Calling

"Rwanda? Why in the world would you want to go there?"  It's a hard question, but fair. One that has been asked several times.  The answer isn't as straightforward as we would like.  We knew God was placing missions on our heart and was directing us to stepping out into missions, but there wasn't a clear picture . . .until now.  

Years ago, when I visited India, I loved it, but I honestly couldn't see myself returning there, especially with a family.  The people, culture and land were beautiful, but while the experience was incredible, it wasn't where I saw myself long-term.  While in Mexico, we loved the people and it was easy to respond to the many needs.  We could see ourselves returning short-term, but again, not long-term.  

Rwanda was different.  When we were first asked to consider Africa, it was Kenya.  We were willing, but it didn't grip us like Rwanda did.  In the months leading up to our trip, we researched Rwanda and were drawn to this tiny country. Once we arrived, the land, the people and the needs impacted our hearts. It was as though the land was calling us . . .but even saying it that way doesn't give justice to the pull we sensed to be there.  

Wise counsel was given to us before leaving.  We were commissioned to first see if this was a place we could live--as a family.  Second, we were challenged to really seek out and get a better understanding of the needs within the country, specifically, in the village where we were.  Lastly, we were asked to really seek God on if WE were the ones called to meet this need.

Getting to know the country and culture and look specifically for potential challenges wasn't easy.  We wanted to see the good around us, but a decision like this couldn't be made on the "adventure and romance" of overseas missions.  We needed to look closely at realities of life in a foreign land.  The biggest difference that stood out was the extreme cultural differences.  This is Africa, not Europe, America or Canada.  I am not saying one culture is "good" or "bad", just very different.  We had to look closely and try to anticipate how our children (and ourselves) would respond in such different settings.  We also looked carefully at day to day living. Housing, foods, transportation and conveniences are very different--as well as climate, seasons and "critters".  The mission house where we stayed was very nice, but still, lukewarm showers with minimal pressure, no baths, cold water for washing dishes, power that can be unreliable, cells phones that may or may not work, different noises, etc.--these are realities in living in Rwanda.  Being 45 minutes away from the city means careful planning, working with markets and possibly empty shelves instead of what we "need".  Foods are different, diets would change.  Convenience food would be limited because of the extremely high price (3-4x higher).  Meat would become a luxury, not staple.  We talked about the distinct seasons we have here and the adjustment to sunny and hot and rainy and hot.  Thankfully, we didn't see many undesirable animals, but snakes, cockroaches, lizards and malaria mosquitos do exist.  These are very real differences we WOULD face. Would our family be up for the challenge?  Not to mention separation from friends, family and everything familiar.  In the end, we concluded that while there would be sacrifices, the opportunity and experience would be worth it.

Next we looked carefully at the needs of the area.  This is where it was challenging not to feel overwhelmed.  With 2/3's of the population living on under $1/day, the poverty was great.  Ironically, the people themselves did not appear desperate, but joyful, gentle, hardworking and dignified.  We learned so much from them!  We narrowed down specific needs and began to feel a pull towards being the ones who could meet those needs, especially when we looked at the strengths and giftings of our children and family as a whole . . .but we weren't 100% sure.

After we returned home, spoke with our family and reflected in our trip, we began to be drawn deeper towards Rwanda.  There wasn't a sense of obligation ever put on us that we HAD to go, but instead it became clearer that we needed to go.  Rwanda was calling to us, we were called to Rwanda.  As the communication increased and the specifics of what we could be involved in become more refined, there was a stirring of anticipation.   We WANTED to be there, we looked forward to what God has for us to do!  Thankfully, the clarity we sought has been refined, Rwanda is where we are to be.

In the days and weeks to come, it feels like we have mountains of details to tackle.  Thankfully, we serve a God who can move mountains and give us the strength for what is to come.

This verse I found today sums up exactly where we are at:

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:24 NLT)