The sun has just risen here in Bujumbura. We’re here for a brief 12-day trip. It’s good to be back and take part in the goings-on at the church and Hope Center feeding site and school. I’ve not yet seen the school since it opened in September last year. I was here when we began building and have overseen the project from afar. It’s a blessing to have a good team on the ground who work well together. I just have to watch out for the crocodiles.
Fuel shortages and lines at the stations
Working in this part of Africa is not easy. For years we’ve struggled with fuel shortages. Sometimes it eases up and then other times it is almost impossible to find fuel, like it is now. When we landed yesterday, we were blessed to have arranged for fuel in the days prior to arriving.. Driving into town, the small number of vehicles on the road was an indicator of how bad things are at the moment. Gas stations, with no fuel of course, had long lines of vehicles parked, waiting until fuel is delivered.
These fuel shortages have a knock-off effect on everything in the nation. Children struggle to get to school because public transport is practically non-existent. There’s no fuel for buses to run regularly. Food prices have risen dramatically because it costs more to transport food so our Hope Center feeding costs have risen.
Watch out for crocodiles, the power is off
Together with fuel shortages, there are regular and prolonged water and power cuts. Businesses, hospitals, and private households struggle. No one is exempt from these hardships. I’ve worked and lived long in this part of Africa and the current situation here in Burundi is by far one of the most challenging I’ve ever seen.
Mother Nature has not been kind to this region either. We are (hopefully) at the end of a very heavy rainy season. Parts of the city are already prone to flooding every year but this year the floods have gone beyond the norm. Villages and some of the main roads in the city have been inundated. Crocodiles and hippos (yes you read correctly) now pose a great risk to the population as they move into flooded homes and businesses. There are reports of fatalities when people have attempted to return to their flooded homes to collect belongings left behind.
It’s not an easy time for Burundi, especially when having to watch out for the crocodiles.
Uncomfortable for sure but also grateful
But here we are and we’re grateful to be here. Grateful for the opportunity to see God at work in spite of the current situation. Sure we have to adjust how we work. We can’t drive around without thinking of the fuel situation; we have to be smart. However, at the end of the day, God has to make it all happen. It’s tempting to worry, for example, about getting food supplies to the feeding site. However, worry won’t help at all. It will just raise our stress levels. I just remind myself that since we started the Hope Center, God has been faithful and we’ve not missed one day of feeding the children.
Yes, it’s uncomfortable to work in this setting. But, it is also fulfilling. When things get as difficult as they are, we have no choice but to trust God. He is well aware of what is happening here and in your life. He’s not standing in a hallway somewhere with His arms crossed, shaking His head and wondering, “I don’t know how we’re going to get them out of this situation.”
We are tempted to feel that even God doesn’t even watch out for the crocodiles 🐊.
Standing in our own way and watching out for the crocodiles
I am sure that when we leave on the 24th, the feeding will carry on and we will get done what needs to get done. I will have seen the school and brainstormed with the team our strategy for the coming months. When God starts something, He is faithful to see it through. We’re the ones who struggle to believe that He’s faithful. We are the ones standing in our own way.
How do we get out of the way? We have to step aside. It’s easier said than done I know but what other option do we have? Worrying only hurts us (see Luke 12:24-26). When we act out of worry (unbelief), we muddy the waters. Step aside today. Remove the burden of making things work from your shoulders. This may bring a time of discomfort because of being so accustomed to making things happen on your own. But once you make the leap to trust God – life changes for the better.
Just watch out for the crocodiles.
