In Tanzania, we (Jeremy and the local African partners) were able to link many Christians from various denominations and facilitated a strategic partnership (by facilitating an EKLEZIA Retreat) among them to see their common vision of ‘an educated & empowered Tanzanian nation’. Many Christians were challenged to develop their relationship with one another in Love & Unity and were able to discern strategic next steps/ objectives to achieve this big vision little by little. We also got the opportunity to share about ‘Purity Principles’ with youths from different churches & denominations.
In Rwanda, we had a great Youth conference (organized by our host Teen For Christ Rwanda) during which many youths from various denominations were encouraged to go for mission, to keep sexual purity and to deepen their relationship with God & with one another in Love & Unity. They also got the opportunity to discover/ assess their gifts & talents. We visited, discovered and also were able to link different Christian leaders of churches & organizations and partnerships were initiated for various ministries like Reconciliation (after genocide), youth evangelism & empowerment and Praise & Worship.
One of the highlights of this trip was to be able to attend a Reconciliation session in the East of Rwanda with more than 90 pastors. We were next to the church where more than 3000 people were killed in one day in April 1994 during the Genocide. We were sad to discover that there were many Christians who were killed, but also who killed. Jeremy learned much about genocide and was even invited to encourage the pastors present to reconcile with the other churches and to serve together.
Jeremy was really blessed to hear the story of reconciliation of Eli, Gaston and Gaston’s sister in law (next to him on the photo) who lived in the same village in 1994. Because of hate which developped in his heart and of various prejudices, Eli killed so many people from the Tutsi tribe that he doesn’t even remember. Gaston saw all his family killed in front of him, but was able to escape and tried to commit suicide 3 times because of what he experienced. Gaston and Eli found themselves in same reconciliation session (organised by an organisation we are partnering with). When Eli asked for forgiveness for himself and on behalf of his community who killed the Tutsis, Gaston saw true repentance and was able to forgive those who killed his family. They became friends and went back to the village but Gaston’s sister-in-law didn’t wanted to forgive Eli as he had killed 9 members of her family. Gaston acted as a mediator (light-bearer) between them and succeeded to make them both attend Reconciliation session where she was able to forgive Eli. Now, they are serving together and witnessing how reconciliation is possible despite all the worse things which can happen with the love of Christ.
If they were able to forgive each other, reconcile and serve together in unity , is there anything ‘too hard’ to forgive?