Rwanda

RWANDA is one of the smallest countries in Africa. It is also one of the most beautiful. Known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, it has mountains, forests, lakes, and waterfalls, as well as a seemingly endless variety of plant and animal life. Dominating the mountainous region that borders Democratic Republic of the Congo * to the west and Uganda to the north are the formidable Virunga Mountains. Mount Karisimbi, the highest in this range, is a dormant volcano some 14,700 feet [4,480 m] high, which is often capped in white because of sleet and hail. Lower down, the slopes of these mountains are covered with thick bamboo growth and rain forest, where endangered golden monkeys swing effortlessly among the branches and vines. And it is here, too, in this luxuriant environment, that one of Rwanda’s greatest treasures is found​—the mountain gorilla.

 Exotic plants and lush vegetation extend down to the shores of Lake Kivu and to the Nyungwe Forest. In this forest live chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and over 70 other mammals. There are about 270 species of tree here along with almost 300 bird species. Butterflies and orchids in rich abundance enhance the beauty of this protected area.

From the heart of the Nyungwe Forest, a small stream of water begins to trickle eastward. Gradually, it is joined by other streams and rivers before flowing into Lake Victoria. From there, the water rapidly descends, gaining momentum and strength to continue its long journey northward past Ethiopia, through Sudan, and finally into Egypt, where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. From its lowly beginnings in the wooded hills of central Africa, this river, the Nile, covers a distance of nearly 4,240 miles [6,825 km], making it one of the longest rivers on earth.

TROUBLED TIMES

Sadly, though, the tiny country of Rwanda has experienced appalling violence. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children were brutally  slaughtered in one of the worst genocides seen in modern times. Shocking scenes of unbridled violence were broadcast earth wide, causing many to be horrified by man’s inhumanity to man.​—Eccl. 8:9.

How did Jehovah’s faithful servants fare during those terrible times and the years that followed? Just as the seemingly insignificant stream of water coming from the Nyungwe Forest overcomes all obstacles, survives the oppressive heat of the African sun, and becomes a mighty river, so Jehovah’s people in Rwanda have persevered in their service to God. They have withstood intense persecution and great difficulties and have become a source of strength and encouragement to their brothers and sisters worldwide. The story of Rwanda will touch your heart as you read moving accounts of love, faith, and loyalty. It is our hope that this account will encourage you to treasure your relationship with Jehovah even more highly and to cherish the Christian brotherhood more deeply.

EARLY GLIMMERS OF LIGHT

The first report about the preaching of the good news within Rwanda came in the 1971 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It stated: “In March this year [1970] it was possible for two special pioneers to enter Rwanda and open up the preaching work in the capital city, Kigali. They have found the people warm and responsive to the Kingdom message, and one interested person has already started out in the service. The pioneers have already started ten studies among the limited number of people who speak Swahili. They are now trying very hard to learn the Kinyarwanda language so that they may give a wider witness.”

 The two special pioneers mentioned in that report were Oden Mwaisoba and his wife, Enea, from Tanzania. Because they did not yet know the local language, Kinyarwanda, they started by visiting Swahili-speaking people, many of whom had come from Congo or Tanzania. By February 1971, there were four publishers reporting, but none of our publications were available in Kinyarwanda, and the language problem slowed growth.

Stanley Makumba, an intrepid circuit overseer who was serving in Kenya, visited Rwanda for the first time in 1974. He recalls: “There were few buses going from the Uganda/​Rwanda border post to Ruhengeri, Rwanda. I had to stand in a truck with no room to move my feet. My wife sat in the front seat with the driver. When we got to our destination, she could hardly recognize me because my face and hair were covered with dust. My back hurt so much as a result of the journey that I had to sit while giving talks for the next week leading up to the small circuit assembly and for the assembly itself. As for visiting the brothers, I could not tell them when I would arrive because we did not know what transportation would be available!”

 RETURN OF A NATIVE

Meanwhile, Gaspard Rwakabubu, a native Rwandan, was working as a mechanic in the copper mines in Congo. He relates: “In 1974, I attended the Kingdom Ministry School in Kolwezi. One of the instructors, Michael Pottage, said that the branch office in Kinshasa was looking for a Rwandan elder who would be willing to return to his native country to help with the preaching work. Would I be willing to go? I said that I would talk it over with my wife, Melanie.

“At that time, my boss in the mining company had just given me an invitation to go to Germany for training. I had done well at work, and my salary was increasing regularly. However, it took us only a few days to decide. I told Brother Pottage that we would accept the invitation to return to Rwanda. My boss could not understand this decision. ‘Why can you not be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses here?’ he asked. ‘Why do you have to return to Rwanda?’ Even some well-meaning  brothers tried to dissuade me. They said: ‘You have four children. Read Luke 14:28-30, sit down, and think it over.’ However, we did not waver.

“My boss paid all our air-travel costs back to Rwanda. When we got to Kigali, in May 1975, we rented a house made of mud bricks and with a mud floor, quite different from the well-equipped house we had when I worked for the mining company. Nevertheless, we had prepared ourselves and were determined to succeed.”

Since the special pioneers from other countries had used Swahili as a language of communication, many people thought that the pioneers had come to teach that language. Such thinking changed when Gaspard and his family arrived, for they were able to teach people Kingdom truth using the Kinyarwanda Bible.

Additionally, Brother Rwakabubu translated the 32-page booklet “This Good News of the Kingdom” into Kinyarwanda. It was published in 1976 and attracted much attention. People read it on buses and in the streets. The use of the name Jehovah led to many discussions.

RWANDANS EMBRACE THE TRUTH

At that time, there were only about 11 publishers in the country, most of whom were not Rwandan citizens. Among the first Rwandans to learn the truth was Justin Rwagatore. He started studying in  the Swahili language with special pioneers from Tanzania, as they could not speak French or Kinyarwanda. Outgoing and friendly, he was baptized in 1976 and lived in Save, where the king of Rwanda had first permitted Catholic missionaries to establish a mission in 1900. Justin recalls that people were curious to know what the Bible really teaches. However, the clergy were hostile toward Jehovah’s Witnesses and forbade their flocks to listen to them or accept their literature.

Ferdinand Mugarura, a tenacious brother, was another one of the first Rwandans to accept the truth. In 1969, while living in eastern Congo, he acquired a copy of the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life in Swahili. Later, when he found out where the nearest Witnesses were, he and two companions would leave home every Friday, walk 50 miles [80 km] to attend the meetings and have a Bible study, and then walk home on Monday. Ferdinand was baptized in 1975, on the same day as one of his own Bible students. Appointed to serve as a special pioneer in Rwanda in 1977, he remembers that the previous year, a circuit assembly was held in the living room of the Rwakabubus’  house, and 34 were in attendance. Three were baptized.

MISSIONARIES DENIED ENTRY

The Governing Body, ever alert to the needs of the worldwide field, had earlier assigned missionaries to Rwanda. In 1969, four graduates of the 47th class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead were invited to serve there.

Nicholas Fone recalls: “In late January, Brother Knorr handed out the class assignments. We heard him tell Paul and Marilyn Evans that they were assigned to Rwanda. He then said to my wife and me: ‘And you are going with them!’ We were very excited, and after the meeting we rushed to the Gilead library and got out a large atlas to find Rwanda. Later, though, we received a letter telling us that the brothers had been unable to obtain permission for us to enter Rwanda. We were disappointed but accepted a change of assignment with Paul and Marilyn to Congo.”

 In 1976, two other couples were assigned to Rwanda after graduating from the 60th class of Gilead. Allowed to enter the country, the four missionaries moved into a rented house, preached courageously, and began to learn Kinyarwanda. When their visas expired after three months, the Immigration Department refused to renew them, so the missionaries were reassigned to Bukavu, eastern Congo.

“THEY WERE HARDWORKING”

In the mid-1970’s, the special pioneers from Tanzania and Congo began to leave Rwanda for various reasons. Meanwhile, Rwandan brothers began to pioneer and to expand the preaching activity to all parts of the country. Then, in 1978, the Truth book and two tracts were translated into Kinyarwanda. In addition, a monthly edition of The Watchtower appeared. Those publications helped further the Kingdom-preaching work. Concerning those early days, missionary Manfred Tonak said of the Rwandan pioneers: “They were hardworking, and they devoted much time to the ministry. New ones followed their example.”

Gaspard Niyongira relates how the good news was spreading in those days. “By the time I got baptized in 1978, the clergy were becoming fearful at seeing so  many coming into the truth. Hundreds attended our assemblies. When we went out preaching, we were like a swarm of locusts! Quite often, about 20 publishers would leave from the town center of Kigali and go preaching on foot from there to Kanombe, a distance of about six miles [9 km]. After stopping for lunch, they would continue another four miles [7 km] to Masaka before returning to Kigali by bus in the evening. Groups of publishers did similarly in other parts of the country. Not surprisingly, this intensive preaching gave people the impression that there were thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses. As a result, accusations were leveled against us, influencing the authorities to deny us legal recognition.”

Full of enthusiasm for the truth, brothers in Rwanda wanted to taste the joy of associating with their brothers from other countries. Thus, in December 1978, some 37 from Rwanda, including children, journeyed through Uganda to Nairobi, Kenya​—a distance of over 750 miles [1,200 km]—​to attend the “Victorious Faith” International Convention. The trip was difficult. Transportation was unreliable, and breakdowns were frequent. Furthermore, Uganda was politically unstable. When the delegates finally reached the Kenya border, Ugandan border officials accused them of being spies, arrested them, and took them to army headquarters in Kampala, Uganda. Idi Amin, then president of Uganda, personally interrogated them. Satisfied with their answers, he gave orders to release them. Though they missed the first day of the convention in Nairobi, those brothers rejoiced to see thousands of brothers from many nations peacefully united.

 EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE LEGAL RECOGNITION

The Bible truths and honorable moral standards taught by the Witnesses did not please everyone. The clergy in particular were dismayed to see that so many people responded. Brother Rwakabubu recollects: “Many who had been active Catholics, Protestants, and Adventists sent resignation letters to their former churches. Another brother said that the effect of the preaching work was like a fire set ablaze through the established religions. The number of those attending the meetings of the Kigali Congregation soon increased to more than 200. In the beginning, the clergy did not take much notice of our presence because we were so few. However, as the numbers increased, some charged that we constituted a danger to the country. It is noteworthy that about this time the archbishop of the Catholic Church in Rwanda, Vincent Nsengiyumva, became a member of the central committee of the ruling political party.

“Since we were growing rapidly, we needed legal status in order to bring in missionaries, build Kingdom Halls, and hold large assemblies. The Kenya branch arranged for Ernest Heuse, from Belgium, to contact government ministers to request legal recognition, but his efforts did not prove successful. Later, in 1982, the Kenya branch office advised us to prepare a letter addressed to the Minister of Justice and the Minister of the Interior, requesting legal recognition. I signed this request along with two other special pioneers. However, no reply was received.”

In the meantime, opposition increased. Antoine Rugwiza, a quiet, dignified brother, remembers that in a national radio broadcast, the president declared  that he would not tolerate those who denigrated the “Rwandan faith.” Everyone understood this to be a reference to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Not long after that address, the brothers were forbidden to meet together. Rumors abounded that soon there would also be arrests. Brother Rwakabubu was summoned twice to the State security agency for interrogation.

Then, in November 1982, Kiala Mwango, with his wife, Elaine, was sent from Nairobi to oversee circuit assemblies in Butare, Gisenyi, and Kigali. Brother Rwakabubu was the chairman at these assemblies. He had just completed the Kigali assembly when he was summoned for the third time to the presidency. However, this time he did not return! Within four days, the two other special pioneers who had signed the request for legal recognition were arrested. All three were imprisoned without trial or legal recourse. Other arrests followed. The Kingdom Hall was closed, and its doors barred. A letter from the Minister of Justice to the prefectures put Jehovah’s Witnesses under ban.

