Monday and Tuesday in Bujumbura

Sorry for the delay in posting.  Monday and Tuesday where packed days at Homecare.  Heading the ladies share is always a blessing for everyone.  They all came in the new outfits that they made themselves and were so excited and proud to show them off to us.  They shared how much this meant to them and how beautiful they all are.  They also talked about there new umbrellas, which have come in very handy as this is the rainy season in Burundi.

As you can see they love their outfit, umbrellas and Bible

On Monday Josh got to meet some of the recent recent graduates from the sewing program and let them share about some of the issues and success stories about their businesses.  They had some really good discussion and lots of questions and concern on how to do business just like we do when first starting out.  The first question was we don't know what to charge our customer, which sounds a lot like us when start our own business.  They talked through issues together and they learned from each other.

Tuesday morning we went to visit Apollinaire at the music center and chat about his upcoming visit to Houston and Dallas.  We are excited that he will be visiting and leading worship at our church in The Woodlands.  What a great friend and young man.  Got to see his new little girl on Sunday at church, he not sure what to do with this little girl after 3 boys, it will be good for him.

 Apollinaire and Peace

 Peace, Claude, Josh, Apollinaire and John

 Claude and Apollinaire staff at the music school

On Tuesday we also went to visit some of the ladies in the micro loan program.  Many of them are still going very strong and some are struggling a bit but that is understandable.

Sunday Church and Lake

On Sunday we woke up to rain that was coming down pretty good for most of the night, as this is the rainy season in Burundi.  When we arrived at church there were only a hand full of folks there, as many travel on bikes or walk and with the rain it was taking some time for them to arrive.  But soon the church was almost full as they came to worship their Jesus.  We had a great time seeing old friends, hugging and laughing and just catching up.

After Church we went to the Lake for lunch.  It was so much different than when we go in the summer time as there was hardly anyone there, very quite and peaceful.  It was beautiful as always and we had a very nice lunch with Peace and just talked about the programs at Homecare and looking to the future.

Back to the hotel for rest and dinner, it has been so peaceful here and a great time to relax.

Thanks for your prayers during our time here.

Monday we will start long discussions on the future of HC and dream some with Peace and her staff.

Looking forward to seeing what God has in store for Burundi.

John and Josh

Precious children in Matana

 These kids came to greet us at the church in Matana

 Josh and his followers

Phoebe and Peace enjoying that day back home

Saturday visiting Peace home town Matana

 Meeting young men who came to see us

 Phoebe and Peace greeting new friends at the church in Matana

 Peace and Phoebe greeting an old cousin from the past

 The church their Dad was the pastor at for many years

 How would you like to sit on these pews for several hours?

Beautiful setting

Saturday upcountry pictures

 Hillside Farming

 Pushing charcoal down the mountain

 Young boy carrying the head of a dead cow

 If you are riding a bike up the hill the best way is to grab the back of a truck

 Beautiful farmland upcountry

 Field after fields of tea plantations

Saturday in Matana, beautiful rolling hills and tea plantations

Saturday was a rest day of sorts, since we didn't get much sleep last night at the hotel here. The electricity doesn't seem to be working very well in the recent months, so we didn't have any last night from about 11:00 pm till 8:00 am this morning.  A bit hard to sleep after the long flights over on Thursday and Friday.

Saturday morning is a community work day in Burundi, so everyone gets out and helps clean the streets and the areas around heir homes.  Always a good project, but Peace usually lets us stay in and rest up which she did again today.

We headed out of town towards Matana this morning with Peace and Phoebe, their home town, to let Josh see the country side and the areas where farming is taking place.  He was very impressed with how they are using their land, so we discussed how we might be able to help them manage the land better to grow more crops that can be consumed by the families in these areas.  Lots of possibilities since Burundi was recently named the Hungriest Country in the world now, not a label you want to have.  So it was good to talk with the sisters and get their view of things in this area.  We also looked at the possibility of opening another HCF in Matana which has been a dream of Peace's for years.

After having a great lunch in Matana at the local hotel, we went to see the church where Peace's Dad lead during her early years.  We were greeted by many children who just seemed to come out of the woods when we arrived.  They came into the church and started singing songs and playing the Arican drums for us.  Josh got some videos that I will post later.  Great kids and of course we took lots of photos that will come out later.

We made it back into town before dark, so that Phoebe could go home and get some rest.

Tomorrow, Sunday will be a very special day to spend with our church friends at Life Center Burundi.  Check them out on Facebook and see if you can see us there.  It will be a great time of worship.  Then a trip to the Lake for lunch and some rest before heading to HCF on Monday to visit with all the ladies and staff.

Thanks for your prayers, Josh and I are doing well and enjoying the time together.  Would love to hear from you if you get a chance, we always like to receive mail from home.

Blessings to all....John and Josh

John and Josh Strecker embarked for Burundi early Thursday morning via DC.  

John and Josh have a lot on their "to do" list!  We'd appreciate your prayers that the time in Burundi will be most beneficial and encouraging not only to John and Hope4Burundi, but to everyone at Homecare and others they will be meeting with.  God has done so many incredible things in such a short time!  There are wonderful possibilities for cooperation with others ministering in Burundi, as well as strengthening the Homecare ministry. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as they investigate possibilities there.

When you pray, please keep these items in mind:

• Safety and health throughout travels
• This is Josh's first trip to Burundi!  Pray that God gives him a keen sense of the situation there, connect him quickly with the people, and give him clear vision for future plans for the ministry
• For Peace and all the staff and students at Homecare, that they will be encouraged and blessed by their visit
• Saturday as they investigate possibilities for a larger facility for Homecare in Bujumbura and possibility of a new center in Matana, Peace's home village.
• Good connections with local leaders to discuss ministry

It's a pretty packed trip for them, but we're trusting that the Lord will maximize their time and accomplish all that He desires to be accomplished.

Thank you for praying!!!