ALIVE and ACTIVE – Page 4 – My WordPress Blog

CHURCH + COMMUNITY

“You’ve really challenged my thinking.”

This was a closing remark from a pastor in Ruyigi province this past month. Fifteen pastors came together to explore ways the local church can engage the community. This is a new concept for churches in Burundi. The general history of the church here would focus on evangelism, worship, and prayer. It has done (and continues to do) incredible ministry in these areas and there is much we (Western church) can learn. Community development, however, has been the focus of aid organizations.

Through biblical teaching these pastors dialogued about how the Church can live into its role. They were challenged to view the Church as the vehicle to transform communities. Is it possible for the Church to be the driving force for community development? Who better to understand the needs of the community? Is it possible the “united Body” could meet all the needs of its people? The Church is in a unique position to lead people into whole-life transformation and thus impact groups of people (communities).

Discipleship of the whole person is a challenging concept but one that is stirring the hearts of pastors in this country. Teaching from this time in Ruyigi was anchored in Matthew 22:34-40:

“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

This is the first and greatest commandment.

A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” [NLT]

Over the four-day training they discussed topics on community development, discipleship, empowerment, forming teams, and how the Church is positioned to impact all these areas. It was inspiring to see them learn, listen, dream, and pray together. Similar teachings are scheduled this year in different provinces of Burundi. You can pray for whole-life transformation to cover this country.

Pastor Sam and I at the first of several teaching trips this year

GOODNESS

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Welp, add this blog to the list of “year in review” reads/posts…

Many, many years from now, what am I going to say about 2020? What words will I use? How long into my “recap” before I mention God? Will His footprint be evident the further away I get from 2020?

For now, “Father, what did You do with 2020?” He whispers, “consider how My goodness was shown throughout this year.”

James 1:17-18 – Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.

Here are the gifts from this past year:

The People

The Kids

The Reunions

The Land

The Projects

The Coffee

KINGDOM BUSINESS

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How do we view business and faith in North America? Do they have competing agendas or do they fulfill God’s purpose together? In Burundi, there is a delicate relationship between business leaders and church leaders. Both sides have felt the sting of harmful experiences and fabricated stereotypes. Both sides approach one another with caution. As a result, there is a standoff. Expectations and motives are viewed through the lens of skepticism. Which side will change and prove to be a trustworthy partner? There is a movement in Bujumbura to bring the two sides together through biblical understanding, reconciliation, and vision. This relationship is receiving fresh air.

As part of this movement, 8 small business dreamers participated in a development course focused on Kingdom business. Some of these participants were already doing business and some were looking to cultivate an idea. The 9-week course (licensed through Sinapis) covered topics such as discover your calling, know your customer, understand the market, manage your finances, and ethics. Each week the participants discussed these business topics along with related scriptures. In Burundi, an open discussion in this setting is viewed cautiously for fear someone will steal your idea. Property rights and trademarks are a missing component of this business environment and it is difficult to enforce your rights for your ideas. At first, the conversation was guarded, but after a few weeks the discussion was more active. Participants learned to trust their peers, to engage in feedback and share their experiences. Many of them commented the interaction with their peers was the best part of the course.

We want to see more business leaders encouraged in their gifting. We want to continue to offer courses that will bring leaders together to learn from one anther in Kingdom business.

Pray for these business leaders as they grow their business and live out the teachings of the Bible.

Pray for church leaders as they embrace the giftings of business leaders and how to impact the Kingdom.

Pray for future opportunities to further this budding relationship between business and faith.

Sharing about their business at the celebration event

For more on this topic, I enjoyed the book “Why Business Matters to God” by Jeff Van Duzer. Van Duzer describes the purpose of Kingdom business,

“Business must concern itself with redemptive as well as creative work.”

“The purpose is still to serve in two key respects: 1) to serve the community by providing goods and services that will enable the community to flourish, and 2) to serve employees by providing them with opportunities to express at least a portion of their God-given identity through meaningful and creative work.”

ANTIOCH

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Recently, the Antioch School held a graduation for over 30 church leaders. These leaders completed coursework which covered topics of defining the Church, embracing the role of the Church, reengaging with their personal calling, and growing into healthy leaders in Christ.

Some testimonies from the day…

Jean Claude from Ngozi said, “it was eye-opening to see how to practically apply faith and knowledge. I was encouraged by the teaching method of adult learning which centers around discussion (not lectures) and sharing ideas with one another. Interaction with my fellow colleagues was instrumental in my growth with this course. Our sharing allowed us to repent and correct previous teachings and look to the future of building our church communities. I want to bring these teachings to my church to encourage believers in their role in God’s Kingdom.”

Fabien from Karusi said, “I had difficulty balancing time between ministry and family. I failed my family. This course helped me to reinvest in my family. My wife says, ‘may the Lord bless Antioch School!!’ It also gave me a clear picture of the Church. The Church is a family of families. Antioch helped me to resolve conflict within the church family and helped me to identify the gifts of the Spirit from Ephesians 4.”

