Power of Prayer

Power of Prayer

Today we were able to spend time with the women in the training center.  Many of the women shared their stories; their testimonies were powerful!  The common thread of all of them was prayer, the power of prayer as they prayed together about their struggles and burdens.  One woman shared about being in an abusive situation with her husband.  Peace met with her, and together, they prayed for God to work miraculously in their marriage.  God answered her prayers, and their relationship is healed.  One young woman shared about living on the streets, begging for food each day.  She heard about the ministry group in Bujumbura, came for prayer, and now she is part of the training program, providing for herself and her children.  Each woman shared about harsh situations they were in, abuse, poverty, hopelessness, until they became involved with the ministry center.  Here they heard about Jesus, shared one another’s burdens, prayer fervently, and have seen changed lives!  In just one year that this program has been in place, we could see the huge impact it has had on so many lives.

I have never seen a workplace filled with dancing and singing as this training center!  What a joy to work in that kind of environment!  In every aspect of the ministry, you sense the power of prayer; it’s what sustains them.

As we were leaving the hotel today, we noticed the red carpet laid out in front of the hotel (this is the second time a dignitary has been at the hotel for a meeting since we’ve been here.)  This time, it was the first vice-president of Burundi.  A full entourage of vehicles, guards, and a truck loaded with soldiers were waiting in front of the hotel for his departure.  It was interesting to watch all this as they facilitated his departure, also a bit eerie.

We then went to see Lake Tanganyika, an enormous lake bordered by Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.  Walking along the sandy shores, we took in the amazing mountains that surround the lake.  Huge thunderclouds piled on top of the peaks.  Rustic fishing boats can be seen on shore and on the water.  The tranquil sound of waves beating against the shore was a vivid picture of God’s power and peace.

Gazing across this beautiful scene, now so peaceful, it is hard to imagine this as a place of strife.  It seems so calm.  But today, we were asked to pray for Burundi, for the people, for peace, security, unity and especially the needs of widows and orphans.

We have met so many lovely people here already, including Peace’s sister and cousin who work with her in ministry.  We also had the honor of having one of the MP (cabinet ministers) come to the hotel to greet us today.  He is in charge of the southern part of the country where Peace is from.  Global Action provided a container of medical equipment for a maternity hospital in this district, and the MP wanted to greet us personally to thank us for this generous gift.  He was very grateful and said it had made a huge difference at the hospital.  What a blessing it is to be able to share much needed equipment like this with areas who desperately need it!  It reminded us that Global Action has been given so much medical equipment and supplies that need funding to ship them to needy places like Burundi.  Pray that resources will be given to send out many more containers.

The more we are with the people, the more we feel connected to them.  It’s easy to feel drawn to them, pray and praise with them.  Their expressions of gratitude just for coming, praying, and encouraging them makes the long journey entirely worthwhile.