Solace USA, Inc. is a Christian based, tax-exempt. non-profit, non-political organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code for 1984, as amended.
Solace USA, Inc. is a Christian based, tax-exempt. non-profit, non-political organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code for 1984, as amended.
A Future of Hope in Rwanda
Submitted By:
Stephanie Loether 
Hope in the midst of despair. Peace on the heels of chaos. Joy experienced through suffering. This was the reality that we had the privilege of stepping into this past summer as we traveled to Rwanda, Africa. Solace USA has partnered with the country of Rwanda with the intention of helping to bring reconciliation and hope to the people of this country who suffered unimaginable loss and tragedy during the genocide in 1994. Racial tension between the minority Tutsis and the majority Hutus has existed for decades in this tiny country, about the size of Maryland. It came to a head on April 6, 1994, when the Hutu President of Rwanda, Juvenal Habyarimana’s airplane was shot down. Over the course of the next 100 days, close to one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were brutally murdered by their Hutu neighbors. Thirteen years later, the widows and orphans of this country are working to rebuild their families and their nation, and rediscover their joy and their peace.
In July Solace USA and Kettlebrook Church commissioned our team – Sue Marsh (West Bend), Melissa Schuettpelz (Milwaukee) and Troy and Stephanie Loether (Germantown), to travel to Rwanda and serve by helping to facilitate youth camps put on by Solace Ministries of Rwanda. Solace Ministries was started by two men who miraculously survived the genocide and were left wondering why God chose to save them from the massacres. They found their answer in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 40, verse 1, “’Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.’” This is the mission statement of Solace. They exist to bring comfort and hope through the love of Christ to the widows and orphans who survived the genocide and give them the skills and resources they need to once again become self-sufficient.
Our
team helped to facilitate two youth camps for the orphans who survived
the genocide – one in the capital city of Kigali, and another in
Bugesera, one of the hardest hit areas during the genocide. The
theme of the camps was Revelation 2:10b, “Be faithful unto death, and I
will give you the crown of life.” We, along with the Solace team,
challenged the young people present (most between the ages of 14 and
26), to remain faithful – faithful to Jesus, to their families, and to
their promises. The young people at the camps received teaching
from Scripture, practical teaching about personal hygiene and letter
writing, they sang songs of worship, shared their testimonies of
survival, and played games. It was a time to learn, fellowship,
and enjoy their youth that was so mercilessly taken from them.
Many of them are heads of households, and many were forced to leave
school in order to care for their families after their parents were
killed.
In the presence of these young people, we had to continually remind ourselves of the terror and darkness that they were coming out of. A young man named Eve shared his testimony of survival with us at the genocide memorial where his family and friends were killed. He was 12 years old in 1994, and he and his family fled to a nearby church when they heard of the looming danger. Five thousand people packed the small church, and Eve was one of six to survive. Eve and thousands of other children survived a period of time in which their families were taken from them, they were forced into hiding, many without food or water for several days, and they witnessed horrors that no one – especially not a child – should ever have to see. Yet, in the midst of despair, we saw hope in their hearts. They have set their eyes on Jesus and they are committed to following him. They find their strength in God and they know that He protected them during the genocide for a purpose. They have truly experienced and embraced amazing grace!
The young people that we had the privilege of meeting are the future of Rwanda, and they will determine if the cycle of hatred in this country will finally come to a halt. We had the privilege of seeing first-hand the healing power of Jesus in this nation and we are praying that love, joy, and peace will abound in this tiny country with a tragic history. God has the power to change hearts and bring joy out of suffering in Rwanda, and we were blessed to experience a bit of that this past July!
Psalm 30:11-12 – “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.”
