Starting a New Fad

A few days after arriving in Gacundezi I began stuffing a towel under the door to my room (also the door to the outside). There is a 2 inch gap beneath the door, and I decided I would go a head and plug that up. Well, Paul found this rather amusing and was laughing that I plugged my door, I was okay with that. Fast forward 2 1/2 weeks or so. Last night there was a lot of noise and commotion coming from the people living in the room next to mine. I awake this morning and come to find out that a “big” snake came in under their door last night. The commotion was them killing and then burning the snake. I also found out the snake was venomous. Needless to say that my neighbors have embraced my towel stuffing strategy.

Run

A couple of the people I met in Kigali are going to run in a 1/2 marathon coming up in two weeks in Kigali. I told them I did the P.F. Chang’s marathon in Phoenix back in 2007 and they asked if I wanted to run with them. I haven’t run since the marathon, so it’s been over 2 years, but I told them I’d run a bit in Gacundezi and if I felt alright I’d join them. So, yesterday I went out for the first time. After about a mile I cut through a street lined with houses and then exited by the main road. As I made my way through kids poking their heads outside saw me and decided to run along side. It was amazing. Within five minutes I had an entire pack of kids running with me. There were some as young as 8, the oldest were probably 14. They were staying right with me, in sandals. And it wasn’t like I was just slowly jogging. I at the end we had run 3 miles in about 24 minutes, a decent pace. But the best part was after we got to the half way point and turned back. At that time there were about 6 kids that had made it that far. But after we turned around and headed back all of the kids that had fallen off pace were waiting. As we approached they began to jog in place with huge smiles across there faces, then as soon as we were along side them they would join back into the pack. It was hilarious. So much for not being noticed as I ran, we took up the entire street. The adults didn’t know how to react. Most just laughed and waved. It was the unexpected best part of the day.

The Project

Plans with the Highlands Project continue to move along well. I met with the head of Finance and Administration at the district office to further review possibilities, and also met with more dairy experts at the milk collection facilities. I was given some information for dairy farmers and am polishing up on my milk distribution knowledge. I also recorded a video at the school that I will send to Tyler, and as far as I know will be playing at Highlands one of the upcoming Sundays.

I also went out and toured the Health Clinic. The buildings were much nicer than I expected. They were built last year by the NGO Oxfam. While the buildings where in good shape and had some basic equipment there were still some very obvious needs. Two that stand out is the clinic has no power and only water collected from the roof during heavy rains. So, they actually have some equipment that can’t even be used yet, do to the lack of power. And, though it is nice for the area, it is also very modest compared to what we have. See below a picture of the birthing room for an example.

Where the mother(s) give birth at the clinic

Old Testament

I have been reading through the old testament while also working my way through the new. I am now almost done with Leviticus. It has been really interesting. Some of what I read in the OT seems to enhance the NT so much, bringing forth a further depth. Then again, there are points in the OT that God’s character just seems different than that which we see in the NT. Since I believe God does not change and is outside of time, and since I believe and trust God’s goodness, that leaves me in a position of needing to reconcile truth with my lack of understanding. I’m trying to do that now (though it is difficult with a distinct lack of resources). But all in all it has been very good for me being able to wrestle with scripture like this.

This is the road that I ran along and began to accumulate children!

Today I went to church here in Kigali, it was half ex-pats and half nationals. It was in English which was a nice change, the first sermon I’ve heard in a church thus far that I actually understood! But this post is actually from my experience at a church in Gacundezi last Sunday. Because I ended up getting sick, I am just now able to post what I wrote a week ago, after that service. Without further adieu, here it is:

Church

It’s hard to know where to start. This morning I went to Apostles Church with Paul. The service started at nine and ended up going until 2:00. I was wiped out afterwords. Since it was a unique experience and I have a lot of thoughts to work through, I’ll break down this post into stages, starting with the sacrifice.

