Christmas Blog 1 of 3 - A New Chapter

There's a distinct sense that God is moving our mission and the school into a new chapter. A period where we can grow and mature. Where we can invest and reach out. It's new and unfamiliar, but so exciting.

Please Pray:

- That we will be able to balance the books this year

- For a successful supporter campaign

- That the way we work will be a witness to parents

- For us make God central as we look to the future

SCHOOL FINANCES are better. This year sees some investment and a determination to finally, completely, once and for all put the 2012 financial crisis behind us. Is also frees us up to think about our...

...THREE YEAR STRATEGY which will give us a clear plan of growth and development. It's structured around the the key elements of the school. We are:

Christian - So we want to increase scholarships, invest in pastoral care and reach out to others. This week I am working with our parent organisation, ARM, to build permanent , long-term links between their healthcare, social development and evangelistic programmes and each of the school's four 'Houses'.

English-Speaking - We want to guarantee levels of student and staff fluency and be a leader in the promotion of English language eduction.

International - Moving to better than UK exam results, international facilities and standards. The first step towards this is our...

...2014/15 SUPPORTER CAMPAIGN. In the new year we are launching an appeal for three needs:

1) £15,000 to complete our final, unfinished building so that we can provide the Secondary School with a much needed Library. Libraries do not really exist in Burundi, but is an essential resource for our future leaders who want to progress to university.

2) Library books. A library needs books. We are trying to get donations of everything from teenage fiction, classic fiction and research books.

3) Filling our container. Through a relationship with another NGO, we have been able to secure very reasonable shipping rates for a container which can ship to us in March. But we need to fill it, so we will be approaching schools and organisations for school resources that can be donated and put in the container.

The campaign is ambitious, and not like anything we've done before, but we are hopeful that this will be a new way in which we can generate support for the school. Also, to help how we operate, I recently isolated myself for a week to write new...

...POLICIES AND GOVERNANCE. Writing does not come easy or naturally to me. I don't have the patience. But as I wrote these policies I became so aware of how the school is maturing and the staff have a desire to adopt best practices. The big ones were operational processes (how we work together), security policies (how we keep everyone safe and calm over the next year) and financial governance (how we can be good stewards of our financial resources). All of which will help our...

...NEW ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF manage the school. Due to some departures and new roles, we have a great new Admin Team, but it's been a tough and busy time for them; trying to understand the school, what needs changing and how to work together as the school has...

...CONTINUED GROWTH. Despite increased competition, the school is fuller than ever, particularly for A-levels. We don't seek to be competative, but parents vote with their feet and wouldn't be bringing their children if were letting them down. And many are excited by the unique...

...GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES we offer. My relationship manager, Maya, is working tirelessly to build relationships, partnerships and scholarship opportunities at English-speaking universities in Africa, Europe, America and the Pacific. If we are to truly equip Burundi with a new generation of Godly leaders we must find opportunities for our students to get quality degrees.

NEXT?

I'm working with our student leaders to role out our values and changes in the Secondary School.

We prepare for exams.

And we pray and prepare for an uncertain year where political events may disrupt school life, our work and our iGCSE and A-Level exams.

God Bless,

Jeremy

THE KING'S SCHOOL NEEDS YOUR HELP!

THE KING'S SCHOOL NEEDS YOUR HELP!

We're about to launch our 2015 support campaign and would love someone to help with awareness and logistics in the UK.

Do you (or someone you know) have a passion for discipleship and the development of education in Africa and 1 or 2 days to volunteer each week?

God Bless,

Jez

(Please share this with your friends)

Ditches, flags, buzzing and resting...and it's all ok!

I have a ditch, some new flags and a buzz about next year... I'm very excited!

PRAYER POINTS:

- Give thanks for all of the ways we have been blessed this year.

- Pray for our graduates as they move onto to universities

- Pray for next year's developments: sports facilities, tougher academic expectations and better pastoral care for students

- Give thanks for the summer we have planned and that we will be rested

- Pray that current and new supporters will catch our vision as we raise financial support for the coming year.

My Ditch

I have a big ditch. It's long, wide and empty; and runs next to the Secondary School wall. It used to be blocked and broken. I'm very excited...let me explain.

I was walking back to the Secondray School the other day and noticed a tunnel under the road which the Secondary School is on. The tunnel runs from a drainage system, fed by most of our neighbourhood and a busy road, to our side of the road. Hmm? Is our neighbourhood draining into the land we'd like to develop for sports? A development requiring very expensive ground works and drainage. I was pacing the dimensions for a football field the other day, in the dry season, and it was water logged. Why? There had only been a little rain the other day.

We walked round our neighbourhood and stomped through undergrowth. Not very pleasant given the absence of public toilets. I did misstep once, but it's amazing what you learn to shrug off. But it was worth it. Linked to a shiny new drainage system, was an old, blocked system that was supposed to drain the neighbourhood water under the road and down to the lake.

And not only was it blocked, but it was broken too...right by our boundary wall...draining the contents of the neighbourhood onto our compound.

Sponsorship deals, surveyor visits and fundraising options were instantly stopped and some of our workers were wellied-up before taking on the ditches.

Two days later, I have a long, wide and empty ditch. I'm very excited...let me explain.

