A Day of Silence!

 April 7th is the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda Genocide that happened in 1994.

April 7th was designed by the UN in 2004 so it is not an official Rwanda holiday,  however it is an entire week of solemn remembrance here in Kigali.  I didn't wake up early today because there were no radios playing, no hammering happening, no one going to work, no trucks driving by, no people shouting.  I have seen some folks walking so i hope it will be ok for me to take a walk, but everything seems to have stopped.  

For those of you who don't know, in 1994 there were anywhere from 800,000 (the UN number) - 2 million ( which most books record) Tutsis slaughtered by the Hutus here in Rwanda.  The world did nothing and for 100 days the killings continued.  Being here today it is impossible to imagine... these people are so kind and full of joy.  

Yesterday Innocent said without forgiveness this country would have ended, but because of forgiveness and because people refuse to be victims... they are building a country even better than the one that was.  So, all i hear right now are the birds.... 

It is a day of silence...  

but no one told the lady next door who tends to scream everything she says.... And no one told our new boarders...either...Since this mama makes a lot of noise, too.  She cries meow, meow very loudly in hopes of more food.   

Aren't they cute?  I wish i could drop one at each of my grandkid's houses!  Ha!  But i don't want 4 cats here.... Our beautiful birds are already chattering in fear.  Innocent just said he will keep chasing them out of the yard.  Since the whole yard is walled, the only place they can enter is through the circle of holes at the bottom of the metal gate.  I don't know if it will work... because they can just keep coming back AND i know I shouldn't have fed them but the incessant cries broke me down. 

 I might be able to sell their pictures to some calendar company though, don't you think?

Yes, this family arrived yesterday and they are already making themselves quite comfortable.  Mama was curled up in my chair outside this morning.  She is quite friendly and tame, so they aren't wild cats.... but ...we'll see what happens next.   At this moment in time.... they have been driven from the premises.  I feel like such a mean person (even though Innocent did the driving).  I think it will take several times before the message will get through.

So, it will be a quiet day.  Bruce is in Omaha with his Mom and some of his siblings.  Michelle and Adam and Issac and Iris are also there for Easter.  There is no commercialism about Easter in Rwanda. It is all about the Lord... His resurrection and our eventual resurrection to be with Him. 

That is refreshing in many ways.  So during this time of remembering all those who died and all the families affected by their deaths here in Rwanda we also stop to think about Jesus in the tomb.   His death too, was violent, but He was not a victim.  He chose to die for us and to forgive us of all of our sins so that we could "rebuild" our lives in Him-- so that they could be better than they ever were before.  And there is an even greater life ahead with him after we die, due to His resurrection!  I pray you know Him as your Lord and have this assurance!  

So have a blessed Easter. 

 Find some time in your day today to be silent and thank Him for all He has done for us... 

because without HIS forgiveness where would we be?

Just as i am finishing.... I hear someone off in the distance whistling....

"AMAZING GRACE"!

 How priceless!