My story is very brief. Before coming to Burundi I didn’t really value relationships. I was all about what i could “get” or what someone could “give” me. And after arriving and meeting with my students and the Batwa people i saw how they valued their relationships with one another – and I couldn’t understand why. But it came to me that they value them because at the end of the day if you’re not built or founded on something that will last-you end up falling. That friendship or bond that they shared with one another was probably the only thing that kept them alive, you know? It was the only thing that kept them motivated to do better, go further, and work harder. The experience melted my heart, and made me value those individuals more in my life. My students told me they prayed for me…..they prayed for me and didn’t expect anything in return. They had needs but they really weren’t expecting anything from me other than to be their friend. How awesome was that?