Before the Message

As we were heading up to the church Paul was telling me about the service and what I could expect. As he continued to describe it he asked, “Are you accustomed to making sacrifices in church?” I was a bit surprised and asked what he meant, he said that at the service at some point the pastor would ask for sacrifices to be brought forward, and he wanted to let me know so that I wouldn’t be uncomfortable. Now, before going on I should explain that I had just finished the book of Genesis two days prior and am now half way through Exodus. So immediately my mind was thinking, “small birds? goats? first born? what did I get myself into!?” At that point I told Paul, “No… no we don’t sacrifice things at church.” It was then that I think he caught my surprised tone and clarified that he meant the pastor would take a collection, a tithe, basically ask for people to give money sacrificially! I laughed and sighed in relief. I mean if I had known I would have at least brought a chicken. No body wants to be the only white guy, and have no livestock to sacrifice! But this was much better.

We arrived at the church and it was much like what I had expected. The building was essentially one long room. The walls were made of mud with sticks and support for the tin roof was comprised of strategically placed tree branches. We entered and found a seat on the old wooden benches. But as quickly as we had sat down we were signaled to get up as a middle aged woman wrapped in an African blanket led us towards the front. Now I’m thinking that they were leading us to the front row, that would be fine. Nope…right on to the stage (by stage I mean that the dirt floor was elevated at this point, roughly three feet above the rest of the room). On the stage I sat flanked by the pastor and Paul. There was also another man sitting on the stage, I later found out he was a guest pastor from another church named Fred, and that he would be preaching. It wasn’t enough that I was a 6’4″ white guy with long hair, apparently I needed to stick out a bit more. But I ended up finding out it was a way to honor me as a guest, so though it was awkward, it was a way for them to welcome me.

After a couple of energetic worship songs the pastor came up and spoke briefly. He recognized a few guests and asked them to speak telling where they were from and anything else they’d like to add. Paul then whispered to me that I would be introduced last and expected to deliver a brief message of some kind after introducing myself and why I was there. Mind you I didn’t, and still don’t, have any idea what the word brief means in this culture.

Once the pastor turned in my direction and motioned for me to come forward I got up and walked behind Paul toward the microphone (they had 2 microphones and 1 speaker that were powered by a generator). Paul was translating for me since the majority of the 250-300 people spoke no English. When he grabbed the microphone he started to talk in Kinyarwandan. I had no idea what he was talking about. Then I heard him say a few words that I recognized: Chris, intern, Food for the Hungry, Highlands Church, Arizona). By the time he finished he had done a complete introduction and left me without half of what I was planning on talking about to fill the brief time slot I was  expected to fill. He looked towards me waiting for me to speak, I had nothing to do but talk so off I went. I began with the word “Urakoze,” meaning thank you. As always, they got a big kick out of me speaking their language, after some laughs and claps they attentively looked on with mostly smiles. I proceeded to give a short message on unity. I talked about the body of Christ, not only within the context of a single church, but within the realm of the universal church. I praised God for how he was working and told them how I had seen him through their gracious treatment of me. After a bit more along those lines I closed with this  passage in 1 Corinthians 15:58

“Therefore my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

I explained that with the death of Christ upon that cross that we, our sins, had all been crucified with him; and that with his resurrection, we were raised up, and God began the process of restoring his creation. I went on to tell them that with faithfulness and through love that they were a part of God making life on “earth as it is in heaven.” And that I encouraged them to continue down this path.

Now much of what I said was fresh on my mind from reading through scripture and the book “Surprised by Hope,” which I have mentioned on this blog multiple times. That said, it went pretty well and after thanking them again I sat down, having made it though in one piece. Not that I wasn’t glad to have spoke but it was also nice to be a spectator again.

The Message

After a few more songs by various choirs the guest speaker, pastor Fred, came forward to speak. At first glance you wouldn’t be overwhelmingly impressed by pastor Fred. That isn’t meant negatively, he is just a man of small stature. He had an unassuming presence and though warm, seemed a little quiet at first impression. I was wrong. This man spoke with the boom that I presume would rival the mighty men of Noah’s day. True to the culture he was extremely animated, as was the audience as they engaged in most of what was said. Further, the brother likes to scream! I think he spoke for two hours and my best guess is that he was yelling for 70% of that. It wasn’t angry, but passionate and emphatic. Paul did his best to translate at different points but it served to be pointless. Even at a foot away his voice was drowned out by Pastor Fred.