Finally, in October 1983, a trial was held for the three brothers who had signed the application for legal registration. The court accused them of swindling and deceiving people​—totally unfounded charges. Not a single witness or document was presented as evidence during the trial. Nevertheless, the three brothers were sentenced to two years in prison. When convicted murderers were released under an amnesty program, these faithful brothers were not shown any favor. In Gisenyi, five other Witnesses endured almost two years of imprisonment without sentencing or a valid court order.

 LIFE IN PRISON

Life in prison was grim. Prison meals, served once a day, consisted of cassava and beans. Meat was on the menu only about once a month. The bedding had bed bugs, but because of overcrowding, many prisoners slept on the floor. Water for washing was scarce. The brothers shared quarters with condemned and violent criminals. Prison guards were often harsh, though one of them, Jean Fataki, was kind to the brothers. He accepted a Bible study, eventually became a baptized Witness, and has served as a faithful pioneer to this day.

Brother Rwakabubu recalls: “While we were in prison, the archbishop held Mass there. He told his audience to beware of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Afterward, some of the Catholics present asked us why the archbishop had said this, as they could see that Jehovah’s Witnesses were not dangerous.”

Meanwhile, Roger and Noella Poels arrived in Kigali from Belgium. Roger had a work contract. The three brothers were still in prison, so Roger requested an audience with the Minister of Justice to explain our beliefs and ask politely what the government had against Jehovah’s Witnesses. The minister cut the conversation short by saying: “Mr. Poels, I have heard enough from you! You will be put on the next plane to Brussels. You are expelled from the country!”

Since the three brothers remained firm and were not intimidated, they had to finish their two-year sentence, though for the second year they were transferred to a prison where the conditions were much better. They were released in November 1984.

 PERSECUTION INTENSIFIES

Opposition continued. A radio broadcast proclaimed that Jehovah’s Witnesses were not good people and were extremists. By March 1986, arrests had become common throughout the country. Among those arrested was Augustin Murayi, who because of his Christian neutrality had been dismissed from his position as director general for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. He was attacked by the newspapers and even more so on the radio.

Other brothers and sisters, even pregnant sisters with small children, were arrested throughout the country. Toward the end of 1986, they were transferred to the central prison in Kigali to await trial. Because the brothers did not sing patriotic songs, did not wear the badge of the president, and did not buy the political party card, people wrongfully concluded that Jehovah’s Witnesses opposed the government and were attempting to overthrow it.

Phocas Hakizumwami recalls with a cheerful smile: “Brothers from the congregation in Nyabisindu were some of the first to be arrested. Since the rest of us expected to be arrested sooner or later, we realized that our territory assignment was about to be changed from outside the prison to inside it. So we decided to carry out an extensive preaching campaign in our ‘outside’ territory first. We went to the market areas and placed many magazines and books.  We prayed to Jehovah to help us cover our territory before we were imprisoned. Jehovah helped us, for we finished our territory on October 1, 1985. We were imprisoned seven days later.”

The following year, Palatin Nsanzurwimo and his wife, Fatuma, were arrested by the State security agents. After an interrogation of eight hours and an extensive search of their house, they were taken to prison along with their three children. On the way to prison, Palatin’s younger brother, following close behind, took charge of their five-year-old son and four-year-old daughter. Palatin and Fatuma were imprisoned together with their 14-month-old baby. Fatuma was later transferred to another prison and was not released for nine months.

At that time, Jean Tshiteya’s four children were expelled from school. A little later, on returning home, he found that his house had been ransacked and his wife arrested, leaving the children alone in the  house. Shortly thereafter, Brother Tshiteya himself was arrested and put in prison in Butare, joining his wife and other brothers. Thereafter, all the prisoners in Butare were transferred to the central prison in Kigali. In the meantime, Brother Tshiteya’s children were cared for by brothers in Kigali.

Brother Tshiteya recalls: “As the brothers and sisters were brought in from prisons in other regions to the central prison in Kigali, they would greet one another with joy, saying ‘Komera!’ which means ‘Take courage!’ When one of the prison guards heard this greeting, he retorted: ‘You people are mad! How can people take courage in prison?’”

In spite of those arrests, honesthearted people were not discouraged, and the persecution often brought positive results. Odette Mukandekezi, an energetic, outgoing sister, was among the many who were arrested at that time. She relates: “During the time of persecution, brothers were arrested and beaten. One day we passed a little girl named Josephine who was herding cattle. She had a Bible and had read in it that the early Christians were maligned, persecuted, scourged, and imprisoned. Since she knew that the Witnesses were being persecuted, she concluded that they must have the true religion, and she  requested a Bible study. She is now a baptized sister.”

During the ban, Gaspard Niyongira was working as a truck driver, and his work often took him to Nairobi, Kenya. He smuggled publications back to Rwanda in a special box fitted to his truck. The box could hold six cartons of literature. At that same time, Henry Ssenyonga, from western Uganda, regularly brought magazines across the border on his motorbike.

Congregation meetings had to be held in small groups. If the authorities suspected that Jehovah’s Witnesses were holding meetings, they would make a search. Brother Niyongira recalls: “I had an annex built onto my house, where we could hold meetings secretly. We buried our literature in plastic sacks in the ground and covered them with charcoal.”

As the wave of arrests started, Jean-Marie Mutezintare, who was newly baptized at the time, managed to attend the special international “Integrity Keepers” Convention in Nairobi in December 1985. On his return, he and Isaie Sibomana collected magazines from the brothers in western Uganda on their way to Rwanda. At the border, officials found the magazines, arrested and handcuffed the brothers, and led them off to interrogation and a cold night in a jail cell. Soon  the brothers found themselves in the central prison in Kigali. There they met about 140 imprisoned brothers and sisters, who were delighted to hear a firsthand report of the convention in Nairobi. Certainly, what they had to tell was encouraging, and it helped to fortify the brothers!

The imprisoned brothers held meetings and arranged for organized preaching activity. Apart from preaching, they also taught some prisoners to read and write. Further, they conducted Bible studies with interested people and helped prepare many new publishers for baptism. Some of them had been studying when they were arrested, and others had learned the truth in prison.

A CIRCUIT OVERSEER “VISITS” PRISON

One of the brothers describes events in the Kigali prison in 1986: “Many brothers were there. We held a meeting to see how we could help the brothers on the outside. We decided to write them a letter to encourage them. We told them that when we finished our preaching territory in prison, we would come back home. We preached from bed to bed and conducted Bible studies. Later, when we heard that a circuit overseer was visiting the congregations outside, we too wanted a visit, so we made it a matter of prayer to Jehovah. Soon after that, Brother Rwakabubu, who was the circuit overseer, was imprisoned for the second time. As far as we were concerned, it was so that he could visit us.”

During the persecution, only one brother compromised. When he put on the political badge, the non-Witness prisoners beat, kicked, and insulted him, calling him a coward. His wife, who was studying the  Bible, asked him why he had not remained faithful. He later wrote a letter to the judges, telling them that he had made a mistake and was still one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He even wrote to the branch office in Kenya to apologize. He is now serving Jehovah faithfully once again.

PREACHING CONTINUES OUTSIDE

Those who had not been arrested continued preaching with undiminished zeal, averaging about 20 hours a month. Alfred Semali, who was one of those still outside prison, recalls: “Although I was never imprisoned, I expected to be and prepared for it. The Kingdom Hall was closed, so we met in small groups and continued preaching. I would put my magazines in a khaki envelope, go into town as if I were looking for work, and then look for an opportunity to offer the magazines and discuss the Bible.

“In 1986 many of our brothers and interested ones were put in prison, even those who had just started to study the Bible. The brothers and even the new ones stood firm in an amazing way. Meanwhile, Witnesses in many countries wrote to the president of Rwanda to protest the unjust treatment, and the news on the radio reported that he had received hundreds of letters every day. This brought about good results, so that the following year our brothers and sisters and interested people were released by a presidential decree. We were filled with joy.” As soon as they were released, the elders organized a baptism in Kigali, where 36 were baptized, and 34 of them enrolled immediately as auxiliary pioneers!

At the height of the persecution in 1986, there was an average of 435 publishers reporting; of these,  about 140 brothers and sisters had been imprisoned. These Witnesses formed the backbone of Jehovah’s organization in Rwanda. Their faith was of a “tested quality.”​—Jas. 1:3.

Finally, after the turbulent years of the 1980’s, the congregations in Rwanda entered into a period of relative peace and growth. But what would the future bring? More embraced the truth. Would the new ones also prove to be disciples built with fire-resistant materials? (1 Cor. 3:10-15) Would their faith be able to withstand the trials that lay ahead? Only time would tell.

WAR AND POLITICAL UNREST

By 1990, there were nearly 1,000 active publishers in Rwanda. However, the political scene was becoming unstable, and in October, forces of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) invaded the northern part of Rwanda from neighboring Uganda.

Ferdinand Mugarura, a courageous brother who had been imprisoned for his faith on two different occasions, was living in Ruhengeri when this invasion started. He recalls: “Hatred and tribalism were spreading. Yet, Jehovah’s Witnesses maintained their neutral stand, not getting involved in the political factions or ethnic prejudices. Because the brothers refused to violate their neutrality, some had to flee their homes and some lost their jobs.”

One sister, a schoolteacher and widow with three children, refused to make contributions to the army. For this, the head teacher reported her to the military authorities, and she was thrown in prison for a second time, having already been imprisoned during the 1980’s. When the invading forces reached the town  where she was imprisoned, the prison was broken into and all the prisoners escaped. However, instead of fleeing with the other prisoners, the sister remained in the prison. When the invading forces withdrew, she was rearrested and transferred to the central prison in Kigali. There she prayed that she might know the date of the Memorial, since she did not want to miss it. To her great surprise, she was later released on the very day of the Memorial! Because of her neutral stand, she lost her house and her teaching job, but she became a zealous pioneer instead.

With international intervention, the invasion from Uganda was temporarily halted. In 1991, moves were initiated to install multiparty politics in the country. Several major parties and a number of smaller parties were formed, which created a spirit of regionalism and tribalism. Some parties had moderate objectives, but others were militant and extremist. For the first time, the neutral stand of Jehovah’s Witnesses was seen favorably. Because they did not take sides with the political and tribal factions, the Witnesses were no longer viewed as enemies by the government and by the people in general.

In September 1991, an international delegation of brothers accompanied by two brothers from Rwanda​—Gaspard Rwakabubu and Tharcisse Seminega—​visited prominent government ministers in Kigali. The brothers spoke with the new Minister of Justice, who listened to them sympathetically. The brothers thanked him for the positive steps already taken and encouraged him to go further by giving us full religious freedom.

In January 1992, before legal recognition had been granted, the brothers held a district convention in  Kigali. Godfrey and Jennie Bint reminisce: “We were serving in Uganda at the time and were surprised to get a letter from the branch office in Kenya, asking us to go to Rwanda for three weeks to help with convention arrangements and with the recording of the drama. The brothers were overwhelmingly hospitable, and we were invited to eat with a different family each day. A private soccer stadium had been rented, and preparation was well under way when we arrived. By then, the brothers had already planned the drama recording, and it went smoothly, despite the limited equipment available. Although many brothers from the north of the country could not get papers to travel and the borders with Burundi and Uganda were closed, there were 2,079 in attendance on Sunday, and 75 were baptized.”

LEGAL RECOGNITION AT LAST!

A few months later, on April 13, 1992, the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses was legally registered in Rwanda at last​—and for the first time! The long struggle to proclaim the good news in the face of bans, harassment, and imprisonment was over. The brothers could look forward to a new era of theocratic growth and expansion.

The Governing Body lost no time in assigning missionaries to the country. Henk van Bussel, previously serving in the Central African  Republic and Chad, and Godfrey and Jennie Bint, formerly serving in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Uganda, were the first missionaries to get residence visas. A Country Committee was appointed to oversee the preaching activity.

