One thing that is so striking about Rwanda is the deep-rooted sense of togetherness. No place showcases this better than the community well. The locals around Hope Haven often pull together as a team just to get their daily water. Early one morning last week, we took a team of students from Valor Christian High School (govalor.com) into the valley to experience the daily trek of many people in our community.
Their teamwork was evident as soon as we slid down the slope to the well, where some were busy cleaning dirt off of empty jerrycans and filling them with water. Some members of the community were moving up and down the slope, carrying jerrycans to and from the well, while others stayed at the top to watch the full containers. It wasn’t long before the Valor students jumped in to help carry jerrycans full of water up the steep hill. There were contagious smiles shared by all as we worked together to get the job done!
Proverbs 11:25 says “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” When working together, the Hope Haven community is demonstrating refreshing generosity—through their time and effort.
Our very own Campus Chaplain, Junior Shema, explained that as a child, he would get up at 5:00 AM each day to take two trips to the local well just to get enough water for his family, spending over an hour transporting four jerrycans, two each trip. Then he would make his way to school, already fatigued by his morning chore.
What can we learn from our Rwandan friends about the refreshing benefits of generosity? Is there someone that God is calling you to be generous toward this week?