Administrative Affairs & Lessons Learned

 By Carlan Wendler

“You need a [insert French title of a document you have never heard of here] in order to do that.”

“There is no power, so the computer / printer needed for your document cannot work.”

“The person with the key [to the electrical closet] is not here.”

My expectations to get four errands done in a morning in town, either Bujumbura or Gitega, are frequently tempered by such realities. Sometimes what one can get done in a day is substantially less than what was hoped. This prompts three major reflections on my part. 

First, I am a slave to “productivity.” Or perhaps a better way to describe it is that I idolize getting things checked off my list. Progress. That feeling of moving forward, resolving difficulties, building momentum towards big goals. That is what I love. And though we perceive time as linear, moving from Creation to New Creation, it is false to think of it as a straight line. Maybe it is more like a tapestry, warp & woof, bends & knots coming together to reveal a scene no single thread could ever comprehend. 

Progress sometimes looks like pavement & multistory buildings.

The Burundians I encountered during this last round of administrative errands did not appear to live under such expectations. In fact, they didn’t seem to mind when we were ushered to the front of the line (grimace, sorry everybody). And that is the second observation, the incredible grace & patience of these gentle folk. I know it may be fraught to generalize, especially with such a superficial sampling (hearts may be hard though facial expressions soft), but the flexibility and resiliency of Burundians stands out in my experience as a particularly strong feature of this culture. They are teaching me a lot.

Sometimes we get ushered to the front of the line, only to find that the person we need isn’t available.

Others have written more and better [African Friends & Money Matters] about the priority of relationship over transaction in many African cultures. This has unexpected impact when it seems like one party is seeking to extend the interaction as long as possible while the other is desperate to leave and accomplish another task. Yet at the same time, it means that knowing the right person opens doors…or finds keys, turns on the power, and gets you that form that you need in an instant. Within 15 minutes of finding out that we needed that “Attestation de résidence,” Jason had printed and signed them for us, texted us a photo, and left the physical copies with a secretary who could give them to a house helper who rode on his motorcycle to deliver them to Gitega (30 min drive). We had them before the bankers went home for the day and all ended well…it might also have had something to do with the fact that the banker’s supervisor graduated from the local high school.

So at the end of the day, I think I got a lot more than three out of four errands completed from that trip to Gitega; I got God’s personalized reminder that succeeding in life, progress in maturity, is so much more about the relationships we form & develop along the way than the boxes we get to check. Thank you Burundi!

Summer Arrivals!

by Julie Banks

Our family (the Banks) recently arrived in Burundi after a little over a year in the States.  We completed our first term (5 years) with Serge in July of 2020.  We were already due to have a Home Ministry Assignment in 2020, but as we all know, this past year proved more complicated than we had anticipated.  Our HMA was extended, providing our family time to pray about our future, process our past in Africa, and cherish the present time with family and supporters in the States. All things considered, it was a great year for our family. We were thankful for the opportunity for Logan to rejoin the faculty of Cox Family Medicine Residency practicing “Western” medicine for a season, to travel across much of the United States seeing supporters and beautiful sites in the US, as well as grace and time to participate in counselling and preparations to rejoin the team at Kibuye.  We arrived in Burundi on August 1st, with a feeling of coming home, for which we are so grateful.

But this blog is not about us.  Our family was not the only one to arrive this summer!  In fact, this summer was quite a busy time of missionary arrivals to Kibuye!

Caleb and Krista Fader arrived with Liam, Gavin, and Jono after two years in the States.  Caleb is diving back into all things Engineering while Krista is taking on many important roles within the team and local community.  Liam will be starting 2nd grade while Gavin is beginning Kindergarten.

Dr. Ted and Eunice John arrived with Toby, Amos and Timothy after a little over a year in the States.  Ted is back at home in the Operating Room while Eunice is joining the faculty of Kibuye Hope Academy and helping with many jobs around the missionary compound.  Toby will be starting 1st grade at KHA this year.

The Wendlers arrived in Burundi after a year and a half in the States with new baby Isaiah and 2 year old Gabrielle.  Carlan is eager to be back in Urgences (Emergency Room) while Michelle is making their newly finished house a home for their family.

