04/07/2025
Today marks 31 years since the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda:
Each year, this day weighs heavy on the hearts of the Rwandan people—and on mine too. For the past 19 years, Rwanda has been my other home. I’ve lived here, I’ve walked its roads, raised a son here, laughed and wept with its people. I’ve seen the scars this nation carries, and I’ve also witnessed the stunning resilience and grace that rise from the ashes of such unimaginable pain.
The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi claimed over a million lives in just 100 days. Fathers. Mothers. Children. Friends. Neighbors. A loss too deep for words. A darkness that blanketed this land and tore through its soul.
But Rwanda is more than its sorrow. It is a story of redemption, of rebuilding, of reconciliation that defies human understanding. It’s the hands that now hold each other across tribal lines. It’s the laughter of children who play in the schoolyard, too young to know hate. It’s the quiet strength of a mother who forgives, and the courage of a survivor who chooses to speak.
As someone who has been honored to live and serve among these incredible people, I can say this...
Rwanda teaches the world what healing can look like when great leadership constantly reminds people that love is stronger than vengeance, that unity is greater than division, and when God is present in the rubble.
Today, I remember. I grieve with my Rwandan brothers and sisters. I honor those who were lost, and I stand in awe of those who survived and chose peace.
May we never forget. May we continue to build a future rooted in love, truth, and grace.
Kwibuka 31.
