Jenni and Ruth
By Jenni
City Hill Trip Participant
Yesterday, I was blessed with another amazing opportunity that will impact my life forever. The City Hill youth group along with our family has been sponsoring a child named Ruth through Compassion International and I got to meet her & one of the social workers from her center. I was nervous as we drove to the office wondering how we would fill nearly 4 hours together. What would we talk about? Would she understand my heart for her? Would she like the gifts I brought for her? Would she know what a Frisbee was? Would she feel God’s love through me?
God was faithful to bring a spirit of unity to us as we exchanged gifts and family pictures, drew pictures together and laughed at my attempt at drawing a hippopotamus. We went outside so that I could teach her how to throw a Frisbee. She surprised me and learned quickly, smiling joyfully every time she threw or caught it. We invited the other children (2 other team members also met their sponsored children) and their social workers to join us and enjoyed the game together. We went to a nearby restaurant to share lunch together and played tic-tac-toe while waiting. Ruth seemed to be smiling continually and even though we weren’t speaking many words to each other, there was conversation and understanding happening between us. I could feel the love of God in a powerful way and prayed that she could feel His love and care for her now and when we had to say goodbye. She is precious in His sight and I was thankful to be a part of what God is doing in her life. There is such power and peace when God’s children come together in unity.
While in Rwanda I’ve been learning that unity is not only found in the “normal” places:
* singing songs of worship over team members
* interceding for kids and mamas at the orphanage
* sharing God’s words of truth in team devotions
* accepting and truly appreciating each other’s differences and gifts
Unity has also been happening in the strangest places:
* in the middle of a grassy field with a group of kids doing the “Hokey Pokey”
* playing a game of Frisbee with people of all ages, races, backgrounds, and socioeconomic groups
* language lessons while moving bricks together
* blowing bubbles and watching kids run in excitement hoping to catch one
* sharing in laughter with Rwandan workers while singing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” together
* dancing freely in worship with a circle of children from the community
Thank you, God for teaching me valuable lessons about unity!
“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible….all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Col. 1:16-17
