Burundi
On Thursday I went to the visa office to see if I could withdraw my passport fot the weekend so that I could accompany the Carpenters to Burundi. I wasn't too hopeful that I'd get it, but people's prayers must have been effective because I left at 4:00 PM with not only my passport, but also my visa. Of course, since they rushed it through, there was one small mistake: instead of giving me a two year visa, they only gave me a three month one. This means that I'll have to go back in soon and get that fixed.
This last weekend I found myself spending a lot of time in the car. We drove for about six hours on Friday to reach our first stop in Burundi--Kibimbe. There we visited the hospital, church, and primary and secondary schools. We also met the superintendent, clerk of the yearly meeting, youth superintendent, director of the hospital, and several pastors. Then we took a "quick" trip (on one of the bumpiest roads I've been on yet) to see a bridge that Dave Kellum built at a place where about 90 people a year had been dying from trying to cross the river to go to the market.
On Saturday we visited about five churches, one of which had a service to welcome us. Every time Donita (Brad and Michelle's mother) took a picture, they would cheer and afterwards we were mobbed by children wanting to get a closer look at us and women wanting to shake our hands.
On Sunday we attended a big meeting celebrating the setting off of another monthly meeting in the north of Burundi. The meeting went from 9:30 to 3:00. It seemed like just about every important person in the yearly meeting talked, four or so choirs sang, and then Brad preached. Afterwards they served lunch to at least 100 people. We stayed at a Catholic guest house Saturday and Sunday night and then left to return to Kigali on Monday morning at 6:00 AM. It was a quick trip, but we fit a lot in to the three days.
This last weekend I found myself spending a lot of time in the car. We drove for about six hours on Friday to reach our first stop in Burundi--Kibimbe. There we visited the hospital, church, and primary and secondary schools. We also met the superintendent, clerk of the yearly meeting, youth superintendent, director of the hospital, and several pastors. Then we took a "quick" trip (on one of the bumpiest roads I've been on yet) to see a bridge that Dave Kellum built at a place where about 90 people a year had been dying from trying to cross the river to go to the market.
On Saturday we visited about five churches, one of which had a service to welcome us. Every time Donita (Brad and Michelle's mother) took a picture, they would cheer and afterwards we were mobbed by children wanting to get a closer look at us and women wanting to shake our hands.
On Sunday we attended a big meeting celebrating the setting off of another monthly meeting in the north of Burundi. The meeting went from 9:30 to 3:00. It seemed like just about every important person in the yearly meeting talked, four or so choirs sang, and then Brad preached. Afterwards they served lunch to at least 100 people. We stayed at a Catholic guest house Saturday and Sunday night and then left to return to Kigali on Monday morning at 6:00 AM. It was a quick trip, but we fit a lot in to the three days.
posted by Chrissy at 4:20 AM
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