+EOC+ missionRWANDA

(Edited from reports by Bp. Jerold Gliege, Audrey Gliege, Bp. Joshua Beecham, and Dn. Jakob Palm.)

INTRODUCTION TO RWANDA
After having met Pastor Denis Mugabo in the U.S., at his invitation Mother Pilar Callen made her first trip to Rwanda early in Jan, 2008. Hosted by Pastor Denis and his wife Dativa, she found the believers in Kilgali to be warm, generous, and steadfast, eager to grow in an orthodox understanding and practice of the Faith. Getting a first-hand glimpse of African culture was an education for Mother Pilar. Everything moves slower; the people save their energy and don’t stress. They seem to face life at a different stride and from a different perspective, with relationships a priority. If you only eat once a day, your focus is about survival, not unnecessary things. While visiting she did some teaching of English in all grade levels at the Mugabos’ school.

Following Mother Pilar’s initial visit and her wonderful report on Pastor Denis Mugabo and his ministry, Pastor Denis traveled in Apr to Indiana for a visit with St Paul’s EOC in Greenwood. From there he attended the EOC music conference hosted by Christ Resurrection EOC of Sioux City, Iowa. Then from May-Jul, he was with Holy Covenant EOC in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan while he worked as a night security guard. His sojourn with us increased our conviction that God had caused our paths to intersect, and that we should continue plans to travel to Kigali to view his work and vision.

From Jul 27-Aug 13, 2008, Bp. Jerold Gliege, Fr. Ruben Guenter, and Fr. Joshua Beecham went to Kigali, Rwanda to meet with Pastor Denis and the people who were desirous to form an Evangelical Orthodox Church. As they walked to many of their destinations (walking being the chief mode of getting around this city of a million people as owning a vehicle is expensive and a sign of exceptional wealth), the three agreed that they had never met a man who was greeted and seemingly respected and appreciated by so many people as is Pastor Denis. As he would introduce them to us, many had been past students or persons he has helped or continues to help if he has a dollar to spare.

Pastor Denis, in the 90’s a Tutsi Rwandan in a refugee camp, was selected by the United Nations to be sent to Canada for education. It was this fortuitous event that caused him to escape the genocide that engulfed the Rwandan people in 1994. After obtaining his Master’s Degree in social work, Pastor Denis returned to Rwanda to look for his family. After several years he found his mother and sisters, and countless orphans who touched his heart, and whom he began to find ways to help.

Pastor Denis is a kind and caring humanitarian who exemplifies forgiveness and love wherever he goes and to whomever he meets. With citizenship in Canada, he could move his family there to live comfortably, but he and his wife Dativa choose to stay in Rwanda and live at the poverty level among their poor neighbors as a manifestation of their walk with Christ. He is generous, perhaps to a fault, and at times at the expense of his own family he shares with everyone as though they were his own.  He has regularly spent months out of each year in Canada earning enough money to support his family and the school for orphans he founded. Some of his friends expressed their concern that he has to be away so much to earn money; they want him with his family and doing the work he does so well in Africa – taking food to widows or the hospital and helping in such practical ways to press out the Kingdom of God. Because of a gracious offer from a member of the EOC, we now have the funds for the extended Mugabo household to be supported.

Pastor Denis has two friends, Fr. Philbert and Fr. Fidele, who work in an organization called REACH (Reconciliation, Evangelism, and Christian Healing) in Kigali. Their ministry has been instrumental in the reconciliation of thousands of perpetrators and victims of the Rwandan genocide. These men are articulate priests who are very interested in Orthodoxy and the work of the EOC. They have offered their services in any way they can help, and their administrative skills will be a great asset in any future building project and ongoing work.

ST. JOHN’S, Kigali
Since 1994 Pastor Denis has nurtured four house gatherings that are together desiring to become an EOC church. On August 10, 2008, we ordained as priests Fr. Denis and one of his principle peers, John, baptized over 20 people, and constituted St. John’s EOC. This group has now rented facilities for a permanent altar and worship space. We want to financially assist St. John’s with the rental of this worship facility.