Glory Guy also arrived this summer from Nashville, TN.  She is a teacher who will be serving at KHA for two years.  She has served with other Serge teams in the UK, and we are so glad to have her join our Kibuye team.

Our family is settling back into our home in Kibuye.  Logan is the primary acting FP/OB right now working in the Maternity service, operating in the OR, as well as OB and internal medicine clinics.  Julie is jumping back into life on the compound and is preparing to teach French and Music at KHA where Liam will be in 7th grade and Zeke in 5th grade.

All of these arrivals over the summer could each be a lengthy blog post in and of themselves.  With the arrival of these 19 people, none of our journeys went smoothly!  Among us we experienced unexpected delays due to weather, surprise positive Covid tests, non-covid sicknesses.  Not all of us received our luggage - which meant complications with medications, contact lenses, and other necessary items. Six of us had our passports stolen upon arrival.  Plus lots and lots of Covid tests, masks, social distancing, and struggles traveling with busy toddlers and crying babies!  

But… we all made it!  We are all fine.  All luggage did finally arrive – praise the Lord! And we are ready to join in the efforts at Kibuye, each doing our part in the missionary community, at the hospital, and in Burundi.  God has called us each here for such a time as this.  We are happy to be with our colleagues, holding up each other’s weary arms in this spiritual battle we are a part of.  (ref: Exodus 17:12-14)

Thank you for praying us all here.  As many of us have arrived this summer, there have been some tearful departures as well.  So please continue to pray for our team as we are all in transition.  From the doctors at the hospital to the little toddlers of the team.  We are all in transition and we need grace, patience, and mercy as we all readjust.

Journey of Grace

by Rachel

Two masks are always safer than one...

Travel in, to, and from African nations has always been a challenge.  Airports are crowded and chaotic, flights are sporadic and often changed.  There are visas to purchase, sometimes at the airport and sometimes ahead of time, occasionally on websites that don’t work, and even once in awhile, an exit visa to procure before you can leave your host country.  You can never check in online, and the internet doesn’t report flight updates (due to the “low likelihood of accurate information”).  Upon arrival into said international airports, there are many forms to fill out, many lines to stand in, and not always many people who speak your preferred language or understand the fact that you may not know what you’re doing.  Once you’ve made it through the gauntlet, your luggage might or might not have arrived and if not, who knows where it is and if/when it will ever arrive (and if it does arrive, where it should be held or sent to so that one day you will see your luggage again).  Finally, will someone be there to pick you up?  Hopefully yes, because your cell phone doesn’t work in this country. 

As residents of various African countries for now 10 years, our family has accepted this level of craziness as a necessity in order to travel.  We jump in knowing it will be hectic and chaotic but also having a pretty good sense, by now, of how this is all going to go down.  I know what lines to stand in, what forms to fill out, and even can converse with the customs agents, a bit.  We know what’s likely to cause trouble, when the next flight will probably be available, what the form for lost luggage looks like, and when our missing bags stand a high likelihood of arriving.  So, we know what the process is and we have decided that it’s worth it to get to where we want to be going.

And then, 2020.  

***

When our country's airport reopened in November, it was a whole new ballgame.  Covid tests needed to be obtained to both enter and leave the country.  People were often not clear on the timing of the test (2 days? 72 hours?  From boarding or arriving? when the test was taken or when the results were issued?) or what type of test was necessary.   Quarantine was necessary for a few days, then a few weeks, then depended on the incoming test results, at home or at a hotel, and the list of hotels approved for quarantine changed often.  It felt like every week the rules changed, sometimes while people were actually in transit.  We had teammates get stuck in multiple other countries, sometimes for weeks.  Positive tests, false positive tests, mistimed negative tests that needed to be repeated.  So many covid tests.

Like many of you, Eric and I had travel plans cancelled.  We recognized that we needed a vacation and watched and waited as new regulations arrived, were changed, were dismissed, were reintroduced.  We made plans…maybe a trip to Tanzania, or Kenya, or…but in the end, the risks and costs of travel seemed too high (not even the risk of getting sick, which is always a possibility, but the risk of getting stuck somewhere or not being able to return to our home in Kibuye).  

