Story number 2 for 29 Jan 2003

(Rwanda)–Meanwhile, a short-term mission team from Teen Missions International has been expelled from Rwanda. Teen Missions’ Steve Peterson says mistaken identity caused the expulsion of the 20 team members from Kenya, Uganda and Sudan. “When the team came in some people looked and saw the luggage, the cooking equipment, and started to spread rumors that perhaps the team might be part of a military group and eventually there was pressure put to bear on the team to leave the country. They were surrounded by armed soldiers and told to leave the country. All of their belongings were searched thoroughly at the border and they were sent out.” Peterson says while hearts are open to the Gospel, fear of another genocide lingers. “It’s a barrier that anyone wishing to take the Gospel into Rwanda has to overcome. It’s just the distrust and the fear that is still gripping people’s hearts. We need to pray that even as the Lord has opened people’s hearts to the Gospel that there will be enough stability in the country that outreach will be able to continue.”