Food for (the Hungry) thought

Greetings from Kayanza in northern Burundi!

We have arrived at the home of Stephen and Anne Stordy (originally from the UK) and have found this leg of our journey to be absolutely delightful (and we have only been here for 4 hours).
Steve and Anne work for FH (Food for the Hungry) here in Kayanza, assisting the local farmers with their agricultural processes and achieving the most effective commercial sale of their goods. Steve and Anne are experienced consultants (my words, not theirs) in both peace processes and agricultural programs in war torn and impoverished nations; New Guinea, Rwanda, Burundi to name only a few.

While we have had a good bit of fun (see below for some less serious though), I can already say that we will leave the Stordy’s in three days having gained more wisdom than we walked in with. This very pleasant couple, now in their 50’s or 60’s, has the joy of Jesus and has been seasoned with a life of service in difficult circumstance that has produced humility and a unique (and proper?!) view on life that we long to soak up. One discussion over dinner tonight was the struggle they face as to the extent which we are to sacrificially live in light of the extreme poverty that surrounds them; i.e. what “luxury” could/should they/we sacrifice to help the some 80% of those living on less than a dollar a day in the rural parts of Kayanza? Is enjoying a rare glass of wine excess indulgence when it costs $5? We all agreed it was not, though the questions remain.

It was interesting to see that even after serving in NGO’s (Non-governmental Organizations; called Non-Profits in the U.S.) and living in close proximity to poverty for over 20 years, the Stordy’s continue to wrestle with these questions. As followers of Christ, we agreed that our giving is to be a reflection of the condition of our heart, as He does not need our money, but wants our hearts. We also agreed that we struggle with desiring a “New Law” telling me to give XX% away to achieve God’s satisfaction, when this is certainly the last thing in the world that we need, as the law shows us that we cannot achieve God’s level of perfection, and Thanks be to God that Jesus died so we would not have to attain any level of moral code or perfection to be made right with God.
A related observation and blessing the Stordy’s have already noted regarding living and serving in remote areas is the removal from the lies of consumerism and advertising that plague the western world, informing us that we must buy things we do not need (this relief is echoed by Simon).

All of this is Food for (the Hungry) thought, I suppose. Would love your thoughts in the comments or via email. Press on friends, and without sounding trite, don’t live too comfortably in America... there are starving families in Africa. Be thankful.

Today’s (less emotionally heavy) Kayanza happenings:
The Stordy’s female goat is in heat and Mr. Billy Goat is not performing his studly duties... so following our arrival and a few minutes of British tea time, we hopped into the FH Land Cruiser with Steve, three Burundian FH employees, and two lady goats (yes, inside the car with us) and made out for our baby goat making adventure. Following a jaunt through town, we turned onto a dirt road that led quite steeply up the mountain using the necessary four-wheel drive of our tough vehicle and after 5 minutes of cautiously steady, yet bumpy travel, arrived at the top of a mountain complete with a church (somewhat under construction, though being used), a parsonage (forcefully occupied by Burundian soldiers along with the preacher), and a goat house. We did the needful introducing Steve’s lady goats to the new Stud Billy and his home, rounded up the goats we had allowed to escape in the process (the local children which had gathered around found this quite amusing to have a white fellow chasing goats), and hopped back into the car to head back to home for a lovely dinner and chat (see above). The Stordy’s are now reading books, Michael is checking out pictures from our adventures on his computer, and it’s a very peaceful evening. More on the Stordy garden (of Eden), pictures of the trees holding avocados the size of Volkswagen’s, and our tree planting FH adventures tomorrow (Lord willing). Thank you for your prayers. Love ya’ll.