So finally, it was time to return to the US for our every 3 year annual “home assignment.”  We hadn’t been on a plane in 21 months, which is pretty much a record for us (and when you live in one of the world’s smallest countries as an ex-pat, is pretty remarkable in my opinion).  I booked our airline tickets and made arrangements for a short vacation en route.  And I will admit to you, I was scared.  I had been looking forward to our break for so long that I was afraid something would happen and I would be disappointed yet again.  2020 for so many of us was a year of constant disappointments, uncertainty, and fear...and it felt far too dangerous to hope for anything anymore.  I felt like one more experience of dashed hopes might send me over the edge.

We wrapped up our time at the hospital and headed down the hill for our covid tests in Bujumbura.  Our flight was scheduled for a Wednesday night, and so in order to make sure we had results in hand we needed to get the test Monday before 1pm so we could hopefully receive the results Tuesday before 9pm (we were told that we could maybe do the test Tuesday and get results Wednesday, but there was a good chance that the results wouldn't arrive before we needed to board our flight, so).  The day of our test results I could hardly eat.  The hours crawled by and every time Eric got a text message I got a sinking pit in my stomach, convinced that it was the guy who had gone to pick up our test results, telling us they were positive.  But that night, we had five pieces of paper in hand, confirming five negative test results.  

Thankful for our travel buddies, Steve and Mary Wiland.   At the airport, good to go!

Our plane was on time the next day.  We had no problem with our connecting flight.  All our luggage turned up.  And other than a slightly late airport shuttle to our hotel, the flight went as smoothly as anyone could have hoped for.  Well, other than the fact that Toby used 10 barf bags between the two international flights, but that’s another story. ;)  Jet lag was minimal, the vacation was wonderful, and we were reunited with family a week later.  Most boring travel story ever.

I’m tempted to skim over this story and move on instead of pausing to reflect on what COULD have been and what WAS.  I often find myself dwelling on and retelling the disasters and bad outcomes, instead of reflecting on God's providence and unseen miracles in the mundane, "boring" parts of life.  Now, I don’t write any of this to minimize the pain and suffering of many others’ trips and journeys.  I don’t know why our trip was so much smoother than others’ trips and it’s certainly not because God loves us more or we prayed harder or anything else.  But in reflecting on this whole experience, I'll admit that my fear came from a lack of control over the circumstances.  And maybe on some level I felt like God was going to “take away” this good thing (a break, a longed for vacation) in order to teach me another lesson, instead of giving me what I felt like I needed.    

This past year has caused me to be afraid to hope for things, fearing they will end in disappointment.  I wonder what it says about my view of my loving heavenly Father, that I feel like he’s up in a distant heaven waiting to push a button and “ruin” my life.  Is it not true that my heavenly Father knows what I need, more than I do, and is so happy to bless me with it?  This has been a hard season for all of us, and I don’t know what lies ahead.  But I do feel like we need to be able to hope, to look forward with great anticipation, knowing that perhaps my plans won’t come to fruition but there are good things waiting for us all the same.  We don't always know when or how, but in the waiting I can hope and rest free of fear, knowing that a good God loves me and is directing my steps.  

A friendly "hippo" goodbye on our last morning.  We'll be back in Burundi after Christmas

I heart MedEd

(by Jenn)

Jenn teaching on rounds

Medical Education. Not something I thought I'd really get in to, but I love it!  When we arrived to Kibuye 2019 for a two month vision trip, my role was mostly observational, helping out and seeing patients, but mainly seeing how things work working in an underdeveloped, underserved hospital in Burundi.   When we returned in January 2020, I was mostly in a clinical role - seeing patients on wards, answering questions from generalist doctors who were seeing a complicated case in the outpatient clinic, and teaching some didactic sessions for the medical interns.  Slowly but surely, however, I started taking on more and more of the "medical education" (MedEd for short) component of the work that is done here.  

Six of our most recent graduates from the "Stage Professionnel" program - the one-year rotating internship for doctors who have just completed medical school. 

