RWANDA: THE NATION OF 1,000 NARRATIVES, 4 DEFINING EVENTS, AND 1 GENERATIONAL TIPPING POINT

Catching up with missionary peer, Sam Gonzalez at ACU's Summit

                I have now been out of Rwanda for four months.   I don’t need to be tempered, moderate, nor politically correct.   This season will likely be short.   It is a season of prayer with the opportunity to be prophetically candid.   

                The twitter banter about Rwanda is almost a daily event.   About every two weeks some new expert weighs in.   It seems now is a season for me to speak.    What do I think of contemporary Rwanda?   Let me tell a story.

                During my last few days in Rwanda I had dinner with a member of the foreign diplomatic corp.   Both of us loved Rwanda dearly.   Both of us were nearing the end of our posting.   What did we think?    My friend used a phrase that resonated deeply.   He said, “Rwanda is a nation with 1,000 narratives.   You can assemble many narratives.   All can be true.   Many are contradictory.   Then you can draw the conclusion you want.”

                If we live in the world of shadows and rumors contradictory narratives are abundant.    Shadows are dangerous places and easy to manipulate.   Few of us can accurately know what happens in the world of shadows.    Yet, most of us get a moment where in our area of expertise light shines and we see full truth.

                An area I have seen up close and personal is university education and scholarship programs.   Allow me to construct two contradictory yet true narratives.   

Saying good bye to Presidential Scholar, Pie Fabio Ntagwabira

 I can document exceptional Rwandan university students.   Some come from privileged backgrounds yet many come from the poorest village.    They have succeeded under the most difficult of circumstances.     They come to school tired from poor sleeping conditions, hungry from lack of food, study long hours, volunteer any place they are needed, create ideas beyond their youth, start new businesses, and inspire me at every turn.  They refuse to see the world through the lens of race and ethnicity.   Words such as scholar and entrepreneur are fitting descriptions.   This is a true narrative that I can document.

I can also document rampant plagiarism and forged attendance lists.   I’ve caught students cheating on exams.     I’ve failed many (or at least told them to start over.)    When confronted I’ve been accused of prejudice due to race, ethnicity, heritage, and language preference.   I’ve heard rumors frequently of sexual favors and bribery schemes to get high marks.   A couple times I thought someone was trying to see what I’d trade for marks.   In problems they will choose the easiest possible route without considering the ethical implications.   Words such as conman and prostitute are fitting descriptions of some of these Rwandan students.   This is a true narrative that I can largely document, but you would need to trust me on matters where I did not have a witness.

One thousand true narratives exist in Rwanda.   The choice we face is which narratives are defining.   In every area of life in Rwanda you can find contradictory narratives.   Education, church, business, and government will all provide abundant contradictory narratives.   We can label individuals charlatans or shepherds; crooks or businesspeople; and leaders or thugs.   

Yet, I believe there are four defining narratives.

The first is Creation.    (I’ll avoid debates on science and evolution, and confine my discussion to the nature of man.)    We humans were created in the image of God.   We are full of agaciro not because of a government policy, but because of God’s proclamation.    We are all worthy of respect.   We are intelligent, gifted, creative, and compassionate.   We innately are born with a sense of justice, peace, and grace.   We can overcome any difficulty and forgive any wrong.    Dignity is our destiny.

The second defining narrative is the Fall.    Our dignity was sacrificed by our own choice.    We are totally depraved.     We are full of lust, greed, jealousy, and hate.    We destroy one another, ourselves, and creation.    We have all done things that we keep hidden from others.   Still, we are full of pride.     We are ashamed at who we are, what we have done, and what our future deserves.

The only way I can make sense of the contradiction of Rwandan university students who I can both describe as entrepreneurial scholars on one hand; and prostitutes and conmen on the other is through the defining events of the Creation and the Fall.   In fact, on any university (even Balokole ones) in North America and Europe I can find students with such contradictory narratives.    The contradictory Rwandan narratives are just part of the broad human story of history.   All humanity is full of both dignity and depravity.

The third defining narrative is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.    The only way to deal with our human depravity was for someone to be punished.   In fact, the punishment for such grave offense had to be death.    The UN and human rights watchers could not restore dignity without one being brutalized.    Yet three days after Jesus’ brutal death, He overcame death.   His body came back to life.   He went to heaven to be with our Father, and sent His Holy Spirit to live in our hearts.   Only when we accept how depraved we are, but hunger for dignity, put our hope in Jesus’ resurrection, and have the Spirit of God living in us can we become full of the full human dignity God intends.