Brother Bint relates what happened when they first arrived with Henk van Bussel: “We soon found a suitable house for a missionary home very close to the Kingdom Hall. We immediately plunged into learning the Kinyarwanda language and found it to be quite a challenge, as it had been for the first special pioneers back in 1970. One of the textbooks gave this advice: ‘The letters CW together are pronounced TCHKW!’ We also remember that the sister teaching us said, ‘You will never properly pronounce the “shy” in “isi nshya” [the new earth], unless you smile!’”

Later that year, a new peak of 1,665 publishers was reached, and in January 1993, another district convention was held in Kigali. This time the attendance was 4,498, with 182 baptized. Kiala Mwango came as a representative from the Kenya branch. No one could have suspected at that time that on a plot of land just across the road from the stadium where we held the convention, a branch office would be built in 2006.

Despite another invasion from the north, the preaching activity did not slow down. By 1993 the invading army reached within a few miles of Kigali. The borders with Uganda remained closed, and heavy artillery fire could be heard just over the hills from the capital. About one million people had fled from the north of the country. This included 381 brothers and  sisters, who were taken care of by the brothers in and around Kigali. However, in Arusha, Tanzania, a cease-fire was negotiated, a buffer zone was established, and the government agreed to share power with the invading forces and a number of larger and smaller political parties.

A VERY SPECIAL ASSEMBLY DAY!

A special assembly day was scheduled to be held that year in the Kigali Regional Stadium. However, the stadium authorities had made a double booking​—a soccer match was scheduled for 3:00 p.m. The brothers attended the morning session, but before the afternoon session could start, the soccer fans began to arrive​—and the police could not stop them from entering. The stadium manager said that the match would not be over until 6:00 p.m. So the brothers left and returned at 6:00 p.m. to hear the rest of the program.

 This caused some anxiety because a curfew was in force. Vehicles were not allowed to travel after 6:00 p.m., and people could not be outside after 9:00 p.m. However, at about 7:00 p.m., a radio announcement said that the curfew had been postponed to 11:00 p.m. In addition, there was no certain electricity supply for lighting. Since the terms of the rental of the stadium had not been respected, the mayor of Kigali arranged for lighting to be supplied. He even arranged for free transportation, which was made available to the brothers after the program. Thus the brothers were able to hold the entire assembly program. Imagine their surprise when they came out of the stadium and found a large number of buses waiting for them!

Günter Reschke remembers that he visited Rwanda at the end of September 1993. He recalls: “I was sent by the Kenya branch to Kigali to teach the Kingdom Ministry School with Brother Rwakabubu. There were only 63 elders in Rwanda at that time, although the number of publishers had increased to 1,881. There was already much tension in the country, and we heard rumors of fighting in the north. Of course, no one expected the terrible times that lay ahead, but the school certainly provided food at the right time. It fortified the elders in their faith, equipping them as shepherds, which was much needed as the dark clouds of war approached.”

PLANS TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICE

At the end of March 1994, Leonard Ellis and his wife, Nancy, came from Nairobi to attend special assembly days and to help the translation office. The branch in Nairobi had recommended that the  missionary home and the translation office in Rwanda be merged. On Monday, April 4, the Watchtower Study was attended by an enlarged translation team, the Country Committee, the missionaries, and Brother and Sister Ellis. It was an exciting time​—the start of more expansion.

Having completed their work, Brother and Sister Ellis left on what would prove to be the last passenger flight out of Kigali for many months. The following afternoon, Brother Rwakabubu phoned the missionary home to say that the Russian embassy had relinquished its claim to a plot of land on which we had been hoping to build a country office. It could now be allotted to Jehovah’s Witnesses, and we were to have a meeting about it the next morning, Thursday, April 7. That appointment could not be kept.

 GENOCIDE BEGINS!

On Wednesday evening, April 6, a plane was shot down, and it burst into flames near Kigali. On board were the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi. All lives were lost. Few people were aware of the crash that evening; the official radio station made no announcement.

The three missionaries​—the Bints and Henk—​will never forget the days that followed. Brother Bint explains: “In the early morning of April 7, we awoke to the sounds of gunfire and explosions of hand grenades. This was not unusual because in recent months the political situation in the country had become extremely unstable. However, while we were preparing breakfast, we received a telephone call. Emmanuel Ngirente, who was at the translation office, told us that the local radio station had announced the death of the two presidents in the plane crash. The  Ministry of Defense warned everyone in Kigali not to leave their homes.

“About nine o’clock in the morning, we heard looters smash into our neighbors’ home. They stole the family’s car and killed the mother of the family.

“Soon soldiers and looters came to our home, banged on our metal gate, and rang our bell. We kept quiet and did not go outside to answer. For some reason, they did not attempt to force the gate but moved on to other houses. The sound of automatic weapons firing and of explosions continued all around; there was no possibility of trying to leave. Gunfire was loud and near, so we went to the corridor between the rooms in the center of the house, where we would be protected from stray bullets. We realized that the situation was not going to end quickly, so we decided to ration our food supplies by preparing one meal a day, which we could share together. The next day, when we had just eaten lunch and were listening to the international news on the radio, Henk cried out, ‘They are coming over our fence!’

“There was little time to think. We went into the bathroom and locked the door. We then prayed together, asking Jehovah to help us endure whatever might happen. Before we had finished praying, we heard the militia and the looters smashing their way through the windows and doors. Within minutes, they were in the house, yelling and overturning furniture. There were about 40 looters​—men, women, and children—​along with the militia. We also heard shooting as people squabbled over articles they had found.

“After what seemed to be an eternity​—but was only about 40 minutes—​they tried the bathroom door.  Then, because it was locked, they started to break it open. We now realized that we had to go out and show ourselves. The men were crazed and drugged. They threatened us with machetes and knives. Jennie was crying out loud to Jehovah. One man swung his machete, striking Henk with the flat side of the blade at the base of his neck. Henk fell into the bathtub. Somehow, I managed to find money and give it to the attackers. They fought over it.

“Suddenly, we became aware of a young man staring at us. Although we did not know him, he recognized us, maybe from the preaching work. He grabbed hold of us, pushed us back into the bathroom, and told us to shut the door. He said that he would save us.

“The sounds of looting continued for another 30 minutes or so, and finally it became quiet. Eventually, the young man returned to tell us that we could come out. Insisting that we leave immediately, he led us out of the house. We did not stop to pick up anything. With horror, we saw the bodies of some of our neighbors who had been murdered. Two members of the Presidential Guard escorted us to a military officer’s house nearby. The officer then escorted us to the Mille Collines Hotel, where many people had taken refuge. Finally, on April 11, we were evacuated to Kenya, after many more anxious hours and a stressful military operation that transported us on a roundabout route from the town to the back of the airport. We arrived at the reception area of Nairobi Bethel, uncombed and disheveled. Henk, who had been separated from us during the evacuation, arrived some hours later. The Bethel family overwhelmed us with loving care and support.”

 SAVED BY A LITTLE GIRL’S PRAYER

On the day after the plane crash that killed the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi, six government soldiers went to Brother Rwakabubu’s house. Their eyes were bloodshot, their breath reeked of alcohol, and their manner indicated that they were drugged. They demanded weapons. Brother Rwakabubu told them that he and his family were Jehovah’s Witnesses and that they had no weapons.

The soldiers knew that Jehovah’s Witnesses, as neutrals, had refused to support the government and did not make contributions to the army. This enraged the soldiers. Gaspard and Melanie Rwakabubu are not Tutsi, but the Hutu Interahamwe militia were killing not only Tutsi but also moderate Hutu, especially if they were suspected of sympathizing with the Tutsi or the invading army.

The soldiers hit Gaspard and Melanie with sticks and took them, along with their five children, into the bedroom. They stripped the sheets off the bed and started to cover the family with the sheets. Some had grenades in their hands, so their intentions were clear. Gaspard asked, “May we please pray?”

One soldier contemptuously refused their request. Then, after some discussion, the soldiers reluctantly agreed to let them pray. “OK,” they said, “you can pray for two minutes.”

They prayed silently, but Deborah Rwakabubu, who was six years old, prayed out loud: “Jehovah, they want to kill us, but how will we be able to make return visits on the people I preached to with Papa, where I placed five magazines? They are waiting for us to call back, and they need to know the truth. I  promise you that if we are spared, I will become a publisher, get baptized, and be a pioneer! Jehovah, save us!”

At hearing this, the soldiers expressed amazement. Finally, one of them said: “Because of this little girl’s prayer, we will not kill you. If others come here, you tell them that we have already been here.” *

THE SITUATION WORSENS

Gradually the war intensified as the invading army (the Rwandan Patriotic Front) made further advances on the capital, Kigali. This spurred the desperate Interahamwe militiamen to carry out more killings.

 Roadblocks manned by soldiers and armed Interahamwe militiamen along with local residents were set up throughout the town and at all road junctions. All able-bodied men were forced to man the roadblocks with the Interahamwe, night and day. The purpose of the roadblocks was to identify and murder Tutsi.

As the killing continued throughout the country, hundreds of thousands of Rwanda’s inhabitants left their homes. Many of them, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, sought refuge in nearby Congo and Tanzania.

FACING WAR AND DEATH

The following are accounts of our brothers and sisters as their world fell to pieces around them. Remember that Jehovah’s Witnesses in Rwanda had undergone fiery tests in the 1980’s, tests that had strengthened and refined their faith and courage. Their faith enabled them to remain “no part of the world” by refusing to participate in elections, local defense, and political affairs. (John 15:19) Their courage helped them to face the consequences of that refusal​—scorn, imprisonment, persecution, and death. Those tested qualities, along with their love of God and neighbor, enabled Jehovah’s Witnesses not only to have no part in the genocide but also to risk their lives to protect one another.

There are many experiences that have not been included. Most brothers would prefer to forget the horrible details, since they do not seek vengeance. It is our hope that the story of their faith can inspire all of us to show more fully the love that identifies true disciples of Jesus Christ.​—John 13:34, 35.

 THE STORY OF JEAN AND CHANTAL

Jean de Dieu (John) Mugabo, a cheerful, caring brother, started studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1982. Before his baptism in 1984, he had already been imprisoned three times for his stand as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. His wife, Chantal, was also baptized in 1984, and they were married in 1987. When the genocide started, they had three children, all girls. The two older children were staying with their grandparents out of town, and only the baby of six months was with John and Chantal.

The first day of the genocide, April 7, 1994, soldiers and the Interahamwe started attacking the homes of all Tutsi. John was arrested and beaten with clubs; but he managed to escape, and joined by another brother, he ran to the nearby Kingdom Hall. Meanwhile, unaware of what had happened to her husband, Chantal tried frantically to get out of town with the baby in order to rejoin their other two children.

John relates what happened to him: “The Kingdom Hall had previously been a bakery and still had a large chimney. For one week the brother and I hid in the Kingdom Hall itself, and a Hutu sister brought us food when it was safe to do so. Later, we had to hide in the roof, between the iron roofing sheets and the ceiling, where the sun absolutely roasted us during the  day. Desperate to find a better hiding place, we managed to remove some bricks from the chimney stack and get into the chimney, where we continued to hide in a crouching position for more than a month.

“Nearby, there was a roadblock, and the Interahamwe militiamen often entered the Kingdom Hall to talk or to take shelter when it rained. We could hear them talking below. The sister continued to bring us food whenever possible. At times, I thought I would not be able to bear it any longer, but we kept praying for endurance. Finally, on May 16, the sister came to inform us that the Rwandan Patriotic Front had taken  control of the side of town we were on and that we could come out of hiding.”

In the meantime, what had happened to John’s wife, Chantal? She takes up the story: “I managed to escape from the house with our baby on April 8. I found two sisters, Immaculée, whose identity card indicated that she was a Hutu, and Suzanne, a Tutsi. We intended to reach Bugesera, a town about 30 miles [50 km] away, where my other two children were staying with my parents. However, we heard that there were roadblocks barring all the roads out of town, so we decided to head for a nearby village just on the outskirts of Kigali, where Immaculée had a relative named Gahizi, who was also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Gahizi, a Hutu, welcomed us, and despite threats from the neighbors, he did everything he could to help us. When the government soldiers and the Interahamwe learned that Gahizi had protected Tutsi, they shot him.

