Where There Was Hatred
It is a bittersweet thing to say goodbye to any brother or sister in Christ. It is bitter because we love each other; it is sweet because we know that we will indeed see one another again, even if not in this life. Donatille has been with us at the International Baptist Church of Boston for almost a year while studying in the city. She will soon be returning to her homeland, Burundi, a country rocked by political upheaval and ethnic cleansing. The following is her testimony of God’s grace as He’s worked it out in her life through circumstances frightening beyond most of our imaginations. God’s grace has not only saved Donatille from the eternal consequences of her own sins, but has saved her physically from those who would kill her, as well as emotionally from what most of us would consider a natural response of hatred towards those who would delight to kill her people. Her broad smile and warm, transparent personality betray no lurking bitterness against life’s often cruel circumstances. She herself has said that “Where there was hatred, there is now an [opportunity to share God’s love].” As conditions in Burundi continue to move towards greater stability, Donatille has heard stories about small groups who have been able to communicate the gospel across the ethnic lines that would otherwise separate them most violently. We hope you are encouraged by her testimony of God’s great power in the midst of human conflict. (more…)