Caring For Those That Serve

Hello,

Prayer points at the top, as requested, but do read on otherwise they won't make a lot of sense.

PRAYER POINTS:

- Please pray for radical witnessing as we demonstrate a better way of managing 'workers'

- Give thanks for the wonderful workforce that supports us out here

- Please pray for provision for uniforms and improved living conditions

With out a doubt, one of the great blessings of living in Burundi are the Burundians who work in homes and businesses...doing the jobs that keep everything working in an environment where simple tasks can be complicated and very time consuming.

In most homes in Bujumbura it is normal to employ a number of people to cook, clean, guard etc... At our house we have a number of people working shifts and at the school we employ around 30 'workers'. The workers allow us to focus on our jobs (small amounts of shopping can take over 1 hour, all washing has to be done by hand, queuing for petrol during a shortage can take 4+) and provide much needed employment in a country where so many are unemployed. Our workers earn, roughly, the same as a state-employed teacher or half the salary of a reasonable office job...but less than the cost of fuelling the car.

However it is common to hear people complaining about their workers, suggesting that they make life harder...not easier. There are always employees that are a challenge...but, as a rule, if you treat those that work for you with respect and manage them properly...they will always go the extra mile for you.

Sadly, workers are often referred to here as the 'little people'...indeed it is so ingrained that even they will refer to themselves like this. More often than not, they are treated very badly. Yet they are men and women we rely on. Today Claude is not at work because his wife is sick...and thrown our day into chaos! As they say...'you don't know what you've got until it's gone'.

So we try and set a new precedent. At home we feed our workers well, smile and say 'Hello', pay hospital bills for them and their families (a relatively small cost for us...everything for them), give them national holidays off and try and appreciate the blessing that they are. And they are legends! Ciza has said that I am the best boss he has ever met...but I don't even speak his language...all I do is say 'Hello'. How crazy is it that saying 'Hello' can rank you as a great employer?!

This term saw the beginning of important work that I must do in the school to set a new standard for how workers are treated. To show that having them is a privilege...not a right. And to show that better conditions might cost in the short term, but pay off greatly in the long term.

Before half-term I finished my meetings with the school's workers. Simple one hour meetings, under a tree, showing some appreciation, discussing changes and listening to issues....then praying together...we are all equal in God's eyes.

I've committed to standardising working hours and duties, providing pension arrangements and improving meals.

We also need to find funds to improve living conditions for those who live on site and also provide proper working clothes and uniforms for them too. IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT...PLEASE LET ME KNOW (jez.wisdom@gmail.com)...I feel that this is something that should be addressed quicker than the school can manage...we continue to suffer financially from last year.

Just before half-term there was a national holiday and so we invited the school's workers to a lunch....cooked and served by the teachers. A radical departure from the normin Burundi, but something we felt was very appropriate. Though the workers seemed unconvinced that it would actually happen without their help!

Lunch was a little late...be an amazing feast was prepared and there was a great time of fellowship and a great opportunity serve. After lunch one of our Primary School teachers decided that 'these men cannot turn up, eat and leave...they must dance!'...and so they did! And so did we! Crazy, weird...but a great leveller. I still hear my night guard watching the footage on his phone with his friends in the evening.

We don't want to create an unaffordable situation or make promises that can't be kept...most of what we will change is either cheap or a cultural change...but I want people to hear that the workers at this Christian school are treated the best...but work the best.

This may not be the main reason we came here...but we feel God is giving us a great opportunity to witness to our employees and other employers.

Please continue to pray for us.

God Bless,

Jez

Total Dependency

Term has settled down, my diary's under control and we're in a routine...so, hopefully, more opportunities for blogs.

I've been told that sometimes our prayer requests are a little hard to find in our blogs; so I'll put them at the top!

Prayer Requests:

- Please pray for the school's leadership as they make and deliver plans for developing the school.

- Pray for the work of our new Pastoral Team...the full time evangelists in the school who are doing amazing work for God.

- Praise God for His faithfulness and the ways in which he provides for us.

- Pray that our journey with God will give hope and encouragement to others.

- Pray for Andrew Cornes, our vicar from the UK, who will be visiting us in a couple of weeks.

PEACE...although it doesn't always feel like it, there has been so much more peace this year than this time last year. Life continues to be challenging, but the blessings are abundant if you take time to look for them.

With the exception of a few minor bumps, the school year has started so well. Enrolments have increased so that we now operate waiting lists. Parents are paying on time or early, enabling us to better manage the final debt from last year. Changes made throughout the school, particularly in the Secondary School, have really helped to focus our students and made it clear that we are a serious place of academic study.

And there is so much support. I am now supported by two, four member, leadership teams (one at each school; made up of the Heads and teachers we have promoted and given additional responsibility). Allie has installed, and is leading, a full time Pastoral Team and Student Support Team. We have a Director of Studies helping us to review our GCSE and A-level standards. And government departments are being very cooperative and helpful.

DEPENDENCY...in God has been a key feature that we've seen on our journey over the last year. And this period of Godly refinement has really helped us.

The difficulties of last year have created a strong team spirit and faith has been rewarded. God provided and brought us through with no real, lasting damage. Seeing his provision and protection at the school gives us hope and testimonies that carry us through challenges. The Admin Office, particularly, is a calm, trusting environment. We work in faith and that gives such peace.

God often takes us to a place of complete dependency so that we learn to trust him.

As a family we experienced this financially. At points, over the summer, all we has was £20...often with no idea about when we'd next get what we needed. I struggled with this at New Wine. I had been prepared to follow God's call to face Burundi's challenges; but did I ever commit to being someone who would have to trust The Lord to provide in everything, every day?

We were completely dependent on Him...yet there was always just enough for each day. You hear stories of people living by faith alone, but you never expect to test the theory.

I knew that this was part of God's plan...even if I didn't like it. So we agreed to pray...not to seek support from potential and existing supporters. And there was always enough...until I needed to get on the plane back to Burundi.

We had been advised that missionaries should have firm pledges for 70% of their income before entering the mission field. We had 7%. And so we (well me) angsted about returning. But it came down to this...

...did we believe? Did we really believe? Did we really believe when things got serious?

If we believed that our mission to Burundi was a calling, then certainly God would ensure that we had what we needed, when we needed. So I got on the plane; knowing that the money could run out by the end of September. And we prayed.

And once we'd taken this leap of faith, far greater than the one we took to move out here last year, three things happened:

1) We saw significant increases in our support.

2) God consistently demonstrated his sovereignty by miraculously providing specific amounts of money, at specific times, in the most unusual ways for needs known only to us and God.

3) For the first time in my adult life I was released from worry about money. God's faithfulness and power was just too obvious.

And so we face challenges and worry threatens to creep in...but in the midst of the storm we are learning to say 'So Be It'...God will always have His way...and ultimately that will be good.

God Bless,

Jez