Incredible day today! So much fun celebrating completion of the water projects in the North! Over 100 gathered to mark this milestone.
Pastors gave poignant testimonies about improved lives at 50 churches and communities. Before the tanks, kids up at 4am to fetch distant water, now able to get to school on time and stay awake. Before gutters, storms caused church roofs to flood homes and destroy crops, now tanks of water benefit bathing and irrigating. Before, dried up river and backbreaking work hauling water up hills, now energy for children to study and mothers to plant gardens. Pastor spoke with pride about our Rwandans WASH trainers teaching fellow Rwandans important information about hand washing and nutrition. Pastors are happy to help widows, the elderly, single mothers, their church members and the larger community with water. They are sharing their WASH training with others. They basked in the new spirit of cooperation and unity.
Government leaders thanked the pastors for helping meet development goals for improved access to water and health education. The Vice Mayor told the pastors that if they needed a favor, he would help them in return. {Renewed respect from the government is one of the side benefits from the water program that we hear from every ICC. The Church lost respect in the Genocide.}
The choir sang. A rag-tag band of Intore dancers added their best moves to the festivities. We cut a ribbon at the nearby underground tank to symbolize free flowing water throughout the District. Pastor Emmanuel, ICC President in the North, complimented Larry, impressed that he will take his car anywhere, even driving on the toughest roads to the remotest churches. The pastors laughed when he said that Larry is a straight shooter and won’t put up with Rwandan “lies.” {Rwandans never say no. Larry has gotten very good at deciphering their workarounds.} Larry urged them to continue working together to help other churches with WASH education and water. We presented a water filter to the Vice Mayor. Everyone got a copy of “The Purpose Driven Life.” The pastors gave us gifts. We posed for a group photo. We lingered, not wanting out time together to end. The choir sang a final song and we all jumped to our feet to dance awhile before hugging our goodbyes.
Larry and I accepted their gratitude on behalf of the P.E.A.C.E. Plan. We only wished that you could have been there to feel the joy of partnering with wonderful people on life-saving programs. It’s like the magic of the best wedding ever or holding your newborn for the first time or working together to accomplish more good than you ever imagined possible and feeling the Holy Spirit fill the room with gratitude, respect, and love.