For the documentation of grades for medical students who are doing their clinical rotations during the latter part of their medical education, they have abook called a "carnet" in which the professors write down a grade for the rotation they have just finished. The profs are in charge of writing the grades, but it's my job to collect the grades, enter them into our spreadsheet, and return the carnets back to the students.  And guess what. I've loved this. "That's weird." you may say.  Well, through this process, I've been able to get to know the names of the students and get to interact with them even when they are not on the peds service.  Sure, it takes time and effort, but I'm glad I've had this responsibility for a bit.  

Students discussing a question I just asked during Peds Journal Club

Sometimes they are intense! Sometimes we just discuss what was done well or what was done poorly in a study. 

Another fun thing that is new is that we are now having a Peds Journal Club two times a month.  I pick articles and alternate between French and English. French so they have a better chance of fully understanding the article which increases the chance they will discuss the article and English so that they are encouraged to at least attempt to read medical literature written in English. Why is this necessary? Every medical student has to write a thesis paper for which an extensive literature review is necessary. Why English you ask? The majority of medical literature is in the aformention language which for all of them is a second laguage.  Wait.  Did I mention this was voluntary for the students!?! They still come!  ◡̈ 

A lecture being given as part of our curriculum for the Stage Professionnel program

Other new(-to-me) responsiblities are organizing lecture schedules for our medical intern program (Stage Professionnel program), giving some of those lectures, teaching medical students after rounds, giving weekly pediatric lectures to the medical interns who are rotating on peds, etc. 

Dr. Christmas teaching about pneumonia to those who are currently on the pediatric service (medical stuednts, nursing stuednts, and residents). 

Dr. Christmas was a student at Hope Africa University, worked at Kibuye Hope Hospital for some years, and is currently in a pedatric residency program in Egypt. He is spending this month with us here at Kibuye.  It's so encouraging to see God's work in the lives of people here! Expecially when it's a stuednt of this system who is now here teaching! ◡̈ 

Michael teaching in the OR.

This image was posed to social media by one of the HAU medical students. 

So all that to say, we love our jobs/roles here and we are so grateful that God chose to put us here on this team! 

Discontentment is Fear

{NOTE from George:

this is a copy of a newsletter I send out every week on the topic of Biblical contentment. Each one follows the same outline: something to read | do | pray

If you'd like to get a dose of contentment to your inbox every Thursday SIGN UP HERE  }

READ THIS:

In the capital city here in Burundi there is a “zoo” that has a number of small concrete enclosures. One of the few things you can do at this “zoo” - other than wrap a snake around your neck, or hand soda or beer to the chimpanzees, (yes, seriously; and no, don’t get me started) - is buy a live guinea pig or rabbit at the front desk, and feed it to the crocodile.I’m going out on a limb to assume the last few moments of the furry animal’s life is pretty much the epitome of fear. They see what's happening and they have no rational hope of changing the situation. Telling that bunny “don’t be scared” would be horribly cruel if you don’t plan on doing something to save it from the croc (and to be honest, I’m not sure I’d recommend that, no matter how deep your love for rabbits). Unless you knew it had no valid reason to be scared (which you don't) or you are going to save it (which you probably shouldn't) you are either delusional or cruel to say “don’t be scared.”In the Bible, "Fear Not" is the most common 'command' from God. All throughout the Old and New Testaments, the God of the Bible tells his people to not be afraid. If God says “don’t be afraid” when we face situations that appear bleak or downright frightening, we can assume the same as in the rabbit-croc-situation.
There are only three options: 

• God is delusional and doesn't understand what we’re facing
• He’s cruel and is giving us false hope before we’re eaten alive
• He is both aware and good.

If he is both truly good and fully aware and yet still says 'fear not' then one of two things is true: he will do something; he sees from a perspective that we don't.

God stepping in and doing something is easier to understand. Even if we think we've never experienced it, we can imagine it. The Bible is full of instances when God steps into human experience to save his people.

​
The second possibility is harder to picture. From the rabbit’s perspective, the whole situation is hopeless, and impending doom and complete ruin are inevitable. But what if it wasn’t? What if there were a way out that only you knew about, or the croc was merely a hologram, or their mouth was wired shut, or they were actually a friendly vegetarian crocodile (sorry, I’m reaching on this, but stick with me). What if the apparent total destruction was actually not so? What if the person saying ‘fear not’ knew the real truth of the situation, and that’s why they are saying it?