Fr. John Jabo Urwintwali is 53 years old, educated in philosophy and psychology. He presently teaches high school and earns $200/mo, and in order to attend church walks many miles for each service. It is our desire to offer him a $100/mo stipend so that he can take taxi travel in order to give more time for his ministry in the church. We believe Fr. John to be a key link in the development of the church as he appears to be the administrator, while Fr. Denis is much more evangelistic and apostolic. Fr. John is the pastor who took care of the house churches during Fr.Denis’ many trips to Canada.

In addition we set aside three potential deacons. Canisius, a man from the Congo, will stay with the Rwanda church for a year before going back to find his flock, which has been scattered due to the unrest and warfare within his country.

During Bp. Jerold’s trip in January 2009, 12 new members were received into the church and nearly 100 people were present. During the thanksgiving time after the Eucharist, there was much joyous sharing. James brought his choir from the Burema congregation (St. Joseph’s), leaving at 5:30 AM to walk to Kigali and be early for the service! Donna Connelly brought her gift of clown ministry by appearing as “Dreamer”, sharing her love and her clown nose with the faithful.

When Bp. Joshua went later in the year, besides doing eight baptisms, he and Fr. Denis ordained Dn.Gratien Sebakiga and Dn. Canisius when more than 100 people (including three adult and one children’s choirs) packed St. John’s small worship space. Early in the service the people sang “O Lord Open My Lips”, the song written by Lasse Lagerqvist (St. Peter’s). What a blessing to hear a song from Sweden sung in English by Africans! Somehow in that moment the EOC didn’t seem so geographically scattered!

In Jan, 2010 Bp. Jerold was joined by Bp. Thomas from Sweden and Bp. Telesphore from Burundi to consecrate Fr. Denis Mugabo to the EOC episcopacy and set him as overseer of EOC activity in East Africa.

PEACE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, Kigali
After Denis Mugabo returned to Rwanda from Canada following the 1994 genocide, he purchased a property in the poor part of the capital city of Kigali that was suitable for living and accommodating a school. He married Dativa, who shares his love for the impoverished, and together they established the Peace International School. The classrooms are an extension of their two-bedroom home, with two out-houses, no electricity, no running water, and a cement slab play area in the front. They undertook to hire seven teachers, and today over 100 orphans and poor children attend this Primary-5th Grade program. Because of the cost of public school in Rwanda, most of these children would have no chance for an education without this school.

Annually, Bp. Denis has traveled to Canada for up to six months each year to earn what was needed to support his household of twelve (4 daughters, 3 orphans, his wife’s younger brother, a household helper, and the principal of the school). The teachers earn $100/month but do not get paid for the three months they are not teaching. We are recommending that our communion of churches undertake the salaries of the teachers and extend the pay they get to cover all of the months of the year.

We were able to attend the children’s classes. The behavior and composure of the children was exemplary. The teachers were enthusiastic and commanded the attention of the children. The children wear blue and white uniforms – the standard in Rwanda. They love music and crafts, and learn their lessons primarily by oral recitation. It is clear to see that Dativa is the effective administrator of the school. This is truly a woman of grace, strength, love, and vision. Her parents were both killed in the genocide, and her brother Celestine Rukeratabaro lives with her family. While the school has been funded by her husband’s work in Canada, Dativa keeps it functioning and alive by her daily presence and hard work. She is on her busy street at 6AM to make sure the children arrive safely. Prior to that she has already gone to the community well to secure water for the day’s needs.

School is in session Jan 1-Mar 31, April 15-Jun 30, and Aug 12-Oct 31. Their major holiday time is Nov and Dec. The school offers a high quality of education. Two of the children who attend walk 10 km. (6 mi.) one way to attend, and others wait for hours in the afternoon to catch a bus to their foster homes. Only a handful can afford to pay the fees which cover the meager school supplies and uniforms.

