Visiting the Genocide memorial in Murambi

As we traveled to Cyangugu, we fell behind schedule. After a very late lunch we realized we were not going to make the memorial before it closed. Our guide and brother Jeremiah called and had them keep the memorial open for a private tour - this made our experience even more moving - it was end of day and the sun was setting and the memorial was empty of people.

In April of 1994 as the killing of Tutsies started throughout Rwanda. In the area of Murambi, thousands came to the location of a newly built secondary school, they were told they would be safe there. After a few days they were then surrounded by government soldiers and their food and water was cut off. This was all part of the plan in order to simplify the killing - get them in one place. A few days later, they were attacked and brutally killed. Those that tried to escape were chased and also murdered. In the end, 40-50,000 were killed in this area. They were then buried in mass graves at the school.

When the Genocide was over, they exhumed the graves and reburied the dead. They also took several hundred of those remains and preserved them in limestone and placed them in the classrooms. They are there today to serve as a memory, showing the brutal way they were killed. They also had taken the clothes of the victims and put them into an exhibit. We were all very moved and brought to tears by this memorial.

As we travel through Rwanda and meet the people, we continue to be filled with wonder by the reconciliation that has occurred. How the country has both remembered and moved to another chapter in its story.