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

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

Young Christian Professionals

Just a quick note to say that tomorrow I shall speaking to a large number of young, Christian professionals at an event being hosted by our church.

I'll be spending a couple of hours on 'Service Beyond Expectations - How to be an excellent employee'. We're looking to equip our young professionals so that they can be efficient, Godly role models in the work place.

Please pray that it will be a God-centred, not Jeremy-centred, session and that all attending will find it to be an interesting and practically useful session.

God Bless,

Jeremy

P.S. A full update from the Wisdom's on the way soon!

Please Pray For...

...all our staff as they travel to Bujumbura to resume the Lord's work at The King's School.

Beginning to get a steady trickle of illnesses, accidents etc...

The enemy won't want us to start the school year well...

...but we will with your prayers and in His power!

Jeremy