A month-long Regional School of Reconciliation was held in Rwanda in May 2013.
Students came from Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, different places in Eastern DR Congo as well as Rwanda. They first went through the Healing the Wounds of Ethnic Conflict workshop after which they were trained to conduct the workshop themselves. They then split into 4 teams and went on outreach each with a coach to put their training into practice. 1 team went to Uganda, another to Goma, DRC and 2 stayed in Rwanda. The 3rd week was focussed on the Biblical principles of Community Development, and the last week on leadership and team issues. The students left with much enthusiasm to take the message back to their respective countries.
Feedback following the cross workshop.
Lucy (Kenya)
My parents separated when I was v young. I was brought up by
mum, but was not disciplined. The first time I knew I had a father was the day
he died. I was still young then. Later my mother died. I had loved her! So life
was v hopeless. I got married young to find peace, but didn’t find it. I used
to pray with a broken heart. I didn’t want to live. For a long time I wore a
mask. My children have suffered. I’m despised in the church even though I am a
pastor’s wife. Until yesterday I had so much pain. I had never felt loved. But
since yesterday I am strong and healed. Now I can face the future without
seeing it as a burden. I had wanted to take poison, but I brought all my
problems to the cross yesterday. The heavy load on my heart was lifted. (Was
radiant as she shared this!)
Thomas (South Sudan).
This is a school of love! I feared to tell my story. We are
not allowed tears in our Dinka culture, but here I have wept. Gadhafi had
decided to turn Sudan into a Muslim state and had sent an army to kill whoever
was not Muslim. When I was 6 yrs, I heard shooting. Everyone was running so I
ran one way with my brother and my family ran in another direction. We had no
food and hardly any clothes because we had to sell them to get food. I ended up
naked. We walked for 3 months. I joined a militia group and was trained in
their camp. We were sent to Ethiopia to the war there, and there my brother was
killed. When I went home I found my parents had also been killed and my
siblings abducted, so I went back and joined the army to get revenge. There was
a church and a school in the army, so I read the Bible. In the middle of one
attack, I read ‘Love your enemies’. I was angry, saying that this was not
possible. But the Bible kept opening in the same verse. So I threw the Bible
away. Later there was a lull in the fighting and I was bored, so I went looking
for my Bible. When I opened it, I read, ‘With God all things are possible’. So I
knelt in the bush and surrendered my life to God. I escaped from the army and fled across the
border into a Kenyan refugee camp. Here
I took in some Sudanese street children to care for them so that I could have a
family. I went to secondary school and attended an Anglican Church. Later I was
ordained as an Anglican priest, and returned to Sudan. These days are so
important for me. No one ever said to me, ‘I love you’. I had no father to help
me, even when I had to pay 120 cows for a dowry! I even married to get a
mother’s love and care. Here I have found a loving Father and people who love
me. (Would have continued much longer if there had been time!)
Claver (Burundi).
I am an evangelist, but I was so wounded. I was born into a
poor family. My father couldn’t send us to school. The little money he had, he
drank it and beat my mother. After conversion, I left home to live in a church.
I tried to go to school but sometimes didn’t even have a pen. My siblings were
scattered here and there and couldn’t go to school, so I left education to try
to help my family. I had so much hatred in me, especially when my brother and
sister were killed. I’m a Tutsi and decided to marry, and the one God showed me
was a Hutu. Others opposed and I found that there was also ethnic
discrimination in church. I was very discouraged - my family even refused her
food. We married and went through much hardship. I was persecuted and told I
had lost my mind. Since being here I have found myself forgiving & my heart
is peaceful now.
Alexander (Congo)
I’m a Bishop with many parishes. I came here with pain and
anger for many reasons – it had been there a long time. I have to hear the pain
of others and try to help, but it was hard for me to find a place to unburden
my own heart. But here I had the opportunity, especially yesterday in the cross
workshop. Today I feel free! That was God’s time for me. The teachings and
whole format are very helpful for me. I have found healing!
Abraham (N. Kenya)
I came here to be strengthened because I was very wounded,
bitter and angry because of what I went through. We can even be each other’s
enemy in ministry! I am an Anglican priest, and I live in a remote place with a
forgotten people, a different tribe from my own. We are at the end of the road!
It feels as if we are not really in Kenya. There is much insecurity and it’s
not easy to preach. I went out to preach and was ambushed. Our tyres were shot
and I was thrown in the air. My leg felt numb and I later discovered I had 2
bullets in it. One bullet was removed in hospital but the other is still there.
I was in hospital for 3 months. I was shocked because I discovered my
co-workers had become my enemies! No-one visited me to pray or help me. They
just phoned once to ask if I had stolen the collection! I was taken to Nairobi
to another hospital, and there I learnt that I had been transferred to another
place. There I was shot again! No-one cared when I didn’t have a good home for
my new-born baby, who became sick and was hospitalized. My fellow church
workers told me they didn’t care! I began to think, ‘Who is my brother?’ I
wanted to resign from the ministry. My blood pressure was very high and at
times I was seeing double. I could not forgive. My wife was my only comforter.
But yesterday I found peace from God. I was set free from my anger, pain and
bitterness. I wept the whole of the last 2 days. Mahoro’s testimony challenged
me so much (genocide survivor & orphan). She could forgive after all she
suffered! Her story was much worse than mine.
