From: Simon Guillebaud [mailto:simon@greatlakesoutreach.org]
www.greatlakesoutreach.org
Dear Warriors, 10 May 2009
Latest Burundi Movements
I hope all is good your end.
Here’s an update from us:
I’ve just been at the President’s office today. We are trying to get him to come to do the King’s Conference Centre opening on Friday 22nd May. Please pray he’ll be able to make it, as that will ramp up publicity massively, and get us great exposure. I will then preach to him at his palace on the Sunday, before meeting him with my Dad on the Monday, as Dad’s got a proposal to create a partnership between his old business school and Burundi. May we have wisdom and favour in pursuing that.
So my folks and some other GLO people arrive 19th and 20th in time for the opening. May the opening be innovative, well-run, smooth and God-glorifying. There’s lots of preparation going on, and I really hope we kick things off with a great event.
We’ve managed to film three films in the last ten days, which has released me from a lot of pressure. But we still have some way to go, and what with loads of visitors, trying to pack up our lives here in the next three weeks, and so much else going on, I am still under huge pressure.
The biggest weight on my shoulders is the financial one. As we seek to finish off KCC, there are plenty of additional costs and we are very low on money. GLO had a surplus of over $500,000 last year, knowing we had these big expenses coming, and then with the devaluation of the pound, we lost a lot more as most of our money was in pounds. I don’t expect us to be in this desperate financial position out of habit, but it was unavoidable in this situation. It sometimes means I lose sleep over it, and as everyone looks to me (humanly-speaking), it is constantly on my mind. Yuk! Hopefully I’ll learn whatever the Lord wants to teach me. Can you pray in another few bigger gifts to get us through? Thanks.
The team of eight dentists finish their last day tomorrow. They have been superb. They have treated several thousand patients over the three weeks, and over a thousand have wanted to respond to the offer of salvation. There are so many stories, but here’s just one: Nigel, a dentist from Sheffield, shared in Muramvia prison how he’d had big issues with his brother, until eventually the Lord enabled him to forgive and reconcile. Afterwards, one of the prisoners came up to him with tears in his eyes and said: “I’m due for release next month, and I’ve been planning for ages to kill my brother. But now I’ve given my life to Jesus and have forgiven my brother.” I LOVE THAT. The gospel is so simple yet powerful. How many times over are there other such stories we don’t get to hear, but we know that the Lord is at work. God bless Bill, Susalee and their team, and may the fruit be lasting in those they ministered to both physically and spiritually.
Can I ask you to pray for both our visas to the USA and for our Burundian nationality to come through with minimal hassles please? The latter has been a long time coming because we haven’t been willing to bribe, so may righteousness triumph in this situation.
Family are doing really well. Grace’s skin, particularly downstairs, remains an issue, but we are generally very healthy, which we are so grateful for. Lizzie’s bump is growing beautifully, and although she is absolutely cream-crackered by the end of the day, she’s on good form.
That’ll do for now. Thanks for backing us up in prayer.
Big love to you all,
Simon Guillebaud
Great Lakes Outreach
www.greatlakesoutreach.org