Visit to Byumba Prison Before Easter

Bishop Emmanuel and Pastor Robert arranged a hectic schedule to see as many of their projects and challenges as possible. The biggest challenges are education of the children and adequate school facilities, which is the case all over the country. Poverty alleviation and the care for orphans and widows and healthcare are also big daily challenges which our brothers and sisters in the ministry face 24/7. My challenge to them is to prioritize and tackle each pressing need in turn. Easier said than done, but we agreed that one could end up with a lot of half-baked projects that never see completion. So, we are working together to assess & identify pressing projects. 

A big highlight for me was the visit with Bishop Emmanuel to Byumba Prison about 45 minutes away from the city, reachable by very bad roads high up in the mountains. Pouring rain did not make matters easier as the road is then very slippery.

Unfortunately the rain kept us from speaking to all the prisoners as they only have meeting space out in the open. We ended up with about a 100 leaders in a space made for twenty, with more packed in the doorway and at the only window.

We shared that it is Holy Week for the church and therefore we talked about the suffering, death and Resurrection of Christ. I stressed that no reconciliation with God or one another is possible without the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ. I wove my testimony into the teaching and the response was overwhelming. I could feel the presence of Jesus in that tight space and I could feel His pleasure as we encouraged the prisoners with hope and a future.

This is the 4th prison I visited (10 to go) and I cannot express adequately what happens in my spirit. We were thanked by several leaders who asked if I could return in the dry season to speak to all the prisoners. This will, God willing, be done during our June/July visit. I was sad to meet some Christian brothers who were incarcerated for embezzelment and theft of money. Bishop Emmanuel knows them well and ministered to them. Satan truly goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. A timely reminder…

My final report will follow after the service in the Byumba Cathedral. Bishop Emmanuel has graciously given me the opportunity to preach on Easter Sunday, which is a tremendously humbling experience. This is his first Easter as Bishop of the Byumba Diocese.

This shows the humility and servanthood of our leaders in Rwanda.

Christ is Risen!
Gerrit