Yesterday when I nailed everything at the cross, my burden left me and
last night I slept so well! I’ll go back and tell then I have forgiven them. I
will also ask forgiveness for any way I have wronged them.
Jeanne d’Arc (Rwanda).
I love you all so much! I must love, because I have never
been loved – from early childhood to this day. My parents divorced, then both
died. I was rejected by my family and by everyone else. I wanted to kill
myself. I thought I was the cause of all my problems. I thought marriage would
bring me love, but it didn’t. My children were my only reason for staying
alive. No-one knows what I’ve been going through. I’m a pastor, but have also
been wounded by my fellow leaders. We have gone through many topics here and I
have seen myself in every topic! All the problems were in me! I was so wounded.
I had closed my heart and withdrawn into myself. Nothing interested me. I had
left my job to serve God, but it has been miserable! I was convicted by the
teaching on infected wounds. I had many diseases for which there was no
explanation. I have been to many workshops but this one is different. God is
saying to me that this is the time for my healing. I know I will this place a
new person with a new identity.
Pierre Claver (Burundi)
I have been to a HWEC before, but healing is a process. I
didn’t experience love from a father. When I was 7 years old, my mum told me on
the way to school, ‘That is your father’. I respect women not men because my
mother loved me. When Rhiannon taught on the heart of God, I realised I have a
Father who cares. It really touched me. When I came up for prayer, I felt the
love of the Father. I had never felt this before – I had no close relationship
with my heavenly Father. I realised yesterday we were missing things. The focus
in church is on sin, not pain and sorrows. But so many are wounded. The drama
(taking burdens to the cross) showed me what I should do. After giving Him my
pain I feel free. Now I pray to a loving Father who provides all my needs. I
pray that this will change my whole way of living. All the testimonies have
been so helpful.
Japhet (Burundi)
I received death threats by my own tribe for betrayal
because I befriended children from the other tribe. I had never been taught
discrimination at home. I wanted to build houses to welcome everyone! I gave
away so much to needy people. In this HWEC as I have been listening to people
giving testimonies, I want to take them home to help them. I love you! My wife
was wounded and I was not able to love her because I didn’t understand her
woundedness. I want to give my life to serve the suffering ones. Please pray
for me.
Brief feedback at the
end of HWEC. What did HWEC mean to
you?
-
I received a good understanding re causes of
inner and the means of healing at the cross
-
It helped me realize the seriousness of unhealed
ethnic wounds
-
I was very edified. From the depth of my heart I
can say I have been helped. I understand wounds – we are all wounded – also the
means of healing for wounded people.
-
I understand the real meaning of prejudice and
the cure through the cross
-
We are among those who cause our own wounds. We
need to learn tolerance and bring our wounds to Jesus
-
My heart is thirsty to see Christians change and
our countries healed and the world in peace
-
Learning how wounds can be healed touched me
very much and I myself was healed
-
I understood suffering & the Father heart of
God.
-
I’m loved whatever my skin colour because I’m
His beloved daughter.
-
God has given His only Son for me
-
I must go deep into God’s Word in the Spirit
& know that God is not responsible for our sufferings. To bring healing
& reconciliation and see people changed, we must first be changed and not
point fingers but look at our responsibility also
-
It’s amazing to have this opportunity because
all are wounded. There is healing for our wounds. We must express ourselves to
God.
-
I have been forgiven o I must forgive others. I
have forgiven my father for the first time. Previously I had decided never to
forgive him.
-
I experienced a way of healing by casting my
burdens at the cross.
(There wasn’t time to hear from
everyone…
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| Worship led by Joel from Beni, DRC |
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| Reconciliation between Europe and Africa |
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| Reconciliation between African countries |
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| Thomas, South Sudan, at the King's Table |
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| Joy at the King's Table |
Brief report from the outreach
“The outreach was very good. The debrief was very encouraging. In Goma and Uganda, the teams met large groups. The time was short but all the teams taught all the topics and were amazed to see the impact. A lot of tears in Congo and Uganda. The GBU and Uganda team were amazed to see that the new guys managed to teach all the topics in 2 days. In Goma, a lady renounced to commit suicide. Another forgave Rwanda despite all evidence of its involvement with M 23. In Uganda, a lady who rejected males in general and marriage renounced her vowed after going to the cross. Some people in Uganda thought the cross workshop was some kind of witchcraft, the team had to pray hard on the side and the greatest opponent left with the greatest testimonies of healing. When the team saw the youth 18-25 years coming in the hall in Rubavu, some of them thought they were about to waste their time because they believed young people don't know anything. They were surprised by the intensity of hate, mainly among the Hutu whose parents have been killed by the RPF. One Burundian said 'I used to think that Rwanda is a bunch of hypocrite who pretend everything is okay but I was convicted by God when these young Hutu were sharing openly their anger against the Tutsi. The teams are very excited. They got new friends, are invited in those places. They gained confidence.”
That evening was a joyous celebration of new-found unity at the King's Table where the tribes affirmed and blessed each other. They are now eager to be trained to run the workshop themselves and take the message of healing and reconciliation throughout Zimbabwe.
