Monday, July 26, 2010

Visiting the bush churches


We visited three pastors who are starting churches in the bush.  Rwanda is a hilly country.  It is even called "The Land of A Thousand Hills".  I was glad that Paul is a great driver.  Tabi and I held onto each other as the car rolled up and down on those steep hills and valleys.  At one point, we had  to get out, so Paul could drive over big rocks.  After a few hours of a roller coaster ride, we reached our first destination.  

This is a typical bush church.  Actually, this is a better off one, since it has a roof.  Some of the churches do not even have a roof.  I was told that the Rwanda government now requires churches to have a roof, which makes many pastors scrambling to find funds to buy iron sheets.  We stayed at this church which Pastor Gilbert has planted about 6 months ago, it was wonderful to see Gilbert again on this trip.  I met him in 2002,  and lost touch with him.  Our purpose in visiting bush churches was to encourage them.  

We visited two more churches, driving through hills and valleys.  I held Tabi's hand tight and closed my eyes so as not to look down the steep hill.  Well, I should be grateful that I didn't have to walk to get there, whereas everyone we saw along the way was walking carrying heavy stuff on their head and on their back.  This church was started about two months ago,  so it didn't even have a roof.  They meet in the open air.  

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