Dear Friends and Family,
A few weeks ago some costumes came out of hiding. They had been packed away in the store room just long enough to become "new" again, and it was great fun to watch the boys digging through the box and exclaiming over each item. I remembered donning fancy dress-up dresses and high heels and pretending to be a Mommy when I was little. Funny how boys don't dress up like Daddy… or do they? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that though the boys weren't dressing up in Jesse's old clothes, they were definitely dressing up like Daddy…
BOB THE BUILDER
This month Jesse has been supervising repairs and additions to the playground at Ephphatha School for the Deaf.
Soil testing to see if the Discovery School property can support a two story building will take place in early March, and then, Lord willing, we will pour the foundation for our new classroom block. We have enough rooms for next year, but will need new ones for the year after that. Please pray that God will provide for us to complete the building—especially the classrooms that are needed for the 2012-2013 school year.
The Bible School construction/renovation is still a work in progress. The bathrooms are only half finished, and the water tower is going up…
SAFARI PLANNER
We are praising the Lord for Charlotte, a 19-year-old volunteer from Ohio who arrived on February 16 and will be staying with us until July. She will be working at the Discovery School and teaching English, as well as helping watch our boys so I can spend some extra time working on school projects.
Our friend Ning from Oregon will be using her vacation time to come for a two week visit beginning on March 5. She wants to help with the accounting and administration needs, and is coming to scout out whether there are things she can do long-distance or whether God is calling her to move here full time. She will be bringing some technology items, so please pray that her luggage gets through safely and without customs' charges.
Please pray that God will bless both of them and their time here.
FILM PRODUCER
The film team continues to go out every other weekend, showing Christian films in small villages all over Burundi in conjunction with various local assemblies. Over 160,000 people have now heard the gospel as a result of this ministry.
The team has also made their own film, a story about a Burundian army colonel who comes to know the Lord. Please pray that the last bit of editing will be completed soon, and that God will use this film for His glory.
SECURITY GUARD
Jesse's childhood friend will be staying in our little annex room for the next few months. During Burundi's civil war, he fled to Kenya. During his years there he married a Kenyan and had a little girl. After the war ended, his refugee status was revoked and he was forced to return to Burundi, leaving his wife and daughter behind. He had no job and no hope of every being able to get enough money to see them again. He started drinking and eventually became an alcoholic. This past month first his father and then his mother passed away. When he came to tell Jesse about his mother's death and we realized how badly he was doing, we felt God was calling us to intervene. This friend is now using our home as a kind of rehab center. He can leave if he looks Jesse in the eye and tells him he doesn't want to try any more, but as long as he does want to try we will house him and feed him, study the Bible with him, and encourage him in every way possible to keep on. He grew up knowing the way of salvation and professing to be a Christian. Please pray that God will touch his heart and continue to draw him back to Himself.
FIREMAN
Putting out fires is a great metaphor for the way Jesse spends most of his time. He trouble shoots for all of the assembly ministries, and has handled this months' fires well---from the tiny fires of broken photocopiers and the Bible School's new water line taking all the water away from the guest house; to the more serious blaze of an employee caught stealing money from the Discovery School. We are praising the Lord for his help and wisdom. We are also very thankful for the local "fire brigade" of godly Burundians that have input into these decisions, particularly Lucien, the Barundi who now serves as the administrative director of the Discovery School.
PREACHER
This past month Jesse had the opportunity to preach both at our local assembly and at an assembly in the center of town. He is also leading our home assembly's Bible study on the book of Judges on Thursday afternoons.
SOLDIERS
Our whole family needs your prayers on this front, as we all have our own battles to fight. Other than Elliot's mild case of malaria last month, the boys have been healthy! Their little immune systems are fighting hard. Praise the Lord with us and pray that it will continue!
Zach definitely fights some challenges at school as well—he continues to struggle with the language barrier, and this month he was bullied by several older children. Praise the Lord that He worked in Zach's heart, reminding him to love his enemies—today he came home announcing that he and the boys were now friends. Please continue to pray that he will adjust and grow to love school.
Jesse continues to struggle with his tooth—he had a botched root canal six months ago. The tooth was pulled last week, but now there is an infection where the tooth used to be… all this sets off his fibromyalgia, so he continues to fight against pain each day.
For me the battle has been learning to balance the demands of the Discovery School and our now larger family. Recovery after this baby is taking me longer in every way, and I'd appreciate your prayers.
Please pray that as we press on in the Lord's work that we will put on the full armor of God so that we will be able to fight against the devil's schemes and after we have done everything, to stand.
TRANSFORMER
This is one job we are thankful we DON'T have. We praise the Lord that he is the great Transformer who changes people's hearts from the inside out, and we are thankful that he chooses to use all of us to further the work of his kingdom in Burundi. Thanks for letting him use you—both where you are and as part of His work here.
God Bless,
Joy (for Jesse and the boys)