“After murdering Gahizi, the soldiers took us down to the river to kill us. Terrified, we waited for the end. Suddenly, there arose a heated dispute among the soldiers, and one of them said: ‘Do not kill the women. It will bring us bad luck. This is the time to kill only the men.’ Then, one of the brothers who had been following us, André Twahirwa, who had just been baptized the previous week, managed to take us to his place despite protests from neighbors. The next day, he accompanied us back to Kigali, where he hoped to find a safe place for us. He helped us get past several extremely dangerous roadblocks. Immaculée was carrying my baby so that if we were stopped, the baby might be  spared. Suzanne and I had torn up our identity cards in an attempt to conceal our identities.

“At one of the roadblocks, the Interahamwe hit Immaculée and said, ‘Why are you traveling with these Tutsi?’ They would not let Suzanne and me pass. So Immaculée and André went ahead to Brother Rwakabubu’s house. At great risk, André and two other brothers, Simon and Mathias, helped us past the last roadblock and took me to Brother Rwakabubu’s house, while Suzanne went to the house of one of her relatives.

“However, it was now too dangerous for me to stay at Brother Rwakabubu’s house, so with great difficulty, the brothers managed to get me to the Kingdom Hall, where other Witnesses were being hidden. By then, ten Tutsi brothers and sisters and others who had fled were already there. Immaculée was so faithful  that she refused to leave me. She said, ‘If they kill you and I survive, I will save your baby.’” *

Meanwhile, a brother living nearby, Védaste Bimenyimana, who had a Tutsi wife, had just managed to get his family to a safe place. After this, he came back to help those remaining in the Kingdom Hall to find a place of safety. Thankfully, they all survived.

After the genocide, John and Chantal eventually learned that their parents and John and Chantal’s two-year-old and five-year-old daughters, who had been staying with their grandparents, had been murdered, in addition to about 100 of their relatives. How did they feel about such devastating losses? “In the beginning, it was unbearable,” admits Chantal. “We felt a kind of numbness. The loss of life had gone far beyond what anyone ever imagined. We could only leave it in Jehovah’s hands, with the hope of seeing our children again in the resurrection.”

HIDDEN FOR 75 DAYS!

Tharcisse Seminega was baptized in Congo in 1983. At the time of the genocide, he was living in Butare, Rwanda, some 75 miles [120 km] from Kigali. “After the presidential plane crashed in Kigali, we heard that there was a decree to kill all the  Tutsi,” he said. “Two brothers tried to plan our escape through Burundi, but all the roads and paths were guarded by Interahamwe militia.

“We were prisoners in our own house, and we did not know where to go. Four soldiers were watching our house, and one had set up a machine gun about 200 yards [180 m] away. In a fervent prayer to Jehovah, I cried out: ‘Jehovah, we are unable to do anything to save our lives. Only you can!’ Toward evening, a brother ran to our house, fearing that we were already dead. The military permitted him to enter the house and stay for some minutes. He was relieved to find us  alive, and he somehow managed to take two of our children to his house. Then he informed two other brothers, Justin Rwagatore and Joseph Nduwayezu, that my family was in hiding and that we needed their help. They came immediately, at nighttime; and despite difficulty and danger, they led our family to Justin’s house.

“Our stay at Justin’s house was very short because by the next day, people knew that we were hiding there. The same day, a man named Vincent came to warn us that the Interahamwe were getting ready to attack and kill us. This man was one of Justin’s former Bible students, who had not taken a stand for the truth. Vincent suggested that we first hide in the undergrowth near Justin’s house. Then, after dark, he led us to his house. He hid us in a round hut used to shelter goats. It had mud walls, a mud floor, a straw roof, and no windows.

“We spent long days and long nights in that hut, which was near a crossroads only a few yards away from the busiest market in the area. We could hear passersby chatting about what they had done during the day, including appalling accounts of their killings and their plans for the future. This atmosphere increased our fear, and we kept praying for our survival.

“Vincent did everything he could to take care of our needs. We stayed there for a month, and then toward the end of May, the place became too dangerous because of the arrival of Interahamwe militiamen who were fleeing from Kigali. The brothers decided to transfer us to the house of a brother who had a sort of cellar under his house. He was already hiding three brothers in this cellar. To reach his house, we made a  dangerous nighttime journey of four and a half hours on foot. It rained heavily that night, which was a blessing, since it hid us from the killers.

“This new hiding place was a hole about five feet [1.5 m] deep, with a wooden plank that served as a door. To get into the hole, we had to descend by a ladder and then crouch and crawl through a tunnel until we reached a chamber about six and a half feet [2 m] square. There was the smell of mold, and only the smallest ray of light reached us from a crack in the wall. My wife, Chantal, our five children, and I shared this space with three others. All ten of us stayed six weeks in this claustrophobic hole. We dared not light a candle, since that might betray our presence. However, during all that difficulty and suffering, Jehovah supported us. Brothers risked their lives to bring us food, medicine, and encouraging words. Sometimes we were able to light one candle during the daytime so that we could read the Bible, The Watchtower, or the daily text.

“Every story has its end,” Tharcisse continues. “For this story, it came on July 5, 1994. Vincent announced to us that Butare had been taken by the invading army. When we came out of our cellar, some people did not recognize that we were Rwandan, for our skin had become pale because of the lack of sunlight. Moreover, for a time, we lost the ability to speak aloud; we could only whisper. It took us weeks to recover.

“All these events had a profound influence on my wife, who had, for the preceding ten years, refused to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Now, though, she started to study the Bible. When people  asked her why, she replied: ‘I was moved by the love that the brothers showed us and the sacrifices they made to save us. I also sensed the powerful hand of Jehovah, who saved us from the machetes of the killers.’ She dedicated her life to Jehovah and was baptized at the first assembly after the war.

“We feel so indebted to all the brothers and sisters who contributed to our survival by their actions and their heartfelt prayers. We have experienced their deep and sincere love, which transcended ethnic barriers.”

HELP FOR ONE WHO HELPED

Justin Rwagatore, one of the brothers who helped save Brother Seminega’s family, was later in need of help himself. In 1986 he had been imprisoned for refusing to become involved in the politics of the ruling government. Some years after protecting the family of Brother Seminega, Justin and some other brothers were again arrested because of their neutral stand. Brother Seminega was part of a delegation to the local authorities to clarify the position of Jehovah’s Witnesses toward political involvement. He explained to the authorities that Justin had been instrumental in saving his family. As a result, all the brothers were released from prison.

The example of our brothers during the genocide moved others to accept the truth. Suzanne Lizinde, a Catholic in her mid-60’s, saw the role her church played in supporting the genocide. The conduct of Jehovah’s Witnesses in her area during the genocide and the love that exists among them moved her to make rapid progress. Suzanne was baptized in January 1998, and she never missed a congregation  meeting, even though she had to walk three miles [5 km] across the hills to attend. She has also helped her family learn the truth. Today one of her sons is an elder, and one of her grandsons is a ministerial servant.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS FLEE

After being evacuated to Kenya from Rwanda in April 1994, Henk van Bussel, a missionary who had been assigned to Rwanda in 1992, made trips to Goma, in eastern Congo, to help with the relief program for Rwandan refugees. On the Congo side, the brothers patrolled the border crossings, holding up Bible literature and singing or whistling Kingdom songs so that Witnesses crossing from Rwanda would recognize their brothers.

Panic was widespread. As war waged between the government forces and the Rwandan Patriotic Front, hundreds of thousands of people fled to Congo and Tanzania. The rallying point for the brothers who fled to Goma was the Kingdom Hall. Later, a refugee camp was set up just outside of town, which would shelter more than 2,000 people​—exclusively Jehovah’s Witnesses, their children, and interested people. The brothers established similar camps in other parts of eastern Congo.

Whereas the people who fled were mainly Hutu who were fearing reprisals, the brothers who fled together were Hutu and Tutsi. Getting the Tutsi across the border into Goma was very dangerous, since the killing of Tutsi continued. At one stage, the cost of smuggling Tutsi brothers out of the country was $100 (U.S.) per person.

Once they were in Congo, the brothers wanted to stay together. They wanted nothing to do with the  Interahamwe, who were active in the camps set up by the United Nations. In addition, most of the non-Witness refugees were sympathetic toward the outgoing government. Jehovah’s Witnesses were not liked by them, particularly the Interahamwe, because they had not joined with them. The brothers wanted to keep separate so that they could also protect their Tutsi brothers.

Since those who fled from Rwanda had left their belongings behind, they needed help. That help came from Jehovah’s Witnesses in Belgium, Congo, France, Kenya, and Switzerland, in the form of money, medicine, food, and clothing as well as doctors and nurses. On one of the first relief flights, many small tents arrived that had been sent by the France branch. Later, the Belgium branch sent bungalow tents, which could house whole families. Field beds and inflatable air beds were also sent. The branch in Kenya responded by sending more than two tons of clothing and more than 2,000 blankets.

THE CHOLERA OUTBREAK

After fleeing from Rwanda, more than 1,000 Witnesses and interested people stayed at the Goma Kingdom Hall and on the adjoining plot of land. Tragically, as a result of the large number of refugees, there was an outbreak of cholera in Goma. The Congo (Kinshasa) branch quickly sent medicine to combat the epidemic, and Brother Van Bussel flew from Nairobi to Goma with 60 cartons of medicine. The Kingdom Hall was temporarily used as a hospital, and efforts were made to isolate the sick. Loic Domalain and another brother, both medical doctors, along with Aimable Habimana, a medical assistant from Rwanda,  gave of themselves unsparingly. Brother Hamel from France was also of great help during all those problems as were the many other brothers and sisters with medical experience who came as volunteers to care for the sick.

Despite the great efforts made to prevent it, more than 150 brothers and interested people were infected, and about 40 died before the spread of this deadly disease could be checked. Later, a large plot of land was rented, which would be used as a refugee camp for Jehovah’s Witnesses. Hundreds of small tents were set up, and a large tent sent from Kenya served as a hospital. American health workers who visited were impressed by the cleanliness and orderliness of the camp.

By early August 1994, the relief committee in Goma was caring for 2,274 refugees​—Witnesses, children, and interested people. At the same time, there were many other refugee brothers in Bukavu and Uvira, eastern Congo, as well as in Burundi. Another 230 were in a refugee camp in Tanzania.

When the brothers from the translation office in Kigali were obliged to flee to Goma, they rented a house so that they could continue translation. This work was possible because the brothers had managed to save a computer and a generator during the war and they moved them from Kigali to Goma.

In Goma, telephone and mail services were virtually nonexistent. However, with the help of Witnesses working at the airport, the brothers sent translation material and other mail on a weekly flight from Goma to Nairobi. Brothers at the Kenya branch returned mail to Goma in the same way.

 Emmanuel Ngirente and two other translators continued to translate as best they could, though the circumstances were difficult. They had to skip articles of The Watchtower because of the war, but the skipped articles were later translated and published in special brochures that the brothers studied at their Congregation Book Study.

LIFE IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS

While the population was still fleeing from Kigali, Francine, who had fled to Goma after the murder of her husband, Ananie, was transferred to one of the camps set up by the Witnesses. She describes life in the camp: “Each day some brothers and sisters were assigned to prepare food. We prepared a simple breakfast consisting of millet or maize gruel. We also prepared the midday meal. After performing our duties, we were free to share in the field service. We witnessed mainly to family members in our own camp who were not Witnesses and also to those living outside the camp. After some time, however, the Interahamwe militiamen, who were in other camps, were angry to see the Witnesses in camps that were separate from the other refugees, and the situation became dangerous.”

By November 1994, it became clear that it was safe for the brothers to return to Rwanda. Doing so, in fact, was advisable in view of the insecurity in the non-Witness camps in Congo. But the return would be difficult. The Interahamwe were hoping to regroup and attack Rwanda, and in their view anyone leaving Congo to return to Rwanda was a deserter.

