March 10, 2013 After church
this morning Clarisa and I walked to the market. The days are very hot and humid and it seems
like everything is “uphill.” There is a
very good reason why Rwanda is called the land of 1000 hills! It was a 30
minute walk straight up a very steep incline.
The market has everything in it as street vendors are not allowed in
Rwanda. So everyone gathers at one place
to sell their goods. You will find rows of fruits, vegetable, eggs, fresh fish,
live chickens, household goods, dried fish, cloth and even a seamstress on duty
to sew something for you. It is a very
busy place. Rwanda’s land is very rich
and fertile. It has an excellent climate for gardens. It was also a firsthand learning experience about tribal artifacts and rituals.
I told Pastor Leo that if Kenya remained peaceful I would be leaving soon. Violence has been reported in a few places such as Kisii, Kusumu and Kakamega, but for the most part Kenya is peaceful. I told him how I appreciated a safe place to rest and to study during Kenya's election. I said "I don't think you realize this, but you mean a lot
to me. I respect you and all that you have accomplished for the Lord."
His response: "I know that. When you were in trouble you came home....you came to me."
His response: "I know that. When you were in trouble you came home....you came to me."
March
11, 2013 My bags are packed and it’s time to say
goodbye to Pastor Leo and his dear wife.
I’ve always know that Pastor Leo had an amazing testimony but being here
this week has been a marked experience in my life. God has really dealt with me and made such an
impression within my heart. This man is not the everyday ordinary “Christian.” He
is a Paul, a Moses, a mighty man of God. What a privilege and an honor it has
been to be able to spend time with him.
Pastor Leo and his wife have 7 biological children and he have
raised 8 other children. He has raised 15 children as his
own!!He started a school/orphanage for children on the Congo/Rwanda border after the genocide. He schooled and feed 1000 children.
He has started 80 churches in Rwanda. The church we went to Sunday seats 5000 people. When it started there was only 15 people.
He has started at least 50 churches in Uganda but doesn't know the number - said it could be a 100.
In the 70's he was put in a prison in Uganda by Idi Amin. He was arrested in the midnight hours while he was teaching pastors how to have invisible churches in Uganda. All missionaries at that time had been sent out of Uganda. The chief of the village sold information to the soldiers and they captured him and put him in prison. They also captured the Chief of the Village and threw him in prison too. (Guess that didn't go as planned)
While in prison Pastor Leo prayed loud, without fear, throughout the nights. One night one of the higher up soldiers was there and his praying interfered with his sleep. So the next morning he had pastor brought out of his cell - he was going to shoot him. Pastor Leo was facing the men and he told them they couldn't stop him from praying to his God. He informed them that he had someone greater than them taking care of him. Then they all ran from him. (He doesn't know what they saw but they were afraid and ran away) Soon after that they gave him papers and told him to leave. He said they could not look at his eyes because when they did they saw fire.
He knew he had to leave Uganda if he
was to live. He and his wife decided to split up the children and try to cross
the border into Kenya at different times. They wanted to make sure the whole
family did not die if something went bad. They also wanted to make sure that
one parent would live. So he was to try first with a few of the children and a
month later Mrs Leo was to try with the rest of the children.
At the border he told the children to pray one more time. Then he told them to
run up to the border and then back to him. He had them do this over and over
and then he told them to run across and not to look back but to keep going.
When he saw that they were ok he proceeded to cross the border. The soldiers asked for his ID papers and he knew he could not show them because it said "pastor" on them. At that moment he said confusion came over the soldiers and they started asking questions of other people. He saw his moment and ran toward the border. They never saw him go. His wife came with the others a month later and they were united in Kenya.
Please pray for Pastor Leo as he travels to India on the 18th of March for much needed surgery.
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| Pastor Leo Rucibigango |
2 Corinthians 11:25-27 Three
times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was
shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have
been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from
bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in
the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false
believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without
sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have
been cold and naked. 28 Besides
everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
Pastor Leo Rucibigango’s 50 years in ministry, marriage and the journey to fulfill his calling
http://mail.newtimes.co.rw/news/views/article_print.php?&a=10946&week=25&icon=Print
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