This development represents such a significant development for the coming academic year. 

- By December, I hope, sports lessons for the Primary and Secondary School will be held on school premises...simply by allowing the ground to dry over the summer, being de-stoned and then flattened. Then we lay concrete for basket ball and volley ball too. All affordably. (Grass etc...can come later)

- This will reduce costs and increase the quality and supervision of sports in the school.

- Onsite sports means that most Secondary students will remain at the school for a full day. This creates exciting opportunities for lunch time clubs and sports teams. A great way to develop our extra curricular programme.

- Secondary students will have space to play games at breaktimes...helping them to let off steam and reduce damage to school property.

- We can host sports competitions with other schools.

But most excitingly, it helps us in our core mission...to disciple our students. Next year we are really increasing the amount of spiritual, pastoral and life skills input we have with our students. We are determined to produce not only academically excellent students, but disciplined, Godly young men and women who can shape the future of this country. And every extra hour they are in school, under our supervision and being mentored, is an amazing opportunity to nurture them spiritually and shape their characters. Wow!

Seriously, this is a big deal. I'm very excited!

Previously all our options were very expensive and time consuming.

It's amazing what a ditch can do.

My Flags

As well as my ditch, I have two new flags. Flags with poles and right colour rope to fly them from. I have a shiny, new Burndian flag and a shiny, new Union Jack!

We put them both up in preparation for last week's graduation. A proud symbol of a UK initiative, working in Burundi. Educating and discipling for a better future.

It was fantastic to have parents, students, staff and VIP'S together to celebrate the achievements of our senior students. A wonderful day put together by an amazing support team. Though, despite our best efforts, we started late...some things never change.

This was the school's second senior graduation and is an event that creates real hope. Many of last year's graduates are returning from overseas scholarships and the feedback is great. They have found that the education they got at the school has well equipped them for their degree studies. And many are volunteering whilst they are back.

Such an affirmation for the staff and a real sense of the school's vision coming to fruition.

Some of this year's graduates are beginning a time of preparation before applying for comprehensive US scholarships. I had my first meeting with them last week...setting out my expectations. We will work with them over the coming months to mentor and disciple them. To help them grow into high-performing, credible, interesting, reliable young adults. Godly individuals that scholarship programmes will be desperate for. Well that's the plan.

But whilst we see the culmination if 16+ years of hard work and faithfulness from the those who have gone before...in many respects we feel like we are now just ready to begin...

The Buzz

I have a real buzz about next year...for three reasons...none of which involve ditches...or flags.

STAFF

Almost all staff are returing, again, for another year. So I assume that they're happy here. And, now that everybody is familiar and settled, I'm seeing a real desire for progress and an understanding of the school's values.

Two examples:

1) At a staff training day a month or two ago, we had some departmental sessions to come up with ways we can continue improve. Everyone was tired and, I thought, just thinking about the end of the year. My expectations were low. But the output was amazing. So many creative ideas; many involving longer hours or more effort, for the staff. Sophisticated ideas to radically improve the pastoral and educational standards in the school.

I have seen such growth in the spiritual life and love for the students in all our staff. It's amazing.

2) Secondary staff who, additionally, support sports are now eligible for an extra allowance. Which was turned down. Because it was too low. Why?

Not because the staff felt they deserved more or we're being greedy. But because they understand the expectations. They know that, if they step up for this, we will be expecting very high levels of reliability, standards and hard work. Apparently what I was offering was not worth it because 'Mr Jeremy will be on the phone' checking and pushing.

Too right!

We'll work something out, but the staff understand that excellence is the norm. Wonderful! This is how organisations move forward...high standards and creativity. God has really blessed me with a staff that have a real, faithful, heart for this school.

We have had some staff turnover in our Administrative functions...solid people who will be sorely missed. But they are being replaced by a new team of young professionals who are determined to prove themselves. I strongly suspect that they will give all of us, especially me, a run for our money next year!

STUDENTS

We are, and always will be, a mixed ability school. But the time for students failing to reach their potential is over.

Earlier in the year there was a lot of discussion around students dropping subjects at GCSE. It was too easy. So rather than dropping subjects, why not increase the expectations?

From September there will be a minimum standard for Secondary School students to automatically remain in the school at the end of the academic year. The entry standards we require for entry to A-levels will become the norm. Anyone falling bellow this standard will require interviews with parents to discuss the student's future. Of course we aren't going to remove students who aren't academically gifted...but the option of not being bothered is being removed.

To support this we are:

- increasing the pastoral responsibilities of form tutors

- expanding the student support teams

- introducing standardised testing for years 7-9

- cracking down on absences

- increasing parental engagement

- introducing leadership development

- having career conversations earlier

We want grades to go up. Not because we are proud, but because we want these students to realise the gifts God has given them and to be well equipped to serve their country.

FINANCES

As always, though it doesn't always feel like it, God has been faithful in His provision. We have a difficult and austere summer ahead of us...but after that we break even. In fact, next year, we will have a modest surplus that will allow us to invest in the school, invest in our staff and, perhaps, provide a small amount of support to our mission.

There is so much hope...and so much more that we can still do. God is good!

Being Able To Be Here

Our life and work here is not easy. I think we might've mentioned that before.

