From the Missionary

The following post was written by Bryan Hixson, one of our host missionaries. Bryan and Holly Hixson are former residents of Manhattan, KS, and were responsible for our invitation to Rwanda and have overseen our project.

What is possible when a heart is led by God?

God is blessing Rwanda through six of His servants. We too are blessed by servants who choose to selflessly sacrifice of their time to spend it with us ministering to a beautiful people. As is the case with most of our visitors who are here to give of themselves I think these servants of God are surprised in who has become the giver and the receiver. As someone who has prepared and served on a number of LST projects I understand the feeling of blessings received from sharing faith and seeing others touched by that. After my first experience in Rwanda I began to realize in a profound way that this work was not necessarily about what I would give, but what God would teach me through those I studied with.

Rwanda is a place that is hard to explain, but it is a place that will change the heart that lets Rwanda’s story speak to it. Rarely in history has such evil been seen as that of 1994 in Rwanda. With that backdrop it is hard to understand today how such love and forgiveness can be offered by the very people who were victim to the darkest realities mankind has to offer. We still see divides around the world that are hundreds and even thousands of years old. Rwanda’s wounds are not all healed and hatred still exist, but it is clear that God has moved in the hearts of many to change Rwanda in a way that has never been seen in history. Rwanda’s story is not the story of the genocide, it is the story of forgiveness and hope that teaches the rest of the world what is possible when a heart is led by God.

It is in this reality that many come to Rwanda thinking they are coming to give and go home realizing that it was Rwanda that gave to them. We came to Rwanda praying that we would make a difference. We stay because we believe we are, yet we understand that it is not us or our story, it is the story of sacrifice, love, and redemption that brings hope and Rwandans understand these realities better than most of us ever could. Short-term workers come to Rwanda with the same desire and often leave feeling like they failed as they are the ones walking away with something they did not expect. They leave with a new perspective. They leave with a new outlook. They leave with a new reality that shapes the future for them. My good friend, Dr. Zac Nsenga used to say when he was the Ambassador to the U.S. that “when you come to Rwanda you will catch the virus, and the virus will demand that you return.” It is impossible for people to explain the experience of Rwanda that demands that they return, but it is a reality felt by many.

As this LST team tries to share their experience, know that they do so not knowing exactly how God is using them, or why they are in Rwanda. Today they may not see how God will continue to use them through this experience. At the same time you should know that they are making an impact that will be felt through generations regardless of what they perceive today. The irony and the blessing is that the gift of service goes two ways and this KSU LST team is blessing and being blessed in ways that will make generations of difference on both sides of the Atlantic. You can be proud of this team and you can be proud of the Rwandans God is also using to mold these guys into even more beautiful vessels.

Bryan Hixson