Far Reaching Ministries Blog

My husband died as a soldier in 1999 fighting against rebels in the Congo.” said Grace, the woman in the picture. She is a beautiful mother of four and was seven months pregnant with their fourth child when her husband was killed. Grace is familiar with the painful loss of loved ones, during the 1994 genocide Grace also lost most of her family. Forgiveness became an important issue in Grace’s life. When she accepted Jesus as her Savior she was made aware that if she didn’t forgive those who had sinned against her, she would not be forgiven. Her heart was strong to follow Jesus and she committed to forgive. She went to the prison where she knew the killer of her family was held prisoner. She told the guard in charge that she wanted to forgive the man who killed her family and have him set free. The guard went to his supervisor telling him about Grace’s request and the supervisor said she must be crazy. Grace left and returned the following week to state her purpose once more, she said, “I want the man released.” They brought the man to Grace and as Grace looked at the man that killed her family, he told her that he had come to Jesus and knew that he had been forgiven. Two weeks later the man was released from prison. After a time of reconciliation, the man’s daughter began babysitting Grace’s children. Who can know the depth of the forgiveness Jesus died to give us? Grace knows. If you have a passion and love for Jesus that surpasses everything else in your life, forgive. Greater than all the pain Grace has suffered is the joy of knowing that because she forgave she is forgiven.

A young man who served at the church had fallen away sometime ago and was living with his girlfriend. They have since had two children. There were those who had been stumbled and hurt by the young man’s witness. Under the conviction of the Holy Spirit the young man came back to the church. He met with the church elders and said he wanted everyone to know that he was humbling himself before God in repentance and wanted to be forgiven. Soon afterwards he came with his family to church on Sunday. Tom gave the morning sermon and then the young man confessed his sin before the church. The man and woman (now his wife) knelt before the church in prayer. As the prayer ended, some of those in leadership as well as members of the church came forward to embrace him and his family. They were welcomed and received with open arms, they had received forgiveness from the body of Christ. Forgiveness is a beautiful step of faith, hope and love. Forgiving and being forgiven brings wholeness to the body of Christ.

Tom and I love serving here in Rwanda, whether it’s Tom sharing at the church we attend, or both of us helping with a conference, doing a bible study or visiting other churches to encourage the body of Christ. It is a great blessing to share about God’s love and forgiveness. Forgiveness is a vital part of our relationship with God and others. In Rwanda people are either willing to forgive or lost in the blinding hate of the past. Tom and I feel personally challenged to revise our thinking on forgiveness. Forgiveness is so much deeper and wider than we have allowed ourselves to realize. Talking to Grace gave us a new revelation of what it means to forgive. We all struggle when it comes to forgiving someone we believe has wronged us, yet God’s message is clear, to be forgiven we must forgive.

Prayer Requests Blessing and peace for our dear sister in Christ, Ruth, whose husband has gone to be with Jesus.

God bless you, Tom & Cheryl