Courage – The Country of Rwanda – Aug 2011

As I sit here in my comfortable chair, in my beautifully constructed home, in my nicely maintained neighborhood, thinking about going out later in my nice vehicle into a nicely established restaurant I can’t help but think of my friends in Rwanda and what they are up to. What is on the agenda for their day? What will they encounter today? And then I remember what I had seen and experienced while I was there…

Courage

I know many pieces have been written about the word, the idea, the characteristic of it. But I feel like I have actually seen this word in action. I have seen it in action overseas in a country called Rwanda, in a people of great fortitude, strength, gentleness, and graciousness.

Quality people are somewhat hard to find these days but not so much in my experience in Rwanda. When I think of quality people I think of our financial managers of Home of Hope. I think of Doreen our leader of the feeding program in Buhoro. I think of Emmanuel heading up the projects in Buhoro… especially the pig project. Ernest who is working on many building projects to better the lives of others. So many people I have come across in my trips to Rwanda I can’t mention them all.

These are people of unsurpassed courage.

They get up every day and work for the betterment of their community while trying to work around obstacles that would stop us dead in our tracks. We would see the obstacles as project killers, lost causes, and impossible circumstances. Not these folks. These people continue on, through physical pain, inconvenience, self-sacrifice, and personal loss, even at the cost of their own families. These people prefer one another. They are putting others before themselves… this is what makes them quality people and people of courage.

What is courage?

We sometimes think that courage is this loud proclamation of doing an unbelievable deed. But in reality, some courage is a daily exercise of continually fighting for what is right and what is just. These people do this. They do it with joy, complete commitment and sacrifice. Courage really.

Their daily activity, even some of the simplest tasks take courage that we can’t even imagine. With so much to plow through, so much to stop them yet they continue each day to try again, to make a difference. They are committed to seeing their world increase. To see their world expand for all who are in it.

They are imparting courage to all those they come in contact with.

For us here in the western world, it is not often we get to see courage displayed like this. My suggestion is to join in their fight for what is right, what is just for all people and support what they are doing in their world. They are changing the landscape of a nation. They are changing the lives of one child at a time. You can be part of that. You can be the difference. Seek out the information to participate by contacting Home of Hope today. Your encounter with great courage is awaiting you. See it for yourself here.

Article written by: Lee MacBean