Yet, we don’t live in Utopia.   Followers of Jesus are still screw ups.    We wrestle every day with our contradictory dignity and depravity.    

Another day is coming that will make everything right.    The fourth defining narrative is Jesus’ return.    All will be judged.   We’ll be found guilty as charged, but then be totally forgiven.     All will be returned to God’s intent.   All will be right at that day.   There will be no sickness or death.   We will be filled with love and peace.

But, what about today?   We are still waiting for that final day.   We have yet to experience the fourth defining narrative.    Historians and pragmatists note that sometimes dignity overshadows depravity, and vice versa.

Maybe, the reason twitter is so busy debating Rwanda’s contemporary predicament is we live in a generational tipping point?    Intuitively, we all seem to know the actions of today’s generations in Rwanda will resonate for many generations that follow.    What will life be like for generations in Rwanda until Jesus returns?   The answer lies in how the scales are tipped from depravity to dignity.    

Two generations of Rwanda are essential.   There is a group that a few jokingly call, “Mzee kijana.”  We landed well.   We may have excelled academically, worked hard, and gone through exceptional difficulties.  Yet, we know in the deepest places of our hearts others could do a better job.    We were able to lead because of grace.    We’re younger than our peers in neighboring nations who carry such prestige.   We’re in over our heads.    We work long hours.    The work never ends.    The institution has to be stronger than our charisma.   The temptation is to out of fear stake out our territory and defend it to the end.  

Instead, the mzee kijana has two tasks.   First, he must mentor.   Second, he must relinquish.    He must ask other to follow.   He must teach and model everything he knows.   He must correct with grace yet never leave a task undone.   He can tolerate no ethical compromises.   Then before it seems it is the appropriate time, he must relinquish.   He cannot build a personal kingdom.   

The twitter banter about Rwanda’s leaders until 2017 is just conjecture.   In 2017 we will know the character of Rwanda and her leaders.    Until then those of us labeled bzee must practice the paradoxical virtues of mentoring and relinquishing.    Coming generations of Rwandans leave us no other choice.   As bzee choose to embrace human dignity they mentor and relinquish.

Celebrating KIST 2012 Graduation with Ntabgoba Jovani  

The second generation of essential Rwandans can now be found in schools throughout Rwanda, universities in other nations, and are just now beginning their professional career.     Their task in the generational tipping point is to prepare themselves for leadership.     

There will be several temptations they will face.   For a fortunate few it is “spoiled brat syndrome.”   Their parents have landed well and are quite busy.   The spoiled brats squander their opportunities in academia by spending their evenings and weekends chasing the hottest party.    On the opposite economic spectrum are the “woe is me” syndrome kids.    Their parents have not economically landed well therefore the “woe is me” kids spend their time complaining and nurturing their “victim status.”  If they land well enough to get a twitter account they spend their creative energy complaining instead of building.   However, they share common pastimes with their peers on the other economic spectrum.    Both overdose on self absorbed leisure that does not build their bodies, minds, or spirits.   Both the “spoiled brat” and “woe is me” kids are incredibly dangerous for Rwanda’s future.   They represent the triumph of human depravity.

However, the Rwanda youth who I choose to make my defining narrative pursue human dignity with all the passion of youth.   They read everything they can find.    They get the most of each academic experience.   They come to class early and stay late to pick their professor’s brain.   They master several languages.   They make many friends.   They give of themselves at Umuganda, church, and every other situation they can find that offers them an opportunity to serve their community.    They work when they can find a job.   If they can’t find a job they start creating ones.   The really good ones take the role of mentor when they are still being mentored.   They teach at schools on their vacation, tutor younger siblings and neighbors, and treat knowledge as a treasure to be shared.   Their day to provide leadership is quickly coming.   Their time is spent in preparation.

So what do I think of contemporary Rwanda?   My diplomatic friend is right.   There are 1,000 narratives.    We choose the narrative that best fits our agenda.    My agenda is the dignity of man was part of God’s intention from Creation.   Our depravity at times triumphs.    However, Jesus’ resurrection restores us to God’s intention of dignity.   Now we’re at a generational tipping point.   The commentaries and twitter banter is premature.   The time now is for the bzee to mentor and relinquish.   The time now for the youth is to prepare.

