For as many ups as there are here, there are downs. This morning as Ben was waking me up, I vaguely heard… “Vianney was arrested.” I was shocked into awareness. I couldn’t believe my ears. Vianney is our agricultural specialist. He is the best we have in the field. Besides all of his work abilities, he is the MOST respected man in every village we enter. He grew up in the village he lives in now although he has terrible memories of fleeing the war and watching as his wife was slaughtered in front of him. He was targeted because of his ethnicity. Every part of his history is known by the people in our villages. His new life and his past are melted together in caring for his neighbors. As he worked for Oxfam and GFR, he has always served his countrymen. And now, 10 years after his return and very visible life, he has been taken for the mere suggestion that perhaps one old man “saw a truck with machetes by his house”. I will go on by saying the accusation is being made by this man who was turned down for sponsorship 3 years ago by the elders of the villages based on the fact that he did not meet our criteria.
The injustice is outrageous. I immediately began to cry and think about a lawyer or some kind of protest. But as the morning went on, we heard from the officials that it would be impossible for us to speak to the authorities because we had nothing to do with things 12 years ago. The good news is that ALL of the families in his town (and MANY others) are testifying on his behalf… the investigation will show that the information was false. But the pain I feel for him is overwhelming. It is so unfair. I feel so out of control and unable to do anything… so unlike the states. Everything here works so slowly and I am praying constantly about his physical well being (based on what I hear of the prisons here). I also saw his wife this morning, who is a rock emotionally. I have never seen her upset or even frustrated. Today she was crying and embraced ME for comfort.
I thought the day was ruined really. So did several other people on the team. But we were scheduled to visit sponsored families today and we decided to follow through with that despite the trouble. Vianney had arranged for us to meet with 4 different families. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had here. Even though my heart was so devastated to the point of wondering how we could even work in a place where an innocent man can be in this kind of trouble, I kept seeing all of the wonderful transformations of widows and orphans that would never be possible without GFR and Vianney’s contributions.
One of the widows named Felicite (sponsored by David West) was there. Within the short time she has had sponsorship her life has radically changed. When I saw her last, her son was nearly dead and she was in rags. Now her son is healthy, her two other children are in school, she has two cows, three sheep, a small but comfortable house and land too. And one family led by a man named Boniface (sponsored by the Weissenhoffers) welcomed us into a newly rehabilitated home. Last time I saw the Muzee he had one jacket and torn pants, his house was literally disintegrating and the whole family was starving. Now he has 5 children who are in school, one child doing vocational training, some goats, some land and insurance as well. Tim Bakker and Dave Ferguson visited their families too. It was a good thing that I was so busy today cultivating with the families! I was productive and put all of my energy into physical work.
Now as I sit in my bed I wonder about my dearest Cowboy Vianney. Is he sleeping? Did he eat today? Does he have water? Is he safe? I have my prayers to keep him company. But I am also praying for Rwanda at large. I am praying for wisdom and discernment for the authorities. There are those who would try to cause harm to their neighbors for reasons of jealousy or perhaps out of anger. PLEASE PRAY WITH ME! Pray for a quick resolution and immediate release after the investigation is over. Pray for Odette, Vianney’s wife and for her protection while he is gone. Pray for me as my passion for justice spills over into anger and could be dangerous… I need to keep my mouth shut and let God be the advocate. PRAY FOR US ALL!
