The Burundian churches we partner with are gaining a heart for mission right in their own neighborhoods. Offering classes and support groups in skills such as computer, cooking and finances has been serving as a way of sharing the love of Jesus and offering practical help to people in the community. It is going marvellously! In one class, there was such a high response that they couldn’t accommodate all those who were interested. The local leader came and congratulated the church on their community impact, and a number of participants gave their lives to Jesus!
One initiative in particular has had a powerful impact, and yet it is so simple: notebooks. You see, education may be free for children here, but it can also be an insurmountable hurdle for those who are not able to purchase the necessary notebooks for school. We were able to use some of our resources to purchase notebooks to be distributed through the churches that we work with. The result has been that numerous families have been impacted by this simple but necessary gift. After one such occasion where we handed out the notebooks to several families, I got a text from one of the pastors.
“The parents of this family were desperate to get notebooks for their children,” he texted. “They even tried selling their phone. But it was a simple model, and they could not sell it for much money. It only afforded a few notebooks. They were truly at a loss. Suddenly, the church members arrived at their home, and explained that they had come to distribute free notebooks to their children. The parents were overwhelmed by this act of generosity!”
Although their children had already been coming to the church, the parents had never responded to the Gospel. Yet now they perceived the notebooks as a miracle, and as their eyes were opened to the greatness of God they gave their lives to Jesus! Because of a simple notebook, their names are now written in God’s own book, forever. Praise God for the churches in Burundi, being inspired and empowered to reach their communities in creative and practical ways with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
