Market and feast for Rwanda on Sunday, May 20

African jewelry, dolls, wood carvings, baskets and a feast of authentic food support hope for a bright future during the day-long Celebrate Rwanda! event on Sunday, May 20, at Peace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley.

Celebrate Rwanda! starts with an Asante African Bazaar from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It offers arts and crafts for sale, produced in several African countries. Admission is free.

The Rev. John Rtinsindintwarane helps people organize to improve their lives in Rwanda. He'll speak at the "Celebrate Hope in Rwanda" feast at 5pm Sunday, May 20.

The Rev. John Rtinsindintwarane helps people organize to improve their lives in Rwanda. He’ll speak at the “Celebrate Hope in Rwanda” feast at 5pm Sunday, May 20.

At 5 p.m., a feast of African food, music and décor highlight the “Celebration of Hope in Rwanda.” Guest speaker the Rev. John Rutsindintwarane will tell the story of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, and the inspiring tale of his return to Rwanda with refugees full of hope for their country a year later. He also will introduce Jackson Musafiri, a young Rwandan who plans to attend seminary in Africa with the help of Peace Lutheran Church.

“We’re hoping to provide Musafiri with a full scholarship,” said co-organizer Jim Line.

The Asante African Bazaar is free. Tickets for the “Celebration of Hope in Rwanda” African feast are $10 per person, $5 for children 12 and younger, and may be purchased at the church office. Checks or exact cash only, please. Attendance will be limited to 100, so buy your tickets early.

Scholarship for Musafiri

Proceeds of the African feast will support Musafiri’s seminary studies; any additional donations toward his education will be accepted gratefully. Donations also may be made at our secure website, www.PeaceLutheranGV/donate — look for the Rwanda Fund.

DONATE NOW TO JACKSON MUSAFIRI’S SCHOLARSHIP. On the donation page, scroll down and click on “Rwanda Fund.”

The Asante African Bazaar will feature products from the Asante Network; it’s a nonprofit based in Alaska and dedicated to helping women in East Africa support their families by selling their beautiful, hand-made products. Most of the proceeds from the bazaar will fund micro-loans and projects that benefit women and their families. “Asante” means “thank you” in Swahili.

Asante will donate 20 percent of the market’s proceeds to Musafiri’s scholarship fund, Line added.

Rwanda reconciliation offers hope here

Adding to the celebration of hope in Rwanda, Line will lead three classes on the reconciliation process that followed the Rwandan genocide. Classes are at 10 a.m. Sundays, April 29, May 6 and May 13 in the Fellowship Hall. Line’s discussion draws from the book by Catherine Claire Larson, “As We Forgive: Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda.”

“If forgiveness is possible after genocide, then perhaps there is hope for the comparably smaller rifts that plague our relationships, our communities, and our nation,” wrote publisher Zondervan.

Peace Lutheran Church is at 828 W. Main St., near downtown Grass Valley. The Rwanda Festival is being organized by Peace’s Rwanda Connection Committee, a group committed to supporting the people of Rwanda as they walk their faith and rebuild their country. Read more about PEACE’s extraordinary relationship of 25 years to this central African nation!