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| We came through these mountains from Rwanda into the capital city, Bujumbura which sits on the edge of Lake Tankayika with Congo on the other side |
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We went to the Christian Policeman's Noon Day Prayer time to deliver a bible study for them.
After the time with the group, the president of the association shared the work that has been done with the police to help them with reconciliation issues from the past conflicts and their commitment to integrity. |
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| Our Host Family's home where we stayed |
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| One of the sessions of our Seminar on Reconciliation and Justice |
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| Ashlee and Antoniette teaching |
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| Discussing issues with one of the lawyers who attended the seminar |
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| Our group who attended the seminar minus a few who had already left. |
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| Talking with Charles who has a Ministry of Reconciliation operating in Burundi. Charles was inspirational and very encouraging to us. |
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| Olivier teaching |
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| Participants discussing issues |
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Innocent (waving), his sister Clemence, and Olivier with a Pastor from Kigali.
Clemence organized the event for us and tirelessly worked to make our stay a success. |
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Aline, Ashlee, Clemence, and me
Aline runs a minstry for women and the bottom floor of her home is the minsitry center. She gave us the gift of the lecture room for the conference as well as drove us every day to and from the seminar as well as around the city to see its beauty. Clemence and she are friends and both have such a heart for serving others. |
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| Lake Tanganyika with Burjumbura in the background |
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| Innocent and Antoniette |
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| Olivier with camera and Innocent |
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| Are there Crocodiles in there? |
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The Fantastic Team
Clemence, Antoniette, Me, Ashlee, Innocent and Olivier |
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| Relaxing at the House with the family |
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Pastor and his wife Clemence have started a new church in their area
and this is the worship band led by two of their children. |
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After church, we drove into the largest slum area in Bujumbura to visit another church
which was started to minister to the poor of the area. Our welcome was very warm and every child asked for "bonbons" ..seems most visitors bring sweets. Inside the church was packed with wonderful people from the area and it was a joyful time. |
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| Bicycles and motorcycles are everywhere carrying just about anyone or anything you can imagine. This cargo is on the back of a bicycle! |
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| We took off after church and visited a local zoo and open air museum. There were several crocodiles and scary snakes. He may look asleep but he isn't...when anyone moved, his eyes followed! |
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| This lovely chimpanzee, Tina, loved Innocent tickling her ear....I shook her hand and it was remarkable. |
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| These are the traditional Burundian drums. We were able to see the National Burundian Dance Team perform one evening and they carry these drums on their heads as they enter to begin dancing. |
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| The larger house in this picture is the traditional hut where the daughters in a family lived. There was also a large hut for the parents and a hut for the boys. The small hut was for their family god. |
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| Olivier, Clemence and Anto are waiting with myself at the Christian TV station. I had the honour of having them tape me teaching on reconciliation and justice to be aired sometime this month. Antoinette was the translator and without her I won't have much to say! Olivier filmed the program as well while Clemence gave encouragement. |
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| Saying our goodbyes |
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| Travelling home.....a little like sardines for a 6 hour trip but we all arrived safe and sound and smiling back in Kigali. |
Last Spring this group from the School of Reconciliation and Justice (SORJ) sat and dreamed about us going as a team to Burundi as a part of our time in Rwanda. Innocent grew up in Burundi where his family were refugees from the conflicts in his home country of Rwanda. And so it was a privilege to be able to spend 10 days with him and his extended family in this beautiful country. Innocent, his sister, Clemence and a friend of hers, Aline helped organize and invite our participants as well as contacting the radio and TV to be able to teach on air as well as in the seminar.
We came south from Kigali winding through the mountains and six hours later, dropped onto the plain where the capital city is located. From the moment, we crossed the border it was evident that Burundi is a much poorer country. It is in fact one the five poorest countries in the world, but the welcome and the hospitality of the people was just as warm as Rwanda.
We ran a five day Seminar on Reconciliation and Justice and found that each day our participants came eager to learn more in order to help their country heal from the past. As we talked about reconciliation, the issues of justice often took over the question time and we were honoured to have a judge and two men where were lawyers who talked about the way the law is being shaped to help in governing the country well.
Burundi has suffered from a series of serious civil wars between Hutu and Tutsi factions over the last 50 years that has kept the country unstable and struggling to progress. But today there is hope that life is improving, and we heard it from our participants as they shared their hopes and dreams during our time.
The government is stable and trying to curb corruption in order to attract business investment. They are also looking for a way to handle the injustices of their past wars that helps heal and reconcile the country. Unlike Rwanda, there have been cycles of violence where Tutsi killed Hutu and then Hutu killed Tutsi, and today people want to move on as a united people.
Like other conflict areas, I just marvel at the fortitude of people who have come through tremendously difficult times and yet they have not given up wanting to see life improve for the next generation. The hope at the end of each morning of our teaching was that we love a God who wants to teach us how to relate with one another in a ways that respect and build up others and heal the injustices that life brings. To see this truth touching people's lives is a privilege.
The week also showed me how much Antoinette, Ashlee, Innocent and Olivier learned in the SORJ. Each one was able to teach out of their own personal life stories an aspect of peace building and justice and they deeply effected our participants. They are well equipped to help others take new steps along this road of overcoming the past.
It is impossible for me to put into words the range of emotions I have felt at what I have seen and experienced through this time. What will stay with me is the awareness that God loves this nation and its people and that out of the most painful circumstances, God can make a way. My heart has been deeply stirred to feel that this is Burundi's time to move forward, and as God's people pray and work steadily for progress, change will come. The friends we made are not daunted by their circumstances, but are putting their trust in a God whose kingdom they want to help build to bring healing to their nation.
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