Dear Supporters, This year has thrown us some curve-balls, most notably with Gerrit’s ill health. Despite facing death several times earlier this year, Gerrit is slowly on the mend and Project Ubumwe continues to grow! Thanks to our faithful supporters and partners in South Africa, Rwanda, and the United States, Project Ubumwe is about to complete it’s second 6-month reconciliation program in THREE prisons for 2016! Our finances have been stretched thin but our faith in the power of Project Ubumwe’s message to the world has not wavered. Even when our hopes were down, our partners at Prison Fellowship Rwanda…
“…God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Cor.5:19). After six months of praying, teaching, guiding, facilitating and visiting with and interviewing all the parties, we saw some of the imprisoned perpetrators of the Genocide meeting survivors and also their own families inside the Bugusera Prison. More than 2000 prisoners were watching as we all gathered for this historic event. We had prepared everyone for this meeting of reconciliation, but we had no idea what to expect. The perpetrators had indicated…
Typically people hear from Gerrit about his travels while in Rwanda, but we thought it would be good to have Thabo share his experiences as he films the documentary MBABARIRA. I’m Sorry, Forgive Me. It’s amazing how one’s perspective can change in just a few minutes. This hasn’t been my first time in Rwanda, but it certainly has been the most eye-opening. From day one, when we met Chaplains Noel and Francois, I knew that this project and this trip were much more than what I initially believed. Francois showed us a very recent confession letter from a prisoner who is…
Greetings from warm South Africa! God has been opening many doors for Gerrit to minister in South Africa over the past few months. Gerrit spoke at the YWAM Africa leaders’ meeting this past week and next week he is participating in a session with indigenous leaders doing the ministry of reconciliation in Cape Town. We are feeling blessed by the opportunities to, once again, share God’s word of reconciliation in South Africa. On 19 October Gerrit leaves for Rwanda where he will meet up with Thabo for Project Ubumwe: a reconciliation ministry that will see genocide perpetrators asking forgiveness of victim families for the…
Gerrit sends us this short and encouraging report from “on the ground” in Rwanda: I am very tired but as in Cuba, God has taken over and the people, in this case the prisoners, are running with it. All are excited, spirit-filled and more. So many are saying, “The project has changed my life, the teaching of the project showed me how to repent, it set me free through Jesus, and made me realize the depth of my sins,” and/or “I want to share with others, meet the victims; we pray for our victims…” It’s a bit overwhelming. People are…
Dear friends, Greetings from a wintry Pretoria. Here’s a short update of what is happening in Rwanda and also SA with our ministry.The WordFAN ministry has grown exponentially in both Rwanda and SA, as you’ll see in what follows. RWANDA: We appointed 4 chaplains during my last visit in May (with a logistical support team from Prison Fellowship Rwanda helping) and spent 3 days training. As well, with the chaplain’s input, we amended our Guidelines for the pilot of Project Ubumwe (Together/Unity) that will be used in the prisons with Genocide perpetrators and also in the communities where we work…
[Ed. note: Although this a longer than usual post, you will find some greatly encouraging news and you’ll be able to see the tremendous open doors in both Rwanda and South Africa, where the Kingdom of God is bursting forth, the fruit of many trials along the way. Enjoy the read!] Executive Director’s Report – April 7, 2015 Introduction: Since 2013 many changes have taken place, including moving back to SA with our (recently) adopted children in January of 2014, resettling my family in Pretoria, opening an office for Wordfan. Personal (family) challenges multiplied the obstacles that we faced during…
My daughter Nadia ministered with me in Rwanda! What an absolute God-ordained time for us. I preached at Eglise Vivante Church on Sunday and she gave her testimony. It was so good to hear her give glory to God for being able to share her story in the church and also thanking them for their faithful prayers even when they had not met her. A father came to her after the service and asked if he could come to see her to talk about his son who has a serious drug problem. Nadia and I met with him, and after she had given him insight into…
My recent trip to Rwanda once again worked out different than carefully laid plans. Originally I was supposed to meet up with a ministry investor in SA on my way back from the USA. Unfortunately he had to cancel his trip to Rwanda, and I decided to continue with some of the plans we had made to visit the prisons (Rilima and Ngoma), and the Kimonyi Reconciliation Village. Visit to Rilima Prison We met with the Christian leaders who are in prison to discuss the launch of Project Ubumwe (United, Together) in January. They will be trained to work with the…
Ed. note: This post is long, but it no ordinary post. You will be amazed to hear of a radical change in the hearts of some of the prisoners; it’s so radical that it will affect generations to come! We are birthing Project Ubumwe in Rilima Men’s Prison and Ngoma Women’s Prison. The goal is to bring together the perpetrators of the Genocide against the Tutsi with the surviving families to ask for forgiveness. These perpetrators have confessed their actions, and have become followers of Jesus. They are ready to move forward with reconciliation! On our last visit (April 2014)…
