All The Single Ladies

Muraho (hello) from Sarah in Rwanda! Our trip has been full of adventure thus far and it is hard to think about leaving. On Tuesday we arrived at Gikomera ready to teach English. I had a backpack full of ESL materials and was ready to go! We met with pastor Étienne and he, and God, had different plans for me. He had 4 groups of people that he wanted us to meet with: 2 classes for English - One of primary (elementary) students and one of secondary (high school) students, a group of Christians for Eric to meet with, and the last group was a group of single women. I was chosen to spend time with the single women. This group was called ABISHYIZEHAMWE. In English this means “the people who decided to be together”. They have decided to be together because they have been rejected by their families. Each of these women have had children out of wedlock. Their families are ashamed and will no longer care for them. Their common ground is that they are on their own. Because of this they have decided to be together to encourage each other, pray together, and start a business to support themselves and their children.

Sarah and the "Abishyzehamwe"

I spent some time sharing about who I was and why I was there. I shared about the work that I am blessed to be a part of at House of Hope. Then I asked for questions. I wanted to talk about what they were interested in. We spent the next 2 hours talking about everything from how much God loved them to how to market their business and be a business woman. It was a wonderful time of encouragement and I had excellent aid in Bernard our translator whom we have dubbed “The Man”. But it was the very first question they asked me that will stay with me forever. The first question was what can I tell them that can give them hope? What a heavy question. My crowd was women who live in poverty that I may never experience, most of them have been raped, impregnated and rejected by their own. What can I tell them to give them hope? I immediately prayed and asked God for help. He gave me several scriptures to share with them but my favorites messages of Hope were from:

Jeremiah 29:11”For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.”

Isaiah 61:1-3  “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring god news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to open the prison to those who are bound. To grant those who mourn in Zion a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the spirit of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called Oaks of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

After that several of them told me their stories of what had happened to them. I count it as one of my greatest blessing to be able to see these women face to face and tell them how much God loves them and how proud He is of them and that what happened to them is not right. That they are brave and beautiful. God has a plan for their lives and will bring them good things. We are for them and will pray for healing and blessing on these incredibly strong women who have decided to be together. 

Please decide to be together with me in praying for them:

• That they will daily feel God’s presence and safety
• That their skills will increase, and that God will bless their business
• Pray for resources to build their business and support themselves and their children

Eric and Betty who heads the HIV/AIDS ministry

Courtney Rocks! (Trying out the traditional method of transporting goods and materials)

Ladies in traditional dress await their turn at the Health Clinic

Lou White gathers a crowd of boys who want a glimpse of the digital photos of them that she captured