The brothers informed the government in Rwanda that Jehovah’s Witnesses, who had taken a neutral  stand in the war and had not participated in the genocide of the Tutsi, wanted to be repatriated. The government advised the brothers to negotiate with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), which had vehicles that could be used for the repatriation. However, because the militiamen would have stopped them from returning to Rwanda, the brothers had to use strategy.

The brothers announced that there was to be a special assembly day in Goma, and assembly banners were prepared. They then secretly notified the Witnesses of the repatriation to Rwanda. So as not to arouse suspicion, the brothers were instructed to leave all their belongings behind in the camps and go with just their Bibles and songbooks as though they were going to an assembly.

Francine remembers that they walked for some hours and finally found trucks waiting to take them to the border. On the Rwanda side of the border, the UNHCR arranged to transport them to Kigali and then on to their home areas. Thus most of the brothers with their families and interested ones were repatriated to Rwanda in December 1994. The Belgian newspaper Le Soir of December 3, 1994, reported: “1,500 Rwandan refugees decided to leave Zaire [Congo] because they felt that their security was not sufficiently guaranteed. They are Jehovah’s Witnesses who had set up their own camp above the Katale camp. Jehovah’s Witnesses were particularly persecuted by the previous government because they refused to carry arms and to participate in political rallies.”

After returning to Rwanda, Francine was able to attend a district convention in Nairobi. Having been  comforted after the death of her husband and built up by association with the brothers and sisters, Francine returned to the translation office, which had been reestablished in Kigali. Later, she married Emmanuel Ngirente, and they continue working in the branch office.

How was Francine able to cope with her feelings during the war? She said: “We had only one thought in mind at that time​—we must endure to the end. We decided not to dwell on the terrible things that were happening. I remember finding comfort in Habakkuk 3:17-19, which speaks of finding joy in difficult situations. The brothers and sisters gave me much encouragement. Some wrote me letters. This helped me to keep a positive spiritual attitude. I remembered that Satan has many tricks. If we dwell on one set of problems, we might become victims of another. If we are not vigilant, we might weaken in one way or another.”

RETURN TO RWANDA

Brother Van Bussel greatly assisted the returning brothers. He explains: “A ‘restart’ program was inaugurated to help the brothers get back on their feet after the war, including those who had stayed in Rwanda and lost almost everything. Appointed brothers visited every congregation to assess the needs. Families and individuals were given a package of supplies according to their circumstances. The brothers understood that after three months they would have to take care of themselves.”

Of course, attention was given to the spiritual needs of the brothers. The translation team returned to their original location in Kigali. Brother Van Bussel  recalls that the house that had served as our office was riddled with bullet holes, but most of the books in the depot were still there. For months afterward, they found bullets in cartons of literature. One of the translators even found a hand grenade in the garden! The following year, about October 1995, the translation team moved into a much larger and more convenient building on the other side of town. This rented building was used as the office and living quarters until a new branch office was built in 2006.

“IT WAS LIKE THE RESURRECTION!”

By December 1994, most of the brothers had returned from Congo just in time for the district convention, which had the appropriate theme “Godly Fear.” It was scheduled to be held on the grounds of one of the Kingdom Halls in Kigali. Brothers from France, Kenya, and Uganda came to attend. On Friday morning, the grounds of the hall were filled with brothers. One sister recalls: “It was touching to see brothers and sisters embracing each other with tears in their eyes. This was the first time they had seen one another since the start of the war. They were discovering friends that they had given up for dead!” Another said, “It was like the resurrection!”

Günter Reschke was among the brothers visiting from Kenya. He said: “What a joy it was to meet again after all the troubles and to see who had survived! There was, however, a problem. The authorities had concerns about such a large crowd meeting together. In the early afternoon, armed soldiers arrived and said that because of security fears, the assembly was canceled. We had to leave the place immediately. We took some time to encourage the friends but finally  had to return to Nairobi, disappointed that the brothers had not been able to enjoy the convention program. However, as discouraging as that was, we felt we had done all we could to encourage our brothers privately to continue in the faith, and we left with the conviction that they were determined to do just that.”

Now that a measure of peace had returned to the country, many people of Rwandan origin who were living outside the country decided to return. Some also came who had been born outside Rwanda after their parents fled during the ethnic and political upheavals of the late 1950’s and 1960’s. Among this influx were people who had learned the truth in other countries. For example, James Munyaburanga and his family embraced pure worship in the Central African Republic. Because the new government in Rwanda was eager to offer government posts to returning exiles, Brother Munyaburanga was offered a job. However, after returning to Rwanda, he faced opposition and ridicule from his relatives and workmates because he chose to live by Christian principles. Eventually, he requested early retirement and became a regular pioneer. He is now a legal representative of the local organization.

Ngirabakunzi Mashariki learned the truth in eastern Congo. He said: “Because I was a Tutsi, I had endured discrimination for many years. When I came into contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses, it was as though I were on a new planet! It was like a miracle to associate with serious people who lived in harmony with what they taught. This love was even more evident during the genocide of Tutsi in 1994. Brothers hid my family and protected us. I was invited to  Bethel in 1998, where I now serve with my wife, Emerance. I eagerly await the new world, where all prejudice and discrimination will be a thing of the past and the earth will be filled with people calling on Jehovah’s name and living together in unity.”

THE WORK TAKES OFF AGAIN

In March 1994, just before the war, there were 2,500 publishers in Rwanda. By May 1995, a new peak of 2,807 publishers was reached, despite the fact that so many had been killed in the genocide. Sincere ones flocked to Jehovah’s organization. One special pioneer sister, for example, conducted more than 22 Bible studies, and she had others on her waiting list! A circuit overseer observed, “The war helped people to realize that reaching out for material things was useless.”

 In January 1996, the brothers held the “Joyful Praisers” District Convention. What a joyful convention it was! Since the one the previous year had been canceled, it was the first convention held after the war. One observer said, “There was hugging, along with tears, and it was particularly impressive to see Hutu and Tutsi brothers and sisters embracing each other.” The peak attendance was 4,424, and 285 were baptized. Brother Reschke reminisces: “It was moving to hear the candidates loudly reply ‘Yego!’ (yes) to the two baptismal questions. They lined up on the playing field, waiting to be baptized, and were drenched by a heavy thunderstorm. They didn’t mind that. Their attitude was, ‘We are going to get wet anyway!’”

Henk van Bussel returned to Rwanda; and Günter Reschke, who had come to help get the work restarted, was now assigned there permanently. Not long afterward, Godfrey and Jennie Bint also returned to Rwanda.

THEIR SON WAS LOST AND WAS FOUND!

In the years after the war, families who had been separated were reunited. In 1994, for example, when the fighting between the two armies intensified in Kigali, the population fled en masse, and in the ensuing panic, Oreste Murinda got separated from his wife and fled with his two-and-a-half-year-old son to Gitarama. When Oreste went out to find food, fighting broke out again, and in the confusion he was separated from his son.

After the war, Oreste and his wife were reunited, but their son was still missing. They concluded that he had been killed. However, more than two years later, a man from the countryside, who was not a Witness,  came to Kigali to work. He met some brothers and happened to mention that his neighbor’s family in Gisenyi had lost their children in the war but were looking after an orphan. This child remembered his father’s name and said that his parents were Jehovah’s Witnesses. The brothers recognized the name and contacted the parents, who then showed photographs of their son to the man. Yes, it was their son! Oreste immediately went to retrieve him, and the parents were reunited with their son after two and a half years! The boy is now a baptized publisher.

It is noteworthy that the brothers cared for all the children who survived the death of their Witness parents. None were put into orphanages. Sometimes brothers also cared for the orphaned children of their neighbors or of other family members. One couple, who had ten children of their own, took in and cared for ten orphans.

INSECURITY RETURNS TO THE NORTH

By the end of 1996, civil war in Congo made it increasingly difficult to maintain security in the refugee camps, where over a million Rwandan refugees remained. In November, the refugees were forced either to return to Rwanda or to flee further into the rain forests of Congo. Most returned,  including the remaining brothers who had not done so in December 1994. It was an unforgettable sight to see streams of people, old and young, walking through the streets of Kigali in clothes dusty with the African soil, carrying bundles on their heads. All those refugees had to return to their native hill, or community, to be reregistered. Security became very tight for some time.

Unfortunately, many undesirable elements returned with the refugees, including some of the Interahamwe militiamen, who tried to continue their activities in the northwest of the country. In response, the army was sent there to restore security. Many of our brothers lived in the area, and it was a great challenge for them to keep their neutrality. More than 100 publishers lost their lives between 1997 and 1998, in most cases because of loyally maintaining their Christian neutrality. At times, the area was too dangerous for the circuit overseers to visit on a regular basis.

A COURAGEOUS COUPLE

Théobald Munyampundu, with his wife, Berancille, was one of the few circuit overseers who managed to visit the congregations in the region of insecurity. Danger was not new to them. Théobald was baptized in 1984, and two years later he was one of the many brothers and sisters put into prison, where he was severely beaten. He and his wife had also risked their lives hiding others during the genocide of the Tutsi. After saving the life of one teenage boy whose mother was killed in the genocide, they managed to cross over into Tanzania. There Théobald visited the two refugee camps at Benaco and Karagwe to encourage the brothers, though travel between the camps was extremely  hazardous because of bandits.

When they were back in Rwanda, Théobald and his wife risked their lives once again to visit Witnesses in the troubled northwest region of the country. “Sometimes the congregations we visited were distant,” said Théobald. “Because of the insecurity, we could not stay overnight. I remember that during one visit, daily we had to walk four hours each way during the downpours of the rainy season to visit the brothers and then return to our accommodations in the evening.”

Théobald described one brother whom he met while visiting an isolated group in the area: “Jean-Pierre is blind, but I was amazed to see him get up for the Bible reading in the Theocratic Ministry School and recite the assigned portion from memory, without mistakes, even with the correct punctuation! He had asked a brother who was a good reader to read to him beforehand so that he could commit the material to memory. I was really encouraged by his determination.”

Reflecting on his full and sometimes dangerous life, Théobald says: “During all those difficult times, we put our trust in Jehovah and often thought of the words of Hebrews 13:6: ‘Jehovah is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” After serving faithfully in the circuit and district work, he and  his wife continue to serve as special pioneers despite health problems.

ASSEMBLY HALL PROJECT

As the number of Witnesses increased, it became more and more difficult to find suitable venues for conventions in Kigali. For example, a drainage canal that spewed out sewage from a nearby prison marred the “Messengers of Godly Peace” District Convention that was held in a stadium in December 1996. Brothers complained of the smell, and parents feared for the health of their children. In view of the poor conditions, the Country Committee decided unanimously that this would be the last district convention they would ever hold in that stadium. But where else could conventions be held?

The Ministry of Lands had allotted land to one of the Kigali congregations  for the construction of a Kingdom hall. The land was much larger than would be needed for a hall, and if the brothers submitted plans for a Kingdom Hall only, the ministry would likely cut off a portion of the plot and allocate it to someone else. So with trust in Jehovah, they submitted plans for a Kingdom Hall and a simple Assembly Hall, with the option of building a second Kingdom Hall later. The local authorities approved the plans.

The brothers leveled the land and fenced it in. Hundreds of volunteers cleared the undergrowth and dug deep latrines. They now had a beautiful piece of land with a gentle slope, an ideal assembly location.

In the following months, the brothers held two assemblies and a special meeting on the property, but strong winds and rain forced those attending to huddle under tarpaulins and umbrellas. Consequently, a recommendation was made to the Governing Body that a simple open-sided Assembly Hall be constructed.

 In March 1998, the Governing Body gave permission to build the Assembly Hall. Preliminary work started quickly. Throughout the construction period, entire families worked together digging the holes for the foundations of the supports. All worked side by side in unity. On March 6, 1999, Jean-Jules Guilloud from the Switzerland branch gave the dedication talk for this fine new facility.

By 1999, security returned to the whole country. In February of that year, a new missionary couple, Ralph and Jennifer Jones, were assigned to work in the Rwanda country office, and the Bethel family grew to 21.

