Something we have already been experiencing is a glimpse of the painful realities that come with poverty and life in a 3rd world country. Our friends daughter got so sick we feared for her life, now we rejoice that God healed her and she was able to get proper medical care. Today her family is coming over to have a celebration dinner at our house that God healed this child. Turashima Imana! We praise God!

However, sometimes He doesn’t heal, and in a poverty stricken country that can happen often. The stories of death we hear are common, in a country that was war torn for 12 years, most friends Josh and my age have had father, brothers, family members and friends killed. It has however hit us hard to see the lack of access to medical care and the extreme poverty they live in so they can’t afford to get to a good hospital let alone afford the bill. It’s a harsh and difficult reality. Today we rejoice with one family and grieve with another family. Our dear friend, Boaz, whom I have known for 15 years lost his niece this past week. She was 13 years old and had a very short battle with blood cancer. It is very difficult to hear and difficult to know the deep grief they are experiencing as a family.

Boaz has been in Kenya, he finished his studies to become a doctor and has been working in Kenya, but working to raise support with WGM to come back to where his heart is: in Burundi to serve his people. Boaz is a Sister Connection orphan, he says, “God blessed him and carried him through such difficulties how could he not serve God wholeheartedly?” His extended family is in Burundi and when his niece got sick they flew her to him in Kenya to begin chemo treatment under the watchful caring eyes of Boaz.

Anny Ly-Princia Ihimbazwe passed away while in Kenya. The family has been working on getting her body back to Burundi and Boaz and his family are traveling to Burundi next week to be with family during this difficult time. God willing we will have the opportunity to see them, pray with them and grieve with them next week.

I asked Boaz if there were financial needs, especially knowing how expensive getting the body back might be and he directed me to a church that supports them in the U.S. This church has set up a giving page to go directly to Boaz and his family, so if you would be interested in giving anything this family would be deeply blessed and appreciative. In any case, please, be praying for Anny’s family as they grieve this precious young girl’s life and rejoice that she is whole and with Jesus.

From Boaz:

They can do it through the website or they can send money to the church.
1) direct them to www.ccborrego.com on the upper right there is the menu called “GIVE”. If they click on that they can see a drop down menu that asks “What should this donation go towards?” My name (Boaz) is part of the drop down menu. They can put in the amount and they have the option to make it a one time gift or a monthly gift.
2) They can address a check to “The Christian Center” and put my name (Boaz Niyinyumva) in the memo line of their check and mail it to “The Christian Center, P.O. Box 2429 Borrego Springs, CA 92004.

I will not be consistently offering ways to give on my blogs, but this I felt I had to share with people. Many of you met Boaz when he visited us May of 2023, he is a man of God and he is an important friend of ours. Whether you feel led to give financially or not, please pray. You going to the throne of God on behalf of these people you don’t know, but you choose to love is important, impactful and effective. I cannot thank you enough for your faithful prayers not only for my family, but for the ministry here, the ways you lift the people we love up has been astonishing to us. Thank you for loving us and loving those we serve so well.

Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”