Hortense and Gatera during their early years in Rwanda, their homeland. They now reside in Texas with three of their four children.
My husband and I met Daphrose and Cyprien Rugamba through numerous testimonies of our brothers and sisters from the Emmanuel Community in Rwanda as well as through his beautiful songs.
The killings and atrocities that took place in Rwanda left us with broken and empty hearts; as we were searching for our survivors and searching for ways to start a new life, the Lord showed us His mighty Love and presence in our lives.
August 1998 we were invited by Albert Kayigumire, a friend and member of the Emmanuel Community, to a gathering remembering Cyprian Rugamba and Daphrose. During the gathering, we had praise, adoration and Holy Mass. We were handed small booklet of Rugamba’s songs. Two among many that I can remember as if it were yesterday: “Mbabarira Yezu” (By Cyprien Rugamba),:“Pardon me Jesus” One of the best confessional songs. “Murumve twana twanjye nabaraze urukundo” meaning “Listen my children, my legacy to you is love!” Cyprien warned that the evil will be there but that the Lord will always be battling with us. Each one of his songs was not only music to my ears but words that described the Love of God in a beautiful poetic language. Those words were like rain on dry hardened soil: His songs softened my heart.
I am very grateful for the lives of Daphrose and Cyprien, their “yes” to the Lord’s calling and their intercession took us in our journey in and with the Emmanuel Community.
Written by: Hortense (TX)
How lovely it is when our God does His things in the way we cannot understand. It is through His lovely mercy and His faithfulness that we can live a life of TRUE FATH. He has betwed us with His enomous love which has no measure. Ours as children of the Father is to accept and acknowledge the will of our mighty God through His only son Jesus Christ. His wonderful works are understood by his Children who are true followers of His only son and King Jesus Christ.
He gives us life out of His love. He takes the same life through His true love. He gave us Cyprian and Diphrose to be His testimony in the ordinary life of our time. He took them away the way He desired, that we may have strong and unweavering faith. He restored our lost love towards our enemies. He converted un to be true witnesses of the suffering, dying and rising of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God can use anybody, anything to glorify his marvellous works. The making of the saints is a clear testimony that God has no favourites. He gives his love, gifts and blessings as he desires.
Cyprian & Diphrose Rugamba, ……Pray for us .
BY FRANCIS & eVARLYN oNYAMBU – NAIROBI KENYA