A guest post by Communityfor Burundi Committee Member and Burundian Parliamentarian, the Honorable Etienne Ndayishimiye:

 

It all started last May when I was attending The Gathering in Kigali, Rwanda, hosted by Amahoro Africa, with many friends from around the world.

During The Gathering, I was given the opportunity to share the story of the Batwa people of Burundi in general and my story in particular.  I took that opportunity to invite some of my new friends to come and visit one of the Batwa villages in my home country of Burundi.

Days later, I had the privilege of taking friends from Community of Faith to one of our villages in the province of Bubanza, about 45 minutes away from the capital city of Bujumbura. This visit was unique because something happened in the lives of the friends who came from COF and our lives in village.

We danced, shared and dreamed together as if we had known each other for a very long time. We knew that God had brought us together for a much bigger purpose than just a usual visit of people who are just curious to see how Batwa live, how short they are and how far can poverty take a community of human beings. A beautiful friendship was born between this community from Texas and the untouchables, the Batwa of Burundi.

Few months later, those friends suggested that I attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. and visit with the community of our friends in Texas. From the day I received that invitation to the day I came back to Burundi, I could not find words to express how happy I was. It was so obvious that everyone kept asking me why I couldn’t stop smiling.

Few weeks later, I was on the plane to Washington DC, it was a smooth trip – and my first trip on a plane and beyond Africa. My very good friend David Shook was at the airport to welcome me to this amazing and somewhat strange country.

From that point on, friends surrounded me for the entire time I was in the USA. My American experience was an amazing one.  It was so cold (not so much amazing but certainly an experience) and there was snow – like rice coming from heaven except that no one can eat this rice!  I saw huge roads, I think they call them freeways (even though they seem to have many laws on how to drive on those, things like speed limitation, etc.). If those roads are free, I wonder what we should call ours, where there are no regulations and everyone drives the way the want!

I could go in more details of my experience but I think the most significant thing that I want to talk about is the time spent with friends and the new friends that the introduced me to.  My time in DC was filled with amazing friendships being born, reinforced and many, many stories shared.

One highlight was the time spent with my Amahoro friends both in Baltimore and in the hotel suite in Washington, DC. Words will certainly fail me as I try to explain this experience, as a Twa person, to feel that much love and care from such important people.  It was overwhelming to say the least! My friend Pam introduced me to her friends from California and I was able to share with them the Batwa experience and I had an incredible response from those 50 plus people who listened to me for a long time.

I was introduced to important leaders from over 20 countries but I think of the most significant time in DC was the time I spend with another Burundian. A very rich businessman, from the elite tribe of Burundi who under no circumstance could sit down and eat, talk and be seen with a member of the Batwa in Burundi.

God did something special in my heart and the heart of my new friend, Prosper. I know it is hard for most people in the West to understand why is it special when two leaders from the same country sit down and share stories and a meal as friends! The Batwa people of Burundi are like the untouchables of Burundi. As an outcast, to have one of the societal elite hang out with me, share his heart, his dreams and show love and compassion toward me and the people I represent was unprecedented. My friendship with Prosper was made possible by this trip but has not stopped there. I see this new friendship as the beginning of a long journey of reconciliation.

The other amazing thing of course was to be as close as I was to President Obama on the day of the Prayer Breakfast. I don’t understand the American politics and if Obama will be a good or bad president, but what’s exciting about Obama for us Africans is that he is Black, and most importantly, his father was a direct son of Africa. So to have a real African as president of the ‘world’ is not a small thing. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair was there also, wow, what a treat for me to be there and so close to them!  They both shared their journeys of following Jesus, forgiveness and reconciliation. It’s a new day in the world.

On the evening of the Prayer Breakfast, I was invited to have a private dinner with a Republican Senator from Oklahoma, Senator Inhofe.  I told the Senator that when he visited Burundi last year, I wasn’t allow to be anywhere close to him but today in America, I am having a private dinner with him in one of the most amazing restaurants that I have ever been in.

The day after The Prayer Breakfast, I started a journey that took me to Houston, Texas, where my good friends Laura and Mark Shook, leaders of Community of Faith, overwhelmingly received me. They told me to feel at home in their house.  No one had ever told me this, or showed me as much love and care as Mark and Laura did. David Shook, my friend, and his wife were amazing hosts. When I couldn’t find anything familiar to eat, Sydneyann made a wonderful meal for me that felt more familiar.

When I arrived at the Church on Saturday night, I was very blessed again in the way I was received. I really loved my time at the church in fellowship with thousands of people, their gifts of Texas cowboy boots and hat were overwhelming. Every time I wear them here in Burundi and people are curious to know where I got them, it’s an opportunity to talk about my friends in Texas and an amazing weekend we had together.

The time I spent at the Church reminded me of Paul’s words to the Ephesians (6:14 – 17). Thank you so much for your hospitality, your love for the Batwa and all native people around the world, thank you for the gifts and the many laughs.

The reception in my honor on Saturday night was a time I will never forget. I was able to share the Batwa stories, meet with the friends who are planning to come to be with us as we celebrate the progress the Batwa are making in Burundi and build on our friendships.

It was a really humbling experience to see those friends listen attentively to Batwa stories, to see them cry because of our pain, sharing our pain …this I had never experienced and my heart was blessed by it.

It was my privilege to share about Communityfor Burundi and what we are trying to achieve and I was able to thank the Church for all the support we are getting from them.

In conclusion, I would like to thank Community of Faith for giving me the opportunity to visit USA and learn so much during my visit.  I am one of those who believe that sustainable solutions for the Batwa will come from the Batwa themselves, so trips like that helps me understand that and enables me to articulate some of the solutions that could be helpful. Please keep praying for us as we seek to move forward as a people.

I would like to thank everyone who worked hard and made it possible for me to share the Batwa story with so many people in the USA.  Thank you for nine days I will never forget!

May God bless you and keep you!

Etienne Ndayishimiye