Reflections on Pastor Deo’s Ministry to Orphans by Joshua Wolfaardt- 6/22/12
One of the first things a person will notice upon arriving in Rwanda is all of the children walking on the streets. These children are not always with parents, and unfortunately quite a few are orphans. Pastor Deo tries to help these orphans learn about God and also attempts to feed and clothe as many as he can. I had previously given an update about Pastor Deo’s work, but this was the first time we had a chance to actually see it firsthand. Amazingly, we also ran into some volunteers led by a woman named Karen who work with Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee (IAC members will know this group well). I was shocked to see these children smiling, laughing and playing as they praised God.
My dad (Gerrit) and I eventually began to dance with the children along with the other volunteers. They were so excited to see us and to be able to worship together. They were fed massive bowls of food piled high. This isn’t because Pastor Deo has a large amount of funds, though. The reason they are given so much is because they only get fed three times a week by Deo. For most of them, this is the only meal they will eat for two days. It was troubling to see how, in comparison, they eat so little.
We were able to talk to Karen from Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee and we are hopeful that we can begin a partnership with this group to help these beautiful children who, though hungry to have their bellies filled, are full of love and gratefulness.
