Pastors and Leaders Conference
The Final Day
The focus of the morning sessions on the final day of our conference was on forgiveness and freedom from bitterness. As Bill lead us into repentance for any unforgiveness in our lives, a remarkable thing happened. A very large moth flew into the conference room and fluttered around the front of the room. The moth flew around, under and over the tables, alighting on men’s jackets, then flittering off to settle on the wall at the front of the room where almost everyone could see it. It was the first moth or butterfly that I remembered seeing in all of my time in the country. I believe it was a sign from God.
After lunch, I commented on the appearance of the moth in our meeting. To me, it seemed like no coincidence that this new creature of God appeared to join our meeting on the last day of our conference — not the first day or the second day, when we were addressing problems, but on the final day after our prayers of forgiveness, entering into new freedom that God provided after all of the problems and issues that we had discussed in the first two days of the conference.
The timing of the appearance of the large moth seemed too perfect to be coincidental. It seemed like a confirmation from God of a new start! We were entering into new life in the spirit; no longer earthbound like a caterpillar who is held down by problems and issues of this world, but finding new freedom to soar free of anything that has held us down in the past, able to rise above those problems and issues and find new freedom in the spirit. God seemed to send this moth to us as a sign of confirmation and encouragement as we left the past behind and moved into a new life and a future filled with hope.
It was shortly after this that Lynda took the microphone and seemed to seal this by enthusiastically declaring freedom for all of the leaders in the room.
After lunch, we dealt with the issues of trauma, healing and justice. We took time to acknowledge the trauma that these pastors and leaders had experienced. Many of them had witnessed horrific events in their lives and their families, and in the families of others. And being responsible for so many others in their roles as leaders, they also had to deal with the horrific effects of trauma in the lives of those for whom they felt responsible.
We led them into the first steps of healing by showing them in Scripture how Jesus had taken our pain and suffering, even mental and emotional suffering, as He witnessed when He said, “my soul is sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34). I led the leaders in a prayer to cast all of these pains, sufferings and trauma onto Jesus, since He has already borne our sufferings for us (Isaiah 53:4), and then to receive His healing in exchange. For some of the leaders in this conference, that may have brought about all the healing that they needed. For others, it may have only been the first step, with much more healing needed, but it was a significant first step.
For my part, the last thing that I led the leaders through was an explanation of God’s justice; and finally, an appeal to God for His justice to be rendered on behalf of the leaders at the conference, their families, all of the believers under their care, and for the nation of Burundi as well.
It is necessary for us to forgive others for their offenses against us, but if the offense caused damage and loss to us and to our families, even after we forgive we are still left with the effects of the destruction and loss. This is where God’s justice steps in to restore what was lost and destroyed. Job experienced the justice of God when he received double repayment for everything that had been taken from him. Jesus received justice from His Father for the unjust accusations and premature death He suffered when He rose from the dead, ascended to sit on the right hand of God in Heaven, and provided the only way of salvation and freedom for all of us!
To conclude my time of teaching, I led the group in a prayer to God, crying out for His justice on our behalf for all that had been lost, damaged and stolen from us. I assured the pastors and leaders that God has been waiting for us to cry out to Him for justice. I offered proof of that by directing them to the parable in Luke 18: 1-8, in which the widow cries out to the judge for justice, and Jesus concluded by saying, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
This three-day conference had begun with an explanation about the clear differences between the body, soul and spirit, and then proceeded to cover the causes of a wide range of conflicts, hurts, and the most painful kinds of trauma. We ended on the third day with forgiveness, healing and a message of hope for a much brighter future for all Burundians. The Source of All Life is bringing new life and a new beginning to the country of Burundi!
We concluded our three-day conference with a ceremony in which we handed out certificates of completion. The entire team whole-heartedly congratulated each one of the pastors and leaders, shaking their hands and expressing our gratefulness for their attendance and their participation. Throughout the conference, we made new friends and strengthened existing relationships. When it was over, we went our separate ways encouraged, strengthened and blessed by the entire experience.
With the Chaplain of the Armed Forces
At the conclusion of the conference, Lieutenant Colonel Severin, Chaplain of the Armed Forces, came to meet us and graciously offered to treat us to dinner in his home. On the way to his home, the Chaplain made a stop at the site of a new 8,000 seat church building that was under construction there in Bujumbura. Chaplain Severin gave us a guided tour of this magnificent new gathering place for the believers of Bujumbura.
As we pulled up to the church, we could hear a men’s choir that was practicing in front of the large outdoor baptistery that was almost the size of a swimming pool. Then Chaplain Severin led us into the enormous sanctuary of the new church building. We took time to cross the wide sanctuary to listen to another choir that was in the middle of their practice session. Bill took the opportunity to join in with the choir and even lead them in a spontaneous song. It impressed me that inside and outside the new church building, praise was being sung to God long before the building was even finished.
As we continued the tour, one of the rooms that was finished and already in use was the prayer room. The floor was covered in colorful rugs. There were chairs along the walls and a drum in the middle of the floor, with a Bible resting on top of it. It seemed appropriate that the prayer room was one of the first rooms finished and ready for use since prayer provides the spiritual foundation for any successful church.
After this brief tour, we were back in the cars and on our way to Chaplain Severin’s home. Driving past the guard station and through the gate at the foot of the driveway, we pulled up to the house. His family welcomed us graciously.
Seated on the balcony of his two-story home, the Chaplain treated us to a wonderful dinner. Around the dinner table, we talked about Burundi and its people, and what God was doing behind the scenes to revive and restore this great country. It was a real pleasure to listen to this humble servant of God speak about the country that he loved.
When Chaplain Severin learned that I would be flying out early in the morning, he offered to provide a ride for me to the airport. It happened that my flight was scheduled on a Saturday that was a market day in Bujumbura. On these days, no vehicles are allowed on the roads unless they have permission from the government. Ambassador Albert Nassassagare had already told me that he would arrange for my transportation to the airport, but it was nice to have military backup from Lt Colonel Severin, just in case it was needed!
Saturday morning came. I was packed and ready to go… and I waited. I became a bit nervous as it got closer to my flight time and no car had come to take me to the airport. Finally, about an hour before my flight was scheduled to take off, a shiny silver Mercedes-Benz pulled up to our house, and the driver that Ambassador Albert had sent got out to help load my luggage into the car.
The streets were almost empty of cars because it was market day, so traffic was not a problem, but there was still a checkpoint at the entrance to the airport.
Seeing the government vehicle that we were riding in, the guard waved us on, and we steered around the traffic at the checkpoint without having to stop.
Saying goodbye to my friends, I made it through security with time to spare. From Burundi, I flew to Kenya and then to Qatar to ride on a double-decker transatlantic plane that would carry me back to America.
It was not lost on me that I left one of the poorest countries in the world to fly to the richest country in the world (Qatar) before flying home. But that is changing! God is already blessing the people of Burundi and turning their situation around for the good! Burundi is already growing in prosperity with the blessing of God!
