On Tuesday, our community members, our YADA team, and a few local government officials all joined together to pick up heavy stones for the foundation of our new community center in Kagwema, Gihanga. These rough, sedimentary boulders, hewn from Burundi’s beautiful and lush landscape, have seen so much hardship. They’ve been witnesses to decades of poverty, corruption, war, and famine. They have been used as weapons and blockades or stripped of their minerals to perpetuate systems of oppression. These ancient stones are familiar with the taste of bloodshed, and they have been groaning with all of creation, attesting that things are not as they should be (Romans 8:22).
Yet now they will testify to something new and redemptive as they are placed gently and carefully into the foundation of Kagwema’s community center. These rocks will join with the children of God present here today, “crying out” their age-old anthem, its lyrics drowned out by grief for a season, but now bursting out as a declaration for all to hear: “Peace and glory! King Jesus has come!” (Luke 19:38-40).
We recognize the news of the community center in Kagwema might come as a bit of a surprise, considering the last time we wrote, we were talking about building homes. So let’s back up and get you up to speed!
As we’ve been working together towards the physical development of Kagwema, it became increasingly obvious that we need to have a proper space to facilitate spiritual development. There is nowhere to meet that offers any kind of privacy or protection from the beating sun or heavy rain. We don’t have anywhere to store and protect the food and relief goods, to have private and sensitive conversations, to hold community gatherings, or practically, for our team to have a space to work, sleep, and use the loo!
Miraculously, friends saw this need and paid entirely for the building of a community center to be constructed immediately! Words of gratitude do not feel like enough in the face of such an incredible blessing…but, indeed, thank you. We broke ground last week and, if all goes well, the community center will be up and running within the next couple months. Click this video to hear our team share a bit more about what it will look like…
Back in 2012, when Nicola and I were housemates, I remember her always talking about her dream of creating a community center – a physical oasis of safety and healing to serve those who are constantly inundated with the many challenges faced in this country. She has continued to carry that dream and vision as long as I have known her. It is a joy to see that vision come to life now in Kagwema.
As I said in the video, it is very important to us that we are not imposing our visions and plans on this community, but rather, that they would lead the way in transformation. We can say with confidence that the community not only sees the value in building this community center but strongly desires a space for gathering, having private conversations, cooking together, and keeping the food relief secure. Instead of hiring an outside team of construction workers, the community wanted to be involved in the building process, so we’ve hired them to do the work! This is deeply valuable, as they are personally invested in the development of their community – they are building it with their own hands!
By building this center, we are taking a huge step in reclaiming the land for the Kingdom of God. We join with all of creation in declaring that Kagwema will be a place of hope, healing, and freedom. This will be a place where King Jesus reigns and those who enter here will believe that they are seen and known (“yada”) by him.
Prayer Requests
– Please be praying for protection over the community and our team as they build the community center amid heavy and scorching heat
– Please pray for peace and unity with the wider community surrounding Kagwema
– Please pray for provision as we look towards kicking off our housing campaign – building quality houses is not an inexpensive endeavor.
– Please pray for Burundi at large – we’ve had disastrous flooding country-wide, a severe fuel shortage, and worsening problems with power and water. All of these things make progress very difficult.
THANK YOU!