Two Rwandan brothers had graduated from the Ministerial Training School (now called the Bible School for Single Brothers) in Kinshasa, Congo, about 1,000 miles [1,600 km] away. However, now that there was war in Congo, it became increasingly difficult for Rwandans  to travel to Kinshasa. In view of this, the Governing Body approved of holding the Ministerial Training School in Kigali. The first class of 28 students from Burundi, Congo, and Rwanda graduated in December 2000.

In May 2000, Rwanda became a branch, and soon after that, the brothers found a suitable plot on which to build a branch office to take care of the rapidly expanding work. They purchased the five-acre [2 ha] plot of land in April 2001. Many brothers in Kigali will remember what a tough job it was to clear the undergrowth on that land, which had been abandoned for years.

A VOLCANO ERUPTS IN EASTERN CONGO

On January 17, 2002, the Nyiragongo volcano, situated about ten miles [16 km] from Goma in eastern Congo, started to erupt, and most of the population in the area had to flee from their homes. Many of the 1,600 publishers there fled with their children and interested ones across the border into nearby Gisenyi, Rwanda, where they were directed to nearby Kingdom Halls.

The next day brothers at the Rwanda branch office loaded a three-ton truck with basic supplies, including food, blankets, and medicine. The supplies were swiftly delivered to six Kingdom Halls in the area near the border with Congo.

For security reasons, the Rwanda government was afraid to let so many Congolese citizens stay in the Kingdom Halls and insisted that they be relocated to refugee camps. A delegation from the Rwanda Branch Committee met in Goma with two members of the Congo Branch Committee and elders from the congregations  in Goma to decide what to do. The Congolese brothers insisted that they did not want their brothers to go to refugee camps in Rwanda. “In 1994 we looked after more than 2,000 Rwandan brothers and their families and interested people,” they said, “so rather than let our brothers be housed in camps, let them return to Goma, and we will look after them just as we looked after the Rwandan brothers.”

What the Congolese brothers did was an act of loving hospitality in taking their own people back and distributing them among their brothers instead of allowing them to live in camps run by non-Witness organizations. So the brothers and their families returned to Goma, where they were accommodated. Thereafter, more relief supplies, including plastic tarpaulins, were sent from Belgium, France, and Switzerland to help during that time. The brothers remained in Goma until new houses could be built for them.

THEOCRATIC MILESTONES

As for the new branch, the Regional Engineering Office in South Africa drew up the plans, and a local contractor was hired for the construction. International volunteers helped with the project, and many local Witnesses volunteered to help with the landscaping and other finishing work. Despite some setbacks and challenges, the Bethel family moved into the beautiful new branch in March 2006. Later that year, Guy Pierce from the Governing Body came with his wife for the special dedication program on December 2, 2006. Some 553 brothers and sisters, including 112 delegates from 15 different countries, were in attendance.

 Jim and Rachel Holmes, from Canada, worked on the construction project. They knew American Sign Language and offered to teach it after the Monday Bethel family Watchtower Study to any members of the Bethel family who would be interested. Six responded, and they became so proficient that very soon a sign-language group was started.

Then, in June 2007, Kevin Rupp, a graduate of the Ministerial Training School in Switzerland, came to Rwanda as a missionary to help in the sign-language field. Shortly afterward, a Canadian missionary couple with sign-language experience arrived in Rwanda. In July 2008, the brothers formed a sign-language congregation, and soon more groups followed.

How excited the brothers were to hear the announcement at the 2007 district convention that the  New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures in Kinyarwanda had been completed! The United Bible Societies had produced the complete Bible in Kinyarwanda in 1956. Although this translation was a sincere effort to render the Bible in the local language, even using the name YEHOVA (Jehovah) seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures, the New World Translation is more readily available to all, especially to those of modest means. This new translation is accurate and easy to read, thanks to the painstaking efforts of the local translators in collaboration with the Translation Services Department in New York. How heartwarming it is to see most of the children in the Kingdom Hall holding their own copy of the Greek Scriptures and eagerly raising their hands to read a scripture when asked to do so during the meetings!

NEW CHALLENGES OF NEUTRALITY

Although they have enjoyed religious freedom since obtaining legal recognition in 1992, the brothers have faced ongoing problems as a result of their Christian neutrality. Over the past 15 years, hundreds of brothers have been arrested because of not participating in militarily supervised night patrols. However, after delegations met with government ministers, the authorities agreed to let the brothers do alternative work.

 In recent years, 215 schoolteachers have lost their jobs because of refusal to attend a politically oriented seminar. Thereafter, 118 schoolchildren were expelled from schools for refusing to sing the national anthem. Branch representatives went to the authorities to explain our neutral position, and after many months, most of the children were allowed to return to school. Referring to the history of the work in Rwanda, the brothers pointed out that in 1986, Jehovah’s Witnesses were put in prison because of their neutrality, yet in 1994, their neutrality was a key factor in their not participating in the genocide.​—John 17:16.

Jehovah’s Witnesses obey governmental laws, and they maintain political neutrality no matter what government is in power. For example, in 1986, François-Xavier Hakizimana was imprisoned for 18 months because of his neutral stand. After the government changed following the genocide, he was again imprisoned in 1997 and 1998 for the same reason. Such examples show that the neutral stand taken by Jehovah’s Witnesses is consistent and not in opposition to any particular government. Christian neutrality is genuinely based on principles set out in the Scriptures.

Apart from these ongoing challenges, the brothers enjoy freedom to hold weekly meetings and conventions and are also permitted to preach and hold meetings in many prisons, where a good number of inmates have accepted the truth. In addition,  in the 2009 service year, six court cases were decided in favor of Jehovah’s people in Rwanda.

THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT

An account of Rwanda would be incomplete without a word about the amazingly successful Kingdom Hall construction program. Since the new arrangement for building Kingdom Halls in countries with limited resources started in 1999, some 290 modest but attractive Kingdom Halls have been built there by willing volunteers.

With enthusiastic support from the local publishers, the brothers complete most of these halls in three months. As Kingdom Halls spring up throughout the country, onlookers are curious, opening opportunities for Jehovah’s people to give a witness. Besides the Assembly Hall in Kigali, the brothers have constructed ten smaller and simpler open-sided Assembly Halls, enabling the publishers to attend assemblies without having to walk excessive distances over the mountainous terrain. In addition, the brothers have completed four expandable Kingdom Halls, making it possible to hold assemblies on those properties.

In the first few months of each calendar year, all congregations zealously participate in working unassigned or seldom-worked territory. Publishers sometimes travel considerable distances at their own expense to cover this territory. For areas farther away, temporary special pioneers are sent out for three months. As a result, newly formed groups lay the foundation for future congregations. For example, in the campaign of January through March 2010, hundreds of Bible studies were started and nine new groups were formed. In addition, during the same  period, 30 temporary special pioneers started 15 new groups.

ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR RWANDA

At the 2009 “Keep on the Watch!” District Convention, the brothers in Rwanda were thrilled to learn about the release of the new songbook and to hear a selection of the new songs sung in Kinyarwanda. Not only was the new songbook translated into Kinyarwanda promptly but the congregations also received their copies in time to start singing the new songs at the meetings with the rest of the worldwide brotherhood in January 2010.

Understandably, after the release of the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures in Kinyarwanda in 2007, everyone wondered when the complete Bible would be translated into Kinyarwanda. As the time for the 2010 district conventions approached, it was announced that Guy Pierce, a member of the Governing Body, would be visiting Rwanda at the time of the convention for Kigali in August. The convention would be held in the sports stadium just across the road from the branch. Excitement was in the air, and how wonderful it was when Brother Pierce announced the release of the complete New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in Kinyarwanda! Each of the 7,149 people present on Friday morning received a personal copy of the new Bible. On Sunday, brothers from other districts of Rwanda swelled the attendance to 11,355. During the convention, soldiers who had been marching outside requested copies of the new Bible, and 180 were distributed to them. The mayor of Kigali, the chief of police, and authorities from the Ministry of Sports also gratefully accepted copies.

 The work of preaching the good news in Rwanda started in 1970 with three publishers. Now there are some 20,000 publishers in the country. They conduct about 50,000 Bible studies each month. In April 2011, 87,010 people attended the Memorial. The brothers in Rwanda have a history of and a reputation for zealous activity. With about 25 percent of the publishers in some form of full-time service and the remaining publishers averaging 20 hours a month, our brothers are busy working alongside “the Master of the harvest” in this fertile field, with no intention of slowing down. As Jehovah continues to bless the work, we wait with anticipation to see how many more people will stream to Jehovah’s mountain of true worship in this Land of a Thousand Hills.​—Matt. 9:38; Mic. 4:1, 2.

[Footnotes]

[Blurb on page 178]

He told his audience to beware of Jehovah’s Witnesses

[Blurb on page 181]

They greeted one another with the word “Komera!” which means “Take courage!”

[Blurb on page 218]

“Jehovah, we are unable to do anything to save our lives. Only you can!”

 [Box/​Picture on page 166]

An Overview of Rwanda

Land

Rwanda measures only 110 miles [177 km] from north to south and 145 miles [233 km] across. It has a population estimated at over 11,000,000 and is the most densely populated country in Africa. Kigali is the capital city.

People

The population is made up of Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa, as well as some Asians and Europeans. Over half of the people are Roman Catholic, and over a quarter are Protestant, including many Adventists. Muslim and various local beliefs account for the remainder.

Language

The official languages are Kinyarwanda, English, and French. Swahili is spoken as the language of commerce with neighboring countries.

Livelihood

Most Rwandans are farmers. Since much of the soil is of poor quality, many can grow only enough for their own families. Tea, as well as pyrethrum​—a plant used for insecticides—​is grown, as is coffee, which is the country’s main export.

Food

Basic foods include potatoes, bananas, and beans.

Climate

Even though Rwanda is near the equator, it enjoys a generally mild climate. Across the interior highlands, temperatures average 70 degrees Fahrenheit [21°C], and annual rainfall is about 45 inches [114 cm].

 [Box/​Picture on page 185]

“Jehovah Will Chase After Us!”

EMMANUEL NGIRENTE

BORN 1955

BAPTIZED 1982

PROFILE Member of the Rwanda Branch Committee and overseer of the Translation Department.

▪ IN 1989, I was pioneering in eastern Rwanda. Then, at the end of that year, I was assigned to the translation office. Having no translation experience, I was shocked and did not feel that I was up to the challenge. However, I started working on three publications. We found a house to rent, and we got some dictionaries. Sometimes I worked right through the night, drinking coffee to keep awake.

When the invading army attacked in October 1990, certain people suspected Jehovah’s Witnesses of involvement with the invading forces. The security agents began to check. Since I was working at home, it appeared to them that I was unemployed, so they wanted to know what I was doing. One day, they made a surprise search. I had been typing all night, and at five o’clock in the morning, I tried to sleep. Suddenly, the call came for me to leave home to participate in a community work.

While I was away, the local authorities ransacked my house. When I got back, my neighbors told me that a policeman and a local counselor had spent an hour reading through my translation manuscripts, which repeatedly referred to Jehovah. Eventually, they said: “Let’s leave this house, or Jehovah will chase after us!”

 [Box/​Picture on page 194]

Within 100 Days, a Million Died

“The 1994 genocide in Rwanda represents one of the clearest cases of genocide in modern history. From early April 1994 through mid-July 1994, members of the small Central African state’s majority Hutu ethnic group systematically slaughtered members of the Tutsi ethnic minority. An extremist Hutu regime, fearing the loss of its power in the face of a democracy movement and a civil war, made plans for the elimination of all those​—moderate Hutu as well as Tutsi—​it perceived as threats to its authority. The genocide ended only when a mostly Tutsi rebel army occupied the country and drove the genocidal regime into exile. Over a period of only one hundred days, as many as one million people lost their lives in the genocide and war​—making the Rwandan slaughter one of the most intense waves of killing in recorded history.”​—Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity.

