FIRST DAYS IN BURUNDI

First days in Burundi have been a jumble of images and experiences hard to describe:
-Heat and humidity combined with wild thunder, lightning, and downpour a couple of nights plus dealing with jet lag. Fri night we were wakened at 2:30 am with rain pouring in the window and the power out.
-Crowded streets in this country the size of Maryland with about 9 million people (about 900 per sq mile) and that's with only two modest sized cities. On country roads this afternoon, there was a constant stream of people, bicycles, animals.
-Everything takes longer partly because of the relational base for African life and partly because of a different set of expectations. (Some time I'll share some developing thoughts on effectiveness and efficiency).
-A growing university with quality buildings, a few hundred NEW students expected for the next full semester in Feb, led by something like a tribal "chief," who is bishop over 800 churches, pres of the World Free Methodist Conference, rector/president of this university now with over 4000 students, and friend/consultant of the country's president.
-Great team of a dozen Americans here for a month or two teaching Hermeneutics, Homiletics, child development, statistics, nursing, nutrition, music, English--what did I miss?
-Beautiful Sat-Sun trip to Kibuye 2 and 1/2 hours upcountry from Buja and the teaching hospital for Hope Africa University-That's for a later blog.