Kwibuka - to remember

Every April, Rwanda enters into a time of commemoration and remembrance of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi when nearly one million people were killed. It is a time to honor the victims, support the survivors, and educate the next generation. The ongoing reconciliation efforts of the Rwandan government and the Rwandan people is commendable. The genocide lasted 100 days from April to July 1994. During the 100 days each year, hospitals, schools, and businesses hold individual commemoration ceremonies. In May, the hospital commemoration ceremony took place. Staff visited a genocide memorial site and honored victims of the genocide who are buried there. The hospital and surrounding health centers also gifted a local genocide survivor with a cow. It can feel heavy to be in those spaces honoring those who lost their lives and hearing (for Emmanuel, recounting) memories of the genocide, but we also feel God’s presence in those spaces. We continue to remember and reflect in prayer in the remaining days in this 100-day period on the events of the genocide and the forgivness and reconcilation afterwards that allowed for peace and renewal.

We are also praying for:

• We’re continuing to pray and brainstorm on how to fund public health projects related to burn injuries including prevention and first aid education in community settings and education of healthcare workers in the community and surrounding health centers. A possible path to funding that we thought may work out isn’t. It feels like we are sitting on information that could help the community and prevent suffering, and it’s hard to be patient. Praying God opens the door to a different route for funding to make the projects possible.

We are thankful for:

• In May, I had the opportunity to visit the Wunders team in Kenya to explore how Wunders may work with Kibogora Hospital in the future. Wunders is a program of The Set Free Movement in partnership with International Child Care Ministries and Free Methodist World Missions. Wunders exists to equip girls and women with locally made sustainable menstrual supplies and community-informed education so that they can thrive. I currently serve on the Wunders Advisory Board, and it was an amazing opportunity to visit Kenya and meet the Wunders team and explore how existing partnerships could expand in the future.

The Everyday:

• Emmanuel has the opportunity to share the morning devotion at hospital chapel all next week. He is continuing his work in patient care in the Emergency Department and teaching in the nursing program at Kibogora Polytechnic.

• I continue to work in patient care in Post-Surgery. I will also be giving weekly education this month on staff suggested topics related to the patients we care for in our department.

• We have multiple volunteers arriving each month this summer that we are excited to meet and some to see again. We love getting to see how God uses each volunteers’ gifts differently and seeing people experience Kibogora and serve in their own ways. It’s a blessing to assist and recieve the volunteers who come through.

Family Updates:

• Our little Luka is turning one already next week!

• Noella is graduating Kindergarten at the end of June. She has been practicing a speech and a song for the ceremony, which she is very excited about.

• Matayo doesn’t have any milestones this month, but I can’t leave him out. He is our sweet, crazy kid and is looking forward to his birthday in July.

• Also, shout out to my niece, Katherine, who is graduating highschool today! I am devasted to be missing it, and I am so proud of her. We are missing her and our family in the US that will be celebrating with her today and tomorrow.

Thank you always for your partnership and prayers!

In Christ,

Rachel & Emmanuel