Let’s leave today’s judgment to God’s future.

UNFORGETTABLE

As 2011 comes to a close one word stands out – unforgettable.

We sensed Christ’s Church in Rwanda’s (CCR) future was to be found through investing in Rwanda’s youth. We prayed and moved forward assuming God directed our thought process. Dave in the spring of 2011 lectured to over 600 university students in ethics. Later Dave facilitated the Rwanda Presidential Scholars program with 20 of Rwanda’s brightest students beginning their undergraduate career at some of the top liberal arts universities in the United States. On Friday, 23 December over 300 young people gathered at CCR as we celebrated God’s goodness through music. Unforgettable.

We sensed that CCR must find a way to serve Rwanda’s most vulnerable children. God’s word and the best of Christian theologians resonated with the theme of adoption. On May 13, Mugisha Gabriel entered our lives. He has brought new joy and discovery to our home. On 17 November Mugisha Gabriel began having seizures. The seizures have decreased in frequency and intensity, but still remain. We do not know the future, but belief in God’s call. Unforgettable.

With a few others families in 2005 we began the dream of Kigali International Community School (KICS). We began with 26 students in a 4 bedroom rented home. In April 2007 KICS moved to her current home. The number of students has grown to over 200 from over 30 nationalities. KICS empowered investment and made Kigali livable for many families. On Friday, 27 May Sophia graduated from KICS. It was one of our most rewarding days since we arrived in Rwanda. She was accepted at prestigious Wheaton College. She began her college journey on Thursday, 18 August. Unforgettable.

We sensed that we had entered a season to seek God’s will for the future. Dave spent 40 days outside of Rwanda as we settled Sophia into college. It appeared doors were opening for a year furlough in Chicago to be near Sophia, serve Great Lakes Diaspora, and pursue further education. Then the ROC leadership asked if we would consider returning to the USA for a season to mature ROC as a missionary sending organization. We believed this was the call of God. Nineteen years of missionary service in the Great Lakes Region of Africa is coming to a close as we begin a season of serving in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. Unforgettable.

Our African missionary tradition is to celebrate the Christmas Season with all the strength and joy the Lord gives us. Just before Dave began his Christmas Eve Sermon, news came that our friend, Major Eustache Nsinga had passed from this life to another. Rwanda lost one of her brightest minds in ICT at the young age of 38. His sense of justice, loyalty, hope, and joy is irreplaceable. Our community’s loss is immense. Unforgettable.

Our CCR numbers were high over the Christmas Season. Over 200 attended our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Approximately 350 attended our Christmas Day Service. We faced paradox on Monday 26 December as over 650 from our community gathered for Major Eustache Nsinga's funeral. We remembered his life and our hope of a resurrection. Unforgettable.

Rwanda’s missionary tradition from the days of the East African Revival in the 1940’s is to gather on the Kumbya Peninsula on Lake Kivu to rest and reflect. Sophia is home with us for Christmas. Our family is together for a few days in Africa before we begin our newest transition to the United States in 2012. We again are at Kumbya. This morning Dave remembered 45 years and 4 recovered back surgeries as he swam 2400 meters in Lake Kivu. Unforgettable.

Through these journeys old truths remain. Our hope is in the resurrection. On this earth our greatest joys are in family and friends.

Many of you have sacrificed deeply to make this journey possible. Your sacrifices have blessed many. Our December financial report showed that giving was down in 2011. Yet, God has done the surprising through friends and family for 19 years. A year end gift would greatly ease our transitions in 2012. However, God chooses to shape us in 2012 we trust it will be unforgettable.

May your yearend reflections also be filled with joyful memories of the Lord’s goodness.

Imana ikurinde (May God Stay With All of You),

Dave and Jana

THERE ARE NO RWANDA EXPERTS

Have you noticed our contemporary plethora of Rwanda experts? Everyone knows one. Many want to be one. Some are quick to take the title. Yet, I propose there are no true Rwanda experts. Webster’s Dictionary defines an expert as one with special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject. No one within or without has yet mastered the knowledge of Rwanda. All who labor and live in Rwanda are still discovering. A few are wise. A few have mastered a specific area of knowledge. None have mastered Rwanda.

