Rather than staying at a hotel, we went to a Methodist guest house. We were picked up in the mornings by Bible Society staff and were driven around Nairobi. It was the first African city I had ever visited. A lot different than Canadian and American cities. We were taken to one of the largest slums in the world – Korogocho -covering an area of 1- 1 ½ square kilometers and home to 150 to 200,000 people. A lot of churches ministering to the needs of these people. We saw the Nairobi River, one of the most polluted in the world. It looked like a river of garbage floating in a stream of soap suds. We went to an orphanage with some of the most beautiful children I’ve ever seen. They all wore red sweaters and had been taught one English phrase – “How are you?” We answered with the standard Canadian response – “Fine. How are you?” And they could only repeat their first question “How are you?” I managed to leave the slum without trying to smuggle a child back with me.
I was so impressed with one ministry we encountered. Women were taken off the streets and taught how to sew with treadle sewing machines. Because fabric is so valuable, they learned to sew using paper. The goal was for these women to learn how to sew so they could learn to earn a living. When their classes were over they could purchase a machine of their own to begin working. The problem they encountered was that the machines cost approximately $100 Cdn. and few if any had that kind of money. Far too many had to return to life on the streets. I wanted to be able to introduce a program of micro-financing, but that wasn’t within the mandate of the Bible Society. Micro-financing has been used around the world and many people are given opportunities to borrow small amounts of money for projects like this. The repayment of these loans is well over 95%. Through these programs they are not only lent small amounts of money, but they are able to set up savings accounts and they can learn to manage their finances. I’ve always regretted not being able to help out.
From Nairobi we flew to Kigali in the country of Rwanda. I had recently read Shake Hands With The Devil by Romeo D’Allaire, who had been the head of the United Nations forces in Rwanda during the genocide in 1994. I had heard part of the story of an amazing Rwandan woman who had lost her husband and two sons during the genocide. We were taken to meet her and to hear her story firsthand. She told us we could tell her story but asked that we not print her name. We have honoured her request.
This is her story. One evening her home was invaded by a group of Hutu militia. They murdered her husband and two sons then attacked her with machetes. They left her to die in her living room. She carries a deep scar on her forehead from the attack. She survived and felt that the Lord wanted her to go to a prison in Ntsinda to preach the forgiving love of Jesus. While she was there she was told that the young man who had led the militia during their murderous raid of her home was there in that prison. She asked to see him. When he came into the room, she embraced him and told him she had forgiven him. Words are easy to say but she did far more than simply say words of forgiveness. When this young man was released from prison to finish off his sentence in community service, he needed a place to live. She offered to have him come into her home and live with her and the rest of her family. Later when he got married, she helped pay for his wedding. We asked her how she could have done that. I will never forget her response – “I didn’t do anything. Jesus did it all.” I had a picture taken with this godly woman. I am convinced that if God should ever choose to expand the great hall of faith heroes in Hebrews, that her name would surely be included.
We went to visit a Rwandan prison to see what they were like. Now, I have visited in a number of Canadian prisons and none of them are like what we saw in Rwanda. For one thing, the inmates were all responsible to provide their own food. If they had family, food could be brought to them. I have no idea what would happen to inmates without family to support them. All the inmates were dressed in bright pink jump suits that were absolutely immaculate. I don’t know how the inmates were able to keep them that clean and pressed, but they did.
We visited a seminary that was being built with funds from a Baptist church in Saskatoon. They had a small library for the students. When I say a “small” library, I mean small. My library was larger. Next week I’m going to talk about a foot washing service at an Anglican service and then on to Cairo. God was continuing to teach me how to keep the Son in my eyes in an African context.
WOW, amazing.