Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
As the sun rises above the cinereous sky, the sweltering heat indicates that the location is a few degrees south of the equator. The air, brazen with the smell of scorching wood, carries the sound of honking vehicles and pedestrians made visible through the water stained glass from the MOUCECORE guest house. Groups of men, women, and children flood the dirt-paved roads. They transport yellow, plastic containers filled with water. Depending on their stature, they hoist them over their shoulders, attach them to bikes or stagger down the street in twos – each one with a handle in their tiny hands. Although the rooster has barely crowed the citizens of Kigali, Rwanda are well into their day.
Behind the wooden gates of MOUCECORE a missionary team comprised of two men and five women cautiously tiptoe through the second-floor hallways of the double story building. If these walls could talk they would detail stories of missionary’s past and present. This morning they are privy to the lackadaisical activity of its occupants. Disoriented from days of travel we shuffle down the stairwell and assemble in the living room one by one. Morning prayer followed by devotion commences. We’ve been in Rwanda less than 24 hours, and God has already begun a work in me. While in devotion, it feels as if He pulls up a seat, reaches over, grabs my hand and whispers in my ear Trust me. Committed to doing just that, I grab my backpack and leave MOUCECORE determined to surrender to God’s will.
While in transit to a refugee camp in Kibuye, located three hours from the city of Kigali, the driver is forced to pull over. The winding road, which vacillates from smooth hardened clay to unearthed rock, causes one of the tires to blow out. One by one as we file out of the mini-van so that the driver can assess the damage at least 20 locals emerge. They flank the front, rear, and drivers side of the vehicle. Stepping forward from the crowd, without prompting, is a teenage boy that kneels down and hoists the right side of the vehicle with a jack so that the tire may be removed. It is one of the most selfless and random acts of kindness I’ve yet to see.
A trip to Africa forever changed Danyel’s life. It gave him an unshakeable desire to live a life of service in communities around the world. Danyel looks forward to sharing experiences of past and future mission trips, with the hopes of helping other to see the beauty in our differences and encourage them to take their journey locally as well as abroad.
