Good morning from “Buj”

Good morning from Bujumbura, Burundi!

This is our fifth day in Burundi, and the sights, sounds and people we encounter all over the country and here in the capital bring new wonder and reflection each day.  (This is not to say the trip hasn’t been without its more intense moments…namely, every time in the car…my heart stops…video later)

We are a few minutes away from heading out of the door to visit a Batwa village with our friend Evariste.  The Batwa are the indigenous tribe to Burundi, comprising only 1% of the population, and are currently the poorest of the poorest here, having been historically (and even currently in some respects) denied dignity and rights by other groups.  Everiste is only the 3rd member of the Batwa to attend university and is working on a law degree to be an advocate on their behalf.  There are only 37 others in secondary (high) school now for the first time ever.  We are primarily excited to just meet and greet and hear and share stories and songs during this initial visit, and are mainly feeling privileged for the opportunity.  Stay tuned for pictures and stories!

Which reminds me – so far we’ve stuck to mini-updates on where we are with some ‘teaser trailers’ of just a handful of experiences.  Part of this is the internet availability, our travel schedule and need to be flexible to any opportunity or any plans changing coming up.  However, we’re most of all excited to holistically and completely (and gradually) share full stories, themes and contexts for our trip – with pictures and video! – and that is a project we eagerly look to undertake over the course of the rest of the summer as we unpack the fruit that Restoration Village not only received in Africa, but will hopefully continue to reap through music, story and relationship for months (and years) to come.  Some exciting things are coming out of this trip.  Keep on staying tuned and Amahoro (Shalom)!

-Seth-

Township Stay in Cape Town

Hello Everyone!  Seth and I have a few days of rest outside of Cape Town, which is stunningly beautiful.  The Amahoro gathering was incredible and we will unpack it for you much more than this 8 minutes of internet I’ve found will allow.  I feel so honored to have friendship with people from all over the continent though, from Seth’s Amahoro roommate Mohindu, an incredible 26 year old Congolese leader, to Nicole, a Burundian Finance officer who studied and worked in England but loves her country so much she had to go back and be present.

As the gathering ended and Africans headed home, non-Africans were invited to stay and learn more about South Africa.  Our hosts even set up homestays in a township…historically the areas outside of cities where black and colored people were forced during the Apartheid.  Many townships are experiencing life and growth as people are allowed to own and are investing in the neighborhoods, but many are suffering greatly as they did even during the Apartheid, plagued by poverty, violence and gangs.  We visited and stayed with a young Xhosa couple in Guguletu (the township).  Loretta is getting her Masters in Social Work and works as a counselor at one of the main men’s prisons in Cape Town, so she shared some incredible stories with us.  They were so kind and excited to host us.  We have so much to learn from people like Loretta.

A very moving time for me was worshiping in the township at a church that was historically marginalized for openly doing HIV and AIDS education from the pulpit and starting support groups.  They are known as the “AIDS” church.  I was amazed as almost the entire gathering was sung, prayers, words, messages, testimonies, in one of the native languages (Xhosa).  It wrapped around us and was so redemptive and hopeful, even as they sang, “never give up” over and over to the woman with AIDS who was giving her testimony that morning.

OK, much, much more to come and pictures as soon as we have a faster connection!  We are so excited to get to Burundi as well!  Amahoro! -Tracy

Amahoro South Africa #1

Greetings from South Africa!  After two overnight flights and a 10 hour layover in London, we arrived in Johannesburg and were  transported to the Amahoro gathering site.  There are people from Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, D.R. Congo, Swaziland, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Burundi and South Africa here…there are “Western” leaders here to learn and converse and support from the U.S., the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Canada and the UK.  We will unfold more specific stories in the weeks ahead (when we have a bit more free time and more internet access), but we wanted to give you a brief introduction to this time.  (Pictures will come later too but we don’t have quite enough bandwidth to upload them yet.)

The most incredible thing for me has been having deep conversations with Africans like Muhindo from the D.R. Congo.  He lives in one of the most troubled regions of the world  and has been a refugee.  He eventually went to university in Uganda and now wants to work in international diplomacy.  I have also enjoyed speaking Portuguese with brothers from Mozambique.  The names of most everyone here carries great meaning and we have spoken a lot about names and identity.  Claude Nikondeha, the president of Amahoro-Africa shared some of his story and what brought about the Amahoro movement.  He recounted meeting a girl named “Nazina” which means “nothing.”  It was the name the parents gave because the baby came when they had nothing and they were sure the child had no future.  Knowing his deep connection to this child in Jesus, it was part of what led him to lead Amahoro-Africa.  You can listen to Claude’s talk on the Amahoro website here:

http://www.amahoro-africa.org/

I wrote a song about Nazina and was able to share it with the group yesterday.  It was very special.  I will post an audio recording and lyrics soon!

teaching, sharing and singing in minneapolis

Hola, all.

My name is Seth, and you can call me “assistant to the regional manager.”  I’m working my way up to “assistant regional manager.”

I’m writing here for the first time (at least under my actual name ; ) ) to share a bit from the opportunity Tracy and I both had this past week in Minneapolis.

For several years now, The Restoration Project has enjoyed an annual presence at the Source community – leading worship, sharing songs, participating in ArtFest and in general being privileged to hang out and connect with the community at ‘The Fallout’ in a poorer part of south Minneapolis.

This year, they gifted me with the opportunity to come along and lead some teaching at the start of their Urban Ministry Training week to help establish a theological and spiritual foundation for all of the exciting challenges and events ahead this summer.  I spoke on the ‘restoration oracles’ of later Isaiah, unpacking some of how the LORD intends for city’s to be restored to shalom, and what our communal response should organically be to this salvific work.  That’s the very short version, haha, though if you’re interested in hearing some of it, I believe a an mp3 podcast will be made available in the near future – stay tuned to the blog!

Other highlights involved getting to explore the amazing array of local coffee shops, eateries, thrift stores and walkability of this very cool city (my first time visiting), that reminded me in many ways of my “adopted home” of Austin, TX.  “Kamp,” a former homeless man now in transitional housing came for some of the teaching and events and shared extensively with us his experience and own songs based on Isaiah!  (pictured below)

Of course, for me, the biggest highlights were the start-of-the-day times for song, prayer and reflection, led by Tracy.  Participants were encouraged (and obliged) to respond in prayer, song, reading of Psalms and dance!

Tracy also shared her gift while singing for turning people’s Psalms and prayers into improvised songs and verse.

All in all, a very special and unique 5 days, and we are both very humbled and grateful for the above-and-beyond hospitality of the community and participants.  We are blessed and thankful for your receptivity to our offerings and your own of prayers and well-wishes as we gear up for Restoration Village’s trip to Africa in June…i.e. tomorrow!!!