Michel is a pastor in the Bugenyuzi commune of the Karusi province. This community is made up of the Batwa people which account for 2% of the total population. They are generally a marginalized people group in Burundi. Michel has been active in a Whole Life Discipleship group made up of several pastors from the province. The two-year journey with this group has focused on evaluating the needs and resources of the community in order to minister to the whole person (Mark 12:30-31).
In one session, as part of these teachings, the group was asked to draw a map of their community in the future. What does it look like for your community to be ‘developed?’ This was Michel’s map for his community…
There are roads, houses with gardens, animals to provide food and fertilizer, a school, a hospital, fields with crops, several churches, and there are…people. I wish for you to notice the people in his map; people in the cars, on the roads, going to church.
It’s about the people.
After these teachings Michel began to look at his surroundings differently. He began to see his relationship with God differently. Michel says, “There was a time where I thought, ‘I have nothing. What do I have to offer?’ I had no ideas, no land, no money, no possessions.” He continued, “but these teachings showed me that God has given me something. He did not create me with nothing.”
He started to dream. He organized his thoughts.
He collected money and eventually bought a plot of land. Then he was able to buy another plot of land. Today he owns 5 plots of land. “I am the first one in my family to own land.” He collected a little more money and bought a goat and then 5 pigs. He gifted the pigs to people in the community. Next, he has plans to buy a cow.
Today he says, “often people come to talk TO us. Why not come and talk WITH us? We are part of God’s covenant as well.” A focused obedience leads him to say, “I want to be the first Batwa to look like Jesus.”
In God’s story, I think of God’s covenant with…the people, not with the projects, or buildings, or schools, or fields. It’s about the people. In Exodus chapter 6 God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites, “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.” In Michel’s story, I see him being “developed” not because of the things he has, but because of how God is redeeming the whole person of Michel. Please pray for Michel and how he can minister to his community. Pray for new revelation in what God is showing the community about who He is and about who they are as His people. Pray for dreams to spring up from here that go beyond individual prosperity but look to serve an entire group of people.
