By Lisa McColm, Rwanda In-Country Host

For many Rwandans, Christmas is just a day like any other. While they may know the true meaning of Christmas and His birth, life’s challenges offer little opportunity to celebrate. If you have no presents to give or receive and no special meal to share with friends and loved ones, what makes December 25th different than any other day? This year an AGCI Embrace Missions team was determined to provide a special Christmas celebration for at least some of the orphans, widows and vulnerable families in Rwanda. It was a daunting challenge – create four Christmas parties in seven days – but the team of seven participants were ready and excited to extend His love and blessings to the children and families of Rwanda.

The women of African Bagel Company

Our first party was for the women who work at the African Bagel Company (ABC), and their families. In Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, an estimated 7,000 children live on the streets getting by day-to-day by begging, stealing and worse. ABC trains and employs single mothers, enabling these vulnerable women to provide for their children so the next generation of children doesn’t have to take to the streets to survive. As we provided a meal and gifts for the families, we were blessed to be amongst these women who work so hard each day to turn their lives around and create a better future for their children.

Sharing the gospel with “At Risk” children
and their families

“At Risk” children served by AGCI’s partner, Ten Talents International, were our next opportunity to share God’s love in Rwanda. These children receive support that pays their basic school fees while waiting to be fully sponsored.

Simple gifts bring big smiles

This was the first time the “At Risk” program’s children and their parents were included in a Christmas celebration. They were so appreciative of the gifts and special attention and we were all reminded that the simplest of gifts often mean the most.

Each child at Ghanga Orphanage
received a new set of clothes

 
 
The following day, we were blessed to visit a home in Ghanga for disabled children and adults to share Christmas with them. We were so impressed with the loving dedication of the workers there. Many of these people have been abandoned or forgotten by their families, but they have not been forgotten by God. We were honored to be His hands in giving them a Christmas to remember.
 
 
The Rwandan Orphans Project (ROP) was the site of our final party. Nearly 100 orphans and former street boys, ages five to 18, are being cared for and taught how to make new lives for themselves. Besides sambosas, soda, new T-shirts, and balls, the team was able to share some important messages with these boys. One member of our team shared about the difficulties in his life. He told of how God had brought him through all of it and showed him that he had a purpose.

Our creator knows we have great value
no matter what has happened to us

One of our in-country hosts, Mike McColm, then shared the hope of the gospel. They have been through very hard situations but their creator still knows they have great value. Afterwards one of the boys stood up to speak for them all and said how thankful they were for the message of value that had been brought to them. It was a blessing to be able to encourage and hopefully foster the faith of these young men and boys.

Throughout our trip, the team was amazed at the openness with which people shared the very difficult circumstances they have experienced and are now moving beyond. We were repeatedly amazed by the stark contrast between their life stories and the joy in their hearts.

Serving a warm Christmas meal
for families in need

Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Joy to the world, for the Lord has come! Jesus came to bring us hope, healing, salvation, joy and more!  This team came to Rwanda to bring Christmas joy to many different people, but they also found themselves being witnesses to the true joy that can only come from Jesus and is not dependent on our past or our current circumstances. Our hope is that your Christmas was also full of this joy. (If you want to cultivate it, it grows best in thankfulness.)
 
 
We are thankful to AGCI for helping us be a part of Christmas in Rwanda this year.
 
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