To the best of my understanding the message started with Fred talking about the table that God has prepared for all of us (think Psalm 23:5). Later, he was explaining that we must go through trials as Christians, following that he spoke about everything from temptation to God’s provisions as we jumped from verse to verse, covering roughly a dozen different books in the Bible. When all was said and done, about two hours later, I wasn’t quiet sure what to make of it. But one thing was sure, the congregation was with him the whole time, and more alive than I had seen them throughout my time in the east.

After the Message

Once the sermon was completed we were about three and a half hours into the experience. I was tired, and ready to go but then soon realized that we weren’t yet done. Immediately after Fred, the pastor came forward and spoke. Soon after that they called forward what I think were new believers, and a couple dozen people came forward with them to pray over them. The choirs then sang more, each song with its own message, though I didn’t know what that was. Following the songs, a couple people came up and gave testimonies. One of them was a man who had come in that morning a non believer. he told how he had 11 brothers and sisters but 10 had died, I assume during the genocide but that was never made clear. Then just recently his last brother passed away too, making him the only one left. He said that during the pastor’s message he had wanted to come forward but felt like Satan was trying to make him leave (again this is what I gathered, he was pretty intense and I didn’t have every word translated). After about twenty minutes he finished speaking and I think was able to then speak with some one from the church.

Following this a woman who knew pastor Fred from childhood stood up to speak. She explained that no one would have through he would be a pastor when they were younger. Then in 2006 he visited her and her family and became a follower of Christ. Since then he has been passionately following him, studying his word, and leading others. It was hard to catch every detail but it was apparent that she was extremely emotional and proud of pastor Fred.

Then, after a few announcements were made, including needs that were put before the church, they sang some more songs and took collection. It seems like almost everyone in the church came forward with something, reminding me of Mark 12:41-44. Then the pastor prayed a final prayer; as he closed the prayer everyone in the room began to pray their own prayers out loud. About 300 voices, some screaming, others crying, as the prayed to God. It is hard to describe this scene. Picture the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, but instead of a high tech building it was a dirt floor with mud walls, instead of stock brokers they were rural Africans,  and instead of selling stock they were praying to God. It was intense, and even a bit overwhelming. After about three minutes or so the pastor prayed again and closed.

As we left we greeted, and were greeted by, many, many people. They would approach with a smile and warmly embrace each other by holding one hand on the forearm and the other on the back of the bicep above the elbow. The first couple people that did this to me threw me off, I thought they were going in for a hug, ha, awk-ward. But I caught on quick and made may way through the crowd, greeting people as I went. It was a very genuine way for people to greet one another and you could see that this was a way the body of Christ here expresses love and appreciation for one another.

Thoughts in Closing

You still with me? I realize this has been long, but hey, so was church! I do have a few thoughts after processing the service for a couple hours.

So often I hear and have even said that much of the developing world church is an inch deep and a mile wide, essentially that it was too emotional or too charismatic and lacked real depth. That, to some extent,  has been my experience through exposure to different churches in Mexico, Kenya and now Rwanda. But after giving it more consideration, I am noticing that there is a different way of going about things in the developing church, a way that is different than what we are used to in the Western Church setting, specifically in the States, church for the people serves a different purpose. While churches in the U.S. spend a shorter amount of time focused primarily on a very specific message (which hopefully brings depth to the congregations understanding of God), and worshiping God through music, the length and progression of the church service in the States is often part of a good weekly routine (I know I’m generalizing). Here it seems to have a more specific purpose and holds a different meaning for the people.

In developing countries (using what I’ve seen in Eastern Rwanda for this example), it isn’t unusual for people to work for 12 hours a day- everyday. Here in Gacundezi there is no water, it has to be pumped into 4 gallon containers and then brought roughly 10-20 km uphill back into the town. And with no power, that means their are no electric appliances. Thus, tasks that take us mere seconds can take them hours, or sometimes aren’t doable at all. Most people grow crops and care for livestock such as cattle and goats. These are their livelihood, they also require an extraordinary amount of time and energy to sustain. There are almost no cars, very few people have motorcycles, and if you are lucky you’ll have a beat up bike that was new when your parents were kids. That means that most people have to walk, walking takes time and energy. Because of all of this the majority of the people I have met do not have a hobby, entertainment is rare, and downtime is a foreign term.

