By Katie Smith
What a mighty God we serve! We have been privileged to experience the mighty power of God in many ways these past couple of days. Not only has he brought us all here to Rwanda safely, but he has also performed several acts of healing both physically and spiritually.
Today was especially exciting as we could physically see and feel God move. All throughout the day we could feel his sweet and powerful presence. We were graced this morning with the opportunity to join a women’s prayer service at FVA. What an experience! The faith these women have is so deep, and we feel so honored to have heard their stories and shared that time with them. Many in our team got to practice being in tune to the spirit and taking leaps of faith by sharing their own testimonies at the drop of a hat. It was so incredible to see God reveal things to our hearts at exactly the right moment. We are especially thankful for our fabulous translator who made communication possible between us. It is often said that God works in curious ways, and we got to experience that today as one of our team members, Jessi (she gave permission to use her name) was ministered to by her own testimony. After this person shared, the women at the meeting prayed fervently for her and her position. It was clear that God was in that place, and Jessi was blessed with physical healing of illness and began a process of spiritual healing as well. Hallelujah! We continued to be blessed with displays of his glory throughout the day. As we left the prayer meeting, another team member was experiencing a sharp pain in her side. Praying for healing has been a theme on this trip so far, and we have full faith in God’s power to heal. I continue to be in awe and wonder of the fact that the power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us! We got to see that power in action as this pain was immediately removed as we prayed. Praise God for his love and goodness toward us!
We also got to experience much of the Rwandan culture today, and see the work God is doing in the nation. The rolling green hills, brightly colored buildings, and busy people created an exciting scene for our drives, and interacting with the people allowed us to experience the nation first hand. After the powerful prayer meeting we joined with Prison Fellowship Rwanda and visited a school and cooperative in the Eastern state of Rwanda. It was so powerful to see genocide offenders and victims living side by side and working together. Not only is God capable of healing pain in our sides, but he also has the power to heal nations and use even the darkest of situations for his glory. It was so encouraging to see the peaceful environment, and their children growing up as neighbors, friends, and family. We felt so welcomed as they pulled their handcrafted benches around to sit right alongside us in their village. We got to hear several of their testimonies, as well as sharing a few of our own. They shared with such openness. It is incredible to see how God can change people, communities, and nations.
We have been so blessed by the work God has done so far, and it has only been two days in Rwanda! We excitedly await whatever else he has in store for us. We are honored to love and serve a God who is so full of power and might.