About 400 of Jehovah’s Witnesses were murdered in the genocide, including Hutu who were killed for protecting their Tutsi brothers and sisters. No Witnesses died at the hands of fellow believers.

[Picture]

Refugees fleeing Rwanda

 [Box/​Picture on page 197]

“Death Chambers”

“Organizers of the genocide exploited the historic concept of sanctuary to lure tens of thousands of Tutsi into church buildings with false promises of protection; then Hutu militia and soldiers systematically slaughtered the unfortunate people who had sought refuge, firing guns and tossing grenades into the crowds gathered in church sanctuaries and school buildings, and methodically finishing off survivors with machetes, pruning hooks, and knives. . . . The involvement of the churches, however, went far beyond the passive use of church buildings as death chambers. In some communities, clergy, catechists, and other church employees used their knowledge of the local population to identify Tutsi for elimination. In other cases, church personnel actively participated in the killing.”​—Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda.

“The main allegation concerning the [Catholic] Church is that it switched its allegiance from the Tutsi elite to the creation of a Hutu-led revolution, thereby assisting in Habyarimana’s subsequent rise to power in a majority Hutu state. In terms of the actual genocide, critics once again hold the Church directly responsible for inciting hatred, sheltering perpetrators, and failing to protect those who sought refuge within its walls. There are also those who believe that, as the spiritual leader of the majority population in Rwanda, the Church is morally responsible for failing to take all available measures to end the killing.”​—Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity.

 [Box/​Pictures on pages 201-203]

“How Can We Kill Someone That Everyone Is Pleading For?”

JEAN-MARIE MUTEZINTARE

BORN 1959

BAPTIZED 1985

PROFILE A builder by trade and a faithful brother with a cheerful smile, who was imprisoned for eight months in 1986, not long after his baptism. Married to Jeanne in 1993, Jean-Marie is now chairman of the Kigali Assembly Hall Committee.

▪ ON April 7, my wife, Jeanne, and I, as well as our month-old baby girl, Jemima, were awakened violently by the sound of gunfire. At first, we thought it was just a political problem, but we soon learned that the Interahamwe militia had begun systematically to kill all Tutsi. Because we are Tutsi, we dared not venture outside. We prayed fervently to Jehovah to help us know what to do. Meanwhile, three courageous Hutu brothers​—Athanase, Charles, and Emmanuel—​risked their lives to bring us food.

For about a month, my wife and I were forced to hide in different brothers’ homes. At the time that the hunting for Tutsi was reaching a climax, the militia came with knives, spears, and machetes to where I was hiding. I saw them coming and ran as fast as I could to hide in some bushes, but they found me. Surrounded by a group of armed men, I pleadingly told them that I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but they said, “You are a rebel!” They kicked me to the  ground and hit me with clubs and rifle butts. By now a crowd had gathered. In the crowd, there was a man whom I had preached to. He courageously cried out, “Have mercy on him!” Then, one of the Hutu brothers, Charles, came on the scene. Seeing me lying there covered with blood, Charles’ wife and children started crying. The killers, unnerved, let me go, saying, “How can we kill someone that everyone is pleading for?” Charles took me back to his house to take care of my wounds. The militia warned us that if I escaped, they would kill Charles in place of me.

In the meantime, I had been separated from Jeanne and our baby. In a terrifying attack, she too had been beaten and had narrowly escaped being killed. Later, people reported to her that I had been killed. They even asked her to find some sheets and come to wrap up my body.

At Athanase’s house, Jeanne and I shed tears of relief when we were reunited. Nevertheless, we expected to die the next day. It was another day of terror, a nightmare, hiding in one place after another. I remember pleading with Jehovah for help: “Yesterday you helped us. Please help us again. We want to bring up our baby and to continue serving you!” Toward evening, at terrible risk, three Hutu brothers managed to lead us in a group of nearly 30 Tutsi through the dangerous roadblocks to safety. Of that group, six accepted the truth.

We learned later that Charles and his group continued to help others but that the Interahamwe militia had been furious to discover that the brothers had helped dozens of Tutsi to escape. Eventually, they caught Charles and a Hutu publisher named Leonard. Charles’ wife heard them say, “You must die because you helped the Tutsi to escape.” Then they murdered both of them. This brings Jesus’ words to mind: “No one has love greater than this,  that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends.”​—John 15:13.

Before the war, when Jeanne and I were planning to get married, we decided that one of us should become a pioneer. However, after the war, because many of our relatives had been killed, we took in six orphans, although we then had two children of our own. Nevertheless, Jeanne was able to start pioneering after the war and has done so for 12 years. Also, of our six orphans​—whose parents were not Jehovah’s Witnesses—​all are now baptized. The three boys have become ministerial servants, and one of the girls is serving with her husband at Bethel. We now have four children of our own, and our two oldest daughters are baptized.

[Picture]

Brother and Sister Mutezintare with two of their children and five of the orphans

 [Box/​Picture on pages 204, 205]

“We Kept Our Balance Because of the Truth”

Valerie Musabyimana and Angeline Musabwe are fleshly sisters. They came from a strong Catholic background, and their father was chairman of one of the parish committees. Valerie studied for four years to become a nun. However, because of disappointment over the conduct of a priest, she left her studies in 1974. She later  studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, got baptized, and started pioneering in 1979. Angeline, her sister, also studied the Bible and got baptized. Serving together as special pioneers, the two sisters have helped many to learn the truth.

Angeline and Valerie were living in Kigali at the time of the genocide and hid nine people in their house, including two pregnant women, one whose husband had just been killed. After some time, that woman gave birth. Since it was too dangerous to leave the house, the sisters helped deliver the baby. When the neighbors learned of this, they brought them food and water.

When the Interahamwe learned that Angeline and Valerie were hiding Tutsi, they came and said: “We have come to kill the Jehovah’s Witness Tutsi.” However, since the house that the sisters were renting belonged to an army officer, the killers were afraid to enter. * Everyone in the house survived.

Finally, when the war intensified and there was a continuous rain of bullets, Angeline and Valerie had to evacuate the area. They fled with other Witnesses to Goma, where the Congolese brothers gave them a warm welcome. They continued to preach there and conducted many Bible studies.

How did they cope with their feelings after the genocide? Valerie said sadly: “I lost many of my spiritual children, including Eugène Ntabana and his family. We kept our balance because of the truth. We know that Jehovah will judge evildoers.”

[Footnote]

 [Box/​Picture on pages 206, 207]

They Were Ready to Die for Us

ALFRED SEMALI

BORN 1964

BAPTIZED 1981

PROFILE Lived in the suburbs of Kigali with his wife, Georgette. Alfred, a loving father and husband, is now a member of the Hospital Liaison Committee in Kigali.

▪ AFTER the genocide began, Athanase, a Hutu brother who lived near us, sent word to warn us, “They are killing all the Tutsi and will kill you also.” He insisted that we come to his house. Before the war, he had dug an underground chamber about 12 feet [3.5 m] deep, and he offered to hide us there. I was the first to descend the ladder he had made. Athanase arranged to have food and mattresses sent down for us. Meanwhile the killings continued all around.

Although the neighbors suspected that we were hiding there and threatened to burn his house down, Athanase and his family continued to hide us. Clearly, they were ready to die for us.

After three more days, there was fierce fighting in the area, so Athanase’s family joined us in the hole, bringing the number of us down there to 16. We were in pitch darkness because we did not dare use any kind of light. Each day, we rationed out one spoonful of uncooked rice soaked in water with sugar per person. After ten days, even that food ran out. By the 13th day, we were so hungry! What could we do? From the top of the ladder, it was just barely  possible to see what was happening outside, and we noticed that the situation had changed. We could see soldiers wearing a different uniform. Since Athanase’s family had protected me, I felt it was my turn to make a sacrifice. I decided to go up with a teenage son of Athanase and look for food. We all prayed first.

After about 30 minutes, we returned with the news that the Rawandan Patriotic Front was now in control of the area. Some soldiers came with us. I showed them where we had been hiding. They did not believe it until all the brothers and sisters started coming out of the hole, one by one. Georgette says she will never forget that moment: “We came out dirty; we had been underground nearly three weeks without being able to wash ourselves or our clothes.”

The soldiers were astonished that people from both ethnic groups had stayed together in that hole. “We are Jehovah’s Witnesses,” I explained, “and we do not have any racial discrimination.” They were amazed and said, “Give food and sugar to these people from the hole!” Then they took us to a house where about 100 people were being temporarily housed. After that, a sister insisted that all 16 of us stay with her family.

We are thankful that we survived. However, my brother and my sister and their families​—all Jehovah’s Witnesses—​were murdered, as were many others around us. We feel the loss, but we also know that “time and unforeseen occurrence befall [us] all.” Georgette describes our feelings this way: “We lost many brothers and sisters, and others came through harrowing experiences of fleeing and hiding. However, we strengthened our relationship with Jehovah through prayer, and we saw that Jehovah’s hand is powerful. He comforted us by bringing us help at the right time through his organization, and we are very thankful. Jehovah abundantly blessed us.”​—Eccl. 9:11.

 [Box/​Pictures on pages 208, 209]

Jehovah Helped Us Through Those Dreadful Times

ALBERT BAHATI

BORN 1958

BAPTIZED 1980

PROFILE Elder, married, with three children. His wife and oldest daughter are regular pioneers. His son is a ministerial servant. When Albert, a quiet brother who is Hutu, started attending meetings in 1977, there were only about 70 publishers in the country. In 1988 he was put in prison and beaten. When he refused to wear the political party badge, a neighbor who used to be a soldier stuck the pin of a badge into his skin and sneered: “Now you are wearing the badge!”

▪ AFTER the death of the presidents, some brothers, relatives, and neighbors fled to my home. I grew anxious, though, about two Tutsi sisters, Goretti and Suzanne, who were not with us. Although it was extremely dangerous, I went looking for them. People were fleeing, and I spotted Goretti and her children and took them to my house, knowing that there was a roadblock where they were heading, and they would surely have been killed.

Some days later, Suzanne, along with five others, managed to join us. Now, with these newcomers, there were more than 20 of us in the house, all in great danger.

On at least three occasions, the Interahamwe came to the house. Once they saw my wife, Vestine, through the window and called to her to come out. She is Tutsi. I stood between the killers and my wife and told them: “If you kill  her, you must kill me first!” After some discussion, they told her to go back into the house. One of them said, “I do not want to kill a woman; I want to kill a man.” They then fixed their attention on my wife’s brother. As they led him outside, I threw myself between them and the young man and pleaded, “For the love of God, leave him!”

“I don’t work for God,” one of them retorted, jabbing me with his elbow. He relented, though, saying to me: “Go then! Take him!” So my brother-in-law was spared.

About a month later, two brothers came looking for food. Since I had a supply of beans, I gave them some, but as I accompanied them to show them a safe path to take, I heard a gunshot and lost consciousness. I had been hit in the eye by shrapnel from a stray shot. A neighbor helped me get to the hospital, but I lost the sight in my injured eye. Worse still, I could not get back home. Meanwhile, as the fighting intensified, it became too dangerous for any who were in my house to stay there, so they fled to the houses of other brothers, who put their lives in danger to protect them all until June 1994. I was not able to rejoin my wife and family until October. I thank Jehovah for helping me and my family through all those dreadful times.

[Picture]

Albert Bahati with his family and others he hid

 [Box/​Picture on pages 210-212]

“This Is the Way”

GASPARD NIYONGIRA

BORN 1954

BAPTIZED 1978

PROFILE A fearless fighter for the truth, with a ready smile and a positive attitude. Now married, with three daughters, Gaspard is a member of the Rwanda Branch Committee.

▪ AFTER the shooting started in the early morning of April 7, I saw that about 15 houses belonging to Tutsi were burning. They included two of our brothers’ houses. Would our house be next? I nearly went out of my mind for fear of what could happen to my wife, who is a Tutsi, and my two children.

