Greetings! I’ve spent the last half-hour trying not to cry… …I’m in a meeting with folks I journeyed with for twenty years, who are sharing reminiscences of (mostly) highs and (some) lows that we experienced together. And currently they’re battling through some really tough times. My two biggest prayers for Burundi this year – once the pandemic struck – was that Burundi would be spared the worst of covid, and that the elections would go peacefully. For your encouragement, those prayers have both been massively answered. It genuinely seems like covid is not having an impact here – a few […]
Category: GLO
Quick Gorgeous Smiley THANK YOU!
Through the incredible generosity of so many of you, we were able to supply 615 GLO-related families with a chunky gift to help them with buying school uniforms and stationery, and getting their kids back to school. Just wonderful! So on behalf of all the parents and children, THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH! GLO’s Grace went to visit our partner New Generation to film this ‘thank you’ video so that you can catch some of the joy of kids being able to go to school. It’s less than a minute, and might just bring a tear (of joy) to […]
Dropping out of School (or not)…
Leo walked 12 miles each way to and from school every day, so desperate was he to learn. That blows my mind. In the West, we’re not usually as grateful for the gift of education (although lockdown frustrations have maybe changed that a little). Recognising Leo’s commitment, we bought him a bicycle to save both time and energy. He is so deeply thankful. Many of my friends in Burundi during their childhood would walk 2-3 hours a day to and from the nearest school. Education is power, education is the future, education is the hope of a better life. So you […]
Rocking Revival Prayer
Have you ever wept in prayer before? I can count on one hand the number of times I have. I guess I/we could fake it, but that’d be worse than not praying at all, I suspect. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO WATCH THIS… For those of us who heard it as he prayed, we were all left stunned. Since lockdown, we have been meeting on Zoom every week with between 100 and 150 people from a dozen nations across time zones to hear what God is doing in Burundi. Various Burundian brothers and sisters leading different ministries have shared inspiring […]
Quintuple-Whammy Good News in Burundi…
Enough of the endless stream of bad news in our Covid-19-affected world, let’s read some heart-warming encouragements! The below is a selection of transformational stories from J-Life in the community of Ciya, an area decimated over the years of war: Remember Arcade from my last newsletter, who looks like a 10-year-old but is in fact 19? He’s had his surgery in the capital, against all odds. He’s now fit and well, and itching to get on with his education. Fantastic! Last Easter, we shared Theogene’s story. His parents had been murdered and he and his brother were destitute. We helped […]
How old is this child?
The answer is he is not a child, he is a 19-year-old young adult called Arcade. It’s difficult to believe… but when you hardly ever get any food to eat, physical development is stunted. More of his story is below… …before that, I want to praise the Lord for peaceful elections. Seriously. Last time in 2015, it got really messy. But in a month of dramatic twists, the outgoing President died suddenly, and so the new President was quickly inaugurated for the sake of stability. He’s got a tough job on his hands, but I’m praying (who wouldn’t want this […]
Doing a Moses for Burundi and Beyond…
How long do you think you could hold your arms out wide for? That’s what I tried to do yesterday for the first time. Why not give it a go?! I managed so much longer than I thought possible, imagining that every extra cramping second signified more lives saved, which actually was the case with Moses in Exodus 17 (I’ll tell you how long I managed at the end). Whilst the Israelites under Joshua’s leadership defended themselves against an Amalekite attack down in the valley, Moses was up the top of a hill with Aaron and Hur. Verse 11 says: […]
Reminiscing About a Previous Lockdown…
I’ve been reflecting on the events of 2015 in Burundi as we’ve re-entered a very different type of lockdown with COVID-19. In 2015, it was election violence which led to our spending time hunkered down at home, rather than today’s threat of an invisible virus. We were not told to stay at home, but common sense dictated when it would be foolish to go outside. Youths put rocks fifty yards up our road to stop any vehicles passing. Another 200 yards away at the main intersection, trees were felled, and a barricade was set on fire. Those seeking regime change […]
Anti-COVID Good News Story from Burundi!
Amidst so much legitimate doom and gloom, GLO wants to share stories of hope, joy and life to encourage you. I hesitate to share this particular story because you could think I’m self-promoting, but where Ida mentions me, substitute ‘GLO’. It illustrates exactly what we’re about. Not just the big nationwide-influencing stuff, but also helping the last, the lost, the least. Committing to change over the long haul. One at a time. At one point orphaned, Ida had no idea how her life would turn out. Unable to support herself, she had no hope. GLO was able to come alongside […]
Heroic Faith in Burundi…
His brother rang to tell him their parents had been murdered and dumped down the sewer. He was about to run the most important race of his life… Watch this beautiful short (4-minute) film to hear more of Charles’ story. It’s good to have stories of triumphant hope during these difficult days… Deep peace to you, Simon Guillebaud
Appearing in a Lady’s Dream, and then in Real Life!
