“Blessed are the Feet…”

Instant smiles, embraces, then spontaneous singing………that is how you are greeted in Burundi!  We could not have received a more beautiful reception!  With hugs and kisses to the cheeks, we met all the women and were introduced to the center to see where God is actively at work. As the ladies in the sewing training made their way back to their sewing area, the familiar “call and response” Burundi style of singing began with great joy and intensity.  “Ajabu….Ajabu…..Ajabu” was the repeated refrain from one of their songs of praise…”God is GREAT! God is GREAT!” One song rolls into another in a seamless flow of praise and thanksgiving, thanking God for His goodness, that we are His and that together, we are His family.  Then another round of song thanking Him for the friends who have come to be with them because of His love…………overwhelming and beautiful.

As we see the work the women are doing, including the beautiful dresses they are wearing that they made themselves, we see the pride and confidence that would not have been seen months ago when they first started their training. Not only are they quickly learning sewing skills, but they are growing in their knowledge of the Lord and who they are in Him. Our dear sister, Peace, who leads the ministry, introduced us to her helpers, sharing of how important each of them are to the work. 

Moving into the courtyard, more singing and dancing (love the way they truly celebrate in this culture!), and in an unexpected movement, many of the women move toward us, bending down, touching and dusting our feet.  Peace could see that we are totally taken by surprise by this and explained that they were symbolically washing our feet and blessing them for coming so far to be with them.  Imagine!  We have come to serve them and they are washing our feet……….could there be anything more humbling than this.  Later Peace said that this is the first time she has ever seen them do this – but they have been praying for us for so long and looking  forward to our coming that this is how they chose to show their appreciation. They found it hard to believe that we would actually come from so far; “how God must love us to have sent you,” they said.  We could not have been more grateful to be here with them than at that moment.

After this bonding morning, we returned to the King’s Conference Center where we are staying to prepare for the dedication ceremony and official opening of the ministry center’s new affiliation and name, now the Homecare Fellowship Center/Burundi.  Tirzah’s partnership in Africa has changed somewhat in organization, though retaining the same leaders we have been working with in Africa. The official registration of the network is now called Homecare Fellowship, which was founded by Judy Mbugua in Nairobi years ago.  It has grown now into many affiliations in a number of countries here, and will be the official registration for this ministry in Burundi.

Africa greatly honors ceremony and protocol.  This ceremony would be no exception. With lively music and dancing as the prelude , the official greetings to representatives of the mayor’s office, embassy, a number of pastors and other ministry leaders began. Then Micki and Carrie from our team sang a beautiful duet, which they truly appreciated.  John and Diane brought greetings on behalf of Tirzah, and Judy Mbugua, who had come from Nairobi for this special dedication, shared the keynote speech/challenge.  There is nothing timid about the way Judy Mbugua teaches!  Straight forward, with the conviction and power of the Holy Spirit, she took us to Exodus to examine five women in the story of the birth and early days of Moses.  As she talked about the importance of roles God designed for each of them and their place in preparing the deliverer of the Israelites, she challenged all women to examine their own role as they are presently placed in their environment.  Professional woman, wife, mother, single girl, woman of privilege or servant, each of the women in this account had a God-ordained role to play that affected the life of their nation and the world.  It is just as true today.  Her challenge was to all women to be the women God created them to be, fulfilling the role He designed just for her, to be a standard bearer for Christ, and stand for justice and righteousness in an age that is so lacking and in need of Truth.  It was a special charge to the women of Burundi to rise and be a strong force in the restoration of their country, but we all felt enormously challenged to consider how God wants to use each of us, not only here while we are in Burundi, but at home and anywhere He places us.

What an incredible day of rejoicing, connecting, and instantly feeling community with these dear sisters!  We’ve only just begun and are praying earnestly for the next days and all that the Lord wants to accomplish.  But we know one thing……we are so grateful to be here! We have already been humbled and blessed in ways we never imagined.  As the women lovingly touched our feet, we felt the touch of Jesus, saw His servant’s heart and sensed an outflow of His love not only on our feet, but over our entire being and hearts.  It is our prayer that they will experience the same through us.

 Diane for the team