An Inside Look at SENT Experiences
One of Laura Lee’s primary responsibilities is overseeing the logistics when SENT teams from Canada come to Rwanda. It was exciting in 2023 to finally have these teams of volunteers becoming active once again after a three-year interruption caused by COVID-19. And much work is already being done for the SENT teams that will be coming this year, in 2024. For this edition of Bustin’ With News, we thought it might be interesting if we spent some time with Monica Morin, a member of one of the teams that visited last year. She was willing to share with us a bit of an inside perspective on being a part of SENT. Here are some excerpts from that interview:
Bustins: Monica, thanks so much for taking time to talk with us. Can you tell us what has been your experience with SENT teams?
Monica: In November 2023, I travelled to Rwanda with seven others from Westview Baptist Church in Calgary. We were there for two weeks, working with CBM and our Rwandan Baptist partner, the AEBR.
B: What made you want to be a part of the SENT team from your church?
M: In 2019, Westview committed to a 5-year partnership with CBM & AEBR [called a STEP partnership]. But due to the pandemic, the 2020 SENT trip was cancelled. I still desired to experience the Christian faith through the eyes of our friends in Rwanda. When Westview made the decision to send a team in 2023, I was lamenting it wasn’t the same team I was prepared to go with back in 2020. So that was a bit of the inner battle. But God is so good. As soon as I committed to the Nov ’23 team, God confirmed it was the right decision, so there was no turning back after that!
B: What are some of the things that you did as a team when you came to Rwanda last November?
M: We attended a couple of worship services (one was a 6-hour regional service!) We participated in a Pastors and Wives retreat for two days. There was one day when the team members were able to spend the morning with different church families in their homes. And we spent two days at a construction site, helping as they built a new church building. We also visited a Canadian Food Grains Bank (CFGB) project in the east.
B: What kind of things happened at the Pastors and Wives conference?
M: It was such a blessing! I can safely say that the majority of our team members were scared and nervous about the conference. Most of us are not pastors. We felt like we were in over our heads. The first day we kind of kept a bit separate because we were shy and didn’t know each other. But by the end of the 2nd day, it was a dance party! You can tell from the group photo that it was mayhem. Everyone was happy and celebrating. The Holy Spirit was really in that room.
B: What was one of the highlights for you, perhaps something that you think changed you?
M: It’s really hard to choose just one. But I would say, for me, it would be when I went with another team member and a translator to visit one of the church families in their own home. In the itinerary, it was called “A Day in the Life”. It started off quite awkwardly. I was thinking, “Are we imposing ourselves on this very poor family?” But as the day went on, it just changed. Once again, the Holy Spirit was so present with us. I look back on this family, and I think, “Wow! We have a bond for life even though we may never see each other again.” During the morning together, we were able to harvest some vegetables from their garden, cook over an open fire, and talk about our different life experiences. They enjoyed it when we shared photos from Canada, especially the snow. It was a really great time of mutual learning from each other. Encouragement and fellowship just came naturally.
B: And now you are planning on coming back in May! What made you want to return even though you have already had a SENT experience?
M: I knew, as soon as I left Rwanda, that I would go back one day – I just didn’t think so soon! Starting in January, the November team began to discuss the possibility of one of us joining the new team going this May as a sign of continuity and presence, and to support the ones going for the first time. But I had definite time constraints that meant I can’t possibly leave in May. So, I prayed, got feedback from others. And it was all positive. So I listened to that. Literally, three days after I confirmed that I would return, God started knocking things off my list and putting my Canadian life in order. It was confirmation that I’d made the right decision and he will bless the next trip as well. There’s an undeniable joy and hope in the people in Rwanda. And I would still like to learn more and experience more on the ground there and bring that back to Westview to share with our church family.
B: Monica, thanks for sharing about your SENT experiences. It will be great to be together again in May.
There are so many ways to be involved in what God is doing around the world. Many people are joining together in prayer, praising God for what he has done and asking for his intervention in other areas. We are grateful for our many financial supporters – both new and long-term. If it wasn’t for your faithful contributions, we couldn’t be over here. If you would like to know more about how to support us or some other effort of CBM, contact Barb Keys in the CBM office (bkeys@cbmin.org or 1-905-821-3533). But perhaps, after reading about Monica’s experiences, you are interested in giving your time and energy by being a part of a SENT team. If that is the case, contact Louise Hannem (lhannem@cbmin.org) and she will be able to answer your questions.
Reasons to praise
- The lives of both Canadians and Rwandans are being stretched and blessed by working together through the SENT program. It is a hint of what heaven will be like.
- We had a strong finish to 2023 in our financial support. We are thankful for each and every church and individual who chose to be a part of our ministry in this way.
Ongoing prayer items
- Pray for partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo – CEBCE and CBCA. Recent battles in the east between the army and rebel militia groups have resulted in the trauma and displacement of many people. Many fled to the large city of Goma which has now been cut off from the rest of the country.
- Darrell has upcoming trips to Togo and Kenya to spend time with the partners there. Pray for safety in travel as well as meaningful times of training and teaching. These are important times for the partnerships.
- It can be challenging for us to be supporting our families from a distance through times of celebration and struggle. It takes faith and wisdom. We could always use more of those. Please pray that God will provide them to us.