But I realised something today. Right now I'm rested and happy. Now I realise that I'm sitting by a pool right now, in the sun, and that, without my family, life is much simpler...but it made me see that I don't need to leave Burundi to recharge.

Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to coming back to the UK and seeing friends and family (see my last blog) and we all need a break and a rest. But that's life, work and families. It's not all because of being here.

And I'm grateful to God for showing me that. I don't want to be one of those people who are resentful about being here. (Feel free to remind me of this when I'm moaning next year). If I couldn't go back this summer I'd survive. I'd rather go back, but I'd survive.

Finances and the complications of living here continue to frustrate and cause sleepless nights...but I'm glad God called me here.

God Bless (from the pool),

Jeremy

Pros and Cons

I wrote this to go in the blog I'm writing, but I was worried the blog would be too long.

I was reflecting on another time of transition. What I'll miss, what I really won't miss. What I'm looking forward to and what I'm dreading.

So here's the list as a separate post...please give thanks for the positives and pray us through the negatives.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT BUJUMBURA!!

- Gifts (someone just shipped a great big generator to us!)

- My accountability partner (he's an awesome Kenyan pastor)

- A big house (we'd never live somewhere like this in the UK)

- Our church and cell group (great worship, solid teaching, social action and a supportive, multicultural family)

- Frisbee (I love frisbee...shame I'm rubbish)

- Adventures upcountry (loading the car with supplies for a bumpy trip outside of the city)

- Pool parties and BBQ's (nice weather + little entertainment + some dimplomats = BBQ's and pool parties)

- Warm weather (every...single...day)

- A simpler diet (healthier and low calorie)

- An impactful work life (what I do makes a difference and we get to see that every day)

- Giving my children the opportunity to have broad perspectives (they get some really unique experiences here)

- Movie nights (Back To The Future on the projector...awesome!)

- Students (I love them...and I love watching them respond to our guidance)

- Singing in the Nursery (I have such fun singing 'Old MacDonald Has A Jungle!' with them...jungle noises are better than farm noises)

- Progress (we are making progress...great progress...producing well educated disciples of Christ)

- Standing on top of my car as I pack it (it's just cool)

- Wifi (we are very blessed to have it here)

- Maltis (a very scrummy, fizzy apple drink)

- Wonderful guards and workers (at school and at home we have a wonderful small army of Burundians who keep everything running smoothly)

- Expat community (it's small, diverse and looks out for each other)

- Fruit trees in the garden (fresh oranges and lemons anyone?)

- House guests (new friendships made with guests using our spare rooms)

- My staff (who are awesome and are hungry to help the schoo progress)

- Living near the school (commutes are easy)

- Extra 'uncles and aunts' for the children (the kids have so many adult friends that adore them)

WHAT I REALLY DON'T LIKE ABOUT BUJUMBURA

- Utilities (power and water are off more than on...it's rubbish)

- Barking guard dogs (most nights a call of the wild will go up, setting off all the neighbourhood dogs...including ours)

- Political unrest (elections next year and no one knows what will happen...hope for the best, prepare for the worst)

- Illnesses (lots of nasty tummy bugs etc...)

- Bucket washes (no one likes a cold bucket wash...ever)

- Unmade roads (a novelty at first...a hassle now)

- Mosquitos (the kids eat breakfast in their pj's and socks so they don't get nibbled)

- Uncertain finances (never knowing how the next bill is going to be paid is stressful)

- Suncream (slapping it on everytime we go out...I think my blood type is now Factor 50)

- Terrible wifi (predictive text tried to change that to 'wife'...Ha! Ha!...but she's wonderful but the wifi isn't...we have it but it is soooo slow)

- Noon-day sun (a super-squinty, roasting time of the day...the shade feels glorious)

- Missing good TV (you hear it's happening, but you can't get it...though we do get Dowton :) )

- Poverty (everywhere, every day...and when you get used to it, you feel guilty for getting used to it)

- Langauge barriers (I wistfully dream of living somewhere where I understand everyone and everyone understands me...it would be so much easier)

- Mobile reception (see Utilities and Wifi)

- Scarcity of supplies (sometimes there's butter, sometimes there isn't...and never any Frazzles, unless Becky brings some out)

- Electric shocks (nothing's earthed properly, so frequently we perform that function)

- Ants (tiny, weeny ones that can get everywhere and into everything...including tea bags)

- Living near the school (hard to switch off and get away)

- Not walking at night (wouldn't it be nice to walk around in the evenings?)

- Checkpoints (barbed wire and guns...nice)

- Filtering water (if you don't do this daily chore, no one drinks)

- Getting up at 5am (sunrise are great...occasionally)

- Responsibility (it can be pretty heavy being responsible for so many)

- Pegging bed sheets to the windows (no curtains yet...another daily bore/chore)

WHAT I'M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SUMMER

- Moving around (7+ beds this summer)

- A busy schedule (furlough doesn't always feel like a holiday)

- Putting on weight (less exercise + insane calories in a western diet)

- Less exercise (it's good for me and miss it)

- Coffee (you do not have coffee in the UK...you have something, but I promise you that it's not coffee)

- Quiet time routines (always go out of the window during the holidays)

- Shopping for supplies (boring and expensive)

- The dentist (she's lovely, but I fear dental work)

- Vaccinations (one the reasons I fear dental work is the needles...)

