Burundi 2007 Field Reports

A Gift of Goats and Chickens 06-Jul-2007 In the first scouting trip by Times square Church to Burundi, the scouting team encountered a people group known as the Abatwa or Twa that has been completely rejected by society and has become so poor and destitute that they are on the verge on extinction.The hearts of the team went out to these precious people whomthey knew the Lord loves and has not forsaken. Funds were set aside to provide the Twa families with two goats and four chickens to enable them to feed themselves. Today, Pastor Carter, the elders and a team went up to the mountains to deliver the chickens and goats to a Twa village. They received a jubilant welcome from the villagers. After singing songs of praise and worship together, Pastor Carter shared a brief word of encouragement before presenting them with the goats and chickens.. A group called Convoy of Hope joined the Times Square Church team and provided food for the families. As the names of the families were called, a representative came down to receive their goats and chickens and take them back up the hill. Pastor Carter and the elders helped some of the ladies take goats up. It was an awesome to see God meet the needs of these forgotten and impoverished people in such a practical and loving way. Bujumbura Medical Clinics 06-Jul-2007 Two medical clinics have been set up in Bujumbura to offer free medical treatment to the people. The main medical clinic in Bujumbura is located in a beautiful gated compound consisting of a large new brick church building and three ancillary buildings surrounded by trees and gardens. The church building is used as a triage and waiting area. The largest ancillary building is used for doctors’ offices and surgery rooms. The third building houses a dining room where the team eats lunch every day. In an adjacent compound the team has organized a pediatric clinic and pharmacy. The second medical clinic specializes in VVF surgeries and is located at the Kings Hospital in Bujumbura. The medical team consists of over 80 medical professionals including surgeons, cardiologists, dentists, physicians assistants, registered nurses, etc. They have been working for months approaching vendors and pharmaceutical companies to contribute needed medications, medical supplies and equipment. Dentists are treating patients on portable dental chairs and classrooms have been converted into an operating room with windows that open to colorful bouganvillia trees. The medical team from New York was joined by a team from Nigeria that works with Times Square Church on the medical part of its international outreaches. Today, the second day of the clinic, 480 patients were treated and seven surgeries were performed. Surgeries are generally done with a local anesthesia. Most of the surgeries done today were for hernias. The Lord was faithful and answered our prayers for divine order and peace among the crowd who waited hours in the hot sun without food and water to see a doctor, most for the very first time in their lives. The medical team worked in unity and humility serving the people, ministering to their needs and sharing the Gospel and the love of Christ with them. Water management became an important issue as the people became desperately thirsty in the intense July sun. Teresa Conlon took on this task with joy as she figured out a way to provide the people with water. Outreach teams participate by helping with crowd control, ministering to the people, packing pills in the pharmacy or whatever task needs to be done. All who have served at these clinics have been marvelously blessed and continually praise God for the miraculous testimonies he has already given us. Lord Please Help Me 06-Jul-2007 Team: Medical - Buja One of the dentists in the medical team was treating a pastor when suddenly he developed a case of lockjaw. The dentist, knowing how serious this was, cried to her assistant to get one of the other doctors who would be stronger than her to attempt to correct his jaw. If not, the patient would have to be rushed to the emergency room and might even need surgery to restore the jaw to its proper position. As she is thinking of the various ways she could fix it, she suddenly realized, “why am I relying on my medical skills? I am going to pray!” She said a quick and simple prayer: “Lord, please help me!” and “click” immediately the jaw fell into place without much effort at all! VVF Surgeries Get Underway 06-Jul-2007 Team: Medical - Buja The first of what is hoped to be dozens of VVF surgeries got underway today. A team went to the hospital to minister to the women who will undergo the procedure. They prayed for the first patient right before the operation. The team then spent time with other women who were waiting. It was a wonderful time of ministry as they sang and prayed together. What was most moving was the prayers of the women suffering, they truly stormed the gates of heaven. The Eyes are the Windows of the Soul 06-Jul-2007 Team: Medical - Buja A medical team member ministered to a man who at first appeared to be sick but when she looked into his eyes, she discerned that the man was probably demon possessed. She prayed and began to speak with authority a Word of knowledge that the Holy Spirit gave her. An interpreter who was with her and is a pastor’s son joined her praying in Kirundi. They believe that the demon was cast out of the man. The Harvest is Ripe 06-Jul-2007 Team: Ngozi B The Ngozi team is ministering in a heavily Muslim area, but they report that it is going great. They have been to the market and have encountered many people, and many are asking for prayer. As they go from house to house they met a group of kids who heard them sharing. The kids came right up to the team and told them that they wanted to accept Jesus Christ. Another man heard the team in a discussion with a Muslim man and the man knelt in the street and asked to be prayed for right away. The harvest is ripe. The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me 06-Jul-2007 Team: Buja A Before setting out with her team to do street outreaches, one outreach team member prayed that the Lord would give her boldness to go out into a place she was not familiar with and share the Gospel. The Lord gave her the scripture in Isaiah that says: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” On the way to the outreach the team prayed and cried out to God for the Burundian people. Three young mothers got saved that very morning. In the afternoon, the team member was left alone to go with a translator to share the Gospel door-to-door. She was terrified. They passed some young men working in a construction site and were led to stop and talk with them. She asked the Lord to put the words in her mouth and found herself sharing the story of the prodigal son from John 15. When she finished, she asked them if they wanted to receive Christ into their heart. One of the young men said: “I do.” It turned out that the young man was backslidden and he knew in his heart that this was God calling him back. The team member was overjoyed as she explained to the young man that God loved him so much that He sent her over 10,000 miles to remind him that He loved him.

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