Twenty years ago, Rwanda’s northeastern neighbor, Uganda sought to explain her chaotic post-colonial past. Alex Mukulu wrote the play, “30 Years Of Bananas.” The opening scene involves the search for an unbiased narrator. One by one each narrator option is eliminated. No one from within could narrate Uganda’s history due to tribal and political bias. No one of influence from without could narrate Uganda’s history due to the “view from the Pajero.” Only a Rwandan refugee, Kaleekeezi could tell the story of Uganda through the eyes of an unbiased participant. Kaleekeezi made us laugh with his humble and pointed critiques. He danced, he drank chai, and his fortune followed Uganda. Some today, desire to be voice of Kaleekeezi to Rwanda. Maybe, even those who discovered Uganda through the eyes of Kaleekeezi ponder if they are the Rwanda equivalent. Yet, none have walked the path of Kaleekeezi and been a 30 year humble participant. Some Rwandans find Kaleekeezi offensive. He represented the stereo-type that never permitted them to be at home. Yet, Kaleekeezi’s charm is inescapable. Maybe, Kaleekeezi is the reason so many desire to be his home’s narrator. Let us follow Kaleekeezi’s search to discover a Rwanda expert.

From within Rwanda we search for an mzee. We seek to find expertise through age and history. True there are those with gray hair. They can tell the stories of old. Some have studied and are masters of academic subjects. They are the advisers to both the powerful and the youthful seeker. Yet these men and women of wisdom refuse to take the title of Rwandan expert. Most even deflect compliments about their wisdom and knowledge. The academics have seen the unending rows of books in the library. They know their knowledge is only finite while expertise is infinite. Others just acknowledge their wounds. Many have found healing. They sing, smile, and dance. Yet, the wounds have left scars. A scar upon one’s joints limits mobility. Limited mobility prevents one from turning one’s body and head. Even when one’s ears are attentive and sound, a wounded joint prevents clear discovery. The healed sometimes is unable to turn and fully see. The wounded mzee’s limitations taught him to go forward quickly. His generation’s task is to build. In the building our wounded mzee may not understand all Rwanda requires. His humility knows this and looks to another for expertise.

As our Rwandan mzee refuses the title of expert many pretenders arise. The Bazungu quickly takes the title of Rwanda expert. He knows with expertise comes fame, power, and reward. His appetite for all is unending. Thus he will pretend and even deceive himself to take the title of Rwanda expert. The Bazungu Rwanda experts come in three flavors. You can meet them all on any international flight into Kigali. The first one to be noticed is the V.I.P. Muzungu. He is one of power, wealth, and influence in his home nation. If he has a measure of wisdom, he like our Rwandan mzee deflects compliments to another. He realizes that like Kaleekeezi sometimes the ball just bounced well for him. He was on a winning team when he may have been a poor player. Yet the appetite for expert status is too much to resist. He is met at the airport by another V.I.P. He is quickly ushered through immigration. He is driven to the Serena. He eats and sleeps well. He tours Rwanda in style. He counsels the powerful. If he is proud, he begins to believe the words that are spoken about himself. In the sweet words and posh treatment he misses that the profound is discovered in waiting and suffering. The V.I.P. Muzungu will leave as quickly as he came. He will never sit and wait in an office. He will never be told to return days after days. His children will not be subjected to Rwanda’s medical care nor even have a minor case of malaria. The only humble Rwandans he will know are the ones he meets in a photo opportunity. Because he never becomes a suffering friend of the humble he will never be a Rwanda expert.

The second Muzungu pretender is the Buvera Muzungu. He enters Rwanda with an item he bought in the international airport just before he reached Kanombe. He walks through customs thankful for the wine, chocolate, and perfume of his last stop. He carries his duty free trophy in a plastic bag. Then he meets a Rwandan customs official and is informed that Rwanda allows no buvera. He does not know what a buvera is, but he knows his property rights. No one will take his plastic bag. The Buvera Muzungu comes arguing. He will stay in Rwanda arguing. He will leave Rwanda arguing. He likely will never even discover what a buvera is. If he does learn the meaning of buvera he will search for buvera in Rwanda. He will find the inconsistency of Rwanda practice. Yes, there are buvera in the trash piles of Kigali. The Buvera Muzungu stands upon these trash piles and argues until he reeks of dirty buvera. None can stand him any longer. He simply leaves and with his buvera enters the blogosphere of Rwanda haters.

