Sunday June 29th is one that will impact us for a long time. We were blessed to have Alex Nsengmana with us from Rwanda and via Operation Christmas Child. If you missed it you can still see the service and hear Alex’s testimony at www.ootbwc.com
As I looked around the room I saw people brushing tears from their eyes, I observed people with their hands in the air in praise to God, I saw joy on a lot of faces, and on some I saw looks that said they were going through their own hell, not the same that Alex has lived through but still a time of trial.
On April 6th, 1994 the war started in Rwanda and Alex spent the next several years on the run, as a 6-year-old child. As I listened to Alex share that all I cold think of is my two little boys. One is 5 and the other is almost 7, I cannot imagine them having to go through the terror of what Alex and hundreds of thousands of Rwandan children had to endure.
We were discussing with Samuel and Judah on Saturday about Alex and his story and they wanted to know why God saved Alex’s life and on Sunday morning I discovered why. I believe it is because God is using Alex to change the world. Alex has been forgiven by Christ and in return he has forgiven the people who killed his family. He admits however that he is still on the road of healing. It is a daily task and in honesty, it probably will be a lifelong journey. God saw in Alex a young boy who was able to stand through the trial and not turn bitter but rather tell the world there is a God who loves them and that once the trials of this life are over, we have a home in eternity, heaven.
Alex didn’t have a normal childhood, the people who killed his family were the parents of children he played with on a regular basis. There were nightmares, his time was spent in hiding and running from place to place to try to stay alive.
Alex was eventually placed in an orphanage and one Christmas he received a Shoebox from Operation Christmas Child and his life was changed forever. Through that Shoebox, Alex found Jesus Christ. Alex found his purpose for living, Alex found forgiveness, and Alex found the strength to offer to others that same forgiveness. Even to the people who killed his family.
Alex has been adopted by a wonderful family in the United States, he has graduated Bible College, and today he is serving an internship with Operation Christmas Child. By the way, God is using Alex and Alex says if God can use a Cow Pie to save his life then God can use all of us. (You will have to listen to the service to understand that statement)
So many lessons learned from Alex.
Pack a Shoebox! For about $15.00 you can send a gift to a child like Alex and that child could become the next world changer.
Forgive! Alex taught us that we can forgive people of murder and we flounder in UN-forgiveness. We wallow in pity differences and hold grudges over the silliest things. Lord have mercy on us but don’t allow us to stay there.
Be a World Changer! Stop making excuses! No matter who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done. God wants to use you, your life has been spared, you have been given another day to make an impact, to change the world.
God says to go and do and we sit and do nothing!
I love you Out of the Box. You have rocked my world. So many of you have found Christ and you are hungry to learn and you are excited about doing whatever it takes to change this world. Thank you for going and doing. By the way, we have a lot of work to do and I can’t wait to see where God takes all of us. Buckle up, its’ going to be the ride of your life.
Pastor Ronnie