When I left Karongi, I headed straight to Nyamasheke—sub-destination number 21 of the 30 Districts Expedition. By this point, the long ride had started whispering not-so-sweet nothings to my muscles. The fatigue was real, and my body practically staged a protest. A couple of days off became non-negotiable. And honestly, there was no better place to surrender to rest than the slice of paradise known as Kumbya Retreat Center.
The story of Kumbya Retreat Center stretches back to 1935, when the Alliance of Protestant Missions in Rwanda and Burundi came into being. A year later, Rwanda hosted the East African Revival, a conference that would influence the future of faith in the region.
The dream that would eventually become Kumbya Retreat Center was born in 1941. One year later, missionary Hazel Adamson and his colleague from Kibogora were out paddling their dugout canoe when they spotted Gako Island. It was love at first sight. They submitted a formal request to the government, which gladly approved their plan. But destiny had other ideas. In 1943, Luella Brown of the Friends Mission convinced her fellow missionaries that the Kumbya Peninsula was an even better location.
The center officially opened its doors in 1944. Two years later, it hosted the inaugural Kumbya Convention, drawing close to 100 missionaries from Rwanda, Burundi, and what was then Zaire.
For decades, the center served as a haven of rest, restoration, and renewal for worn-out missionaries. Fast-forward to 2023, and there I was—another drained traveler—seeking refuge at the same beloved sanctuary during my own mission to spread the gospel of exploration.