Getting Back Into The African Groove

            If you would like to follow us on a more daily basis, you can follow our facebook page “Balenga Mission to Burundi”. It has been a couple of weeks since I have written. Myself and the kids have been fighting throat infections and bad colds. In the rainy season, the temperatures vastly change, and very

Micah and his fort

Elijah and Joshua on their castle

Savana and her friend

Doing pullups on the B-ball net

quickly! Now, we are all feeling much better and only Savana and Joshua have residual coughs. Occasionally Elijah and Micah say they are not feeling good when they don’t want to go to school! One very good thing with the rainy season, most of the energy used in Burundi is green energy and the cells are rejouvenated with the rain….therefore, we have electricity more often. Yeah! Joshua is often heard yelling….”Yeah, the power is on!”

local store

"school bus"

            The kids are finally into a routine for school! In the mornings, it is a race to see who can get dressed the quickest in their school uniform….even Joshua gets into the challenge. I am including a few pictures of school life….one is of the local store that is just outside the school gates (in case one needs to buy a bignet, a drink or some other small item). Another picture is of the “school bus”, as I call it. It is a truck with a 3 sided cage that arrives at school. The children of the families who pay for the “bus” all climb into the back and it gives them a ride home. This picture is taken when the preschool is over, but the truck returns when all the kids are out and there is usually 20+ kids crammed into the back. I usually shudder when I see the truck barreling down the main roadway with a truck full of kids!

          

At the clinic for stitches!

  Things at GIA have been busy. On an average morning I see 15-25 students who are sick or injured! Many of these illnesses/injuries are very minor but when you are dealing with kids who are away from home for the first time and they are still learning English, things take a lot longer to figure out.  I am amazed that we have so many students at the start of the year who have problems with their eyes. By Canadian standards, when you send your kids to school, one should have their kids eyes checked and glasses ready to go when school starts. We have so many kids who broke their glasses during the summer, or whose eyes started giving them pains, but the parents could not make time to have their child’s needs looked after. As a result, many of our kids are suffering from headaches, eyesight problems and are missing school because the parents could not take time for their kids basic needs. I know that no matter where one lives, life can get very busy. But God has entrusted very precious gifts to us…..our children! We need to make sure that we are making time for our kids and letting them know they are important in life and to us!

LOVE IN ACTION - discipleship group

washing floors

washing shoes and backpacks

GIA girls with some of the orphans

            Charles has been busy getting “Love in Action” off the ground. Two weeks ago they had their first Love in Action with the discipleship team for this year. The group of 20+ kids went to the orphanage, Homes of Hope, and washed the shoes of the orphans and washed the houses where the orphans sleep. The kids and I could not attend as we were sick but we got to see all the pictures! I will let Charles write another blog on that event. 

Thank you to everyone for continuing your support for us!  A few people have asked if the Ebola is affecting us...the answer is NO! We are in East Africa which is over 3000 miles away from the Ebola affected area. We always love to hear from our supporters....it is good to get news from home. Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone!

God bless,

      Charles & Darla,

           Savana, Elijah, Micah, Joshua

If you would like to donate to our mission, you can donate through the Youth for Christ Edmonton website or Bridges of Hope website earmarked "burundi mission".

 

http://www.yfced.com/index.php/donate/how-to-donate
http://www.thebridgesofhope.com/index.php?p=Donate

OR if you prefer you can contact Bridges of Hope via mail:

Bridges of Hope 

PO Box 81 Stn Main
Lethbridge, AB T1J 3Y3