It was not clear to me what we should do. There was confusion and panic, along with rumors and false reports. I thought it would be safer for my wife and children to go to a brother’s house nearby, and I would join them later. When it was safe for me to go there, I found that she had been forced to flee to a large school complex. That afternoon, a neighbor came to me and said, “All the Tutsi seeking refuge at the school will be massacred!” I immediately ran to the school, found my wife and children, and rounded up about 20 others​—including brothers and sisters—​telling them to return to their homes. As we were leaving, we saw the militia leading people out of town to a place where they murdered more than 2,000 Tutsi.

In the meantime, the wife of another neighbor had given birth at the school complex. When the Interahamwe  threw a grenade into the school, the husband fled with the newborn baby. In the panic, the mother fled in another direction. Despite being a Tutsi, the father managed to get through the roadblocks because of the baby in his arms, and he ran to our house. He asked me to try to get milk for the baby. When I dared to venture out, I unwittingly came to a roadblock manned by militia. Taking me to be a Tutsi sympathizer because I was going to get milk for a Tutsi’s baby, they said, “Let us kill him!” A soldier hit me with his rifle butt, and I lost consciousness, bleeding from the nose and face. Believing me to be dead, they dragged me behind a nearby house.

A neighbor recognized me and said, “You must leave, or they will come back and finish you off.” He helped me get back home.

Painful though it was, this incident proved to be a protection for me. Because I was known to be a driver, five men came the next day to compel me to be the driver for a military chief. Seeing my injuries, they did not insist, neither did they try to force me to do patrol duty with the Interahamwe.

Then followed days of fear, uncertainty, and hunger. During that time, a Tutsi woman ran into my house with her two small children. We hid her in a cupboard in the kitchen and put the two children with mine in another room. When the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the invading army, made further advances and it was rumored that the Interahamwe had started a mop-up operation to kill all Hutu who had Tutsi wives, our whole family got ready to flee again. But the RPF had already taken the area, so the Tutsi were out of danger. Now, however, I was in danger of being killed.

  I then went with a group of our neighbors to the roadblock that was now manned by the RPF soldiers. When they saw me, a Hutu, with my head bandaged, they thought I must be one of the militia. They called out to the neighbors and to me: “Among you, there are killers and looters, yet you are asking for help! Who of you have hidden or protected Tutsi?” I showed them the woman and the children whom I had been hiding. Taking the children to one side, they asked them, “Who is this man with the bandaged head?” They replied, “He is not with the Interahamwe; he is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and is a good man.” I had saved the Tutsi woman and her two children, and now they were saving me!

Satisfied with those answers, the soldiers took us to a camp some 12 miles [20 km] from Kigali, where about 16,000 survivors had gathered. There we met up with about 60 brothers and sisters from 14 different congregations. We organized meetings; 96 attended the first one! It was a very hard time, however, as we received reports of friends who had been killed and sisters who had been raped. I was the only elder, and many brothers and sisters needed comfort and help from the Scriptures. I listened to their heartrending stories and reassured them that Jehovah loved them and understood their pain.

Finally, on July 10, after many weeks of terror, we were able to return to our homes. I remember that during the fear and danger, I often found myself thinking of the song entitled “This Is the Way.” The words of that song encouraged me greatly: “No right or left turning we dare ever take, but walking in God’s way advancement we’ll make.”

 [Box/​Pictures on pages 223, 224]

Someone Was Calling My Name

HENK VAN BUSSEL

BORN 1957

BAPTIZED 1976

PROFILE Served in Netherlands Bethel before attending Gilead in 1984. He was assigned to Central African Republic, to Chad, and then to Rwanda in September 1992. He now serves with his wife, Berthe, in the Rwanda branch office.

▪ KIGALI Sud was the first congregation I was assigned to in Rwanda. It included a large number of children. The brothers and sisters were warm and hospitable. Back in 1992, there were not many congregations in the country and there were just over 1,500 publishers. The authorities still didn’t trust us, so from time to time, the police interrupted our preaching work to check our identification papers.

When the genocide started, I was obliged to leave the country. But soon after that, I was asked to help the refugees in eastern Congo. From Nairobi, I made the trip to Goma, a city on the border with Rwanda. Having never been there before and having no information other than the name of one elder, I wondered how I would find him. However, upon arrival, I asked for information from my taxi driver. He then conferred with other drivers, and within 30 minutes, I stood in front of the elder’s door. Two brothers from the Country Committee in Rwanda were able to cross the border into Goma, and I gave them the money I had received from the Kenya branch office to help the brothers in Rwanda.

  The second time I went to Goma from Nairobi, I remember walking to the Rwanda border. Although the distance was short, it took me a long time because I was walking against a huge crowd of refugees surging across from Rwanda.

Suddenly, someone was calling my name: “Ndugu (brother) Henk! Ndugu Henk!” When I looked for the source of the voice, I looked into the eyes of Alphonsine. She was a girl of about 14 from the congregation I had belonged to in Kigali, and she had been separated from her mother. We stuck together in that vast crowd, and I took her to the Kingdom Hall that many other refugee brothers and sisters were using as a rallying point. A Congolese family looked after her, and after that, a refugee sister from her home congregation took care of her. Alphonsine was later reunited with her mother in Kigali.

[Picture]

Henk with his wife, Berthe

 [Box/​Picture on pages 235, 236]

Jehovah Has Done Wonderful, Great Things!

GÜNTER RESCHKE

BORN 1937

BAPTIZED 1953

PROFILE Started pioneering in 1958 and attended the 43rd class of Gilead. Since 1967 he has served in Gabon, Central African Republic, and Kenya and has visited several other countries in the traveling work. At present, he is on the Rwanda Branch Committee.

▪ MY FIRST visit to Rwanda was in 1980. I was sent from Kenya as a district overseer. At that time, there were only seven congregations in the country and 127 publishers. I was also one of the two instructors of the first class of the Pioneer Service School held in the country. Many of the 22 pioneers in the class are still in full-time service. I returned to Kenya with fond memories of the zeal of the brothers in the ministry and their appreciation for the truth.

In 1996, I got a letter from the Kenya branch, inviting me to move to Rwanda. I had been in Kenya for 18 years, and I loved it there. When we arrived in Rwanda, it was still unstable. During the night we often heard shooting. But soon I started enjoying my assignment, especially when I witnessed Jehovah’s blessing on the work there.

The assembly sites were rudimentary. However, without complaint the brothers often sat on the ground or on stones. The baptism pools consisted of a big hole in the ground, lined with tent material. Assemblies like that are still held in many places in the interior, but as time passed,  some simple open-sided halls were constructed as well as a few expandable Kingdom Halls.

The brothers were zealous in proclaiming the good news. The congregations in Kigali started their meetings very early on the weekends. Afterward, publishers went into the field ministry and continued until dark.

I always made time for the young ones in the congregations, the future publishers who could later take on more responsibilities. How good to see that many fearlessly took their stand, proving that though young in years, they had a personal relationship with Jehovah!

For example, in the south, 11-year-old Luc was asked to sing the national anthem in his school classroom. He respectfully asked if he could sing one of our Kingdom songs instead. The teacher agreed, and all applauded when Luc finished the song. The fact that he knew not only the melody but also the words of the song shows how much this youth enjoyed praising his Creator. This experience and others were encouraging to me. I also met a sister who had been imprisoned some years back for preaching the good news. While in prison she gave birth to a son and named him “Shikama Hodari” (Swahili for “remain steadfast”). Shikama has lived up to his name. He recently attended the Bible School for Single Brothers and serves as a ministerial servant and special pioneer.

During the many years when our brothers in Rwanda experienced extreme difficulties​—including bans, civil war, and genocide—​I was always touched by their zeal in the ministry and their faithfulness, and it is a great privilege to serve with them. I also always felt Jehovah’s blessing as well as his protection and support, and it made me draw closer to him. Truly, Jehovah has done wonderful, great things!​—Ps. 136:4.

 [Chart/​Pictures on pages 254, 255]

TIME LINE​—Rwanda

 1970

1970 First publishers report.

1975 First Rwandan family returns from Congo.

1976 “This Good News of the Kingdom” booklet is published in Kinyarwanda.

1978 The monthly edition of The Watchtower is printed in Kinyarwanda.

1980

1982 The work is banned; responsible brothers are imprisoned.

1986 One third of all publishers are imprisoned.

1990

1990 War breaks out in the north of the country.

1992 First district convention is held for the whole country.

The work is registered.

Missionaries arrive.

1994 Genocide of the Tutsi.

1996 Missionaries return.

The Service Department is set up.

1998 Kinyarwanda edition of The Watchtower is simultaneous with English.

1999 Kigali open-sided Assembly Hall is dedicated.

2000

2000 Branch office is established.

Kingdom Hall Construction Desk starts operating.

2001 Plot of land for new branch is obtained.

2006 New branch facilities are dedicated.

2007 New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures is released in Kinyarwanda.

2010

2010 Complete New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is released in Kinyarwanda.

[Graph/​Picture on page 234]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Total Publishers

Total Pioneers

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

 [Maps on page 167]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

UGANDA

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Nyiragongo Volcano

Goma

Bukavu

BURUNDI

TANZANIA

RWANDA

KIGALI

VIRUNGA MTS.

Karisimbi Volcano

Ruhengeri (now Musanze)

Gisenyi (now Rubavu)

Lake Kivu

Kanombe

Masaka

Gitarama (now Muhanga)

Bugesera

Nyabisindu (now Nyanza)

Save

Butare (now Huye)

Equator

[Picture on pages 164, 165]

Fishing on Lake Kivu

[Pictures on page 169]

Oden and Enea Mwaisoba

[Picture on page 170]

Gaspard Rwakabubu with his daughter Deborah and wife, Melanie

[Picture on page 171]

This Good News of the Kingdom in Kinyarwanda

[Picture on page 172]

Justin Rwagatore

[Picture on page 172]

Ferdinand Mugarura

[Picture on page 173]

The three who were baptized in 1976: Leopold Harerimana, Pierre Twagirayezu, and Emmanuel Bazatsinda

[Picture on page 174]

Literature in Kinyarwanda

[Picture on page 179]

Phocas Hakizumwami

[Picture on page 180]

Palatin Nsanzurwimo with his wife (on the right) and children

[Picture on page 181]

Odette Mukandekezi

[Picture on page 182]

Henry Ssenyonga on his motorbike

[Picture on page 188]

Certificate of registration, April 13, 1992

[Picture on page 190]

Brothers removing the platform so that the soccer match could take place

[Picture on page 192]

Leonard and Nancy Ellis (center) with the Rwakabubu and Sombe families

[Picture on page 193]

Wreckage from the plane crash near Kigali

[Pictures on page 199]

“We lacked brotherhood,” a sign on a Catholic church in Kibuye (now Karongi)

[Picture on page 214]

Left to right: (back) André Twahirwa, Jean de Dieu, Immaculée, Chantal (with baby), Suzanne; (front) Mugabo children: Jean-Luc and Agapé

[Picture on page 216]

Védaste Bimenyimana conducting a Bible study

[Picture on page 217]

Tharcisse Seminega and his wife, Chantal

[Picture on page 218]

Tharcisse and Justin next to the hut where Tharcisse and his family were hidden for a month

 [Pictures on page 226]

Above: Refugee camp for Rwandan Witnesses; below: refugee camp for Witnesses and others

Goma, Congo

Benaco, Tanzania

 [Pictures on page 229]

The Kingdom Hall was used as a hospital

[Picture on page 238]

Oreste with his family, 1996

[Picture on page 240]

Théobald and Berancille Munyampundu

[Pictures on page 241]

Tutsi and Hutu brothers and sisters clearing the land for the new Assembly Hall

[Picture on page 242]

Open-sided Assembly Hall, Kigali, 2006

[Picture on page 243]

Ministerial Training School, Kigali, 2008

[Picture on page 246]

Sign-language section at a special assembly day in Gisenyi, 2011

[Picture on page 248]

François-Xavier Hakizimana

 [Pictures on pages 252, 253]

 Brothers and sisters working alongside “the Master of the harvest” in this fertile field, with no intention of slowing down