Kumbya Missionary Conference

We just returned from a week and a half at a missionary conference! It's located on a peninsula on Lake Kivu called Kumbya that is owned by missionaries so the conference itself is also called Kumbya. This annual Kumbya conference brings mostly American and British missionaries together from Rwanda, Uganda, and other countries around this region. You may have heard that one of the top reasons missionaries in general end up leaving their field is because of conflict (unresolved or unhealthy conflict) with other missionaries. I recently learned that much of missionary cooperation and unity in this region is because of Kumbya.

Brad and I stayed in a cabin with Molly and the Thomases. The cabin didn't have electricity, so it was kind of like camping, but under a roof and sleeping on a bed. And walking to the communal outhouses, which is an adventure in the middle of the night. At the conference there were about 120 missionaries and kids altogether. We had times of listening to speakers, sharing testimonies, worshiping together, praying together, and eating together. We would have different sessions and small group times in the morning and evening, and our afternoons were free for swimming in the beautiful (clean) lake or just resting. On some evenings we also had a talent show, a movie on a big screen, and a board game night. So, it was a pretty fun time together.

Brad and I volunteered for various odd jobs and had some meetings to go to in the afternoons, so didn't necessarily rest the whole time, but did get some rest and lots of fellowship with others.

God really used the speakers to encourage me, but mostly just challenge me again to the age-old call to come to Christ in friendship, in intimacy, in quality time, in communion with Him. My first desire and priority should be to be with Christ. To let Him love me. Only then can I love Him and only then am I able to love others. I want to be praying for that desire to be with Him, especially as we start life and work back in Kigali.

I felt so glad to be accepted into this community of believers. I know that they will become my friends, my mentors, and kind of like family in Rwanda. Not forgetting to keep learning kinyarwanda and building relationships with Rwandans, I also look forward to future times with people I met at Kumbya.