There is so much emphasis here in Rwanda on healing and reconciliation, but there is continual need for prayer. At the end of last week, there were two incidents highlighting that ethnic tensions still simmer beneath the surface of government efforts to maintain peace. One incident took place just down the road from where I live, at the genocide memorial, which made it all the more real. Read more here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7342866.stm
Thank you for your continued prayer for peace in this country. Rwanda has come so far since 1994 -- it's amazing! And there is much reason to have hope for the future. But even in my own life, I can see that if I let myself harbor any kind of bitterness or resentment in my heart, even (especially?) if I have been wronged, it's like poison (I am actually borrowing these words from a wise and beloved friend). So if I can see this in my own heart and life, how much greater would harbored bitterness and resentment be, on a country-wide scale? What might wait beneath the surface to uncoil and strike, at the opportune time, or when it just can no longer be contained?
I think this is why prayer is so important: on the surface here in Rwanda, most days everything looks the way it should....the nation appears to be embracing development. But God looks beyond the surface and into the heart of things, and He is the One Who knows what truly needs attention. He is a big and powerful God, and able to do what benevolent and wise governments and well-meaning humanitarians cannot do!! So it is not a fruitless task to pray -- in fact, it is critical. Thank you again for praying! And I believe we will see God continue to provide answers in ways we could never imagine.
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