Day 10 - Sunday Service

Written by: Heidi Kittredge

We attended Sunday service at Hermon Church in Kimisagara.

We heard from 5 choirs (preschool students, high school students, women groups and a men’s group). Stephen presented a message on courage; “good courage v. bad courage.”

Stephen presenting a message on “courage”.

Hermon church today was originally a “tented church.” The story begins in 1998. The church started in a rented space. The goal was to get people back to church after the genocide. In 2011, an old “mum” gave 9,000 Rwandan francs to purchase 3 iron sheets (used to build a roof). She thought that others would donate so that a church would be built, but that was not realistic. In 2012 a U.S. pastor donated $10,000 to purchase a tent. Sunday services occurred under the tent until 2017 when the Rwandan government required churches to be buildings with doors, windows, roof, etc.

I visited the tented church in 2015 and again in 2018. It took 5 years to build what is now Hermon church. It was completed in Spring 2022. However, the church has been under threat due to the erosion of the land. The church is beginning to receive donations to build a stone wall to prevent further erosion.

Tented church 2015

Tented church 2018.

The rest of the day was spent shopping. The team decided to purchase a number of Rwandan bowls. These bowls will be for sale when we return home. All proceeds will be used to provide women a micro loan to start a small business so that she is able to send her child to school and/or provide food for the family.