​
To accept this truth - the rabbit would have to believe you see things it doesn't, you know things it doesn't, you understand what it can't. For us to accept God's command of Fear Not - we have to do the same as the rabbit, accept there are things beyond our understanding. Maybe He knows some temporary pain will lead to something better. Maybe he knows it will not actually break us. Maybe he knows it won't happen at all. Maybe we will never understand why he said it.

But we have to accept our limitations. There are events we misunderstand. There are parts we can't see. Perhaps that's the hardest part.

{click above to download wallpaper}

PRAY THIS:

God,

I admit by even calling you "God"

that you know more than I do,

that you see things I can't see,

that you understand what I can't.

Help me to accept this truth,

so I can believe you more deeply

when you tell me

'Do Not Be Afraid.'

Amen

DO THIS: Download one of these wallpapers for your phone or computer as a daily reminder of the truth that is often hard for us to see:

Befriending Faithfulness

 (from Eric)

I don't know how many times I've read Psalm 37, but I was struck anew by one aspect of it yesterday:

"Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!

For they will soon fade like the grass and with like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:1-4

The psalm continues in the same vein for a total of 40 verses, with the same recurring juxtaposition which makes it sound more like Proverbs than any other Psalm that I know.  Part 1: "Don't be anxious about evil; it won't endure." Part 2: "Instead, trust in the Lord and his ways.  That's what endures." Then repeat, in case you missed the last 8 versions.  Some things are worth repeating.

And sure enough, for all of the repetition, I still forget to "fret not" the evil of the world.  I'm fairly certain I'm not alone in that regard.  Our world fairly teems with fretting.

It seems like the kind of exhortation that might sink deeper into our broken hearts if the negative command (don't be anxious!) is coupled with the corresponding positive command to fill the void (instead, do this!).  So what is that positive command?  Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

It's a fun mind game for me to imagine what word I would have thought would follow "befriend" if I had to complete the sentence like some kind of google predictor.  The idea of befriending an abstract idea is interesting enough by itself but what follows?  Befriend...what?  Righteousness?  Obedience?  The community of God?  Instead the word is faithfulness.  Befriend faithfulness.  Get to really deeply know sticking-to-it.  Being faithful at what?  The psalm doesn't explicitly say, but given that is follows "trust in the Lord and do good", I read it as "remain faithful to that which the Lord has asked you to do."

What does all this say to us?  It calls us to remain faithful to what we are called to, even when it is small.  Even when, and perhaps especially when, it does not seem to be producing the desired results in the timeframe that we expected or desired.  It ultimately means being more concerned about faithfulness in the way we walk the individual steps of the journey, resting in a knowledge that the final outcome rests in hands larger than our own.  This would be true of work, education, parenting, friendships.  Follow Jesus faithfully in the next step that is before you.

Other translations say "farm faithfulness" or "cultivate faithfulness."  All of this is very consistent with the Bible's repetitive use of agrarian images.  The farmer plants when it is time to plant; waters when it is time to water; harvests when the time comes.  Faithful to each day's need.  Fret not, o farmer, the harvest, when we are still planting.  Plant faithfully.  The outcome is ultimately something more mysterious than all your planning and machinations.

It's worth recognizing just how counter-cultural this giving up of control is.  Everything in our society screams against it.  To give an example, I never pass up a chance to jibe at my stateside family's attachment to weather prediction.  Multiple apps are consulted.  Plans are made.  Based on information that as far as I can tell, is wrong quite often and everyone knows it.  But such is our desire to control something that surrounds us every day and remains defiantly mysterious.

Where do we find the strength to yield control in favor of befriending faithfulness?  In trusting the promise of the Lord.  I think we would all be more okay with this if the timeline was shorter.  Verse 10: In just a little while, the wicked will be no more.  My first thought is the following humorously cynical meme (overlay text added by me):

The cynical humor is that we drum up some kind of hope or expectation, for which we really have no reason.  Faithfulness and trust requires an object.  Christian faith speaks of a very good reason to be faithful, which is God's goodness, manifest to us all in a thousand different ways, but most clearly in his own sacrifice for us on the cross.  Yes, our idea of timing is dramatically different from his, and the outcomes we are serving may indeed be long after our lifetime or far beyond our scope of understanding.  But we befriend faithfulness to him because he was first faithful to us.

