earlier this year, i was presented with a life-changing opportunity. an opportunity to travel to rwanda, central africa to produce a short film. most of you already know that i am a filmmaker, and my work takes me to some pretty incredible locations. however, this was my first adventure out of the country, and it was a huge decision that required a lot of thought and even more prayer.
before i was ever contacted about this trip, kelly had always said the one place that she didn’t want me to travel was rwanda. so you can imagine the sinking feeling that i felt when i received the details of where exactly i would be filming. not only that, but i had been told that it took months to plan for a trip to africa. well, i received the invitation for this trip a few weeks before the departure date. being that i had never left the country, i didn’t even have a passport. not to mention all of the vaccinations that are required. oh, and i would be gone for a total of 3 weeks. i had never spent 3 weeks away from kelly for as long as we had been married. and the icing on the cake? emerson’s second birthday fell right in the middle of the 3 weeks that i would be gone. it was definitely not looking like i was supposed to be on this trip.
but we serve a big God. a God that is bigger than any of the excuses listed above. and through tons of prayer, He began to show me that this trip was exactly where i was supposed to be. i can’t even begin to explain how each of the puzzle pieces came together, but let’s just say that all of my doubt was put to rest.
so, i took the leap and signed on for the trip. and i can honestly say that i have never experienced anything like it in my life. it moved me spiritually, emotionally, and professionally. i worked with a fantastic team of six others, all chosen for various specialties, but all for the same goal to help fuel God’s work in rwanda. it was a beautiful blend of souls, and i was deeply honored to be the one chosen to create the film.
rwanda is a country that has seen much pain and agony. in 1994, there was a genocide in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed. father ubald rugirangoga is a catholic priest that lost most of his family in the genocide. as a survivor, he now wants to show the world that peace and healing can be found through forgiveness. his mission is to build a place in rwanda that people can come to receive prayer and healing. it will be called the center for the secret of peace. my job in all of this was to produce a film that documents father ubald’s life and ministry. a film that can show the potential impact of a place like the center for the secret of peace. a film that, above all, shows God’s tender love and mercy, and how lives can be changed through forgiveness.
so, without further hesitation, here it is. the final film that i produced and delivered. and while it was quite a journey from start to finish, i couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.