A huge part of why I believe God brought us to Oklahoma was so we could be enveloped in the love of Africans as we ache, hurt, and process. When we moved here Josh drove the moving truck from Indy to OKC, and I drove with the boys in our van. We rented a house in Oklahoma sight unseen, so when I pulled up with the boys, it was the first time we were seeing our new neighborhood and new house. We saw the moving truck in a driveway and pulled up next to it, only to find that 5 Burundian men and our new pastor had already helped Josh unload half the truck.

When we finished unloading, Pastor John and the men came into our home, and we gathered together, holding hands, praising God, and praying over this new home. After prayer, Pastor John began to sing, and we all joined in, Imana ni nziza, Imana ni nziza, Imana ni nziza, ni nziza cane. God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He’s so good to me.

God is so good to bring us to Unbound Church. It has been a blessing beyond words. I tear up every Sunday as we sing familiar songs that we often sang in Burundi, and my mind flashes back to memories of orphans dancing, widows singing, or just hearing the beautiful harmony of a few Burundians humming a familiar tune. Sometimes we have sung songs at church that hit me like a ton of bricks. I close my eyes and let the tears fall as my friends in Burundi come to mind, and I reminisce on hearing the song together as we drove through the mountains to visit widows, attend an event, or travel to English class in the city.

Just like every church across the entire globe, this church is imperfect, but we are so grateful to be a part of this small congregation. Josh has been able to come alongside Pastor John to help carry some loads for him. We have a deep respect for this pastor, and we are privileged and humbled to serve alongside him.

The typical Sunday I’d say is different than the usual American church service. Burundian service is long. In Burundi, most people walk to church, and it is a joy and highlight of their week to get to worship, hear God’s Word (especially for the illiterate), and fellowship with other believers. I feel our worship at Unbound reflects the heart of Burundian church, rejoicing in the day together. Our worship is usually about an hour, but you know what, if it goes longer, it’s okay. Maybe they start singing, and people in the congregation start dancing, and we just keep going with the song. We sing in English, Swahili and Kinyarwanda. Preaching time is very good, it is always translated: English and Kinyarwanda.

From August to May, we have a meal together after the service, except for January when we fast. This meal is to fellowship as a congregation and also because many college students attend (most from East African countries). These students get an opportunity to eat familiar African food, and it is a huge blessing for them. All 3 of our boys said on Sunday that they loved sitting with some college students and talking to them. It is a blessing we didn’t expect as we grieve missing our friends deeply in Burundi, yet meeting new East Africans that we love and are growing together with. We are being blessed by this church and I hope we are being a blessing also. God certainly is good, Imana ni Nziza!