FULL
Upon my return last month there was little time for sitting around. My schedule was full for the first month as I visited several places in Burundi. Hallelujah for the Lord’s protection as I traversed these roads in Burundi. It is always a marvel to me that I arrive safely. I was blessed to attend various events; summer camp at Karubabi, Jesus Film for the Harvest Evangelism Campaign, and a pastors’ conference for Pastor Sam.
The students at Karubabi Harvest School were excited to experience summer camp (Camp Grace!!!) last month. A huge endeavor by Aurélie and Deanna to create content and for the team from Cornerstone Community Church in Vigil, Ontario, Canada to carry out the fun. The Karubabi teachers each led a group of 10-15 students through various activities. The days were filled with devotions, simple cooking recipes, crafts, worship time, sports, and construction projects (built a playground for the campus!!!). It made for some full days and a full week. I joined the camp for 4 days and then returned to Bujumbura to join a travel schedule with the Jesus Film. The students loved camp! The teachers were empowered to lead. The Canadian team interacted well with the students and helped lead some workshops. They did a great job of making the students feel seen. Praise God for His provision for this event and for an uplifting experience unlike anything seen in Burundi.
Photo by Deanna Hiebert
It was also good to welcome the Hieberts (3/5 of the fam) back to Burundi for this trip. I marvel at their giftings and how they can jump right back into life here. It fills me up every time they return! It gives me a sounding board for the culture and the struggles and the victories of this place.
Launching into the Jesus Film this year with a different schedule from past years. We’ll travel for a week in each of the months of July, August, and September. Harvest Initiatives is celebrating 25 years of existence and desires to reach more of their partner churches during this silver jubilee celebration. Therefore, the schedule has been adjusted to include three trips for the Campaign instead of one long trip. Our first voyage did not disappoint. The pastors were very excited to host this event at their church site. It was a pleasure to meet with each of them and hear their prayers for the community. Many of them expressed their appreciation to Harvest for providing teaching and coaching for tangible ways to reach their communities. Most of these communities are far from the main road and it is a breeding ground for those who wish to capture power through various beliefs, cults, and false teachings. Connecting with Harvest, a well-known entity in the country, can bring credibility to some of these partner congregations.
Pastor Sam hosted a pastors’ conference in the capitol of Gitega. This is the fifth anniversary of the conference. It is an intentional time to pray for the country and a time for the participants to share testimonies from this past year. I joined the final day of the conference to support my friend.
