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Writer's pictureJune Peterson

Hope and evil...in one basket

We began our day with church services in English. Beautiful music, many of the same songs we sing at Summit. A powerful message of hope from Pastor Fred. Today day was the end of Reconciliation Week in Rwanda. Many things close down and they remember the genocide that destroyed their country 30 years ago. The pastor spoke of scars and healing and remembering. And this little country girl who can rarely get her hands of praise past her waist, actually got them in the air!



And then I went to Heaven. For reals... as my kids used to say. A lovely restaurant, all open air. The food was good, some new things but very tasty.


From there we toured the Genocide Museum. No pictures inside out of respect for the dead. So much horror, neighbor against neighbor, family against family all promoted by the media (radio) propaganda and man's need to do evil. One room was filled with skulls and bones. You could see many had been smashed with axes or clubs. A room of photos of children...dismembered, smashed against walls, forced to watch their family tortured, or even forced to kill their own parents. What would they have been today? The potential that was lost is mind blowing. There are 250,000 people buried there in a mass grave. And they are still finding bodies today. There is so much that I can't even find the words to describe... the leaders, the politics, the United Nation... the pure evil of it is beyond comprehension. It could have been stopped but no one did anything. Millions of people fled, millions died, millions were tortured, raped, or survived when the preparators thought they were dead. But... Rwanda has hope today. It is thriving, growing, forgiving and filled with a real hope for the future. It's the most sobering place I have ever been.


This giant piece of art declares Reconciliation 30.




One of several mass graves. People are buried ten deep in coffins. Many bodies are in each coffin.


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A wall of names similar to our Vietnam wall. Nowhere near all the names of those buried there, since many bodies were unidentifiable.


Leaving there, it was a little hard to enjoy shopping. But we gave it a whirl. NOT the market but the little business owned by someone the ladies knew. So, I blew much of my "wad" on gifts for family. Everywhere we went, church, museum, shopping was UP and DOWN. My poor legs will have to take a sabbatical. John, our driver, takes us up and down hills, avoids accidents, and does impossible parking. Listening to the bottom of the van scrape over ruts and dips and rocks, curls my hair.


Tomorrow, we begin our ministry to the women. I'm sure God has surprises for me once again.

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kalseeger
Apr 17

June, it’s been a real pleasure to read your blogs! Your words TOUCHED my heart! I will love to share them at the Methodist Church one Sunday soon! Bless your team and your blog! God Bless you…don’t let those bed bugs bite! O the places you will go! ( I don’t mean bed bugs but all bugs!)

Love and hugs, Kathleen


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carol.kraay
Apr 14

Your description of the Genocide Museum tells us that we can barely imagine the horror they went through. That the country has hope today just shows how the human spirit with God's grace can recover. Thank you, June. Your humor plus your excellent writing give us both sides of what you are experiencing. I predict this will be a life changing trip.

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June Peterson
June Peterson
Apr 16
Replying to

Thanks for your comment, Carol. It has been sooo wonderful thus far.

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