Burundi Trip

Thank you so much for praying for me while I was away, for praying for Shanthi and the kids and for supporting us all in so many ways! There is no way that we can say thank you enough for enabling us to do what God has called us to do. It has now been just over 10 days since I returned from my trip to Burundi to volunteer with EMI. It was such an amazing experience to be back in Africa. It really felt like being home again. The familiar sights, sounds and smells all greeted me and took me right back to when we lived there.

The project that we were asked to design was for a ministry named Sister Connection. They are a ministry that sponsors widow's and cares for them and their children. In Burundi, as well as many other countries throughout the world, widows are often mistreated, abused and lack opportunities for work or schooling their children. Sister Connection was able to acquire a track of land in the center of the country where they can provide vocational training to widows and a summer camp for their children.

When our team arrived at the site a training building was already constructed and a dormitory was in progress. We were asked to master plan the site to be able to accommodate approximately 500 children for summer camp and approximately 150 for vocational training. The site was quite steep and very rocky - not the ideal conditions for a multi-use facility. With a lot of creativity in design and wisdom from the Lord we were able to create a plan that the ministry really thought would serve them well for the long term.

We had the opportunity to visit a few of the widows that would be using the site once it was constructed. These women had such joy and peace because they had a small 2 room house, a steady income and the ability to plant a garden. It was a great reminder to be content in all circumstances and how the things of this world should not be what consumes us.

I love being a part of trips like this because it always changes you. New sights and people force you to look at your own life and evaluate what is important and where you may have gotten side tracked. I truly hope that everyone gets an opportunity to serve overseas. I guarantee that you will come back with fresh insight and a new perspective on life!

To get a sense of the work that the team did, here is a short 3 minute video of our time in Burundi: http://www.megavideo.com/?d=YG9FUJTZ.


There is also still a financial need to cover the remainder of the costs of this trip. If you are able to help in any way we would certainly appreciate it! All giving is 100% tax deductible and can be given at EMI by clicking here: https://emisecure.org/donate.html

If you are interested in joining a trip like this please let me know. I will most likely be returning to Uganda next year to lead a missions trip for our church. I would love to have you join me!

The top picture is from the dormitory that was under construction at the site when we arrived.

The second picture is our team meeting with the ministry to review the proposed master plan.

The last picture is the trail to the closest water source. It was about 1 mile away and at the very bottom of this steep ravine!