- Being on 'tour' (we love sharing our mission and vision, but it's kinda hard work)

- Being away form the school during the summer (there's still work to be done and great people needing encouragement)

- Materialism/excess (there's definitely nothing wrong with affluence...but excess?)

- Long drives (the most I normally do here is 20mins...though my American friends don't see the problem)

- Packing and unpacking (starts neat...then gets sloppier)

- Drizzle (yuck)

- Hayfever (yuck)

- Motorways (yuck)

- Dog poo (yuck)

- The Highway Code (so much more fun without one!)

- Mobile phone music on trains (how did we let this happen?)

- Wasps (though having just found out about the wolf spiders living in our lawn, this one now seems less of an issue)

- High class problems (including my own)

- World Cup (managing to avoid it here)

- Short sermons (quite enjoy an hour from the pulpit...as long as it's good)

- Getting comfortable (going back to Burundi doesn't always seem very appealing)

WHAT I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SUMMER!!

- Light evenings (just glorious)

- New Wine (wow!)

- Short break with Allie...but with out the kids (bliss)

- McDonalds (sorry)

- KFC (sorry)

- Dominos Pizza (sorry)

- Kebabs (sorry)

- Superfast Internet (no need to make cups of tea while a page loads)

- Proper chocolate (oh yes!)

- Seeing treasured and much missed friends and family (we think of you often)

- Cricket (a gentle highlight of the summer with Dad)

- Smooth roads (I'm easily pleased)

- Efficient shops and banks (I never go to the bank here without a good book)

- Choice (both overwhelming and refreshing)

- Leisure centres (everybody loves a flume and wave machines)

- Trains (one of my favourite ways to travel)

- Geocaching (look it up...it's awesome!)

- Fishing villages (our Doc Martin box set made me very homesick this year)

- Bike rides (such fun)

- London (I love London!)

- Evening walks (and just being safe at night)

- Duvets (snuggly)

- Mosinet free bed (weird at first, but so nice not to be cooped up)

- Anonyminity (it's really nice to blend in)

- Sharing the highs and lows of this crazy, rewarding, draining, uplifting, challenging, blessing journey good has us on with friends, family, supporters, churches...in fact anyone who pauses for breath.

God Bless,

Jez

P.S. A blog about ditches coming up ;)

Football and Beaches

Life really, really has gotten in the way...so I'm over a half-term late with this...sorry. Though many of you have been keeping up with us on Facebook and the (almost) daily photos we post there. There'll be another post hot on the heels of this one.

The last month or so has been full of the usual highs and lows; and we're one week into our Easter holiday, feeling recharged and preparing for a few days out of the city (I've spent less than 24hrs out of the city since last August!).

The last term was long...very long...which means our final term is frighteningly short. Scary because there's much to do...exciting because we can almost touch the summer break!

Prayer Requests:

- For our students to focus on the exams and achieve their potential

- Thank God for the blessings on our staff and how we are really growing together

- For maturity as we continue to discover how to live with financial uncertainty

- Thank God for how our children take less for granted now

- For rest in anticipation of Term 3

HALF TERM

Our half-term was simple, which was nice, but perhaps a little hectic. Some high-lights were a day at the beach with lunch and brunch...a little treat and the Worker vs Teacher football match.

The football match is part of our initiative to integrate the school's 'workers' into the staff body. So on a Thursday some students and teachers went to watch them battle it out. The teachers were, perhaps, a little 'rounder' than the workers and the workers had even managed to draft in one of the school's policemen, so the outcome wasn't certain.

But it was a strong victory to the teachers with a 5-0 win. The post-match feedback from the teachers was that the workers had an unbeatable level of stamina, they just hadn't trained together. So there is definitely a Term 3 match on the cards.

STAFF TRAINING

Straight after half term we had our usual staff training day...which was amazing. One of our pastoral team preached on the importance of respecting leadership...which was great, even if it did look like a set-up. And of course we played some very silly games.

 

But we also had our very first staff value awards. It was peer nominated and was looking for teachers who exemplify our values. We had two winners and four runners up, and when I was given the list I was pretty choked up. What a great group of role models! All six were Godly, humble and reliable servants...and all of whom would never have expected to be nominated, let alone win.

I really feel that this was such a strong turning point for our staffroom culture. The nominations acted as a clear staff endorsement of what we are looking for in our staff. In effect, what a King's School teacher should look like. Powerful stuff.

BEACH

And then we went to the beach! Woo Hoo!

We took all the staff, and their families, to the beach for the day. 120+ people were bused to a beach on Lake Tanganyika for swimming, volleyball, relaxing, lunch and silly team games. No work. Just fun.

Pretty much everyone came and it was such a wonderful day; seeing our staff community interact, grow and play together.

It was perfect. 

 

 

11A

If there was trouble in the school, 11A was where you would look for the cause first. They had 'given up' on their GCSE's , were unruly, lazy and disrespectful.

So they had me as form tutor. One girl went home and said 'I feel like I've just joined the army!'.

