RockTheDesert

Back in Bubanza

This week we held the first of our 2-day LDC’s (Leadership Development Conference). These always precede our church-planting expeditions. 2 of our expeditions will be Burundi-national-led. The final expedition will be led by our North American team. We drove to Bubanza Province which is a about a 40-minute, white-knuckle drive away from Bujumbura. We last worked in Bubanza in August, 2008. Seems like a million years ago. So much has changed in Burundi since then. In 2008, Burundi was just barely in the process of ending the civil war that destroyed so many lives and much of the country. Bubanza was the province most impacted by the war. They were literally cut-off from Bujumbura and the rest of the country from 1993 until 2005. In 2008, so much of the military camps still lined the road to Bubanza.  Lots of vacant land lined the road since 1000’s of coffee trees were cut down in an effort to eliminate places where the rebels could hide. Many people were driven from their homes by the military, by the rebels, by the conditions of the war. Bubanza is a beautiful place and it is slowly being re-built with help from many organizations, among them the Chinese government. When we last visited there, we met with Governor, a devout Catholic man who welcomed us to evangelize the area. He said that his people were suffering much from the war. They needed so much help. NGO’s were not allowed to enter the area until the war had been officially ended for 6 months. Meanwhile, people were starving, in need of medical assistance, desperate for help, while NGO’s were just waiting for the all-clear so they could proceed with relief efforts. Though the people are still desperately poor, thankfully, it appears that there has been much progress.

The pastors we met with were passionate about preaching the Gospel and excited about planting churches where there are none.  Five local denominations were represented: New Vision; New Life; Cepebu, Vivante, and Rocher. After 2 days of teaching, fellowship and training on sharing the Gospel using the Evangecube, these leaders are more than ready to answer the great commission to “Go!” We will begin a national-led, church planting expedition next week. It takes a lot of faith and perseverance to plant a church in Burundi. Every obstacle you can think of is usually right in front of them, beginning with zero funding available. But God’s plan is perfect. His ways are perfect. We have seen His faithfulness over and over again as He provides generously and in unexpected ways. May there be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Bubanza. May the fiery arrows of the devil be extinguished before they are even thrown. May the power of the darkness tremble at the overwhelming, unstoppable force that is the Church, united to “Go” all for the Glory of God!

 

 

Summer of Missions

We leave on Wednesday, June 18 for Rwanda, Africa. God has assembled a team of missionaries from Arizona, California, Texas, Alabama, and Florida to do His work in Rural Rwanda, partnering with e3 partners and their incredible team of trainers, translators, nationals, and local churches. I'll be posting as frequently as I can from Rwanda - can't always guarantee the internet will be operational in the area we'll be staying. We took this picture right outside of Ruhengeri which is where we'll be working again. Rwanda is incredibly beautiful and lush and green. It rains every afternoon in this region. This is actually a golf course at a lodge near the volcano area where people climb up to see the gorillas in their natural habitat. We went to the lodge for our final dinner together as a team before leaving for the USA in the morning. I believe we were standing on Jack Hanna's porch (he wasn't there) while taking this picture.

When we return from Rwanda, I'll wash my clothes and re-pack them so that I can leave for Romania on July 11. I'll be part of another e3 partners team of 33 missionaries from across the country. This trip is one of 2 training trips necessary in order for me to become a Church Planting Coordinator with e3. Romania has a very small percentage of Evangelicals Christians. There is a fairly large Orthodox influence, but only in a very religious, dutiful way. Although the percentage of Evangelicals is small, Romania still has one of the largest group of Christians in Eastern Europe. Alyssa and I went to Romania with e3 on a missions trip in July 2005. I'm very excited that I'm returning to the same region that we worked in and working with the same 2 mother churches! Here's Alyssa in a massive field of sunflowers - they grow sunflowers, not for the seeds, but for the oil!!

I'll be back on July 19. I'll once again wash my clothes and re-pack them in preparation for our August trip to Burundi, Africa. I'm really excited about this trip because my friend Kelly is going with us!! This will be Dan's second e3 partners mission trip that he plans and executes all on his own! We are actively recruiting for this trip right now...it will be here before we know it!  Click HERE to find out more details about the trip and to sign up to join us!!! We are planning on staying at the same, beautiful hotel as last time we were there. It's very close the shore of Lake Tanganyika. Lots of rain here, too. Very lush, tropical paradise juxtaposed with the hustle and bustle of the capital city, Bujumbura.