Rwanda is known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills”. That gives you an idea of the terrain, even in Kigali. The climb to the front door of the school from the street is amazing, even when it is not the rainy season. Some of the steps carved out of the packed dirt are 45.5 cm. (18 in.) high, but the children are like mountain goats.

Rwandans speak a combination of Kinyarwandan, French, and English. A recently enacted national law is making English the primary language, and classes will now change over to being taught in English. All visitors from the West will have opportunities to give English lessons as well as teach crafts.

The school/their home is in an area that is scheduled to be demolished in 2010 by the City of Kigali in an urban renewal project. During his Jan, 2009 visit, Bp. Jerold went with Bp. Denis to scout out some prospective property as a site to build a new school building/worship center as well as have space for income-producing ventures. During his visit later in 2009, Bp. Joshua looked at a different 2 hectare (5 acres) plot highly recommended by Fr. Philbert from REACH, whom we consulted because he is a friend and because he has done a significant amount of work in purchasing and building for his own ministry. We have established a Building Fund, and fund-raising across our communion of churches raised enough for the purchase of the $23,000 land in 2009. The Fund is being continued to provide for the building project, for which drawings were submitted in 2010 for a local building permit. We hope that God will miraculously provide for this need, which seems beyond our means.

GOOD SAMARITAN PROJECT
Unlike the Americas and Europe, our experience of Africa is that there is little separation of spiritual and humanitarian work – the two fit like hand and glove. One practical means of serving the poor in Kigali is the Good Samaritan Project administered by Dativa Mugabo. As resources make it possible, beans, rice, oil, salt, sugar, flour are purchased in bulk and distributed to those most in need. It was amazing and humbling to help her pass out these basics and see the appreciation of those who received them, mainly widows with children. This is a great ministry, but no matter how much food is purchased, it never seems like enough. Some of the families were also the recipients of Dawg shoes which we have shipped over, donated by the manufacturer in Canada.

ST. JOSEPH’S, Burema
On our first visit to Rwanda, Bp. Denis took us to Burema, a small village about 15 km. (9 mi. and 30 minutes by taxi) from Kigali. One summer after earning money tree planting in northern British Columbia, Canada, Bp. Denis purchased two buildings in this village, both of which he offered to widows and poor people as living quarters at no charge. James Gakwavu, a groundsman/night security/caretaker/English teacher lives in a small room in one of the buildings and paid a modest monthly fee. This man with a great servant’s heart, has turned the land around the buildings into crop and vegetable production. James (now Dn. James) is overseeing a small congregation, St. Joseph’s EOC mission, who are worshiping in the building each Sunday.

During Bp. Joshua’s visit in 2010, so many people came for the Liturgy that the service was moved outside. One adult and 24 children were baptized. Of course, Bp. Denis or Fr. John could have done the baptisms, but the people like having us do such things when we visit from the West.

A monetary gift is being used to start a sewing school in a 3.6×9 meter (12×30 ft.) room in the center of one of the buildings. Two sewing machines and an instructor will help a number of women learn to sew and give them the opportunity to make a living. Initially 14 young women enrolled in the class beginning in Oct, 2008. On their trip in Jan, 2009, Bp. Jerold and his wife Audrey were joined by Mother Pilar, Dn. Jakob and Jonathan Palm (St. Peter’s), and Donna Connelly (Christ Resurrection). The big event was an official ribbon-cutting for The Peace Arts Training Center, an occasion for celebration, singing, and dancing. Each student had sewn her own uniform, which we “officially” presented at the opening. An additional six treadle sewing machines have been bought through donations for this specific project. The enrollment increased to 22, women ages 13-22, three of them with babies who are either on their mother’s back or in a little room off to the side. There is no electricity, of course, and it is amazing to see how well they have done sharing the machines in very limited natural light.

Following successful fund-raising, in Jan, 2010 the The Frank Sewing Association was created as an employment opportunity for the first graduating class from the Peace Arts Training Center. A sewing machine and basic supplies were provided for each seamstress in 22 sewing stations. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was presided over by Audrey (Frank) Gliege. Bp. Denis has done an amazing job of refurbishing a second building on the property, which now houses not only the Association but St. Joseph’s church, an office, and living quarters for Dn. James, who oversees the complex.