My point is this; in the states church tends to be a great part of the week when we see family and friends and spend time community with God. But here, church is their rest, community, entertainment (not meant in shallow way), and worship all in one. So, with that understanding it begins to make sense that they would have a 5 hour service. It begins to make sense that emotion is such a huge part. It begins to make sense that much of their energy is not understood by us. We don’t get it, and probably wont. That understanding is reserved for those living a lifestyle that we on our worst days can’t touch, unfortunately that understanding isn’t one exclusive to just Rwanda. It is known well by billions of people…we are the minority in that understanding (or lack thereof).

So do I think that the developing countries need help with theology and biblical training? Yes, many do. Do I think that there are many Christians in these congregations who don’t have an entirely accurate biblical picture? Most likely yes, there are probably a fair amount of people lacking depth in their biblical understanding. But does that mean that the church here is any more broken than the church in America? In Arizona? In Scottsdale? Not in my opinion.

I believe fully in the importance of accurate theology and correct biblical teaching. I think the parable of the sower found in Matthew chapter 13 (among other places in the gospels) is the perfect example of the danger of not having depth in our walk with God. But I also recognize this; on the little understanding that many of the people here have, they are gaining perhaps more hope, more love, and more intimate and consistent “times” of relating to God than many of the more educated believers in the West. They hold to passages like Psalm 91 in a way and understanding that we don’t find in systematic theology books.

We have a lot to offer the church here, but we also have a lot to learn. Perhaps for some it is learning how to rest in God, how to rely upon or find hope in God. For others maybe it is a matter of learning of to balance learning about God with learning to experience God or learning/knowing his heart.

When all is said and done there is a lot I don’t understand about this church, more though, there is a lot I don’t understand about God. But I see his Goodness. I know that he is present. And I suppose the rest is all part of the journey.

My final thought is this. Perhaps when Jesus says that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to go into the kingdom of heaven, it isn’t just because of what the rich man has, and therefore what he has to lose. Perhaps it is what the rich man doesn’t have, or hasn’t had. Perhaps part of it is he just doesn’t know the full extent of what it means to rely on God.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trails of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4 ESV)

A Note on Suffering

Throughout the day Monday my stomach grew more and more irritated and I started having mild diarrhea.  I assumed it was from the African tea (made w/milk) that I was drinking every day with both breakfast and dinner (well dinner was usually just tea and a kind of bread called chipote, not to be confused with Chipotle). I’m a bit lactose intolerant, and though I was taking some pills to help, I figured I’d just had too much. So I didn’t have any tea for dinner that night. I went back to my place around 8:00pm and was reading through Exodus. I then listened to a podcast from the village church that unpacked the above verse in James. Within an hour or so I started getting up frequently to go to the bathroom. By 9:30 or so it was apparent that I was sick as I came down with severe diarrhea. Mind you, that is bad enough under normal circumstances but in the conditions I found myself in, it was a less than desirable situation.

As the night progressed so did my illness and I was getting up every fifteen minutes or so. Luckily, my worrying mother (whom I love) had sent with me a bunch of dehydration packets that are designed for the early stages of diarrhea and supposed to help stop it. By midnight I had taken two packets and while I’m sure I would have been in worse shape without them, they didn’t seem to slow it down. It is hard to explain what was going on at that point. There are times that I’ve gone through trials, or that I’ve been tested by God when I had no idea that I was being tested until I was through the storm. But this night, it was like God was walking with me through the trial.

The scripture I had been reading as it all started was in Exodus documenting the journey of Israel being led through the desert after God rescued them from Egypt and freed them from Pharaoh. Time after time Israel forgot the goodness and faithfulness of God. And so at one point, the people of Israel grumbled to Moses about being hungry, complaining that they have been rescued out of slavery only to die in the desert, mind you this is after God parts the Red Sea as they fled Egypt! So what happens, the Lord tells Moses,

“Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” (Exodus 16:4-5).

