"When Hiding in The Swamps, The Snakes Weren't Biting, but People Were Killing. These Snakes Were Being More of a Friend Than Humans"

Okay, another sad story… I hope you don't think we are just depressed all the time from hearing these genocide stories; we have a lot of fun I promise!

Last week Pastor Anastase brought a survivor to our house to tell us his story. I definitely underestimated the impact this man would have on me. He is truly one of the most amazing men I have ever heard from. His name is Pastor Protais Nshogoza. Protais is a pastor and peace activist partnering with PHARP (Peacebuilding, Healing and Reconciliation Program) – a program that Pastor Anastase starter. He seemed truly genuine, strong, wise, peaceful, patient and humble to name a few.

He started out his talk with the concept of forgiveness. He explained that it isn’t easy to reconcile; however, Rwanda needs forgiveness. In order to heal and in order to reconcile, they need to learn to forgive. He told us that forgiveness stands on three legs. The first being love, the second being repentance, and the third being our beliefs. All these things produce reconciliation. In love we can find hope, patience, mercy and most important, repentance. He told us, “Repentance is like a key to open a closed heart”. It is freeing and it unbinds you. He said that when you are thinking about the person that offended you, remember that God is above all things.

Protais then told us his story involving the genocide:

46 of the people in Pastor Protais’ family have been killed from the genocide including his father (who had been killed years earlier in a Hutu attack), his wife, his mother, his two sons, and countless friends.

Can you imagine?

How to love God in a time like this?

On the 10^th of April, the Hutu militia came to Pastor Protais’ house. He and his family were beaten with sticks as they were separated from him. The militia took his uncle and chopped his head off right in front of Protais. They then beat him in the blood of his uncle.

What could be more traumatic?

This Hutu militia beat him and left him to die in his uncle’s blood and remains. A group of Tutsis found Protais and took him to a nearby church to be cleaned up. Here he recovered somewhat; although he had seen so many women and children being killed. He then fled to a swamp near a river running to Uganda. He hid there for 41 days. Amazing. He saw so many people dying in the swamps because they were starving and hurting. They drank the contents of the swamp to stay alive. He truly believes that God protected him here and kept him alive. He explained that Hutu militia came by planes and helicopters and shot people hiding in these swamps. He told us “When hiding in the swamps, the snakes weren’t biting, but people were killing. These snakes were being more of a friend than humans”.

Finally the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front, the Tutsi rebel group) came to rescue them. It took them quite a while to trust the RPF because they weren’t sure if they were there to rescue or to kill. Because he had gone so much time without eating, Protais took two weeks to eat again. As time went by after the genocide, he saw dogs eating bodies; houses and lives had been destroyed. “Imagine seeing someone from my family’s killers. I was very angry.”

After the genocide, Protais heard the verse from Matthew six which says, “Forgive us as we forgive others”. This made him think, how many people have I forgiven? How can I forgive my offenders? My father, my mother, my wife and my children – “these were the people who were to finish my descendents”. He was full of bitterness. He knew he needed to forgive; so he went to the prison that held the people who killed his family. He asked these men for forgiveness because in his mind, he had killed them and their families. He had wished them to be dead and he needed to ask for forgiveness.

Needless to say, these Hutu men were shocked. These men slaughtered Protais’ family right in front of him; shouldn’t they be apologizing? These men started to cry with Protais. He called it a “crying feast”. These men went back into their cells, but Protais felt free. His heart felt free for forgiving them. After this visit, Protais went back to the prison regularly to visit and to bring these men food. Another heroic act. How much courage it must have taken to befriend the men who killed your family.

Protais later found out that these men were the first Hutu to publicly repent and ask for forgiveness. His act of kindness and forgiveness had freed them.

Pastor Protais then decided to volunteer at PHARP. He asked how he could help to reconcile the killers and his “colleague survivors”. PHARP took Protais back to his village. They held discussions between the killers and victims. They found some perpetrators truly wanted forgiveness and freedom in their hearts. He told us, “It is not easier for everyone. When you lose someone you love, it is painful; however, with love, with repentance, and with what we believe, we can get out of that and forgive others”.

He explained to us how reconciling in Rwanda is crucial. In his village they have one hospital, one school and one water source. “My children and my perpetrator’s children meet at the same source of water.” Rwandans (Hutus and Tutsis alike) lives are interconnected. Their country is so small and some of it underdeveloped. They need to forgive each other because if they do not, their conflicts will continue.

He then told us of how he found his daughter. When Protais was separated from his family, the men who took his wife and children killed only his wife and two boys – not his daughter. This being, because they were able to produce and carry on the Tutsi name. As for his daughter, a Hutu woman asked these men to take her as a slave. Eventually the two fled the country. This woman found Protais and gave his daughter back to him. For one year and six months, he had no idea where his family was, or if they were alive. Protais seemed to remember every day and every detail, knowing the exact dates everything happened. I suppose the trauma of something like this can help you remember.

Pastor Protais is now remarried to a Tutsi woman – another survivor of the genocide. He has six children, one being his found daughter. When he tells his children now of the genocide, they seem to react the way many of us would react. They tell him he is crazy for forgiving and loving these people who killed his family. They tell him he is not human but an angel; because what human would have the courage to do that? Some one who is truly a follower of Christ I suppose. His story of forgiveness and love will stay with me for a long time.