Our little trek around Rwanda has brought us back to Kigali, where we’ll stay until we head back to DC. It’s amazing to think of how much we’ve experienced since we left this city just one week ago. So many faces, stories, challenges and thrilling moments all rolled into one week. Out of that sea of memories, this morning will shine brightly as I think back on our time in Rwanda.

We had the chance to go to a small church high in the hills of the Burera district of Northern Rwanda. This tiny church sits right at the bottom of two volcanoes in a village with no running water. There are few men in the area after the genocide – it’s noticeable as soon as you walk in. The building itself isn’t large – in fact, it’s really just four walls and a tin roof providing some shelter over a dirt floor.

That setting was the perfect backdrop to lean into everything Paul meant when he wrote that he “had learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance.” (Philippians 4:11(b)) That simple truth in that simple room brought the enormity of the Gospel into stunning focus. Paul knew the God of the Universe and believed it when Jesus said I no longer call you a slave, but rather a friend. Paul’s ambition in life was to make the Gospel known. Holding all of that together was Paul’s belief that at the end of his life, he would be with His God in heaven. That brought contentment to his soul even though he wrote Philippians from a jail. In the face of massive opposition, Paul found contentment. Our prayer was that in the face of unimaginable poverty, Burera would find hope.

We believe in a Gospel that satisfies the souls of Rwandans and of Americans. It’s a Gospel that carries hope to the darkest corners of our world. The light of Jesus shone brightly in that humble shack this morning. It shone in the faces of the children who sang with joy that seemed illogical. It shone in the heart of their pastor who gives so much to serve his flock. It shone from the pages of Paul’s writings. And it brought life and joy.

I pray that same Gospel would sweep our campuses. I pray the light that gives hope to Burera would transform the universities of the most powerful city in the world. I can’t wait to be in DC this week. But for now, my prayers are with the little ones of Burera. I pray the seeds of hope planted this morning will blossom in their hearts in the weeks to come.