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) we spent 3 days teaching at Rilima Prison, and reported on the powerful breakthroughs we saw in repentance at the time. So, my plan was to follow up on the prisoners and also to check on the Christian leaders inside the prison who undertook to work with those who had repented and indicated that they wanted to become followers of Jesus. Those were my plans and I think they were good plans. However, I’m becoming used to discovering that often God has other plans, much better than my own! We are seeing these God plans emerge. We can have good plans, but they are not always God plans.

When I returned to the prison and spoke with the Director (a godly woman), I was shocked by what she said:

Actually the prisoners are fine; we have received more than 1300 written confessions since you were here in April. The problem is the Christian leaders and other sector leaders, who have not yet repented.”

I was speechless as I had “inherited” the Christian infrastructure at the prison and they were introduced to me as “the Christian leaders who will disciple new converts.” I asked her, “They have not repented? How can that be?” The Director’s response? ” Go and talk to them and ask them if they have repented and you will see. I will arrange it for you”

So she went to gather them and I prayed for the Holy Spirit to come upon me and to give me a Word for them. Within the next few minutes I had a serious word from Scripture for them. First the Holy Spirit took me to Ezekiel 33:8-9:

When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

I knew that God’s plan was to use me as a messenger to people who say they are followers of Christ, but who, in fact (practice) are not.

Then the Spirit took me to Luke 13:3 which says, “…unless you repent, you too will perish,” and then to another warning to repent found in Revelation 2:16.

When I met with the 131 leaders I told them that I’m not there to thank them for anything or even to discuss Project Ubumwe, but to bring them a warning from God, and that he had sent me as a messenger with a serious warning.

I gave them a firm warning, and said that if they have not repented, they would have no authority to talk to other prisoners or surviving victims and they will not be allowed to participate in project Ubumwe. The room became very quiet. I gave them the Scriptures that the Lord had brought to mind, and exhorted them to pray and to get serious with God. I reiterated that God loves them so deeply, that he sent me with this message so that they may not perish but be saved. I also told them I wouldn’t be coming back to talk to them about this issue again since they had sat through 4 of my teachings without repentance.

I then issued the challenge, “So who wants to repent?” I said, “If you want to justify your deeds or beat around the bush, go and sit down.” They knew I was serious, and they were being presented with possibly their last opportunity to repent. I wasn’t so sure how they would respond, but when one after the other they stood up and came forward, I was deeply moved. Nobody left. So began another round of repentance at Rilima prison.

The first one to repent was a pastor during the Genocide in 1994. About 500 Tutsis sought shelter in his church. He locked the doors and called the Hutu militia killers and with them killed all the people. He said, “Maybe there were more than 500.” His head hung low, he expressed remorse, noting that he had been too ashamed to repent. He asked God’s forgiveness and asked to meet with the survivors in that area to ask their forgiveness as well. The Word of the Lord broke through this broken man’s heart!

Another man repented of participating in the mass killing of more than 10,000 people at Nyamata Catholic Church (now a Genocide Memorial site) over a period of 3 days, even having lunch breaks and rest times during the killings. When I asked him why he did it, he simply answered, “I don’t know…”

One after the other they confessed to God and those of us present as witnesses to their confessions. I never get used to listening to ordinary people, loved by God, confessing to these unspeakable atrocities and receiving forgiveness from Him. But the joy of seeing these breakthroughs cannot be expressed with words.

We have a long road ahead in bringing perpetrators and killers together to be reconciled. It’s now 20 years after the Genocide and still there are thousands of unresolved cases. Yet, we cannot grow weary; God is busy doing a miracle in this country and he calls us to be part of it.

We will need a lot partners with prayer and finances to birth and sustain Project Ubumwe. Watch this site for further details, please pray that all these men will come to know the love of God and His complete forgiveness in Jesus Christ and that God will use them mightily inside the prison.

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8 Responses to Project Ubumwe (Reconciliation): Pilot Program for Rilima Men’s Prison

  1. I am so proud that you are obedient to do what the Lord requires; even at a personal physical cost. I love you so much for also that.

  2. I have to admit that my mind simply cannot fathom how Christian people can actively participate in the atrocities that were described to you, Gerrit. We humans are capable of such extraordinary compassion and goodness but within us is the capacity for such unimaginable evil. Praise God that He has given you His courage and steadfastness to confront these perpetrators with God’s conviction as well as His forgiveness. Praying our Lord’s protection and blessings upon you, your ministry, and your family.

  3. Hi Gerritt,
    Thank you for your boldness and obedience to the Lord, and for sharing this.
    I had the privilege of traveling to Kigali last spring with Operation Christmas Child, and we visited both the National Genocide Memorial and also the one at the Nyamata Catholic Church…..mind-boggling and moving, to say the least. So, it was wonderful to hear of the reconciliation continuing, even after 20 years!
    We also distributed shoebox gifts, of course, at many schools and churches….joyous!!
    Thank you again for sharing, and may God bless you, Celeste, your family and ministry!

  4. Hello Gerrit, I only now discovered that I never wrote my comment to this extraordinary, miraculous testimony! I am gobsmacked and absolutely INSPIRED by your courage, obedience and how God blessed with this amazing experience. Well done good and faithful servant doesn’t sound like enough words but you know that’s what God says. Bless you and all yours.

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