The Journey from Harpenden to Rwanda

The Journey from Harpenden to Rwanda

...."Reconciliation is God's gift to the world. Healing of the world's deep brokenness does not begin with us and our action, but with God and God's gift of new creation." Reconciling All Things, by Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice

Our Journey of beginning the School of Reconciliation and Justice  in Kigali, Rwanda at YWAM Rwanda

Setting the foundations of reconciliation literally means cleaning the floor to set the stage

Antoniette and Ashlee organizing the classroom

SORJ 2011 wrote personal declarations about what God had done for them and so we have used them to inspired a new group of friends.....next we teach the SORJ song of 2010

Part of the campus...our classroom is on the right side in the back...with an avocado trree outside our window.

The wonderful staff....Michael, Anto, Ashlee, and Olivier...wise and also very fun people !

During this first week, I taught on the Journey of Reconciliation and its focus on restoring broken lives and broken societies. We wrestled with the issues of truth, mercy, love, and justice and asked a lot of "big questions"
Each day the participants shared a bit of their journey with the class.
Claire shared about her life and how God has restored her, and we all stood in awe of what God can do
 to rebuilt our lives and restore hope to us.

Olivier and Joshua sharing about life here in Rwanda

The group discussing the issue of justice involved in peace-building

Ashlee in the kitchen learning how to cook on a stove powered by charcoal...it was delicious banana bread and the next day it was a green cake ...good, but funny color.

The offices for the facility which also runs a pre-school and primary schools
...amazing work with the neighbourhood children.

Olivier cooking dinner...the food here is fantastic!

Downtown Kigali....we are on our way to have a delicious Rwandan coffee
 at a local coffee shop

These are local taxis if you want a thrilling ride.....not helmets and if you want to ride, you get a helmet too
.actually the traffic is very organized with  great buses
and everyone drives in the right lanes..this is a miracle

The view from the city...it is a beautiful place


In 1994, when the genocide began here in Rwanda, I was living in Switzerland and remember vividly watching the news for the reports of what was happening. In less than 100 days, over 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus who sympathized with their  Tutsi neighbours were killed by their Hutu neighbours in a government sponsored slaughter. If you want to read more on the Rwanda Genocide...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide

Since those dark days the leader of the Tutsi group that freed the country, President Kigame has led the country into rebuilding a society that is economically growing and on many levels is working at the healing of the nation. Through both the use of the International Criminal Tribune for Rwanda and then the local work of Gacaca trials in the local communities, Rwanda has wrestled with both trials for the organizers of Genocide and then sought to help through the Gacaca trials in the communities to restore offenders to their communities where appropriate.

Over the last three years of running the School of Reconciliation and Justice (SORJ) in Harpenden UK, we have had a group of Rwandan students involved in being trained and in helping to lead the school. Out of their prayers, this time in Rwanda has grown. We are running 4 weeks of the 3 month school here this fall and then hope to run the whole school here next year about this same time.

Next week: The Journey of Forgiveness....we will be walking everyone through a process of forgiveness that helps us deal with life and its ups and downs ...please pray for us.

It is a privilege and a responsibility to be here. I am so grateful for those from this country that have taught me through their lives while we were in Harpenden together. But also I am so grateful for the journey of life from Texas to the Middle East...thank you to each of you because your struggles to live the gospel through the challenges of normal life and through dealing with conflict has deeply affected this pilgrim!

May the grace and peace of Jesus overflow in your life today and may each of seek to serve God with a reverent love for Him, and each of our fellow human beings. 

Dancing to think about what We are Learning...the best processing I know of.

SORJ 2011 in pictures

Memories of the

 School of Reconciliation and Justice 2011 Harpenden UK

Browse through a few pictures of life in the school from January to April as we studied and lived together and sought to understand how to bring change to our areas of the world.

In London enjoying an amazing city

Studying hard and enjoying our time celebrating together

Nanzip and the Drum....Music and teaching...stirs our hearts to change.

Excellent Teachers lead each week during the school....and they challenge each one of us to learn new principles and to apply these truths to our lives.

Salim Munayer explaining principles of identity....
He leads the ministry called Musalaha in Israel and Palestine

Welcoming students to the University of Bedfordshire in Luton.

Getting ready to dance and make a joyful sound!

SORJ STAFF: Nanzip, Sodangi, Ineta, Olivier with Scott Tjernagel
Thank you, Scott, for your teaching that inspires us
to learn more about our Father's Kingdom.

more eating together

Michael, Innocent, Godfrey all from Rwanda.....
How does one change a nation? Work with men like these three!

Our brains are aching and our hearts are being stretched to have new vision for the future.

Sodangi leading the group

The name plates show our national flags and our joined hands symbolize that peace comes as we work together.

Encouraging one another

Ineta has so much wisdom to share from her work in Thailand and in Latvia

We were looking at power structures and trying to figure out how to make a difference in changing the dynamics

Nathan, UK, enjoying a time of fun celebrating a birthday

Lovely Ladies ....and world changers
Sarah, UK, Ashlee, USA, Zefanya, Indonesia, Zipporah, Papua New Guinea, Antoniette, Rwanda
and Ineta and Cathy

Sarah thinking and dreaming about God's justice for his hurting world

Zipporah and the Journey of Reconciliation...how can one small book have so much impact in our lives?

Thank you Dr. Jazz for inspiring us when you teach on Conflict and Reconcilation

Take one Desmond Tutu and one young man, Godfrey, and it is a recipe for new vision to develop on how to help his country

All serious study goes better with dancing and none does it better than Innocent

My favority place to be....
in a classroom with interesting students and lots to discuss

You can hear their brains thinking and thinking!
Henry is excited and ready to discuss the subject.
and...Ashlee is thinking, thinking, thinking.

Thank you Matthew for challenging Nanzip,
 and each of us with your wisdom and experience

Henry is going to remember these days of learning from you
when he is leading his sports ministry in Nigeria

Part of the process of learning is being able to lead others.....Nanzip and Olivier leading the joint worship time for the schools.

Ashlee and Antoniette ....
What are you planning as you talk about the future?

After 3 Months of lectures and work, it is time for Graduation. Each student designs a reconciliation project for their country or an advocacy project that could help change an issue of injustice.
The faces below show the relief of working hard and encouraging each other to give life their best.

Happy Staff pleased with the projects and the success of their students!

Nathaniel, Ghana, explaining his project. Well Done!

And finishing the school, means it is time to take what has been learned and to fly home! We will miss each one of you who made this year's school very special...thank you for the hard work and how you inspired us.

Saying Goodbye to Olivier who was leaving for Rwanda.....hopefully the SORJ will be following him to Rwanda Fall, 2011