***

Does Kibuye need to hear this?

Even more than usual, I think.  In addition to the difficulties that we always face, and those which have touched the globe in the past 18 months, this season is a great period of transition.  People coming and going, roles changing.  Work moves forward, but not maybe at the same pace that we had made at various times in the past.  Expectations are always high, and it's currently harder than normal to meet them.

Trust in the Lord and do good.  Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.  Do the daily work that is all your heavenly Father has ever required of you.  Be faithful in the way, and trust that the end is held by resurrected and now undying hands.

Kibuye North American Connections

by Julie Banks

“A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Proverbs 27:9

Whenever missionaries are in North America, we have the opportunity to see friends and family that we often haven’t seen in years.  This is such a blessing and we cherish it.  

Sometimes, however, we do get to connect with our fellow Kibuye missionaries while we are Stateside.  If the opportunity does arise, trust me we try to make it happen!  We halt roadtrips, go off the planned itinerary, just to get a hug.  Or in the 2020 Covid world, an “air hug.”  There is a bond that never goes away when you serve with someone in Burundi.  They are “your people,” and they are able to understand you, your children, and your struggles in a matter of minutes.  

Here are just a few of these happy (mostly socially distanced!) reunions that have occurred over the last year in North America:

Banks family with Alyssa in Birmingham, AL right before she returned to Kibuye in 2020

McLaughlins and Banks in Nashville, TN July 2021

Sunds with Dr. Frank Ogden in Washington 2020

The Bonds went a day's journey out of their way to see us in Springfield, MO in 2020

We were able to share a meal with Caleb and Krista Fader in Michigan - March 2021

Socially distanced Chick-fil-A with 2018 Kibuye intern Rachel Baker in Florida - 2020 

Ted John briefly connecting with surgeons Ben Roose and John Donkersloot in Michigan

Ted John and Carlan Wendler taking Covid-friendly strolls in California

The John family in Colorado with future teacher and teammate, Glory. July 2021

A cold Canadian reunion with Kibuye's first teacher, Shea and the Watts family

Cheering each other up while quarantining in our temporary North American homes - May 2020

We cherish all these reunions in our hearts and look forward to the next meeting… some sooner and some later.  But no matter where we are, or how much time has passed, we will always have that Kibuye connection.

Tales of Missionary Kids

Children who grow up in a culture other than their own have experiences that cause them to see the world a bit differently. It has been such a pleasure for me to spend time with the kids here, and learn about their lives and how they think about and perceive things. I have compiled a few stories to give you a taste of what it is like for me to witness how this life has grown and shaped the wonderful young ones that are part of my life here at Kibuye.

Towards the end of the school year, we took a field trip, of sorts, to the waterfalls to look at the ecosystem of insects there. Equipped with their nets, and with the guidance of Mary Wiland, they set out to collect any and everything that moved within the water. I have never seen a group of students so excited to catch and investigate things in nature, especially those that crawl!

While having lunch with one of the students, I asked her what she looks forward to about going to America. And her answer was…pre-measured butter! It was definitely not what I was expecting to hear, but now that she has pointed it out to me, I see just how helpful it is to have the measurements on the wrapping of the stick of butter! It really saves a lot of time.

There are motor bikes here that are called Pikis. They are what many people use as transport, and the team even owns some as well. The other day, I heard a child say, “mom, can I have a piki-back ride?” She was meaning to say piggy-back ride, and it was the cutest thing ever. Only here would a child think of a Piki, before thinking of a piggy.

I went grocery shopping with a family last week. Their daughter walked around with me and helped me choose the best brands of each product. She knew exactly what kinds everyone here buys, and why they are better than the others. In a community that is so close, these are the things kids learn quickly I guess.

I was sitting in my hammock the other day, when a four year old on our team walked by on her way to the playground. She stopped and asked if she could sit with me in the hammock instead of going to the playground. So she climbed in and we sat and chatted about life and the book of Proverbs for about 20 minutes until it was time for her to go home. We talked about the Proverbs 12:18. “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” We discussed what a cutting remark might look like, and the meaning of the verse. What a sweet moment it was with her, for both of us to grow in our understanding of the Bible.

