They Had to Run

About the Book

It has been a joy to tell the story of my good friends, Simon and Kedress Nziramkenga. With a common purpose and passion, we first met them in the early 1980’s in Nairobi, Kenya when we worked for the same multi-national Christian organization. The better we got to know this couple, the more impressed we became. Though they had significant responsibility with us in their “day jobs,” perhaps the greatest impact they had was what we came to call their underground ministry—underground because for a long time we didn’t even know about it. It was just their life and passion to help other Rwandan refugees settle into yet another foreign environment. Though they had four children of their own, their small home with the red concrete floor was always filled with someone “staying with us for a while.” Some were old and some were young; some were alone; some brought whole families. All were loved. All found a helping hand toward their needs or dreams. From my vantage point, Simon and Kedress compliment each other perfectly. Simon is a man of enormous vision. He’s one of those people who needs an entourage just to handle the new ideas he can envision. He dreams big and appears to believe that if he can “see” it, it can and will happen. “Bulldog tenacity” describes him well. Kedress has the ability to capture you with her eyes and wrap you into her space in a way that makes you feel like the only person in her world. She seems to understand your deepest feelings. She can embrace you with comfort one minute and have you laughing from your belly the next. If someone gets into her heart, she will go way out of her way—especially for a child. She’s the sort of person you can go without seeing for years and pick up the conversation right where you left it. Theirs is a perfect combination for Rwanda. Together they embody the power, compassion and tenderness of the heart of God. Together, they have created twenty-two churches, three schools, an AIDS awareness film for the government and several reconciliation projects. An interesting note is that the young man who taught Kedress in the forest now teaches at their primary school, which, by the way, was chosen as a school of excellence in Rwanda, scoring eighth in the nation on exit exams! Rwanda is a place of many needs—400,000 orphans—80,000 of whom head households—with 43% of the population under 14, epidemic proportions of the HIV/AIDS virus guaranteeing more orphans every year, no dedicated pediatric hospital, poverty, post-trauma emotions and more. However, Rwanda is also a country with an unusual spirit. Reconciliation has made giant strides. In the Good Shepherd Churches, members of opposing tribes, the Hutus and Tutsis, sit on the same rows. The government has done good things to create an environment for safety, reconciliation and economic growth. The nation has a plan called 20/20 that has as its goal to be off the United Nations list of poor countries by the year 2020. Rwanda is well on its way, and it’s easy to believe that the people of Rwanda will make it happen! Every time we return to Rwanda we are amazed at the changes we see. Boulevards with landscaping line the entrances to the capital city of Kigali. Banks are on every corner and new businesses are opening. New construction is everywhere. Buildings are being built; lives are being reconstructed. It’s people like Simon and Kedress who are making it happen. Thank you for your purchase of They Had To Run. When you buy this book you help to build and support the function of the Good Shepherd Hospital for Children in Kigali. I am extremely grateful to Sarah Medina—whose amazing illustrations have brought the story to life—for donating her time and considerable talent to help make this venture possible. It has enriched us both. It’s a worthy project.

About the Author