Nitwa Rukundo (I am Called “Love”)
Sydney, Clarisse (Musabyimana), and Jan
We sat in the tiny house straining to see everyone in the small, dark sitting room. The only light in the room came from a slender candle that was burning down very quickly. We had walked about a half mile down the road from the Tailoring School to spend some time with our African daughter and some others in the village. Our daughter is indeed what we call her. Clarisse (Musabyimana) was our first Compassion sponsored child in 1992 and now she is one of the teachers in the tailoring school in Zaza. She tells everyone that her parents live in America and that she is so proud when people acknowledge that. She tells us it makes her feel very important.
We sat together in the fleeting candle light praying and singing songs in Kinyarwanda. One of the young men there, Ildephonse, told us about growing up as an orphan from the 1994 genocide. He was 8 years old when his parents were killed, leaving him to care for his 2-year old sister. He told us that we are truly his parents now and he is always amazed that we just accepted him and love him with no conditions. We shared more stories and then a few small gifts when Musabyimana broke down crying. Through her sobs she said, “I don’t know why you love us so much. We don’t understand why God would love us so much that He would bring you into our lives.”
It was at that moment that I truly began to realize how powerful it is to simply love another human being. Jesus tells us the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart.” He went on to say that the second greatest commandment is like the first: love others. He tells us that the world will know we are Christians by the love we have for one another.
The simple mission of Hearts for the World International is to bring hope and help to others by showing them the same unconditional love we have received from God through Jesus Christ.
Even though we have many projects of our own in Rwanda we still sponsor children through Compassion International and each time we go to Rwanda we set aside a day to visit our Compassion kids. When we arrived in Rwanda on this trip I called John, the Compassion representative, to finalize the details of our visit. This was going to be the fifth time to visit some of these children.
As I chatted with him he asked if anyone had given me a Rwandan name, yet. I told him no and he said, “Then I am giving you a name. You are called ‘Rukundo.’” I hung up the phone and told Stephen that John told me my Rwandan name is “Rukundo.” Stephen smiled and said, “That is a very special name. You are called “Love.”
Romans 12:9-13 (GW) “Love sincerely. Hate evil. Hold on to what is good. Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other. Don't be lazy in showing your devotion. Use your energy to serve the Lord. Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually. Share what you have with God's people who are in need. Be hospitable.”
1 John 3:18 “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in our actions and in truth.”
The whole world should call us “Love.”
Jan Eitel - President, Hearts for the World International