Our trip is winding down, a short time of ministering in country and an incredibly long airplane ride to America is left. I have been traveling to Burundi for almost 20 years, and I can honestly say I have never had so much difficulty arriving as we did this trip. It took us 3 1/2 days to get here. It was discouraging, difficult, grueling: with a lack of sleep, and painful. We didn’t know if we were going to make it or if we would actually end up turning back around and flying back to the U.S. because of the different challenges we encountered.

From 2 weeks before our trip, it began. Josh was in severe pain because he cracked a tooth and needed an emergency extraction, a week after insurance dropped us. Our dishwasher flooded, and our ceiling began to leak the day before we departed, which turned out to be our A/C, and we need a whole new unit.

Sometimes in life, when things are going awry, you wonder, Lord, did I listen and hear right? I certainly sat there at the wrong airport, in the wrong country, asking Lord, were we wrong to come? Maybe we heard wrong. And the other part of you says, I do know the enemy would hate for us to go, and I do know there is a spiritual battle happening. We continued to pray, and cry, and press into the Lord with the little strength we had.

When we landed in Burundi in my nearly 20 years of coming here I have never had such a smooth experience through customs and security in Burundi. Minus the two missing bags, which showed up a few days later with all contents inside, we had an incredibly smooth time in the airport. As we walked out, it was like all the burdens, all the questioning, and the grueling trip before never even mattered, because of the smiles and open arms we were welcomed by.

We have so many stories to share, but here are some things that people have said to us during our time here to help give you a snapshot of the trip.

“When you told us you were leaving last year, and you would return to visit, we hoped you were speaking the truth, but many people say they’ll be back. Now we see again how much you love us because you haven’t forgotten us. You showed up again, and we see you will be back.”

“We can tell you have not stopped praying for us.”

“We had a problem, and because you came, you helped us with a solution. Thank you very much, keep that heart of love for us, and know we do not forget you.”

“We can’t believe it is true that you’re here, and that you would come to US. Our hearts are overflowing with joy and thanks to God.”

There’s a precious lady I always bought bananas from near where we lived. We all decided we had to stop and see here. She smiled and clapped and joyously hugged every one of us as she said in Kirundi, “Thank God! Thank God for my white people!”

Our friend said, “The people you have stopped to see, all the people who still remember you guys, it’s crazy. No other white people would stop to see a lady on the side of the road selling bananas and then be hugged by her and called ‘Muzungu wanje’ (my white people). You guys have made an impact.”

We didn’t do anything amazing or profound. We just showed up. We lived life with them. We weren’t afraid to get dirty, to do hard things, and to love the people who feel forgotten. It hurts, it’s not pretty, and there’s nothing fameworthy about it, but it is a glimpse into the Kingdom of God if you ask me.

Despite all the difficulties: financial, physical, spiritual, familial, you name it, we’ve felt it, but GOD. Despite all of it, He made a way. They think in Burundi that we are the ones blessing them, but they don’t know the depth to which their friendship has blessed us. The joy for each of us to hug them, to have those precious deep conversations, to play futbol together, to serve the Lord alongside them this week, to hold their babies, to love their children, to rejoice in what God is doing, and to pray together through the concerns and challenges they are facing. God is so good, and we rejoice that He made a way for us to come. Thank you so much to those contributing prayers and financially. We are so humbly grateful. You gave us the opportunity to love these precious people. Here are some photos, and more stories to come in the coming days or weeks!