O Kibuye!

O KIBUYE!

O Kibuye! Does that sound like a song title? It’s an historic Free Methodist hospital in upcountry Burundi, now the teaching hospital for Hope Africa University and the Frank Ogden Medical School. 100 miles from Bujumbura, 6100 ft about s.l.

Last Saturday, Wayne and Barb Vibbert drove us to Kibuye for an overnight with Frank and Carol Ogden. Good road, beautiful views, gaining 5000 ft in 30 miles to cross mountains containing the source of the Nile River at 7200 ft. Natural air conditioning kicked in as we climbed.

We walked through the 130 bed facility with new maternity unit. One of the babies had been delivered by C section that morning by Frank Ogden. We saw a boy scheduled for arm amputation the next day because of an  infection untreated for months, Hospital looks very basic to westerners but meets needs of 250,000 people. Moved again by the faithfulness of Frank and Carol Ogden plus the many others who have committed to this hospital. We met Pascal, a Barundi nurse, who kept the hospital open during five years of civil war.

Birds, birds birds outside the Ogdens house just off the hospital campus, including a 2 bird combo that sing together (Bell Bird), screaming Hadada Ibis, and Paradise Fly Catcher.  Not a birder, I had to ask for the names.  Beyond their names I was stunned by their beauty and sounds.

Slept soundly in quiet, relatively cool night. First really good night’s sleep after arriving in Burundi. Lived through a 2 and ½ hour service. Wasn’t sure if I was or was not going to be expected to preach until a ministerial candidate got up and began her sermon. Just before that, however, the superintendent beside me asked if I was going to preach.  Knowing the possibility that this would happen I did have something up my sleeve. But  I am actually scheduled to preach the next two Sundays. So far in advance! Wow!

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.

Burundi and Hope Africa University

When I told my optometrist where we were going in January, he asked: "Oh, is that one of those oil-rich countries?"  Not so! Burundi is one of the smallest countries in Africa, but one of the most densely populated, struggling to recover economically, politically, and socially from years of civil war. Burundi is in the geographic heart of Africa, bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania, and Congo.
We will be teaching for three weeks in Bujumbura, the capitol city, at Hope Africa University, a rapidly growing Free Methodist liberal arts university with students from several African countries, and led by the FM bishop of Burundi, Elie Bucinyori. These three weeks are a concentrated module between the two semesters.
We leave early Tuesday (1/3), traveling with (Dr.) Frank and Carol Ogden, long term missionaries, who will be serving for two months at Kibuye Hospital, upcountry from Bujumbura. We return to Seattle Jan 30

Packing for Africa!

Any idea what it takes to pack for Burundi, Africa for a month? Lots of snacks, cans of tuna, peanut butter, a battery powered fan (hot and sticky with no a/c), Irish Spring soap (my favorite), toiletries and medications for a month, batteries and chargers for everything, one filter water purifier (Sawyer) and one UV Ray purifier (Steri Pen), basics to teach for 3 weeks, a few resources to put on reserve at the Hope Africa University library, 2 laptops, external hard drive, and USB sticks, etc, etc. Oh yes, and we are taking a man's suit for a friend and a sport coat for Mark (expected to dress up on Sunday in addition to a clerical collar) and just the right clothes that will be cool and will dry quickly when washed.
Frank and Carol Ogden, Burundi veterans, and others who have been there more often than we have been helpful. In addition to what we expect will be our two check in suitcases, we will be responsible for another couple suitcases of medical supplies being transported by the Ogdens for Kibuye hospital.
Thanks for your prayers
Mark

Burundi here we come!

In less than a month, Mary Ann and I will be off to Burundi, both teaching at Hope Africa University.
Getting our courses ready to teach (Homiletics and Family, School, Community Collaborating in Childhood Education-Yes! MA's course has a title at least something like that!), making lists and checking them off, getting medications, cool clothes, snacks and packaged food will occupy our time. We will meet in a few days with our fellow travelers and longtime Burundi missionaries, Frank and Carol Ogden to ask some more questions.
I have finished a three month interim pastor stint at Deer Flat Church in Idaho and thus am available to concentrate on getting ready.
Thanks for your prayers!
HMA