Meet Stacy

Stacy, if you weren’t able to surmise from the photo, is the most precious four-year-old girl that has yet existed. Stacy latched onto me from the very beginning, enamoured by a strange new light-coloured friend. Every time she sees me, no matter how far away she is, she yells "muzungu!" or her attempt at my name, then runs and jumps into my arms. And I might as well not even bother trying to let her down. Stacy is hilariously exuberant, and very quickly has me bent double in laughter. If ever I succeed to let her down from my arms, she promptly plunges herself into an over-zealous portrayal of traditional Burundian dance or runs off with an object she’s pilfered from my pocket.

Stacy’s mother is a young, orphaned relative of Cassien. At the same time as trying to put her daughter through school, she also is finishing her studies. Because of all the challenges they face, Stacy hasn’t been able to go to a good school. Until today. Someone who has been captured by this little child has eagerly committed to take responsibility for the school fees, school food costs, and uniforms for her to attend a good school, and Monday, today, is her registration.

Let’s remember all the other children in Africa who still aren’t able to go to school at all, and who don’t have parents to care for them. The future of these children is in God’s hands; the future of this continent is in the balance. If anyone is interested, I’m sure I could easily find a little cutie for you to assist in this way.

Thoughts On Running

I blame it on the elevation. And on the heat. And of course, on the humidity, because you can’t veritably breathe in water and expect to be able to do much more than drown. I expect there’s something about the food I’m eating too. And I’m sure there’s more, all working in synergy to constrain my attempt at running to a mere saunter. But, against all adversity, I’ll persevere, because if nothing else, I’m certainly getting the intended exercise.

Initially, I thought I would be the only one out on the roads in Burundi running for exercise, but I was surprised to observe many other joggers, old and young alike. This is especially the case on weekends. I’m told the observance of weekend exercise by city dwellers originates from the time of the war, so that civilians would be in good form if they were required to augment the military’s numbers in the event of a rebel incursion. There are also the usual footballers or military groups on their training circuits, and certain associations whose members run and sing loudly to raise awareness for one cause or another.

In any case, running in Burundi is invariably an interesting experience. In the mornings before the garbage fires start and myriad inefficient diesel engines infuse the air with that distinctive ‘developing world’ aroma, I’m able to distinguish the scent of the many blossoming trees and of the fresh breeze off the lake. In the evenings before the sun goes down, people bathe or wash their prized bicycles in the ditches, sorry-looking figures rummage through piles of trash, and long-horned cattle block the road on their way to better pastures. In one sense it’s a rest from the unceasing begging, as (most) people realize that I wouldn’t be carrying money during exercise. In another sense it only serves to reinforce the dichotomy of my existence here: I run not only to be in shape, but also because I eat more than I need, whereas, many people who greet me as I pass might not eat at all that day.

Seen in that light it becomes apparent that the obstacles I face in attempting to ‘find my lungs’ are hardly real obstacles at all.

Meet Gaspard

Gaspard is a thin, quiet man whose continuous smile is contagious. He lives in Kirundo, northern Burundi, with his wife and nine children. Last year during the famine, Gaspard was especially concerned about his youngest daughter who was sick from malnourishment. He was worried that he would have to leave his home and travel to Rwanda to find employment to provide for himself and his family. Thankfully, he was approached by the director of a new Help Channel Burundi-sponsored tree nursery in his community and was given employment. He was also thankful for the food that he received in payment for his labour: cans of lean turkey meat provided by Mennonite Central Committee and flour purchased with funds from American Friends Service Committee. With this food he was able to nourish his daughter and have her discharged from the malnourishment centre, and he could provide for the rest of his family as well. With employment in his own commune, he is able to remain living at home with his family, and is meaningfully contributing to the restoration of the surrounding environment through the growing and planting of trees. Having worked hard, he has been able to save up and sell enough extra cans of turkey to purchase a small plot of coffee that will be a sustainable source of revenue. He hopes that his efforts at the nursery will help to ensure food and water security in the future so that he and his commune will not experience another famine like last year. He also hopes that the food-for-work program will continue until there is a greater measure of food security in his province.

