The Africa team has just returned from a two week trip to Uganda and Burundi.  After 2 days of flying we arrived in Uganda Wednesday morning only to find that our bags did not arrive with us!  This was a source of some frustration since not only were we without clothing and other personal items, but a number of things we had brought to hand out including medications were not there.  But the show must go on so we filed a missing luggage claim, loaded up and traveled six hours to Kapchorwa, a district of Uganda.  The next day we began our hectic 3 day schedule which included not only meetings with ARMS (Africa Renewal Ministries) staff from both the Kapchorwa and Bukwa districts, but also the filming of an FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) video.

Two of our members, Ken & Beth had traveled to Uganda in November and had the opportunity to meet a number of people including a woman named Beatrice who is the founder of REACH.  Reach’s goal is to eradicate the practice of FGM in Uganda.  One of the ways they plan on doing this is through an educational video that would be used to not only raise awareness about the dangers of the practice but also to show to prominent leaders within the country who could bring about change.  Beth Fischer is a gifted videographer within Antioch and agreed to assist them.  She with the help of both Ben Edwards and Lori Courtney interviewed 19 people and filmed a reenactment of the practice all in less than 2 ½ days!  Needless to say it was a big task, but they worked tirelessly with a constant smile on their face.  What we heard and found out was mindboggling and at times often disturbing, but it also moved us into action and gave us the stamina we needed to keep going. 

Meanwhile, Ken, John Courtney and I became familiar with the inner workings of ARMS, mainly the child sponsorship program.  We met with the leaders from the Kapchorwa office and also leaders from the Bukwa office including Pastor David and Martin.  Bukwa is an area in the eastern part of Uganda that Antioch is committed to becoming involved in.  It is an area devastated by tribal unrest that is just starting to slowly be pieced back together.  David and Martin are committed to bringing about change in this area, and with Antioch’s help we plan on doing just that.

Following the three days spent in Kapchorwa, we again traveled back to the capital of Uganda, Kampala to debrief and visit ARMS’s headquarters and Ggaba Community Church, which began ARM’s several years ago.  Ken preached at their Sunday morning service, wearing borrowed clothes and a recently acquired gold pinstripe jacket that had shoulder pads.  Although the rest of us received our luggage the day before, his was still missing!  Even with this setback, God was still able to speak through him.  After wrapping up some last minute details we boarded a plane and headed to our next destination, Burundi.

Burundi is a country devastated by war, yet even amidst that God is doing some amazing things. We stayed at the Rainbow Center in the capital city of Burundi called Bujumbura.  The Rainbow Center is a medical facility that also houses infant orphans who have been neglected and abused.  They nurse them back to health, provide them with needed medications, shelter and give them attention and love.  When they feel they are back on track, they set them up with foster parents or adopt them out.  By staying there, the money we paid for the use of their rooms went right back into the center!

Antioch is fortunate to be in the beginnings of a partnership with World Relief in Burundi.  Our very own Dan Brose began the World Relief headquarters there and he and his family lived there for a number of years.  We were fortunate to align our trip with him and his wife Tambry.  They were able to personally show us around a number of the World Relief programs in Burundi including the community rehabilitation program that focuses on rebuilding lives and strengthening communities in the war-torn Nyanza Lac region.  We also saw Turame, the microfinance program, which extends business loans to 3,500 individuals in the Gitega and Bujumbura provinces.  There is also an HIV/AIDS program that is focused on providing education to people concerning the disease and ways to prevent it.

We met some amazing leaders there including Josphat Ngaira, the Burundi Country Director and Emmanuel, a pastor at a local church plant.  Both of these men are working tirelessly to not only ensure the stability of their country but the people within it. Neither are short on vision and believe that change within their country is possible through education!

It was a fast paced whirlwind trip, but God did some amazing things.  We met the right people at the right time!  Everything just fell into place.  We look forward to sharing it all with the Antioch congregation in the upcoming weeks and months.  Please be praying for our partnership with World Relief and ARMS and for the leaders that are working there!

Kimberley Hunt