I've been privileged to spend some time with 11A over the last few weeks and they are fabulous kids. In our first (rather strict and scary) session they really surprised me. They all have aspirations, interests and brains...but just needed some love, attention, discipline and motivation.

The feedback on their behaviour change has filled me with such joy and pride. For the much of last term we've had 100% attendance and punctuality. Praise God! I'm determined that they will all make the necessary grades for A-levels or college courses. I also got time with them each week in devotions, providing a perfect opportunity for me to share my faith and life as a missionary. The highs and lows of following God's call and living by faith.

10A get me next term, until April 2015, but they don't know it yet :)

STANDARDS

Being a form tutor has meant I need to be in the Secondary School every morning. Although I am, temporarily, neglecting some other areas of the school, it has given me real encouragement about how we can continue to raise the standards in the school.

Lateness and a general lack of urgency has been a continual thorn in our side at the Secondary. So we've really raised the bar. Five minutes before morning and afternoon registration we lock the gates. If you're the wrong side, you go home. Week 1 was a bit hectic, so we were flexible. Week 2 started well, but with a few very unhappy parents. Now few students are late.

This may seem like a small thing, but our students often don't benefit from good role models or cultural influences at home. Attitude change is a big focus for us and it is so gratifying when you see the fruits of changes.

EXAMS, EXAMS, EXAMS

Our GCSE and A-level candidates are on study leave, so we have done so much to get them in the right place to succeed. Good results represent a huge social mobility opportunity for many of these kids.

We've done exam technique training, careers and university evenings. Mocks were held in the actual exam venue under proper conditions. And on the last day of term we held a commissioning service for all 70 candidates. A time of worship, encouragement and prayer led by Pastor Edmond (International Director of ARM).

The students have been edgy and working hard. Mock results could have been better, but results, typically, reflected student effort.

Behind the scenes there is the usual, frantic data exercise as examination entries were uploaded. Exotic names, uncertain birth dates, transitional paper codes and regional variations all make for a tricky exercise. But we got there.

I'm not going to predict our results, but we've never been this ready.

BILLS AND DONATIONS

A little while ago, after a rough evening, I was driving a friend home when the other wheel of my car came off. I'm never sure if things like this are God making me stronger or the enemy trying to make me weaker. Or maybe both. I managed to pay some guys to sleep with the car so it could be towed the next morning.

But we had no money for the repairs. But we trust God. And then a very large bill from the local power company arrives! Now what? So we wait. It's frustrating but, sometimes, waiting for something to be fixed makes you more grateful for it.

While we were waiting for the repair money, we were able to borrow a 16 seater van. What fun! And what a way to bless others, being able to give so many of the car-less missionaries lifts to church and parties. If we ever got another car we'd love it to be one of these. So many people benefit.

Our car is back now, and a real pleasure. And with new parts, it is nearly 20 years old, I'm hoping it'll stay in one piece.

But as well as surprise bills, there have also been surprise donations. A BIG thank you to the anonymous donor(s)....we were able to pay for our summer flight taxes and have more monthly stability. THANK YOU!

Still some debts to clear...but tomorrow is God's.

POWER & WATER

Power and water are rubbish...I think the worst we've ever had since we've been here. I reckon we have power 30% of the day; maximum. Our reserve power is through batteries. Great when you have power most of the time, useless when it's like this. Water is usually on for a couple of hours in the morning and during the evening.

Bathing the children in buckets, breakfasting by candle light, trying to keep the fridges cool is really draining. And it's likely to get much worse.

But the real silver linings are the cheers the children give when power or water come back; they bring the promise of a warm bath, a movie or a bed time story CD. It's wonderful to see that they don't take these things for granted anymore. Such a blessing.

And again we've been really blessed. One of our supporters has said they'll ship us a generator! This will make such a huge change in how we live.

TUESDAY NIGHT DISCIPLESHIP

My Tuesday evening with 9 boys from the CRIB orphanage is going so well. We eat first and we have been trying to 'out cook' them. In our last week 2kg of rice, 2kg of beans and 3 bags of doughnuts (smothered in chocolate) nearly finished them off. They were so full, all we could do is laugh whilst trying to play the ice breaker...and never got much further than that.

But they enjoy our time together, listen and are beginning to open up as we deal with issues like peer pressure and life as a teenage Christian.

Another blog soon,

God bless,

Jeremy xxx

Challenges and Hope

A strange mixture of thoughts and emotions right now. Plenty of hope, plenty that feels challenging.

Prayer Requests:

- Please pray for those affected by the flooding in Bujumbura

- Please pray for ARM's relief effort

- Please pray for peace and rest, so that we can continue our work here

- Give thanks for the progress the school is making

- Give thanks for our great friends and the community here

FLOODING

Most of you will have heard about the severe flooding that we've had in Bujumbura recently. 150+ dead and countless homes and livelihoods destroyed. Fortunately no one from the school has been badly affected (We have a shower curtain over the end of our bed to keep our feet dry, but we'll cope with that).

We're always looking for ways to glorify God and radically witness in every situation. And so even this situation provides an opportunity to further the Kingdom. Recently Rusizi House, in the Secondary School, began building a relationship with a Batwa community (Burundi's heavily marginalised minority). The Buturere Batwa live in one of the worst affected areas and, whilst no lives were lost, homes and possessions have been wiped out for those that were already struggling to survive.

