Enjoy the following story written by our HHTN Global administrator, Patience Mutie:
October 20 was Kenya’s Heroes’ Day, known in Swahili as Mashujaa Day. On this day, the nation celebrates the extraordinary courage of ordinary individuals who, with limited resources and primitive weapons, fought for independence from powerful colonial masters. As fellow Kenyans reflect on the past, I am drawn to reflect on, and honor our own modern-day heroes of the HHTN community.
I will start with Matthias, an attendee of International School of Reconciliation (ISOR) 2022 which was held in Kigali, Rwanda. When I first met Matthias, I was struck by his commanding presence – he is rather tall and he has a glowing deep ebony skin. He is always impeccably dressed, walking briskly and brimming with energy. Matthias has continued to amaze and inspire the entire HHTN family with the work he is doing in his home country.
But before I can say more about Mathias, let me talk about our other Mashujaa.
At the beginning of this year, Gary Timmerman invited HHTN Global to Estonia, where Russians, Ukrainians and people from other former Soviet Union nations gathered. We held a HHTN workshop there that led to the healing of deep historical wounds, the renewal of hope and the emergence of leaders who are passionate about advancing HHTN’s work in Russia and among refugees across Europe.
In March and May, we held ISOR 2024 in Kigali, followed by the first European School of Reconciliation in Geneva. We celebrate Nana and Mavreen, our Mashujaa from Ghana and Kenya, now residing in Geneva. They have formed a group dedicated to using HHTN’s principles to facilitate reconciliation between immigrants and host communities in Europe.
From ISOR 2024, was born two Ruths, one from Zimbabwe and another from Liberia – two countries which have been devastated by conflict. Ruth M, from Zimbabwe, is now dealing with the stronghold of tribal hate and political havoc in Zimbabwe, alongside three other trainees. Ruth N from Liberia and her team are about to launch a reconciliation ministry in Liberia, the first of its kind since the civil war ended in 2003. Just as in Judges 15:4-5, God is using them to set ablaze strongholds of hate, bitterness, and despair.
Additionally, HHTN Global has partnered with the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) to use HHTN principles to bridge the gap between host and diaspora communities. Our team has worked with Africa International University, in Nairobi, to establish a diaspora task force, run peace and reconciliation conferences and workshops, as well as run an advocacy campaign which received prime time coverage by mainstream media on Refugee Day 2024.
We are also working with WEA in Southern Africa to combat xenophobia, with church leaders taking the lead. In the U.S., we’ve begun similar work in Grand Rapids and Seattle, addressing migration and diaspora integration issues. We sense the Lord leading us deeper into these areas of ministry.
HHTN Global is also undertaking several key projects, including revising the Facilitators Guide into a simpler tool, producing 16 short videos to spread the message of healing and reconciliation and hosting webinars through our website and community WhatsApp groups. These efforts have encouraged collaboration between the teams, and facilitated member care to teams in burnout.
Now, let us talk about Matthias, our Mashujaa in Burundi.
We normally encourage people from one country to attend ISOR as a group, hoping they will form a team, but Matthias attended alone. He had no funding, and he used his own meager resources to undertake the day long bus trip to Kigali. Matthias has endured deep personal trauma – his siblings were murdered by Hutu forces in Burundi. During ISOR, for the first time, God gave him enough grace to forgive and to bless the killers.
Immediately when he returned home, Matthias formed a small team, he requested for trainers to come and train his team to be facilitators and they began conducting HHTN workshops. He self-funded the work by selling piglets from his very small farm. He has redirected all profits from his pig farm to funding HHTN work in Burundi – he is running many workshops in the city of Bujumbura and in the far-off villages.
This year, Mashujaa Matthias adopted a village where displaced Tutsi families live in fear of returning to their homes among the Hutu. Through his efforts, he has brought these communities together in a small church to share their trauma, bitterness and fears. Many have found healing, and some are now returning to their farms with the support of their former neighbors. This ‘unity village’ is forming cooperatives for farming and small businesses, and the government has highly commended Matthias for his work.
Matthias believes that true peace cannot be achieved by focusing solely on grassroots efforts. In September, he ran his first HHTN workshop for high-ranking police officers in the capital, once again using proceeds from his small farm. With support from a fellow ISOR 2020 graduate, who donated to his cause, Matthias continues to serve with the same courage that Kenya’s Mashujaa displayed in their struggle for independence from the powerful Britain. He is determined to break the chains of division and hatred, whether among village communities or the highest levels of government.
Matthias story is just one of the many hundreds of courageous people we continue to meet in Africa, Europe, Asia and North America where the ministry of HHTN is growing and doors are opening up. We remain deeply indebted to generous partners who continue to tirelessly support this work.
