“Burundi, Africa…now where is that?” #1 question I get asked after telling people we are going to Burundi. Well, Burundi is a tiny country in the heart of Africa. Rwanda, Tanzania and the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) are the 3 countries around Burundi. To the east of the country is Lake Tanganyika the second deepest freshwater lake in the world by depth and volume. Burundi is about the size of the state of Maryland not even 11,000 square miles, but has about 11.5 million people living there, about twice as many people as the state of Maryland. Burundi is one of the most densely populated countries in the world per square kilometer.

Only about 10% of the population has electricity, half the population have cell phones and only 6% of the population has internet usage. Burundi is one of the world’s most impoverished countries, with 87 percent of the population living below the World Bank’s poverty measure of $1.90 per day, 80-90 percent of the population reliant on agriculture (mostly subsistence farming) and a youth unemployment rate of about 65 percent.

More recently, in the 90’s Burundi had a 12 year ethnic, civil war. From 1994-2006 there was conflict between the ethnic groups of Hutu and Tutsi. Many were killed in this war, especially men, leaving many women widowed and children without a father. It was from this war that the organization of Sister Connection was birthed. An American woman, Denise Vibbert, who had been an MK (missionary kid) in Burundi was in contact with a Burundian friend of hers named Joy Buconyori. Denise said, to Joy, “what are we going to do about all these widows and orphans?” That was it. Two friends did something, with no plans of impacting thousands, they simply said there’s a need right there, what can we do?

As God would have it now, Sister Connection has been continuing to grow and provide healing, hope and dignity to the widows of Burundi after the war. By God’s providence I met Denise when I was fresh out of college and she became a dear friend and mentor quickly. I began volunteering with Sister Connection and was happy to be “helping” the widows and orphans through Sister Connection while staying in my comfortable office seat in America. Denise told me in late June of 2009 I should travel to Burundi with her for 5 weeks to see what Sister Connection really is on the ground level.

I never wanted to go to Africa, I already traveled a lot and Africa was never on my list. I didn’t like the idea of committing to 5 weeks, because what if I didn’t like it. So, I said, well, I’ll try to raise the money and we’ll just see if this is what God wants. You know I gave a good Christian answer that got her off my back and gave me a good out. I sent out a couple letters and within 2 weeks I had all the money I needed. So, I went to Africa.

The first week of being in Africa I felt uncomfortable, hot and out of place. I would stare up at the sky because NOTHING else was familiar. I remember sitting in my hotel room and realizing I could keep feeling this uncomfortable or I could ask God to change me. I was listening to my iPod and the song Hosanna by Hillsong came on. I remember praying as I sang the lyrics “break my heart for what breaks Yours, everything I am for Your kingdoms cause.” I prayed it in humility, lacking faith and completely unaware of how He would answer and He answered it.

I fell in love as I traveled through the mountains of Burundi, all around the heat of Bujumbura as I met Burundians, I heard their stories and I saw their God. The faith of some of the widows and people I met changed my life by challenging my faith and my relationship with God. I was in one of the worlds poorest countries, certainly one of the most forgotten countries and amongst some of the countries most forgotten people and I broke. I didn’t just break because of their poverty, I broke because. I saw my own spiritual poverty. James 2:5 says, “Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”

I saw this Scripture firsthand. The poorest people in the world were completely blowing away my American christianity, in the best way possible. God ruined me there too, in the best way possible. Now every starving child isn’t just a sad face they have a name, a story and a life that matters. I have a passion for every single widow and orphan to know they are not forgotten but are loved and cherished by God.

Last year in 2022 my husband and 3 boys went to Burundi with me and all of us are humbly grateful for the opportunity God is orchestrating for us to serve as a family and I’m excited to see how God will grow our faith immensely in one of the most impoverished countries in the world.