There are some Batwa badly affected, but many of their neighbours have suffered worse. So we're going to help the Batwa reach out to their neighbours. Twenty families in desperate need have been identified and so this week we asked parents to donate what they can so we can provide food and clothing. With any surplus we hope to set up a rebuilding fund.

On Thursday I went to deliver relief supplies (food, shoes and shelters) to this community with ARM (our parent charity). The devastation is astonishing and the need desperate, yet almost nothing is being done to relieve this. It wasn't a surprise that the aid distribution got quite angry. No matter how big your lorry and how much you take, the queue will always be longer. No matter how well you organise it, there will be  fighting for food. My lack of Kirundi insulated me somewhat from the pleas of the hungry and homeless; but not from the sight of mothers, with babies strapped to their backs, fighting in front of me over a bag of rice.

Of course there will be life-saving benefits from the practical aid we can provide, but soul-saving benefits from the example we hope to set. Last time we met with the community it made the national press. The 'wealthiest' reaching out to the poorest. Not something that is seen very often in this part of the world. So we seek, again, to challenge the status quo. To demonstrate God's love as a Christian school responds quickly to meet the needs of brothers and sisters who are suffering.

THE SCHOOL

In stark contrast, the future for the school is bright. Very bright! I hope that we will break even by the end of August, leaving the financial crisis of 2012 far behind us. Earlier in the week I received a draft of next year's budget....and it doesn't have a negative number at the bottom.

We will have financial security, we will be able to invest in the school....finishing our building work, putting in our sports field, providing sufficient resources, creating more opportunities.

[House trip to visit the Batwa]

I now have a full time Relationship Manager, who is able to spend the time I don't have connecting with charitable funds, corporate sponsors, universities and partners to create a wealth of opportunities for the school and its students.

And we continue to be in demand, with our final places being snapped up in a, now very competitive, application process. We have two final classes to put into the school over the summer and we are very confident that the places will get taken quickly.

And through all this we continue to share the gospel. In songs and stories in the Primary School and through the Rooted team, in the Secondary School, who have been bringing people in to provide some very challenging testimonies. This is the frontline stuff!

Exams are looming and we have a great eight month plan that will take our Year 11-13 students through mocks, careers evenings, revision, exams and A-level or University entry. The teachers are on track, the students are more focused than ever (though perhaps not enough) and everyone is, anxiously, getting ready for May and June. And, because we are full, they only get one shot at this; repeating a year is no longer an option.

OUR MISSION

Fatigue continues. Especially compassion fatigue; very common in the mission field and a very uncomfortable feeling. The flooding is a perfect case in point. Of course people need help, of course we should help and of course we are happy to help. But...it's another way we give of ourselves. And this can be exhausting. And causes a lot of guilt as you breathe an exasperated sigh as another 'need' arises. We are very careful not to over-commit or lose sight of our core mission. Not every need is ours to meet. But often there are ways we have to help that are outside of the job description.

Some days it becomes too much and you lose it...like I did this week. The neighbourhood dogs and mosque kept me awake at night. All my chances of eating anything before 13:30 kept getting scuppered. Things piled up. New things came. And then I kept getting electrocuted by the chargers on my desk. Cue much cursing, banging and storming off to my room to feel sorry for myself....while Allie took over. It may be my turn to take over tomorrow. That's marriage.

Living by faith financially stills tests me and causes strains at home. God has never failed to provide. I know this. But in the face of mounting family costs my trust wobbles (or disappears entirely). So you wait and trust. Then something else comes up, so you wait and trust. And then a disaster happens and you raise money for others...and then hate yourself for feeling resentful at this fundraising interference. So you apologise to God, put a smile on your face and do your best to 'freely give'. And wait and trust. I don't know when I'll learn to happily live like this. But I know that, although I think that I do not have enough for tomorrow, I have been blessed with more than enough for today.

The summer break is already tempting us with rest and McDonalds. It's good to have something to look forward to. And my cultural identity has become so important to me now that I am a minority in a foreign land, so it tickled me when our summer schedule needed planning in October. Not because of flights, speaking engagements or family visits; but because of the cricket dates. A wonderfully English priority.

But even with the stress, fatigue and lure of a summer break, there is still much we can and want to do. It feels that by June we will have settled in and stabilised everything at home and work (it only took 2 years)....ready for another fantastic season to begin! My life is no longer recognisable when compared to 18mths ago...but that's ok. It's such a privilege and an adventure. And fun sometimes too...

[Volleyball party]

[Night swimming]

[Harvesting bananas in the garden]

VISITORS

I'm trying to get this finished of before I go and pick up Alex and Rita Haxton; who are visiting with their granddaughter Bethany. Alex and Rita have had links with Burundi and ARM for many years; though this is their first visit for a while. It's great to have them here as it was Alex who first suggested, back in 2010 over breakfast, that I come to Burundi to do some training...and now I live here. It'll be great to spend some time with them...and to raid their cases for chocolate and cheddar.

THANK YOU...

...to everyone for their continued support, prayers, funding (for us) and fundraising (for the flooding and school).

