There was a reception on the evening of July 3rd at the Embassy for NGO leaders and other in-country Americans, to celebrate the 4th of July. Then on the 4th, there was a big picnic on the Embassy lawn for Rwandans and Americans alike (again, Rwanda celebrates Liberation Day on July 4th, so it is a dual-holiday for Americans living in Rwanda).
The Ambassador is giving a speech in the photo, at the podium, and while I don't know what exactly I was expecting from his speech, I ended up being really encouraged by all he shared regarding how Rwandans and Americans are partnering together to help the country grow....everything from harvesting methane from Lake Kivu (which would ensure Rwanda's energy independence), to building a gas pipeline into Rwanda from Nairobi, to investing in real estate, to just simply building relationships between individuals from both countries.
After reading Darrow Miller's "Discipling the Nations" last year, I had to smile to see how God-given concepts like "freedom," "independence," "hope," and "future" were all evident in the Ambassador's speech as he described the spirit of the work going on here in this country. In spite of all the struggles here, a sense of hope does pervade the country, and there are many wonderful things happening, at many levels of society. The spiritual aspects of development embedded in the social aspects are striking at times. All the same, I continue to pray that while Rwanda develops as a nation in a way that honors God, the poor and destitute here in the country will not be forgotten. There are still so many needs that go unmet, so many children that go to bed hungry, so many people sleeping on a dirt floor at night and barely scraping by. Thank you for your continued prayers!! And may God get the glory.
1 comment:
Yipeee!
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