Here are some snapshots from day one…

Greetings began as soon as the Texans and Batwa saw one another!

And singing started just as fast!

The Batwa women came dressed in their traditional dress.

COF and Batwa friends enjoyed lunch together – there was plenty of laughter around each table.

Everyone had a full plate and a full heart.

Then came the traditional Burundian drumming on the shore of Lake Tanganyika.

They are very athletic and animated drummers!

Then we enjoyed the traditional Batwa dance once performed for kings.

This young dancer stole the show as he kept step with all the others.

The regal Batwa dancer…

The Batwa students invited all the COF friends to join them in the dance…

Everyone was enjoying the day together on the beach.

The sharing of an American game… duck-duck-goose on the sands of Burundi!

The elegant Batwa women graced the beach at sunset.

And there was more singing after dinner…

and more dancing into the evening.

Even as the bonfire waned, friends still savored the time together.

Words, even images, cannot do this day justice. The connection between these two communities seemed to be instant, natural, God-ordained. There was the sound of laughter coming from every table, every conversation and ever corner of the resort. Dancing together on the beach was a moment of absolute abandon! We left the confines of our differences and became one family celebrating together with such joy and energy! We found each other on the beach, amid the dance. God did something beautiful among us. Those connections moved into the night around the dinner table and around the bonfire… and I think we were all a bit surprised by how easy it was to be together. It was amazing to experience God knitting us together. Truly God was walking among us – no, God was dancing among us!