26 Apr Continued adventures from Burundi, Africa in 2024
In August of 2024 I returned to Burundi, Africa with a two-prong goal.
First, I was reconnecting with 6 young adult orphans involved with Sister Connection https://sisterconnection.org/ who I have not only taught first aid skills to but have invited them on the adventure of learning. how to become teachers of the curriculum I created back in 2022. These amazing, brave, committed, and talented young adults are eager to learn more to sharpen their skills in first aid. They also had their first opportunity to team teach with me to a small group of new young adult orphan students at Mount Hope where Sister Connection has a classroom. Pics show 2024 new students and student teachers, apprentice teacher, students practicing skills, moulage wounds, loving on a baby manikin and also
My second goal was to partake in a yearly sponsored “camp” for for other widows and orphans sponsored by Sister Connection. While participating with several hundred young adults in learning and worship, a very young boy walked into the event. He shared with Sister Connection staff how he was a full orphan (lost mother and father) and had been staying with some distant relatives who had been abusing him. He was seeking refuge. During his sharing, God impressed upon me some things I felt He wanted me to do and share. After getting permission from Sister Connection staff and facilitating as my interpreter, I reminded the young boy that God truly does love him and that the people who mistreated him were not representing God and His love. He nodded his head in agreement. I then asked him if I could “pretend” to be the people who mistreated him and acknowledge that what “I” did was wrong and would he forgive me. The young boy looked confused and asked me why I’d take on being someone bad and I said, “because that is what Jesus did for you and me”. After he thought for several moments, he agreed. After he heard me confess and verbally forgave me, I then asked if I could now become someone else to him. I asked if I could become his earthly father and hold him as a good, loving father would want to. He hesitated a moment and then nodded his head in wanting to be held (unbeknownst to me, someone was listening and took the two pics I have include also). It was an amazing and powerful time of God’s Holy Spirit being present and filling that room as well as our hearts and minds. Thank you, heavenly Father for Your forgiveness, grace, and love to us.