Jeanvié from Bujumbura said, “this course was useful for me to repent of how I treated my congregation. I was careless and abusive of money. Time and time again my churches failed and I just moved on to the next one. I didn’t understand my calling or my role. I didn’t know how to raise up leaders in the church. Antioch enlightened me in how to care for the church and shed light on my previous weakness. It also brought me back to my family. I spent too much time investing in ministry and not enough time caring for my family. Antioch rescued my family and my church.”

Dorothy, wife of a pastor, said, “I see real transformation in my husband. Before this course he was never home. When he was home he was exhausted and our five children were not getting his attention. We moved from one church to another, many times in our ministry. With Antioch we found stability. We found our identity rooted in Christ and His love for the local church. Our lives are now stable, we no longer move between churches. We can now see our calling in God’s Kingdom.”

Onesphore MANIRAKIZA provides leadership and teaching for the Antioch School, many of you have met him or heard him speak. Please pray for him as he invests in these leaders.

Story after story was shared at the celebration. Antioch continues to work with leaders in Burundi and surrounding countries to call the Church to its mission. If you would like to support this ministry you can donate here.

BUILD

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It is finished! After several months of planning and building, I present to you the finished product at Karubabi Harvest School. A basketball and volleyball court to rival any in the country (there are NO indoor courts in all of Burundi). A HUGE ‘thank you’ to those who contributed to this project (First MB Church in Wichita, KS and Cornerstone Community Church in Virgil, Ontario and many others). The kids were shocked when they returned this month for the start of school.

There are many dreams for this space. Dreams of bringing a community together. Dreams to make Karubabi a destination. Dreams of sharing a bigger message to all who pass through this space. A space where kids can play and learn. A space where teachers and coaches can teach lessons on teamwork, setting goals, and competition. A space where parents can trust the environment.

Sovereign Lord, we ask You to use this space. A safe place to play is so important in the life of a child. May it speak of Your goodness. May it fulfill Your mission. Thank You for providing for the children and community of Karubabi.

Construction progress at KHS

Some of the skilled people who made it.

Each rock shaped and placed by hand to form the foundation of the court.

The engineering team which brought the dream to life. Thank you for sharing your gifting with KHS!!

RELIEF

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Resources are already scarce for many people in this part of the world. The pandemic crisis has applied further pressure on the Burundian people to provide for their families. The economy has been impacted with the restrictions on border crossings and thus goods have increased in price. Several rumors of a nationwide “shutdown” stirred anxiety and panic. “How will we survive in a shutdown?!?!?!?!? Where will we get food???”

Harvest Initiatives, in partnership with an organization in Europe, coordinated relief efforts to provide beans and rice for many families throughout Burundi. The food distribution was accompanied with a brief Gospel message. Bright smiles and spontaneous dancing expressed ‘thanks’ for the gifts of the day. Many of you have also generously given to relief efforts all over the world. When it reaches those who truly need it, the joy (and relief) in those moments is clear. In this moment I could see humanity choosing to be good to one another.

Carrying almost 60lbs on her head. I applaud YOU!!

SUMMER

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School is OUT at Karubabi for the summer. The classrooms have been cleaned, exams have been taken, marks (or grades) have been received, and achievement has been celebrated.

We praise God for the learning opportunities at Karubabi this past school year. We give thanks for the teachers and administrators who gave their time and effort to ensure the success of the students. We look forward to students returning in September, but for now, some well earned rest is in order.

Removing all desks from the classroom for cleaning.

Hardworking teachers deserve a break as well.

These students performed a skit at the celebration event.

Celebrations in Burundi mean drummers and dancers!

BLACK LIVES MATTER

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I don’t feel pressure to make this statement, but I do feel awareness by making this statement. Nobody is talking about it in Burundi. There are no protests. I’ve asked several people about it and often have to explain what is going on in America (to the best of my one-sided ability). As soon as I say the word ‘racism’ everyone nods in agreement; they understand it from their own context.

For me, saying “Black Lives Matter” brings awareness to my actions. It makes me reflect on those times I didn’t have the heart of Jesus for the voiceless, the oppressed, the forgotten or, to put it simply, those who were different from me. It makes me aware of my ignorance in my own culture.

And WHY didn’t I “get it”??? That’s the hard question.

Because Selfish Travis wanted to be funny, he had other things to do, he wanted to talk about something easy, he was embarrassed to ask questions, he didn’t have time for the response, he didn’t know the full history, he was comfortable in the life he was living and couldn’t see the mistreatment of others.

I want to reflect on those times where I flippantly made a comment that cut deep into someone’s heart. Maybe I can’t exactly identify those times, but I know they are there.

I want to reflect on those times where I missed the opportunity to learn someone’s story. Times where I let my assumptions (bias/prejudice/ignorance) about our differences stand between actually getting to KNOW about our differences.