There are many guava trees on the compound, and, as I learned from the kids, it is guava season! So the children here spend at least a part of every day working hard to get the ripe guavas off the tall trees to eat. A couple weeks ago two of the kids were determined to get me a ripe guava to try, because they were sure I would like it (I had tried an unripe one a while ago, and it was not my cup of tea). After spending the better part of an hour trying to get some down, one girl said, “we need a longer stick.” So she took me over to the large bamboo plant in the middle of the compound, and we worked together to pull off a very large, very stubborn stalk of bamboo. Finally, it came off, and they continued with the quest for a ripe guava. After over an hour of trying different trees and different methods, they finally got a good one, checked it to make sure there were no maggots, and gave it to me to enjoy. And it really was delicious! This is such a good picture of the innovation, determination, and thoughtfulness of the kids on the compound. They worked really hard, using many different techniques just to find me a ripe guava because they thought I would like it.

On top of these stories, I love seeing their excitement over chocolate, helicopters, bike rides, hikes, games, and many other things. Not to mention their vast understanding of things like chickens, cars, carpentry, making things from what is available, fruits and vegetables, lizards, the French and Kirundi Languages, and so much about different countries around the world. The things they know and experiences they have amaze me, and I absolutely love learning from them.

Loving the Livestreaming

Here at Kibuye, most of our team sits about 8,000 miles from our families in North America.  Often this distance feels like eight million miles, especially when we are missing major events, such as weddings, funerals, holidays, and family reunions.  BUT this year, due to the Covid pandemic, many more events have been livestreamed on the Internet this year, which allows us to tune in from across the ocean.  Thus the world feels a little bit smaller. 

In the last year, we have enjoyed gathering to stream several weddings. Last weekend, Kibuye's beloved Aunt Kayla tied the knot. None of the team could be there in person, but we stayed up late here to celebrate the moment. Someone remarked that watching weddings online is even better than attending in person, because we don’t have to be quiet and because we can eat cake during the ceremony. 

Another newlywed KHA teacher has been dear to Kibuye hearts since 2014.  Some of her former students here even participated in her wedding by prerecording a video of the scripture reading, and then they watched themselves on the big screen during the wedding several weeks ago. In the picture below, ten of the bride's former students stood in her old house in Kibuye and watched while she walked down the aisle in Canada.

 Due to Covid-related restrictions on gatherings, some funerals in North America have been livestreamed this year as well, which has been a great blessing to us here, allowing us to "be there" through the Internet in real time.  It was a real gift to my heart to be able to grieve with our loved ones during two funerals this past year, one for a long-time friend from our Michigan small group who passed away much too young, and another funeral for a Grandpa figure whom I have loved for as long as I can remember.  

Family gatherings over Zoom seem to be more common across the globe this year, and for those of us who usually miss the in-person gatherings as well, Zoom family gatherings are uniquely inclusive.  Our family caught up with cousins from California to Canada to Chiang Mai via Zoom this year.  Loved it.   

Our increased online connections have not been limited to events.  Daily life and routine meetings have been more accessible for us, too.  Our church in Michigan has been streaming Sunday services due to the pandemic, so many Sundays at 3:30pm, we eagerly show up at the computer for another round of church.  In February an annual meeting was held via Zoom, so I attended for the first time in about 12 years.  Well, ok, it started at 11pm in this time zone, so I attended until my eyes couldn't stay open. 

Our same church in Michigan runs a women’s Bible study that I (Heather) have been missing for 12 years.  So this year when they opened a Zoom participation format, I signed right up.  Every Monday this year, I loved that study with sweet old friends and new friends several thousand miles away.

Thanks to Covid travel restrictions, some of us participated in international meetings from home, wearing scrubs, rather than having to fly to another country.  Jason even conveniently gave oral boards exams to South African surgery residents from the comfort of his office chair. 

The kids have connected via Zoom in new ways as well, as the Kibuye 6^th graders attended Biniyam’s birthday party together… logging on from 4 different countries.

