For Gassilde, growing up as a Hutu girl in Burundi in the 1960s means she has little choice about the path her life will take. It means she will marry young-and that the man she marries will have little or no respect for women. It means her father, brothers, and eventually her husband will have the right to beat her-or worse. It means she will grow up in a farm community without an education. As one of seven children, she, along with her sisters and her mother, is expected to work in the fields each day to provide food for the family. But Gassilde's mother, Claudia, wants a better life for Gassilde, and with a Tutsi friend devises a way for Gassilde to go to school-against her father's wishes and with horrible consequences.With a newfound ability to dream of a life different from that of her mother and sisters, Gassilde's future is set on a path where she faces conflict at every turn. This new life exposes her to extreme racism and violence-but, most of all, it exposes her to hope.

PRIORITIES: Choosing an Ideal Life is the true story about the difference one person can make in other people’s lives by sharing the promise of a strong relationship with God. On the surface, it is the story of a rich man who lived his life considering that the treasure in his life was money—until a fateful confrontation at a gas station with Jean d’Or makes him wonder how he can change his life for the better. The story begins simply enough. Both Jean d’Or and James are heading for the same gas pump, but James cuts the other man off . Rather than start a scene, Jean d’Or waits his turn. As James is getting back into his vehicle, unbeknownst to him, an envelope containing $20,000 falls under his car, and he drives away. Jean d’Or picks it up, realizes what it contains, and chases after James. When they finally meet, James is once again rude, wondering why this person has followed him. When he discovers the reason, he contritely offers Jean d’Or a reward, which is refused on the basis that he is a Christian. Intrigued, James asks if they can meet again. What happens next is an inspiring story of the difference that God can make in our lives. PRIORITIES: Choosing an Ideal Life is a powerful story of God, friendship, and the power that faith can bring to all who believe.

The Christian Church has taken Jesus and converted him from a man to a mythical Christ. The result has been ignorance and intolerance. The real message of Jesus was human-centered; one of compassion, love, humility and tolerance. Incredibly, anyone who supports these ideals today remains on the fringe of the Christian faith. We can choose to follow the advice of Jesus and his early followers; to find fulfillment by striving to make this world, our lives and the lives of others, what we want them to be. We need to liberate Jesus, and therefore ourselves, so that we can assume more responsibility for each other. No matter how we eventually choose to frame it, it all begins with a human connection.