I want to see where my brokenness failed my friends, family, and community. I want to see it because my silence and casual attitude have suppressed so many who are hurting (is that even the right word????). It’s obvious by the reaction in my home country right now.

Where did my selfish actions miss everything that Jesus stood up for?

There are others who are feeling suppressed and frustrated within my culture. One could insert any number of proper nouns in the phrase, but right now, it’s Black Lives Matter. This time, I want to listen and actually hear. It was really difficult for me to write this post. I couldn’t find the words. I couldn’t connect one idea to another. It’s hard and that shows me just how much I’ve missed. There’s an awareness of how much I don’t understand. But, I want to be here, I want to learn through the hard stuff. I want to hear Jesus when He tells me, “you’re not getting it. Pay attention. THIS is the Kingdom.”

BLACK LIVES MATTER

GIFTS

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I don’t always get to see the results. For the projects I invest my time, I desperately want to see the beginning, the process, and the final result. My Western thinking wants to know I fixed a problem. There are many occasions over the past 2 years where I did not understand the problem trying to be solved, nor could I follow the steps implemented to find a solution, and I certainly could not see any expected results. God is teaching me to release the results to Him. I will do my part, but He will claim the results. It is for His glory and goodness. His plans get results here in Burundi.

One day at the Karubabi Harvest School a number of carboard boxes arrived. They were the size of a cooler. The students were called to the conference center and as they entered, they noticed the boxes stacked on the stage. Anticipation and excitement built as students found their seats. One by one, each student (ages 12-16) received a smaller gift box from within these cooler sized boxes. These smaller boxes were the size of, say, a shoebox. The logo on the side was Samaritan’s Purse. These were the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. I have no idea of the process to get these gifts here. My home church in Wichita, KS, serves as a drop-off location for thousands of these completed boxes and some of you have been involved in the creation (if you will). It was a small act of obedience and faith from many nations around the globe to commit to making a gift for a child in an unknown country. The gifter would never see the result of their loving generosity. The recipient would never know how these precious items got to Burundi.

Waiting for the go ahead. Photo by Aurora Bard

And there was joy! Hundreds of smiles. With wide eyes their hands quickly unpacked item after item. Shrieks of surprise bounced off the conference center walls. Thousands of people answered the call to pick up a simple supply list in the hopes of sharing joy with children all over the world. The result, the payoff, could be found in tiny Burundi. For a moment, these kids were recipients of generosity, kindness, and faithfulness. What started as a list in your hands resulted in a gift in their hands.

We don’t always know the creation, or the process, or the results, but God knows (and orchestrates) the entire plan. We have a part to play even when we don’t get to see the results. On this day, I got to see the results of your faithfulness. Thank you!

WHOLE EARTH

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How many of you have stopped mid-email/text because things have been changing so quickly? I raise my hand as I write out this update.

For the whole earth, we are ALL in a new world in a short span of 30 days. Do you even remember what you were doing at the beginning of March??

The virus reached Burundi this week (3 confirmed cases). Some preventative measures were already in place prior to the “arrival.” The airport was closed for international flights. All visitors from Europe were placed in a 2-week quarantine. Hand washing stations were at every public place. Elbow bumps replaced the traditional greetings of hugs and handshakes. Today, many services are still operating; schools and businesses are open, churches gather for weekly meetings, and public transportation is running. The airport remains closed and visitors to the country are subject to a 2-week quarantine (regardless of nationality). Social distancing is extremely difficult here with so many people and such tight living quarters. Daily life requires public transportation, open food markets, and social interaction to generate various incomes.

It is difficult to know how to operate in such a context. While many things function normally here, I read stories from around the world where everything has turned toward isolation. Previous freedoms are now cherished luxuries. I’m asking many questions (as I’m sure you have in the past month) of this surreal situation; do I stay home and keep a distance while most of the country continues to function? What size crowd should I avoid? Does traveling to the school put the kids and teachers in danger? What are my options for health care?

During this time, I’ve found presence in Psalm 22.

Verses 1-2: The opening verse reminds us of Jesus’ plea on the cross. We see the fear of abandonment carry into verse 2.

Verses 3-5: We are reminded of how past generations faced difficult circumstances and how God remained true.

Verses 6-8: Again, the psalmist drops into the pit of despair for a desperate situation.

Verses 9-21: We read of submission and the testimony of total dependence on God.

Verses 22-25: The psalmist rises to fervent praise. Even in his time of suffering we read his praise for a God who has proven to save His people, generation after generation.

Verses 26-31: The final crescendo from the psalmist turns outward to the world. Declarations and prophecy are spilling out of a once desperate voice from the first 2 verses. The WHOLE earth will acknowledge the Lord. ALL families of the nations will bow down. Generations to come will hear about this Mighty Lord.

What can we learn here? Who is our God? What does He have for us during these times?

What questions are you asking these days?