From: Simon Guillebaud [mailto:simon@greatlakesoutreach.org]
www.greatlakesoutreach.org
30 April 2009
Dear Warriors:
Feeling the Pressure and Feeling the Heat in Burundi!
Oh, not another email from Simon, he's overloading us here a bit! Sorry, I hope you don't feel that way.
The reason for this missive particularly is Freddy, although I'll add other stuff and make the most of it whilst I'm at it.
Freddy (my best buddy here, head of YFC) and his wife Josee are due to fly to the USA for speaking engagements and a conference next week. They are also planning to go to Canada. They have their US visas but had to send off their passports by post to the Canadian Embassy in Kenya for visas to enter Canada. That was three weeks ago, and still the Canadian Embassy hasn't dealt with their passports, and the next several days are public holidays or the weekend, so humanly-speaking this is looking very tricky. If they don't get their passports back, their whole strategic US visit will be ruined. A lot of work and money has gone into making it happen. So please join me in praying that God will make sure their passports, with visas, get back to them despite the apparent unlikelihood of that happening. Please Lord!
KCC is looking great, and we have 50 people eating and meeting there right now. My time with the tourism lady led to a tentative agreement to host the World Bank for a whole month May/June, bring it on! I am both encouraged and discouraged on different levels, and I won't share all the details; suffice to say, the pressure I feel is about as big as any time in my ten years here. Financially we are in big deficit with some significant outstanding needs so that KCC can be what we want it to be. I hated sending that email yesterday asking for more contributions, because I so don't want to become known as always begging for money. I see your role as praying in the breakthroughs, so don't feel I'm asking you to cough up, but please do feel you have a key role to play by praying in some significant big donations so we can get where we need to, and so that I can sleep easier!
Our financially tight situation means that Onesphore's summer activity of sending out 450+ evangelists upcountry for two weeks to do the Acts of the Apostles is in danger. Personally that is the single most exciting venture we're involved in, as the ripple effects of that movement are so wide-ranging. So may we know wisdom on whether to plan for that number or opt for less. We have a third of the needed budget thus far (i.e. need another $28k). That is one of my challenges right now before the Lord: to keep ploughing ahead with all we've planned or to cut back on things. I have lots of financial faith as I've had so many incredible answers in my life, but I'll admit to it being very stretched right now!
Zenon of UGBB (student work) is still long-term sick. Melissa (one of the dentists) is pretty sick right now too. The dental team are total rockstars, four of them right now, with another six arriving on Saturday for a further two weeks. There's been lots of fruit so far. May many more Burundians come to lasting faith, and may the whole team stay healthy so they can minister to as many people as possible.
Our filming project has a very tight time schedule, as I am slowly winding everything up here. May we get everything done without compromising production values. I anticipate this having the most far-reaching effect for our work in due course.
I would love some concentrated prayer on our family. I sense potential avenues of attack there as I am feeling vulnerable and so much is going on. Lizzie's doing so well in the last trimester of her pregnancy, but what with the two kids in this heat, it is extremely draining for her. She will leave with my folks (coming out for KCC opening on 22nd) back to UK in just over a month, with me coming back two weeks later. Two particular prayer concerns are that the baby doesn't come early before Lizzie leaves, and that she doesn't get malaria. Actually, prayers for a clean bill of health for all of us would be great. We're healthy in general apart from Grace's eczema, particularly all round her lower parts, which causes constant irritation. The sweaty heat just doesn't help! Prayers please for safety too, particularly for me on my motorbike, as I have regular close shaves and maybe the enemy is sowing some dark thoughts of impending accident before I leave. At any rate, I know we are not 'under the circumstances' but 'over' them, so do declare God's victory in the heavenlies please on all the above.
God is good! All the time! At a guess another 100 or so people will profess faith today with the dentists. The Kingdom of God in Burundi is advancing. I know your role in that is highly significant. What a privilege we have!
Keep firing,
Simon Guillebaud
Great Lakes Outreach
www.greatlakesoutreach.org