We were fortunate to learn from a Canadian missionary agriculturist of a training program in chicken and rabbit husbandry, which can become a great asset to Dn. James as a micro-economic project suitable to this village. Funds were provided for the tuition for the month-long course, which will qualify Dn. James to train for animal production (food and income) in Burema and other villages in Rwanda. We are optimistic about these possibilities for self-sustainability. By the time Bp. Joshua visited in 2010, Dn. James was proudly displaying his certificate of completion. We continue to be impressed with Dn. James’ diligence, leadership skills, compassion, and energy. He is a hard-working, faithful man.

ST MICHAEL’s, Gitarama
Gitarama is 70 km. (43 mi. or about an hour) southwest of Kigali. The congregation there, about 55 faithful, was designated St. Michael EOC in 2009, led by the capable, gentle, godly Dn. Gratien Sebakiga (who in the past has been a catechist in the Roman Catholic Church), a man of great character, humility, and integrity. Dn. Gratien and a number of his people had come to Kigali several times for training and participation in the Liturgy, and he was made a priest in 2010. His son Lucien attends Light of the World African Seminary.

When Bp. Jerold attended a Liturgy there on his visit in 2010, more than 100 crowded into a makeshift tent. After the service when the rain came, all huddled into Fr. Gratien’s house and small courtyard. When the sun came out, everyone stayed to sing, celebrate (dance in the mud…), and enjoy fellowship and heaping places of food prepared by these loving and giving souls.

Land and adobe construction is very inexpensive in this village, and for about $7000 a good parcel of land can be purchased to construct an adobe sanctuary plus an equipped sewing center for income production. A small plot of land was purchased in 2010, and they hope to begin building as soon as possible. The villagers here seem quite aggressive with growing vegetables and crops (even rice) as well as raising cattle and goats. Rabbit farming here would be met with enthusiasm.

ST. AUGUSTINE’S, Nyagasambu
Establishing a congregation in this small village 40 km. (almost 25 mi.) from Kigali, is a work begun by Dn. Claude and Dn. Freddie. When Bp. Jerold visited in Jan, 2010, more than 100 people gathered to worship and to present their vision for the village and parish church. Their goals include a rabbit industry, HIV treatment center, and a primary school for the poor and underprivileged.

On Bp. Joshua’s 2010 visit, the contingent from St. Paul’s was warmly received by about 50 adults and children. The mission parish began meeting under a simply canopy on Sundays, but their adobe brick building (the bricks made from the dirt removed in leveling the site) should be completed before the end of 2010. On this trip the young people from St. Paul’s helped prepare the land by digging with a pick, hoeing, and shoveling, working in installments in the high temperature and thin air of the high altitude.

HOLY TRANSFIGURATION, Nyanza
When Bp. Joshua arrived in Rwanda in Jun, 2010, Bp. Denis had arranged for him and those who were with him from St. Paul’s (Kathy Beecham, Nathanael McKenzie, Anastacia Jensen, and Jennifer Lashbrook) to travel to this village to meet with a prospective contractor for St. John’s building project. Besides the business of the building, the villagers wanted to begin an EOC mission there. As part of their hospitality, they presented Bp. Joshua with the gift of a pregnant cow, a seriously significant African symbol of someone making you a part of his family – a gesture of great love. Bp. Denis explained that in a situation like ours (since we wouldn’t be taking the cow back with us on the plane!), the giver keeps the cow and cares for it, assuming all the expenses for doing so while the cow is still considered to belong to Bp. Joshua. The naming of the cow Agnes was met with much applause and shouts of approval. To wrap things up, the cow was milked, the milk presented to Bp. Joshua, and then (by custom) given to one of the poor village children to drink. Bp. Denis will begin going to Nyanza soon to begin the church’s catechism.