God Bless,

Jeremy

P.S. I've checked this four times for typos...but I'm shattered so, if there any still in here, consider it an opportunity for you to exercise forgiveness :)

Helping Burundi to Help Itself (Guest Post By Kevin Cherry)

Hello

To start with I should point out I’m not Jeremy, I’m somewhat shorter but much better looking and do far better Sean Connery impressions.

Jeremy asked me to come to Burundi to help develop the capability of the leadership team in the school as that is what I do for a living (though usually with very different clientele). 

It’s been a tremendous experience meeting these very faithful and committed people and the opportunity to help build up their confidence and capability has been an immense privilege. 

Although resources are very scarce, the buildings are basic (in UK terms) and even the most straightforward functions are so much more difficult here, the school sites are an oasis of Christian love and service (yes, even the Secondary School though it might be easy to forget that when your are caught up in the maelstrom of need, expectation and hormones). 

I got to sit in on a primary school assembly where the singing and praise was led by the headmistress unaccompanied.   The worship was energetic and heartfelt and whole thing very Christ centered.  A real joy and I think many UK schools could learn much from their example. 

Sharing the Gospel verbally is not difficult here, much easier than in the UK.  I think it’s assumed most people are Christian, churches are packed on a Sunday and there is even a chain of shops called Rehoboth. However, peoples’ Christian values and behaviours all too often don’t survive first contact with prevailing culture, a culture that is very corrupt. 

What really seems to speak to people is faith in action.  Radical Christian behaviours and practices that run counter to the culture really cause people to take notice.

Jeremy has spoken previously of how the radically fair and caring treatment of staff has impacted relationships and this is really setting the school apart as something special in the community. A place where God is working in a very special way.

The work Jeremy and Allie have done over the last year has begun to open the Leadership Team and the teachers’ minds to new possibilities.   It’s been my job this week to build on that and expand their capability and confidence and help them, individually and collectively, to broaden their vision and “step up to the Leadership Challenge”.  That was the title of an event Jeremy managed to organize at the last minute for young Christian Business People.  More of a joy than a job really.

“Where there is no vision the people die”   Proverbs 29: 18

After a week I’m no expert but it seems to me that Burundi is a beautiful country that has had its confidence shattered by years of conflict and hardship.  There is a real leadership vacuum and The King’s School is uniquely positioned to create leaders for the future that are grounded in strong Christian faith.

Talking to the “young business leaders” I also got a glimpse of how Allie and Jeremy’s informal networking and support of the local Christian community means their impact is MUCH wider than just the school.

As a supporter of Allie, Jeremy and The King’s School, I can assure you your prayer and financial support are very tangibly glorifying God here in Bujumbura.  Please join me in praying that:

• ·      The leaders at the school and in the wider Christian community would grow in confidence and be able to share the load and increase their impact
• ·      Increased availability of resources for both the school and the wider work

Christmas, Cars and not Kigali

Again, I've left this too late and so much has happened. In fact, so much has happened since I started this post, I'm having to rewrite this (I started this blog in mid-Dec).

Prayer Points:

- Please pray that we will continue to learn how to handle the constant stresses of life here

- Praise God for our Christmas Day...it was awesome!

- Please pray that the boys in my discipleship group will grow in their faith

- Please pray for continued opportunities for the school to witness to the nation through social action

- Thank God for the progress the school has made and pray for all during Term 2

A Hectic Life

I've been reading up on 'missionary stress' recently. I think that we assumed that this year couldn't be harder than last and, being our second year, it would be easy. It is easier...but still a real challenge. There's a clinical measure for test that's been adjusted for missionaries and produces some quite scary results!

Normal life here is still crazy. Take the other day for instance....we had a last minute rush (without a car....the wheel fell off up country...read on for more details) to find euros, to pay a visiting vet (who doesn't speak English) to neuter our three female guards dogs, on our jigsaw table, in the porch. He's doing an awesome job...it's just weird.

Recovering patient

And peaceful nights are hard to come by. We live near a nightclub and all the local stray dogs do that 'call of the wild' thing that gets the neighbourhood guard dogs going...including ours.

We are happy being here, God's with us and there' say job that needs doing...but active stress management is now a bigger feature of family life.

Christmas

Christmas was awesome! God has blessed us with a big house, so we open it up as much as possible. So we borrowed 16 desks, a load of chairs and had 21 round the table.

Christmas table under construction

Some brought food, we had three ovens on the go in the kitchen and we had what felt like a family Christmas in Bujumbura...followed by post lunch screenings of 'Charlie Brown's Christmas' for the Americans and 'The Snowman' for the Brits. Maybe next year we'll find something for the Canadians and Kenyans too.

Kigali...or not

Between Christmas and the New Year we left for Kigali. Four days of clean streets, supermarkets and rest.

Four and a half hours into our journey, in the middle of nowhere, our front wheel snapped off at 80kmph. Lots of smoke and sparks. But it was on a straight stretch of road and not (Praise God!) on one of the mountain roads; so no one was hurt.

One very broken wheel (tea towels and waterproofs against the window to protect the kids from the sun)

Clearly we were a novelty and we were surrounded like this for 4+ hours...all very friendly, if a little intense.

