25 November 2009
From: Simon Guillebaud [mailto:simon@greatlakesoutreach.org]
www.greatlakesoutreach.org
25 November 2009
Dear All,
Greetings!
No more visa news as yet – continued prayers appreciated on that one. Family’s battling various ailments. I’m recovering from the snip! Busy preaching period coming up.
Right, for those interested, I thought I’d include an edited version of my report to the Trustees on the back of my recent visit. I’ve just removed a few sensitive issued that can’t be exposed so widely. They include plenty of ammunition for prayer and praise:
GLO Report, November 2009
Below is a summary of my trip to Burundi from the 5th-19th November, writing it bleary-eyed in the airport at 544am(!):
I leave Burundi feeling incredibly encouraged with what GLO is involved in. As a nation, Burundi remains in a huge mess, with crippling corruption, an ever-expanding population, limited economic prospects, and fragile peace, yet I remain hopeful that elections next year will be peaceful, investors will come to Burundi, and our partners will continue to grow in their nationwide impact.
I did a weekend of outreach upcountry with Scripture Union to the same area as our first Bible camp ten years ago. It was the one day of the month that all the various boarding schools in the vicinity were allowed into town, and we had 600 students come for a 4-hour worship and teaching session. I remember the 150 or so who came ten years back, and I wonder whether that means that the Church has grown four-fold, or simply SU’s impact has. My assessment is that SU’s role has definitely increased by at least that, but also the Church has grown at a significant rate.
King’s Conference Centre was humming with activity. I left with all but one room taken (i.e.29 out of 30, and that for four successive nights), having just had a few days with 200 guests, and us being featured on national television (which apparently is very common and provides lots of further publicity). There is one or more conferences taking place every single week day of this month. KCC’s reputation is now firmly established within six months of being formally opened. We have just taken on 18 new staff, meaning a total of 51 staff, i.e. 51 families being provided with an income. The place has a reputation for excellent customer service, absolute cleanliness, and good food. The room rate has increased, the restaurant is bringing in lots of business, the weights room now has 68 monthly subscribers at $40/month+ (and still increasing – the President’s wife comes three times a week with a dozen bodyguards, and she’s lost 5kg so far!). Goretti has huge respect from her staff, and is getting things done. Olivia is complementing her brilliantly. All the guests – particularly foreign ones – were effusive in their praise. I am not minimizing the fact that there are still plenty of needs outstanding to get to where we want to be, but it brought tears of joy to my eyes to see it performing beyond my more optimistic expectations. Plans have been drawn up by a Russian architect for the new neighbouring land, and Olivia is working on a building proposal in conjunction with Goretti and Munezero. A new 18% VAT surcharge is now in operation country-wide, which will cut our profits. Consequently to pay for 18 more staff we are from December almost doubling the room prices, and it will be interesting to see whether that affects occupancy rates.
Partners Trust International is going great guns. Emmanuel was just back from several weeks in the States, but meantime everything seems to run fine without his leadership. Their Bible-training is proving very fruitful and much in demand, so they will start the second intake soon. One literally absolute God-send is a young Burundian who has just returned from getting converted at the end of his first week in the USA, studied business and then got a Masters in Theology, and will now take over the running of the Bible school, which is a massive weight off Emmanuel’s shoulders. His pressing family needs are for a house and car, and the building work is incomplete for lack of funds. His networking is growing and the fellowship is well-attended.
I went upcountry with Onesphore to see the evolution of his pygmy project for Harvest for Christ. It is going well, and is the subject of our Christmas appeal, which will hopefully bring in further funding. He continues to have a stunning work-rate, and everything he does is done with total excellence. His wife has moved to France for two years which will curtail his movements upcountry, as he needs to be at home for his two and four-year-old.
Evangelism Explosion is growing such that we have needed to go from one to three workers, and I really feel it is on the edge of take-off. Progress is simply superb. Burundi is the flagship country out of twelve in the area, and this is down to the caliber of our guys.
We went to the Youth for Christ orphanage as well, which is going on beautifully. The school is now operating in the new classrooms, with 137 students now. The orphans are so loved and loving, and there is an exciting prospect of twinning them with professionals’ children from Bujumbura in an exchange program over Christmas with would involve reciprocal visits and relationship-growing over the coming years. The medical centre is built but awaiting equipment coming from Canada. (STOP PRESS – LITTLE AUDREY HAS BEEN RUSHED TO HOSPITAL IN BUJUMBURA, VERY SICK, AND REGIS THE DIRECTOR IS ALSO ILL, PLEASE PRAY)
I am happy to report that Zenon’s health is better, which bodes well for UGBB, as his incapacity affected how much they did. They are still very limited by funding but are doing what they can.
APRID presented me with ambitious plans and a big budget for their outreach to Muslims, which I actually think they could deliver on, but we can’t. So I am pleased with how stable they seem to be now, with apparently good relationships within the team, and a switched on Legal Rep (overall indirect authority) kicking them into shape. Our financial limitations preclude greater financial contributions.
Our financial situation is weak. We only have about $50k in the bank once we factor in building the Kanyosha wall, which means we cannot consider anything beyond upkeep at the moment. The DVDs are selling well and I hope will take-off in a big way. In any case, they will open huge doors in all sorts of areas, I have no doubt.
So I’m thrilled at the overall picture. I’m confident in Olivia on the ground. She’s an absolute cracker. It was a very worthwhile and appreciated trip in terms of showing GLO’s ongoing commitment. I expect I’ll go back in about May time.
God bless you all,
Simon Guillebaud
Ideas for Christmas presents:
Our 13-films-on-DVD at www.more-than-conquerors.com
Pygmy project gifts at http://www.greatlakesoutreach.org/Groups/110660/Great_Lakes_Outreach/Get_Involved/Burundi_Christmas_Appeal/Burundi_Christmas_Appeal.aspx
Great Lakes Outreach
PO Box 2379, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29465 US
www.greatlakesoutreach.org