07/10/2017 – GBTF Milestones in Rwanda

As I begin the pastors’ class this morning, I’m reminded that this year marks a genuine milestone in the history of GBTF in Rwanda.  Yesterday, about four hours away  outside of Butare, where our first teacher/ intern for the Baptist secondary schools lived, we participated in a region-wide outdoor prayer and thanksgiving service for Rwanda.  This was kind of significant for us because we had just gotten off a plane marking about 20 hours of flight time and were dead tired.  But after our host Fidele shared with us the importance of this event and our being invited to it by the president  of the Rwanda Baptist Union, we decided to go ahead and make the investment.  I’m glad we did.

This morning, after breakfast where we are staying, I began to train Pastor Fidele Shinga for teaching GBTF materials.  Yes, this is a milestone.  Everything else is just the trimming.  This is why GBTF exists in the first place.  Training nationals with our theological materials to go train their countrymen is the pure essence of why we came to Rwanda five years ago.  I hope we can spend time with other select pastors later this week as well.

Our first day in class was positive.  We got off to a late start as usual, but we got enough content in to make the day profitable.  As we often find, teaching involves removing junk from pastors’ minds before actual training begins.  My grandson would probably like this part because it would support his absolute addiction to “twash twucks” or the garbage truck as we call it.  Anyway, this removal is required as well as the positive instruction from God’s Word.  With over fifty pastors so far, it can get intense!

Pray for us this week as we labor.  Pray for our translator Fidele.  He carries more responsibility than any one man should!  The hours will be long, the strain will be real, but it’s the dividends which are ultimately important.  Also rejoice with us that God is doing such a great work globally in the ministry of training nationals this week through GBTF.  May He get all the praise that is due His Great Name!