familiar faces
!!!!!!!
Then I turned back to watch for my luggage and
finally, there it came. Did you notice I said “it”? Yep, only one made it but I
must admit after the past few days I was surprised that one made it. Hummm,
perhaps God is still working on that “patience” lesson with me. Nevertheless, I
saw God’s gracious hand in even this as the suitcase that made it was the one
with my cloths.
After spending over 30 minutes with a nice young
woman in an office, just off the luggage area, giving her more information than
a high school exam, she said they would began a trace to find out which leg of
the trip that the luggage got lost. I gave her Alfred’s phone number as well as
the guest house where I am staying. She advised me to call tonight at around 8
and see if they had been able to trace the location of the suitcases. It was
about 11am by the time we left the airport and headed for Moucecore guest house.
I took a few minutes to freshen up before I met with
Pastor Wilson. I could see the disappointment in his face when I told him that
I did not have the crusade posters and handouts I had brought for him as they
were in the lost luggage. Alfred told him that he was going to call the airport
at 8pm to see if the suitcases had arrived and we would then call him and let
him know the status.
After changing into my “professional business”
outfit (advised by Rwandan culture and Alfred), Alfred, Pastor Peter and I headed off for the meeting with Paul, the
Commissioner General of Rwanda Correction Services. I was so thankful that
Alfred was able to get the scheduled morning appointment changed to 3pm.
It did not take long for the three of us to see that
God had gone before us as I was finding great favor with the Major General Paul
Rwarakabije and with the Director General of Planning Rwanda Correction Services,
Mr. Emmanuel Rukundo, who is actually
the 3rd in command. I could see that the General would be someone
you would NOT want to get on the wrong side of.
Alfred asked me to share about how God first called
me to do ministry in the prisons, the work we have been doing and my heart for
prison ministry in general. When I first started to talk the General took out a
notebook and began taking notes on the things I was sharing. After my first few
sentences his face softened and he began to smile. I was so thankful for the
words and courage the Holy Spirit gave me as at one point I shared the Gospel
with them. It was such a huge
opportunity to use what I share with the prisoners as an avenue to also share
with them.
Everyone had been praying about this meeting and
that I would find favor with the General as it is import for him to look
favorably on the work IRM is doing
in the prisons.
At one point, when I shared about the impact IRM is having with the Spiritual
Leaders using Pastor Jerome and Pastor Cornelius as examples, Emmanuel asked if
we would consider having the released leaders form an association so they would
return to the prisons for ministry, sharing their testimony of how IRM had ministered to them and where
their lives are today. It would be an association were these leaders could help
and encourage each other in their daily lives and in ministry. All of us “saw”
God open another door for IRM!!!!!!!!!!!!
We were asking God for favor of 100% and we find
that God has exceeded our request as we all felt I had received 1000%. Once
again I can give God praise for His leading and this God given opportunity.
I do not run my life on feelings but on the truth of
God’s word but Alfred, Pastor Peter and I all commented on how the presence of
God during the meeting was so evident and felt by all three of us. So much so
that after we left the General’s office we found it hard to put into words what
we saw God do in the meeting, a meeting which the General seemed to not want to
end. It was a very long meeting and as we left the General’s office he made it very clear that he wanted me to come
again as he extended another invitation.
Pastor Peter is to call the Generals office tomorrow
and see if the signed approval papers are ready.
Alfred was contacted by the airport saying that both
pieces of my lost luggage had arrived and was ready to be picked up. Thank you
God, for answering our prayer with a “yes” and so very quickly.
One the way to the airport we picked up Alexis who is a Bishop in the local ministry
that partners with the United Christian Church in America. Because we are
not yet registered with the government he partnered with us for the current
application to do prison ministry. At
one time he was also a prisoner, falsely accused and at trial found innocent.
He had dinner with us and he shared his story making it clear that he has a
heart to serve in the prisons, partnered with IRM.
Alexis left
after dinner and Alfred, Pastor Peter and I had a meeting to outline the agenda
for the crusade so that we can share it with Pastor Wilson, our host pastor for the village crusade,
tomorrow. We decided to call it a day at 10pm.
Goodness, today, my first day in Rwanda, has been a
very busy, exciting and fruitful day, a day to give God much praise for. It has been a day designed by God own hand for
sure. After unpacking the suitcases, doing a bit of long hand journaling, for
some reason my computer was not working, its 11:30 pm and time for bed and I was so ready.
