Between April and June 1994 an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed.

Most of the people killed were Tutsis and most of those who did the killing were Hutus. The genocide was sparked by the death of the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, when his plane was shot down above Kigali airport on 6 April 1994. A French judge has blamed Paul Kagame, at the time the leader of a Tutsi rebel group, and some of his close associates for carrying out the rocket attack. However, there are many other factors that played a role, the major factor being ethnic tensions. The Belgian colonists fueled these tensions further since their arrival in 1916. Matters by no way improved after Rwanda was granted independence in 1962.

At the onset of the genocide, there was a total of 320,000 Seventh Day Adventists in the country, 100,000 of whom were killed. As is the case with all Rwandans, you can reportedly not find a Rwandan Seventh Day Adventist who did not lose a loved one in the genocide.

In the light of the genocide, it is therefore singularly remarkable that 97,344 people were baptised into the church after a series of evangelistic meetings in Rwanda, held from 13 - 28 May 2016. In the following months the connected baptisms caused the numbers to swell to 100,135 as reported by the Adventist Review Online on 05 July 2016. One year later, the connected baptisms took the number to 110,000, as reported by the Adventist News Network on 24 March 2017.

This article is dedicated to the heroes of Rwanda, who picked their country up by the straps of the boots and made it a shining light to be beholden by the world. In particular, the article is dedicated to a remarkable woman who had no reason to forgive!

Mark Finley tells the story of Adele Selfu, the wife of a Seventh Day Adventist pastor who was killed in the genocide. The congregation heard the order on the radio to 'cut down the tall trees' and immediately became aware that the Hutu militia has mobilised and coming to their village. The entire congregation of about 60 sought refuge in the church building where all of them were slain, bar 15 who managed to escape. Pastor Selfu's head was split open while holding his wife's hand after which the same attacker hit her on the head and shoulder and partially amputated her hand. She was left for dead among the pile of bodies and discovered alive only three days later when the rest of the villagers returned. What unimaginable horror!

Adele was slowly nursed back to health over a period of three years. Following her recovery she made a choice to refuse that her husband's legacy be dishonoured, she would go and minister to the same militia who killed him and almost took her life. As a result of the genocide the new government built many prisons around the country to intern those found guilty. There was a prison near Adele's village and that is where she went to give Bible studies to the inmates.

Not long afterwards, a young man approached her and, falling at her feet, begged her for forgiveness. Chills ran down her spine, it was the same person who killed her husband and left her for dead! 

Adele did not hesitate to honour the supplication for forgiveness. In her own words:

“Pastor Mark, one day a young man named Luis fell at my feet and he was weeping and kissing my feet. And as I looked down at his face, I saw that he was the young man who rushed in with the machete and killed my husband. He was the young man who put this scar on my head. And he looked up and me and said, "Adele, would you forgive me?’ I pulled him up and I embraced him and said, 'In the name of Jesus, I will forgive you.’”She continued, “Pastor Mark, my heart was racing, but I knew that Christ had forgiven me and that I could forgive this murderer. I began studying the Bible with prisoners, and Luis came to the Bible studies. He made a decision that he would follow Jesus and be baptized.

But he said, ? Before I’m baptized, I want to stand before the prison publicly and ask you, Adele, for your forgiveness.’”On the day of his baptism, he stood with Adele and said, “Adele, I brutally murdered your husband. I put a knife mark, a machete scar, on your head, will you forgive me?” She said, “Before those prisoners, before he was baptized, I forgave him. My son took his father’s death so hard. And Luis said, "I want to talk to your son.’ And my son went to his cell. And Luis said, "I want you to forgive me.’”“Luis became a model prisoner."

Adele continued to minister to the young man. Having become a model prisoner, he was granted amnesty for good behaviour. But the amnesty brought a problem of a different kind, the young man was an orphan, having lost his entire family during the genocide. With nowhere to go, Adele shifted into a higher gear and adopted Luis as her own son.

After relating her story to Ps Finley, she offered to introduce her son. Ps Finley was admittedly apprehensive at first, not knowing what to expect. At the introduction, he could not discern the murderer, before him stood a young man of admirable character. A sinner forgiven!

For similar stories of astonishing forgiveness, read these CNN and National Post articles.

CS Lewis is credited with the saying: 'forgiveness is a good idea, untill you have something to forgive'. Not so with God, forgiveness is His nature. At the cross, the Son of Man offered forgiveness to all, whether you would accept it or otherwise. 'Father, forgive them...' was His cry on behalf of all humanity. Some of the people near the cross, all of whom must have heard the supplication, did not respond at all, some continued gambling, one responded positively, another responded negatively and yet another proclaimed the divinity of the just-deceased man. But in order for forgiveness to translate into reconciliation, there must be repentance on the part of the offender, the sinner who does not repent and accept the forgiveness cannot be reconciled with God.

The story of Adele and Luis perfectly demonstrates the undying love of God for a lost child and how He tirelessly works to save us all. The story is the epitome of forgivess and repentance, an epic and unforgettable real life story of reconciliation. Of a truth it is 'we love because He first loved us' 1 John 4: 19.