The third Muzungu pretender is the “I’ve been around the block” Muzungu. These Bazungu come in 2 sub-flavors. The first is the one who entered Rwanda before 1994. His early discovery of Rwanda came through colored lenses. He may be a master of Kinyarwanda. However, his mastery of Rwandan language and culture is seen through lenses that did not experience refugee living from 1959 to 1994. Rwanda was peaceful before 1990. However, not all Rwandans lived in peace before 1990. If this sub-flavor of Muzungu is wise, he like our Rwandan mzee looks to another for expertise.

The second sub-flavor of the “I’ve been around the block” Muzungu has an old history in the Great Lakes Region, but entered Rwanda after 1994. He knows many people. He hears many rumors. His mastery of Rwandan comes through the lenses of friendships with those who were refugees from 1959 to 1994. He ponders if he like Kaleekeezi is just a recipient of good fortune. He suspects that if he is asked to narrate and participate he will still be the subject of secret jokes. If this sub-flavor of Muzungu is wise, he like our Rwandan mzee looks to another for expertise.

In our search for Rwanda’s Kaleekeezi journalists enter the race. Something about Rwanda fascinates the deepest part of their being. Is it the beauty of Rwandan women, a clean and orderly city, or just an unfulfilled longing? They are enticed with the rewards of being a Rwanda expert. The world’s eyes are upon Rwanda and her story teller will be richly rewarded.

The Rwanda critical journalist enters the race as a Rwanda expert.    For those who learned Rwanda through the lens of Kaleekeezi Rwanda criticism stir deep wounds.    The wounds are so deep that first emotions are of self-hatred.   Naively the Great Lakes once heard banter about peace and democracy in the early 90's.    Naively some of us listened to mythology about Rwandan women's sexual prowess that later justified rape.   Naively I even once provided dinner to Bazungu travelers who told stories of Tutsi invaders from Uganda.  The stories sounded reasonable, but the philosophy a few months later justified genocide.   Many of us are still in a season of repentance that may last a lifetime. 

Our scars are full of pain.  The stories of the Rwanda critical journalist are too close to our old wounds.   Our wounds will be healed by time, compassion, and shared labor for coming generations of children.   Kaleekeezi was an expert to our neighbors through humility and humor.    The critic must humbly acknowledge our pain, and be with us until our tears of grief become tears of joy.   That day is not here yet.   When it comes we'll be overwhelmed by how God's grace took us through such painful reality.

The Rwanda booster journalist may also pick up the title of Rwanda expert. His history is likely entangled with Rwanda. He may be young, but his stories are old. He is well read and connected. His fascination with order reflects his hidden wounds. His childhood heroes are disappointments. He has found a new savior in Rwanda. He pours his full energy, intellect, and resources into Rwanda boosterism. The Rwanda mzee will quietly try to usher the booster away from Rwanda salvation. The mzee knows his and Rwanda’s failings. Another expert must arise. The pretenders must cease.

Rwanda experts are arising. They will be numerous in number. They can be found today in Rwanda’s nursery, primary, and secondary schools. A few may cluster in universities. They are true believers in Rwanda unity. They see the wounds of the bzee and feel no disdain for the bzee’s lack of expertise. They are friends with both those who were refugees in Uganda and Congo. They listen well and ask many questions. They seek before they speak. They know suffering and waiting are the uniting principles of a new Rwanda. Yet, they are not content to live in destructive cycles. They study history not to complain about the past. They study history to discovery Rwanda’s future. They are masters of Kinyarwanda and understand the complexities of Rwanda’s history and culture. They listen to the Kigali’s many radio languages. They choose a favorite radio station, but not a favorite language. Rwanda’s future will be discovered in Kinyarwanda, but implemented in English, French, German, Kiswahili, Lingala, Luganda, Arabic, and Chinese. Languages are only the tools of trade. Rwanda’s experts will arise as her youth become bzee. They will manage complexities with grace and show their expertise through comprehensive wisdom.

So today Rwanda is a nation with no experts, but great wisdom. The wise acknowledge their colored lenses and wounds. They giggle at both their failings and the pompous pride of the pretending experts. The wise listen well to the ambitions and questions of Rwanda’s youth. The wise suffer with a smile and wait for Rwanda’s youth to become mature. Rwanda experts are coming.