After finding a phone signal, we were able to call a friend who arranged for a pickup lorry and left to collect us. We then sheltered from the sun for 4+ hours with an up-close crowd of locals watching us.

Tiring, expensive, disruptive and disappointing. But we try to see God's plan in this.

Haven't spotted it yet...but I'm sure we will.

Provision

And God continues to provide! Sometimes by prompting people, often by just making it work...and I'm never sure how. My 'stewardship' certainly doesn't us make it easy for Him. When we allow ourselves to see it, this is part of our joy of serving Him.

Allie dividing up a gift of cheddar cheese. I gobbled mine up in one sitting and it was yummy!

(P.S. The car is fixed now. It cost more than we had, but guess what?! The right amount came in, at the right time, in an unexpected manner!)

Discipleship

We try to keep a check on our responsibilities; to keep a balance. But this term I've begun a weekly discipleship group with nine 15/16 year old boys from the CRIB Orphanage. We eat dinner together, chat, laugh read and pray...it's been great. So far the emphasis has been getting comfortable with each other; learning that out of school and can be 'Jez' and not the Principal. Next year I hope we can get really stuck into some meaty, teenage issues.

Partnering

Work with our parent NGO, African Revival Ministries (ARM), continues. During our time at New Wine, in the summer, I was able to meet some potential partner organisations and in December we met with directors of Watchmen International who have a programme to supply cheap water filtration kits across East Africa.

You never know if these attempts to partner will work, but ARM's Country Director saw some wonderful opportunities to introduce clean water kits into the communities in which they are already working. It's amazing how God can use the smallest introductions to transform the lives of so many.

Social Action

I have a passion for expanding the education and experiences of our students outside of the classroom and was very privileged to join Rusizi House, from the Secondary School, who went to visit, donate and start building relationships with a Batwa community near Bujumbura.

Photo op with our new friends...don't you just love the guy on the right?!

The Batwa are the most marginalised, minority, ethnic group in Burundi and live in terrible conditions. The staff and students of Rusizi hope to create a lasting relationship with this community; raising not only money, but also awareness in Burundi.

The main national newspaper IWACU came to cover the visit and we were very excited to have a full page in the paper. Great for the school and the Batwa. And an amazing experience for our privileged children; seeing the conditions, enjoying some performances and dancing with our hosts.

Social action is something that we hope to encourage across the whole school. Earlier in the term, all four houses from the Primary School engaged in various projects; including community cleanup programmes and visiting children at other schools.

6 Priorities

In the second half of the last term I began with 6 priorities:

1) Finances - First terms are expensive; especially when you have finance issues. And so this term we faced further financial strain. But I wanted the school to experience God's provision in the way that the family has done recently. So the leadership met regularly to pray faithfully for God's provision and, through God's grace, we managed to scrape through....and the future is beginning to look bright!

There was a little bump along the way. While Allie was recuperating in hospital, the tax ministry froze the assets of our organisation. An interesting first back to work; but a result of a misunderstanding about our outstanding debt to the government. Fortunately there are many great people who work in the ministry who really helped to walk us through the situation and we now have a legal agreement with the government to settle the debt once and for all.

2) Culture - We continue to look for ways to raise student standards and behaviour....particularly in the Secondary School; but this has to come from our example. So at the beginning of this term the school's leadership introduced a set of core values for our staff. Values that, we believe, will encourage the best kind of behaviour. At our staff training day last week, every department made written commitments (mine in brackets) towards...

...integrity (always delivering on my promises and meeting actions)

...excellence (always early for every appointment) 

...responsibility (honour all appointments and site visits)

...affirmation (develop a staff reward and recognition scheme)

...community (have a conversation with every member of staff in a fortnight)

...spirit of Christ (meet and pray for the school with my leadership every Friday @ 7am)

I am so excited about this...but I have to lead the way.

3) Appraisals - We introduced a formal appraisal process, allowing us to review the performance of every member of staff. A very insightful process involving some wonderful and tough conversations...and a steep learning curve for my leadership. We are aiming to have an uncompromising attitude to excellence. To show how, with faith and the right attitude, we can achieve amazing things.

4) Reports - One of our biggest, outstanding, headaches is effective report writing. We spent time reviewing our report writing process, designs etc...and came up with a better way. It didn't really work.

So we're going to have another go this term...we're determined to reduce the agony.

5) Workers - I've mentioned in previous blogs our desire to improve that working conditions of our workers and set an example to Burundi about effective leadership and care of those who serve us. Some progress has been made, but not nearly enough and we're going to continue looking hard at this over the next few weeks.

Today, however, we have begun handing out 2014 bible study notes in Kirundi to the non-English speaking staff at the school; including the police who guard the school.

6) Admin Efficiency - We weren't efficient enough to get round to doing this...but we managed to start looking at this on Monday.

And that's enough for now. I want to share our plans for next term....but I'll do that in a couple of weeks. Next week I'll post a guest blog from my friend, Kevin Cherry, who spent a week doing leadership coaching with the school's staff.

God continues to bless, and challenge us, and we feel privileged to be doing this work...and it's so great to be able to be proactive, not always reacting. In fact, as I write, my accountant has, for the first time, given me a termly budget without asking me to sit down first!

Speak soon,

Jeremy