LIGHT OF THE WORLD AFRICAN SEMINARY, Kigali
Bp. Denis has begun classes in theology, sociology, anthropology, and adult English as evening classes, now held in their rented church building. Fr. John is here five nights a week taking English and theology or teaching classes in his specialties of philosophy and psychology. There are currently about a dozen students – a mix of Catholics, Anglicans, Seventh-Day Adventists, and EOC. Bp. Denis runs the school purposefully and strictly. His goal is to use it both to raise money for other things (the students have to pay a small tuition) and to use it to train apostolic workers to start other EOC churches.

During his 2009 visit, Bp. Joshua taught Overview of Church History, a challenge with every concept and question having to be translated. His wife Kathy and Sharon Dougherty (St. Paul’s) had the opportunity for teaching English from the New Testament. One of the highlights was clarifying when one of the students pronounced “striking” as “streaking”, followed by an explanation of what a streaker is. So much for classical English!

During his 2010 visit, Bp. Joshua taught one evening on the origins of the Orthodox Church. He did a recap of Church history, the development of eastern and western centers of Christianity, the estrangement of east and west, and the predominant differences between them today. The students’ questions kept the class almost an hour past time!

FINAL REFLECTIONS
If “true religion” is to feed the orphans and widows, then we should put our hands to this plough and carry forward with all our strength! Our African brothers and sisters can show us of the Western world how to better live a communally interactive life, and we can share with them how individuals pursue a dream or a goal. We have so much to learn from the Africans’ hospitality, warmth, contentment, faith in adversity, and continuing effort to forgive the past and live for now in love. Different languages and cultural traditions should not discourage us from patience and perseverance. Offering help that is appropriate to the African way of life and discerning appropriate expectations on both sides will take time and grace.

Together as a communion of churches we want to be open to fund-raise for capital projects such as building a school/worship center, and to create projects that will employ Rwandans. For such projects we will appeal to a broader base beyond our churches.

It seems very important to the people in Kigali that they have contact with people from a first-world country. While peace and reconciliation are very much on the march in Rwanda, it was also apparent to us that the fear of lapse lies close to the surface in the minds of the people. Over and over we were thanked for being there, and just as many times were asked when we were coming back. We feel compelled to offer a stream of loving support and communion. Other of our bishops, Mother Pilar, and several others will return to assist in the school and develop further relationships. These precious brothers and sisters are bonded with us beyond anything that language and cultural differences can hinder. We thank God for safety in our travels, but especially for the work He is doing through us, apart from us, and in us as we continue to offer ourselves for His purposes and glory in Africa.

On January 19, 2010 Audrey and I embarked on 4 weeks of ministry and mission to the countries of Rwanda and Burundi. For two weeks of that time, we were joined by our Bishop from Sweden, Thomas Andersson. Unlike the Americas and Europe, our experience of Africa is that there is little separation of spiritual and humanitarian work – the two fit like hand and glove. In large part, the need of these countries is so great, that any help is eagerly sought after. Each country is still affected by the aftermath of the genocide between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes.
Our major contacts in these countries are Denis Mugabo, now consecrated EOC Bishop in Rwanda, and Telesphore Ntashimikiro, EOC Bishop in Burundi. Each of these men are heavily involved in the humanitarian relief and spiritual nurturing of their people.
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from Bp. Joshua, Kathy Beecham, and Sharon Dougherty’s trip to Africa in spring 2009.
Africa Trip Report Pictures

On Wednesday, May 27th, I, Bishop Joshua, my wife, Kathy, and one of the young ladies in our church, Sharon Dougherty, made the long flight to Kigali, Rwanda. We were warmly received Thursday evening at the airport by about 20 adults and children. Our luggage was immediately taken from our hands and eventually, squeezing into vehicles, we were taken to our hotel. After dropping off our luggage in our rooms, we were escorted into the hotel restaurant and treated to a welcome dinner where we were lavished with praises and cheers of welcome. By the time we were finished it was after 10:00 pm and we were exhausted. We went to our rooms and unpacked, then repacked for the next day,since we were to leave early the next morning to take a bus to Burundi.
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