Yesterday we joined GLO’s newest partner UCE for an outreach event in the bush at a place called Bugendana. It was wild! These guys have been running for a decade on a shoestring budget without any external support, relying on their own sacrificial contributions. Recently we committed to backing them, as their track record was so impressive. On this visit, I really wanted to see them in action, and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m out with a friend Jon, and he was likewise beautifully blown away. Not least because this lady came up to us after the main meeting, having testified […]
(Not) the Scum of the Earth
They were the poorest of the poorest on the planet. Life expectancy was 27-years-old. Under-5s died every month. Then this… BEAUTIFUL! We hear so many negative stories from Africa and Burundi in particular, so all the more let’s celebrate the stunning successes. Well done team!
(Re)Launching a TV Station in Burundi!
It’s like we’ve been gifted a TV station with all the huge potential influence that brings, without having to spend $1million setting it up – incredible! This post is basically just wanting to share the joy and say a MASSIVE THANK YOU for those of you who helped us clinch the deal. It’s a beautiful story: The dedicated staff at Heritage TV hadn’t been paid for four months, and in desperation they were fasting and praying: “God, if this TV station is yours, you have to intervene. If not, we’ll have to close.” And that is when GLO’s key man […]
Freddy Burns…
And he did graduate with distinction! And he found a lovely woman to marry! And he’s now a Dad! * I just came across this and realised we hadn’t posted it, having filmed it a couple of years ago. Still worth seeing! He’s still trying to set up a pharmacy, but maintaining his integrity in the process is challenging, so do pray for wisdom and breakthroughs there.
Doubling Sophie’s Choices in Burundi…
Have you seen that film or read that very moving story – Sophie’s Choice? A mother has to choose which of her two children to save. I can’t imagine anything more heart-breaking, can you? Yet, our teams in Burundi face choices like this every day. When I’m in Burundi, like I will be next week, I have to make decisions like this too. It’s a heavy responsibility to discern God’s will. Who to help? Now, thank God, we can literally double our choices, with some assistance from you, if you are willing and able? One of our fantastic supporters has […]
Learning to Dream…
“Before I came to this school, I didn’t know I could have this dream… or any dream.” This is simply beautiful. Can you imagine walking two hours each way to and from school, as well as fetching water, cooking, etc and being so grateful for the opportunity…? So why don’t you sit down with a mug of tea/coffee with your kid, grandkid, neighbour’s kid, or just yourself, and get some perspective and a renewed sense of gratitude and wonder through this lovely film of our partners, Harvest Initiatives. It gives such a vivid picture of a typical day in the life of a determined […]
Resurrecting Hope in Burundi…
In the back of beyond, in what many might consider a ‘no-go’ area in Northern Burundi, nestles a special remote community. Here the Kingdom of God is quietly growing against the tragic backdrop of the trauma and bereavement of years of conflict. Very, very few visitors venture here, but one young man’s prayers and tears of compassion for forgotten widows and orphans have led him to reach out with beautiful results. God is very much with Bosco. He is one of the amazing network of dedicated and sacrificial leaders we work with in Burundi. Despite seeing his mother brutally murdered […]
Multiple Power Encounters in Burundi!
Greetings! Our massive summer outreach is always fiercely contested and hugely fruitful. This (the 14th) year was no exception. Some of the teams faced real opposition, and needed breakthroughs to operate at all. In any case, I’m pleased to be able to feedback to you that 700 people went out in 35 areas for 2 weeks, and they saw 8,900 choose to start following Jesus, with several dozen dramatic miracles taking place. Stories are still coming in, but the below are what I received yesterday, which I wanted to share with you – to encourage and stir your own faith, […]
10 Top Lessons from 20 Years in Burundi…
TED/MAP talk in North Carolina at New Wineskins Conference Hello, my name is Simon Guillebaud. I’ve recently completed 20 years working in Burundi, a conflict zone in Central Africa, and one of the most beautiful but broken countries on the planet. That’ll do on introduction, time is short. This TED/MAP talk is just 15 minutes to share my top ten lessons from two decades of cross-cultural work – isn’t that an impossible task? I’ll try. So I’m picturing Paul in his cell in Rome, and he’s about to be led away to have his head chopped off (he probably died […]
Big Smiles in Burundi…
Just a few weeks ago, 1200 parents in Burundi were wondering where the money would come from to get their children back to school. Thanks to your generosity and swift response, we’ve been able to help keep around 3600 children in education for the coming year. Thank you SO much! We distributed £30/$40 to each family, which, for many, has made all the difference between keeping the children in education, going into debt or losing their place(s) at school. One parent, Odette, sums up the gratitude of so many: ”We are so grateful for the help. Books have become so […]