Meet Cassien

Cassien is the director of Help Channel Burundi, the non-profit, Burundian NGO to whom I am seconded from MCC. Cassien is my neighbour and close friend. He is also a big businessman here in Burundi, although he has relinquished prosperity and instead works for the benefit of the poor. With the revenue from their various businesses, Cassien and his wife, Beatrice, care for 40 relatives orphaned from the war or from HIV/AIDS. He strives to ensure that each has food and clothes, can attend school, and can remain in the house of their parents. On top of all of that, I have just learned that Cassien is also building three schools in the east of the country; I don’t doubt there is more. Cassien has a wonderful laugh and a good sense of humour, and is very fun to spend time with. Even though it is very fun to spend time with him, it is always very humbling. How is it that I find myself in Africa, surrounded by undignified poverty, and in the presence of people like Cassien who have renounced false security to live for something truly worthwhile, and yet I am still selfish? Sure, in a sense I have given up comfort and security, and have dedicated the next several years to become somewhat like Cassien, but it is such a slow process and daunting in scope. Do I have what it takes to let go of ‘me’ and so to truly realize the potential of who I am meant to become? Honestly, I don’t know; but I am glad to have a friend like Cassien whose life is a constant encouragement to ambitiously pursue the good of those in need. I would like very much for you to meet him someday.

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10.39)

a new look

hey- a new year, a new look. maybe i should get a haircut, too; i'm not sure i like either. perhaps more change is in order.

click on the title to check out my friend sara's site. she's posted some more photographs of the holidays and other happenings here in bujumbura.

also, please check out brian and erin's site (rowaans in africa), allowing you to follow them as they traipse extensively across the continent. it was most excellent to have old friends here during the holidays.

a new year

sunset in kigoma

Christmas in bujumbura was a wonderful holiday celebration, and a welcome escape from the consumerist frenzy that most of us are accustomed to getting sucked into, including myself, despite our yearly resolutions to behave otherwise. i am very encouraged by my friend joseph, who, rather than making an extensive list of current gadgets of desire, told everyone that he only wanted for them to donate trees through mcc on his behalf, in order to help reforestation projects in environmentally poor countries such as burundi. thanks joseph. on Christmas eve, a number of people gathered at the brose's house after church to celebrate. in the morning on Christmas day, together with doug, deanna and maddy hiebert, as well as brian and erin rowaan, who are at the midway point of their extensive four-month tour of africa, we exchanged a few small gifts and ate a wonderful breakfast. in the afternoon, we returned to the brose's for an incredible turkey dinner that was perhaps even more elaborate than i would have had with my extended family at home!

after Christmas, the hieberts, the rowaans, and i travelled to kigoma, tanzania, to spend new year's at a beach front guest house on lake tanganyika. more so than any place i've been yet, it was paradise. a secluded, cinnamon- sand beach on a crystal clear, salt-less ocean. we shared it only with the monkeys and the occasional monitor lizard. beyond the sandy beach stretched kilometres of rocky coastline, offering boulders and cliffs from which to jump into the water. we ate our fill of fresh fish each afternoon and evening, and consumed an alarming number of pineapple (better than any i've ever had before, purchased in town for about $0.09 each!)

so, it's difficult to miss home when you are in paradise, but i was often thinking about you, my friends and family, and how it would have been even more enjoyable had i been able to experience these things with you. perhaps one day i will get to show you some of the wonderful places i've discovered. thank you to everyone who has been sending emails; it is a gift to be reminded that friends and family are remembering me, especially during the holiday season.

Christmas blessings to each of you as we begin this new year.

here are some photos of the holidays:deanna and maddybrian and erinsettlers at the brose's on Christmas evegift exchange game at the brose's on Christmas evedoug showing us how it's done in kigomabrian and erin watch the sunset atop a mammoth boulder on new year's eve in kigoma