So while we all hope that the global pandemic ends soon and that all the in-person gatherings will safely resume, we are grateful for the ways that we have been able to participate in so many events from afar.  And maybe livestreamed events, classes, conferences, and celebrations will be here to stay?

Congratulations - you built a House!

{NOTE: This post is taken from a recent newsletter our family sent out to our supporters - but it applies equally to all of you who support this team in any way. If you'd like to receive Watts Family updates you can sign up HERE}

One of the true joys we get living and working here in rural Burundi is the opportunity to link your generosity with the deep needs of the people around us.

Mama Bella is a woman that Susan first met at the feeding program several years ago when she was bringing her extremely malnourished daughter Bella to get food. When Susan started to get to know the family she learned there was also a son with severe vision problems, as well three other children. The father has some significant cognitive disabilities needs surgery for a growth on his head, and was unable to work.

The family just barely survived. Just barely.

You can see their previous house. It was tiny, dark, leaky. The single room was almost always muddy, as the roof leaked so much.

It was pitch dark as the roof didn't keep out the rain, but only the sun. It had no door. No windows. Not even tall enough for an adult to stand up inside. The family ate and slept in that one small mud room that many rural Burundians up here would not use for their animals.

In a culture where social standing is clear and important, having one more strike against you (no proper house) is not just a physical burden, but also a social, emotional, and mental drain.

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It's hard to get ahead when you spend so much time and effort just trying to keep your family dry & safe. Constantly having to reapply mud to the walls, and leaves and grass to the roof was a losing battle they had been fighting for years.

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We talked with our Burundian colleagues and determined what this family needed was a helping hand. A leg up. They've been hit hard repeatedly, and need something to help give them hope.

We coordinated some of our construction workers who were between projects at the hospital to design and build them a new house.

Yesterday we drove out to visit the family and see the finished house. Actually, we took Mama and Bella back home as Bella was just released from the hospital for malaria. She's much healthier again and was really excited to get home.

Actually - she was also pretty thrilled to drive in the back of our Land Cruiser. As soon as we started driving away from the hospital, she started giggling to herself, and could barely contain her excitement of being in a car the whole way home.

Here is the family in front of their new house. It is spectacular so see this.

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Their new house would not be considered fancy by western standards, but the upgrade is massive. They now have a tin roof, that will keep out the rain for years to come. The walls are solid brick, built on a proper stone foundation. They have wood doors and windows that can be closed and locked. The floor is cement. They have four rooms inside, and a small outdoor cooking spot out the back.

The difference is shocking.

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We hired construction workers who live out near the family, or who owned bikes, to do the work. Our incredible construction supervisor oversaw the work and ensured it was done to the same quality as anything we build. Every guy on the team seemed to want to make sure this family (finally) got something nice.

The kitchen to me is extra special as it was done by our construction workers, but they weren't paid for it. There were some construction materials left over, so they guys used some, traded some with neighbors for what they needed, and volunteered their own labor to build it. It's just a small shed with a clay-tile roof, metal walls, and a simple door - but it's a clean, dry place for them to cook over an open fire so they can prepare food without filling their house with smoke.

These are workers who make a couple of dollars a day, who took an hour to get to the worksite, who have families of their own to support. They gave their time and expertise to provide a working kitchen for this family.

So now everything is great?
Not even close.

This family will still struggle to feed themselves, the father still has no work, the son still has vision problems. However, there is safety, stability, and dignity that comes from having a proper house. A roof that does not leak, a door that you can actually lock. Windows that can be closed. A floor that is not mud. They have a leg up now as a family that will make a difference from this day forward. They can spend less time gathering leaves to patch their roof, and more time tending crops. The kids should get sick less now that they won't be lying in the mud at night. They don't have to worry that any item they acquire - starting with a cooking pot - may get stolen.

It's a big deal for this family - and you made it possible.

The Bible tells us over and over that one of the fundamental ways we serve God and worship him is by taking care of the poor, the sick, the orphan, the widows. Those who have been beaten down by the powers of this world. In this case, we (you & us together) had an opportunity to do just that.

Your support and our construction team's talent came together to make this family a home.

And that is incredible.