“Hope Rwanda” ended this past weekend after uniting Christian leaders and churches worldwide for a massive 100-day cooperative effort in Rwanda. The project’s goal was to replace the memories of horror of the 100 days of genocide with “the Hope of Christ.”
Awarding-winning songwriter and worship leader Darlene Zschech and her husband Mark, founders of Hope Rwanda, in an email interview reported about the “overwhelming” success of the project and the embrace that it received from Rwandan churches, Christians in Africa and around the world.What expectations did you have for Hope Rwanda and how did they compare to the actual events that took place during the 100 days?
Darlene: What has been happening during Hope Rwanda has far exceeded our expectations. Mark and I have been overwhelmed by the fact that Rwandans themselves have embraced Hope Rwanda as their own.
From the opening ceremony onwards, I have truly seen the power of God at work in so many ways. God is definitely on the move in Rwanda.
During the official opening ceremony back in April, my husband Mark, to whom God first gave the vision of Hope Rwanda, gave a simple account of how the Lord had touched his heart for Rwanda, and many were soon in tears. He ended with a prophetic word for the nation from Isaiah 62:1-2, which brought a hush of awe as the implication of the words dawned. Rwanda would no longer be called 'Deserted' or 'Forsaken by the Lord,' but would be known as the Lord's Delight. 'As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you,' Mark prophesied.
There has been such a wonderful display of unity. Hope Rwanda truly has caught the imagination of the Rwandan people. Mark and I are thrilled that the local churches have taken ownership of the vision. As Mark has stated so often, this was never meant to be just another event, but the beginning of a big change for this beautiful nation.
Is this an annual event or a one-time event? If it is annual, then what would you like to keep and what would you like to change or improve next year?
Darlene: When God first spoke to us about Rwanda, we knew we couldn’t do it on our own. But we just felt that with a lot of our friends around the globe, if we just concentrated on one nation for 100 days, we could actually change a nation like Rwanda.Mark and I were invited to speak to leaders in Washington, D.C., last year about Hope Rwanda. Again and again, we were told by several people in Washington that this could really be a template for a realistic way of bringing about change—and that’s just amazing to me.
Since that time onwards, Hope Rwanda has just taken on a life of its own. Many of those who have traveled to Rwanda have been so impacted by the people that they have forged life-long friendships with them and they are committing themselves to going back again. The awesome team of builders and tradesmen will be continuing their work with the building of an orphans village over a long period of time. Members of the education team are also talking about going back. So many of the church leaders who took teams over to Rwanda are saying that they plan to return to Rwanda to continue what God began during Hope Rwanda.
So Hope Rwanda ended on July 15, but the hope for Rwanda will go on. God has begun something in the hearts of everyone who took part in Hope Rwanda, and that effect will continue well beyond Hope Rwanda.
How was Hope Rwanda received by the people of Rwanda and the government of Rwanda?
