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History of Eric's Book
During our first trip to Africa in the winter of 2005, I was sitting in a make shift conference room with over a hundred orphans from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. We were in Rwamagana; it was hot and
the hotel waitress had just finished handing out bottles of Fanta to each of the young men and women sitting in anticipation of some sort of message from the Muzungu. The Muzungu was me. Quite unprepared I
rose to my feet, desperately asking the Lord what to say to these terror stricken children, without parent, without support, most without hope. What did I have to offer? I didn’t have enough money to
pay for the trip home much less food or school fees for even a handful of them.
Literally as I was standing I heard the Lord ask me, “Do you have a lunch?” Yes, I thought. I have a lunch. “You give me your lunch and I’ll feed 5,000.” So I
stood there and told them honestly "I don’t have school fees, medical supplies, food, and clothing." I was not a rich Muzungu as they may had been hoping. But I told them "I have a lunch;
a lunch like the small boy in the Bible who had two loaves and five fishes. A lunch like some of you may have. If I give Jesus my lunch he can feed 5,000. If you give Him your lunches He could feed
5,000 more and 5,000 more and 5,000 more. I am here to ask you to rise up with me to help restore Rwanda. Will you give to the Lord what you have, as little as it may be, so that He can do a great work in
Rwanda? He needs you. He needs me. He needs anyone who is willing to say yes and give what they have. In doing so, He can and will restore Rwanda.” An odd thing happened then. They jumped to their
feet in a loud roar with clapping and yelling in affirmation. They were tired of empty promises from westerners, they were hungry to feel useful and wanted and needed. As I took my seat and made way for the
host to speak I heard the Lord again, “You see that man?” He asked. It was Eric, the man who was hosting the meeting. Eric is an orphan from the genocide himself who turned around and began to
assist and love and father these hundreds of orphans I was seeing before me. “Give this man your lunch.”
When I returned to the room where we were staying I took some time to pray about what the Lord was asking from me. He answered directly. “I want you to have Eric’s testimony written.”
So I contacted Eric and had him come to our apartment, sit down and share with me his story. We discussed at length what the Lord was sharing with us both about how God wanted to use his story to impact the
world. I asked my husband, Douglas, to take a picture of us speaking to each other because this day was going to be important. I told both of them that God was telling me that He was going to use
Eric’s story all over the world and that this conversation was an historic event. We laughed and took the photo, believing that God was about to do great things.
The same week that we returned home to the U.S., I received a call from my Pastor who had recently reconnected with a friend of his from seminary. Her name was Tracey Lawrence and she had become a famous
Christian writer for many big named Christian authors. Pastor Tim had spoken to her about me and asked her if she would be willing to write a book about some things that had recently happened to me.
So, he gave me her number. When I called her I told her all about Eric and the orphans and how God was asking me to have his book written. She was excited and in time took the project. Tracey, Eric and I
worked on the book for over a year preparing the book of Eric’s story. Baker Publishing House has published the book and the title is My Father, Maker of the Trees, “How I survived the Rwandan
genocide,” it was released September, 1 2009.
From one small phone call came a book that will feed thousands the gospel of Jesus Christ and will make access to donations that will feed and clothe and school thousands of Rwandan orphans, and also will teach the world about
forgiveness, hope, and the power of Jesus Christ when we give to Him our small and seemingly insignificant lunches.
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See Eric's website:
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NOW AVAILABLE!
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My Father, Maker of the Trees
Eric Irivuzumugabe with Tracey D. Lawrence - Baker Publishing
A compelling memoir of a genocide survivor, Eric Irivuzumugabe. Eric's testimony is about God's sovereignty in the midst of profound suffering. His account of survival will inspire readers to persevere
through the dark seasons of life and dare to hope, move toward forgiveness, and be inspired to reach out to others less fortunate.
Click here to order "My Father, Maker of the Trees"
Click here for Eric's website.
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Joie and Eric at an Art on the Ave event at The Carpenter in downtown Little Chute in the summer of 2007.
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Meeting the orphans in Rwamagana.
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Eric and his younger brother Mogabo Egide sitting on the steps at the government site where Mogabo covered his mother's body and took their baby brother from her arms during the genocide.
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Eric and his Interpreter being interviewed in Colorado.
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