God was testing Israel in the midst of their blessing. Testing their true faithfulness. Each day he would manifest for the people food to sustain them. But He was clear in that they were only to gather enough for that day. They had to trust that God would provide for them the next day. Also, notice that in the midst of this trial in the midst of the blessing, God also provides rest, a time to be rested (think Psalm 23). He tells Israel that on the sixth day the food they will collect will be doubled that they may rest on the Sabbath and not gather any food. Amazing.

Similarly, the podcast I listened too (not knowing the subject prior), explored the notion of finding joy in the midst of suffering. A notion that outside of Christianity seems not only crazy, but even masochistic! James 1:2-4 is a passage that has been instrumental in my faith, in shaping the core of my being. So on this night reading and thinking about the testing of Israel in the desert, then listening to James’ preaching on finding joy amidst suffering, it was no coincidence.

I prayed throughout the night, cognoscente of what was happening and paying close attention to how I was feeling. I watched the clock knowing that if I needed medical attention it would take three hours to get the closest hospital (Kigali). I also knew that the taxi’s didn’t start taking people into town until 5:00am. That meant, despite my pain and discomfort, I had no option but to rely on God. He would have to sustain me. I will spare you the details but by 4:15 I had not yet gone to sleep. I had lost roughly 3 liters of fluid and I was passing it quicker than I could drink it. As five o’clock approached I stopped drinking water so that I could manage a car ride. Right before five when I was preparing to go wake Paul and tell him the situation my lantern ran out of kerosene and I ran out of toilet paper. That may seem like a small detail, but in the moment the fact that they had both lasted to that point was a big deal.

I went over and told Paul the situation and we measured the options. One was a taxi to Kigali, which would take about 3 ½ hours, we would be packed in with 15 people, we would stop at multiple points, and I wouldn’t be able to pull over if I needed too. Or, we could call FH to send a car from Kigali, but that would take 3 hours to get to us and another 3 to get back. After a bit of conversation I asked Paul if we could hire someone who owned a car to take us. He called around and after about fifteen minutes found someone, praise God, who said he’d drive us to Kigali for 50,000 francs (about $90). At that point it seemed like the best option by far, I hadn’t been able to hold any fluid for nine hours and hadn’t eaten much, by the time we would even get to the hospital it would be 12 hours. Based off of past experience I’ve had with Crohn’s disease, I was eager to get to the hospital so that I could get an i.v. of fluids.

He picked us up around 5:30 and drove like…well like a Rwandan, we got there at 8:00. After checking in I was given fluids through an i.v. and given a mild pain medicine to stop some cramps. Within about 45 minutes I felt 10 times better. While I was there I met with the doctor and talked about what it could be. They took a couple samples and drew blood to run tests. I left about 3 hours later. I returned to the hospital this morning (Wednesday), to get the results from the blood work. Everything checked out okay. No malaria and no typhoid. So I’ll return Friday for the other test results but it looks like it was either bad food (I’m thinking the bananas ;o) or it was a parasite of some kind.

So all that to say several things. One, I’m feeling fine now. In fact, I originally planned on staying in the east until Friday at which point I could come to Kigali to meet with Dwight for the weekend. But now, I am in Kigali for the week. Warm showers, electricity, a toilet…not just a hole but a toilet (without spiders too)! Amazing. I also look at that experience as just one more time that God has tested me, provided for me in the midst of that test, and given me rest at the end (hmmmm…sounds familiar). Another verse comes to mind when thinking about the experience.

“In this [our inheritance of the kingdom through Christ's resurrection] you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes through it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Chris.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)

I will never be excited to be in situations like the one I just went through. They suck. It wasn’t fun. It was uncomfortable and miserable. But I am learning what it means to find joy in them. I am learning that it is through those situations that are faith is both tested and established. And I am learning that it is only through Christ that we even have the right to find hope in such times.

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:2-5)

May God continue to find me worthy enough to undergo the suffering that builds in me character that glorifies Him.