I must be an optimist, but I'm thinking I'll have time to hit the CA beaches sometime this summer too! That will be a personal mission trip, made up of frozen yogurt with fresh blackberries, ice-cold watermelon, sun-splashed skin, shockingly cold, salty, seaweedy waves, sweeping me off my feet, restoring my tired body, refreshing my California spirit! We used to camp at San Clemente State Beach every summer while growing up. Some of my best childhood memories are of these summery, sunburned, family times. I'm sure my mom needed a vacation by the end of the week after cooking 3 meals a day and sweeping sand out of the tent constantly. Good times!! (I'm wrapped in the blue towel)

Legos

When you think of Legos, don't you just think of quiet children, peacefully playing together or alone, building and creating endless forts, cars, spaceships, etc? You might even think of the incredible Lego sculptures you might see at an amusement park. Or you might even think of Legoland, whee, yippee, so much good clean fun! Well, when my boys outgrew their Legos, I put them all in a donation bag for the Salvation Army. It's always so great to be able to share perfectly good toys with children who might not otherwise be able to have them. Unbeknownst to me, Dan spotted that innocent bag of Legos in the discard pile beside the back door. He took it upon himself to squirrel it away for future purposes. These purposes have been secretly guarded in the underground brotherhood of men that exists in this family. Only recently did I find out that these colorful, children's building blocks...

were being furtively assembled and glued together into forts and various other configurations...

and then stashed away under cover of darkness into the cobwebby recesses of the ice chests...then when there's a camping trip being planned, these artistic creations are just ready and waiting to be hauled out to the desert, set up in various locations, and become targets for shooting practice with paint guns and with real guns. These peace-loving, angelic boys I'm raising have no problem putting on their camouflage jackets, arming themselves with their weapons of choice and blowing these harmless little Legos to bits. This is Reason #97 why I never go camping.

Deluxe Accommodations

Team Berryman leaves for Rwanda on Sept. 5. We return, minus Dan on Sept. 16. Dan will part ways with us at the end of our trip and head to Sudan for 10 days. The Sudan trip is his first training trip. He has been working with a seasoned e3 church planter for the past month or so, figuring out the forms, logistics, finances, communications, and so much more. He is also working with a church planting coordinator who is in charge of travel and accommodations (among many other things). Now, keep in mind that Sudan has been involved in a Civil War for many years. The area where they will be evangelizing has been mostly bombed out and destroyed. Lots of reminders of death and destruction are everywhere. There are no stores. No hotels. Limited transportation. No roads. But there are people in this area who have never heard the Gospel. Ever. E3 is specifically targeting these groups for evangelism.

This is a picture of the place they will be staying in Sudan. The tent was abandoned by the UN when they pulled out of there. Some of the 12 person team will sleep in the tent. A few of them will sleep in one of the two bldgs. Dan always dreamed of being on "Survivor." Now it looks like his dream is coming true!

Camping

I'm NOT camping this weekend.

Dan and Steven left today for a wilderness adventure together. Dan's truck was loaded down with firewood, food, paintball guns, tents, games, and camping supplies. They are most likely in Utah by now. I'm sure it was raining all the way there. I hope they remembered to take matches. I really hope there's a Motel 6 nearby. Just in case.

Michael left this morning for Champ Camp with his school football team. He was packing and re-packing his bags this morning. He is nervous and excited about the trip. I think it's a city-slicker type of camp...no running water, no toilets, no electronic devices. I'm pretty sure he'll need a shower AND a bath when he gets home.

Alyssa and I went to my cousin Patty's house tonight. Her mom (my aunt) is visiting from Mexico. She made fabulous chile rellenos for us. Two different kinds. Patty has 2 beautiful daughters. The youngest one is 6 yrs old. She weighed less than 1 lb when she was born. She's a living, breathing miracle. Cute as can be and very smart. The oldest one is 10 yrs old. Very pretty. Long brown hair. Sweet girl. Bi-lingual. Straight A's.

We sat outside and watched the sky. Lots of fluffy white clouds. Nice breeze blowing in. I surprised myself by carrying on an entire conversation with my aunt in Spanish. She doesn't speak any English. I understand a lot of Spanish but rarely speak more than 1 word at a time. I actually put words and sentences together and had an entertaining conversation with her.