God Protected Me As I Fled Genocide Horror

Beatrice Smith somehow survived genocide in Rwanda and a near-fatal car accident. Joy Tibbs spoke to the miracle woman…

- Joy Tibbs

Beatrice Smith was just ten years old when a group of machete-wielding killers burst into her family’s home with murderous intent.

The Rwandan Genocide claimed the lives of more than 800,000 people in 1994; around 20 per cent of the total population.

Two million Rwandans were displaced during the 100-day battle.

“Following the assassination of the then president, people were thrown into a frenzy, which exacerbated the already tense relations between the two tribes,” Beatrice explains.

“We will never really know what drove people to such insane levels of violence. It’s so heartbreaking that this is part of our history.”

Faithful God

Beatrice felt intense fear when her family came under attack, but she also knew that God was with her. “I was absolutely terrified,” she recalls. “Nothing prepares you for that. Coming face to face with people whom you know are not just threatening violence, but have bloodstained machetes to prove what they can do with the weapons, was sobering. I remember feeling very close to God in that moment and resigning myself to the fact that I probably wasn’t going to live beyond that day.”

Miraculously, Beatrice, her five siblings and her parents managed to escape. They left their homeland and wandered from country to country in search of refuge. Penniless and vulnerable, they faced extreme challenges, but they were also aware of God’s goodness and provision as they moved away from everything they knew and loved.