Africa: Looking Back..

The ride home is a long one. With so many hours spent sitting in airplanes, breathing the recycled stale air, with muscles cramped from a lack of exercise, eating food from sterile little packages, with tiny utensils, while squeezed into undersized seats, rubbing shoulders with strangers, there is time to think.

While it is a long ride home, in other ways it seems too short. There should be galactic distances between the realities we have seen during our time in Africa and the realities we face as we arrive home. A few hours is not enough to gain the necessary distance between the tarps, tents, and squalor of the refugee camp and the opulence and wealth of our culture. An experience like this leaves a lasting impression and memories for those we left behind. Like the body's defence system that warns through pain, it is good to feel, to be aware -- that the pain is calling for change. A hand pulled back from the fire, a finger removed from the danger of the knife blade and a life changed is to live differently for the sake of part of the Body.

May God make us sensitive, not just to the suffering around us, but also to His desire to be involved.

Africa: Visit Coming to an End

It is hard to believe that the time is coming to an end.

This world is so different than ours- their is a challenge to living in this context. It is great to see that Doug and Deanna have found their place and that they are being used here to touch the lives of many people. Let's continue to pray for them.

The week has gone by quickly. It has been physically, mentally and emotionally taxing- but worth it all. There is so much to process. New relationships and bridges have been built. It is impressive to see how open and inviting the people have been. It will be good to see the fruit that comes from the investment that we, at Cornerstone, have made in these lives. May God bring a harvest.

I am more aware of the great blessing that it is to be a part of Cornerstone. God has blessed us as a church. It is great to be a part of such a caring and loving group of people. We have great opportunities to share this blessing with others-- and to encourage and support each other during challenging times. I have been praying for the church, and for those who are facing challenges during this time. May God's grace and goodness continue to carry us. Let's draw strength from Him and from the community.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Blessings.

Africa: Doug Hiebert's Reflections

It’s been a great time having the Eds here with us – a slice of Cornerstone. It’s been a powerful time of ministry – ministering to the refugees and with the pastors. And these people have ministered to us. It’s getting back to basics: just being there with the refugees was the biggest ministry. Can you imagine? So for any others from Cornerstone who wonder if they could have a role here, let me assure you that you could. Just coming and walking with people and listening to their stories is all it takes. How easy is that? And as for the pastors, we continue to receive positive feedback regarding the seminar together. They are looking forward to the next one!

So many of you have given to people and projects here. We are blessed and encouraged by you and your generosity. I remain convinced that God blesses those who give generously to the poor (Is. 58). And from what we hear, God IS blessing Cornerstone.

We’ve also been blessed by you through the Eds. Thanks for sending them our way. Today they leave but we look forward to seeing the Cornerstone gang in a very short while. See you soon!!

Doug and Deanna

Africa:Tues--Bujumbura Conference

February 20, 2007

This was our first full day in Bujumbura, Burundi. Bujumbura is located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and is much lower in elevation than the other places we have visited. As a result, it is very hot and humid. It certainly feels more like Africa. The streets are bustling with people- vehicles going in all directions, horns constantly blowing.

Where there are traffic signs they seem to be regarded as suggestions rather than directions to be obeyed. This, combined with the pedestrians, the bicycles and the overcrowded taxis, makes for some very entertaining activity. It is also good cause to pray for safety.

We arrived at the church where the conference was to be held by about 8:30 am. We met for prayer before the conference with the pastors. There were 30 churches represented at the conference. The sessions began with a devotional lead by one of the local pastors, and a few songs. The first session focussed on Unity. This theme is of special significance in a country where disunity has actually lead to violence.

It is amazing how something that is so close to the heart of God can be so far from reality in the church- the Body of Christ. I am thankful to God for his blessings and the unity that we have experienced at Cornerstone over the years.

There is a challenge of trying to translate ideas and concept into images and illustrations that they will understand. This is made more challenging by the fact that the flow of thought needs to be interrupted frequently to allow the translator to catch up. I am amazed at how God still ministers, in spite of these challenges and our shortcomings. God is good and demonstrates his love in so many ways.

In the evening, we were at Doug and Deanna’s for supper and to celebrate Brandon Thiessen’s birthday. It was good to meet some of the other people that are in the country working with other ministries. It is good to see that Doug and Deanna have a network of friends here. Maddy is very chatty and switches easily between French and English, according to whom she is speaking.

It was a very tiring day but God blessed. Please continue to pray for us as we will be involved in sessions again tomorrow. We are also praying for you at home. It is a difficult being so far from home when there are challenging things happening.

Africa: Mon--Kirundo to Bujumbura

February 19, 2007

Today we traveled from Kirundo, in Northern Burundi to Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi and Doug and Deanna’s home. En-route we stopped in Mutaho. This is the small village that last year’s team visited. This is also the place where many are suffering from malnutrition.

It was heart-breaking to see the conditions. Many of the children were missing school because of sickness. It was obvious that even those that were present were suffering. We had purchased some biscuits to distribute during our visit, and they have planned another distribution at the end of February. This distribution will provide many families with food for a month and seeds for planting. Some families will be receiving hoes as well.

There is such a sense of helplessness. It seems to be an impossible situation, with so many interconnected issues. The lack of food, the deforestation, the malnutrition, the lack of education and the economic challenges are all interwoven into a complex set of issues. Where should relief work begin, how can we as a part of the body of Christ, with so many resources, help those who are suffering? What is God’s call on our lives, and what is God calling us to do?

These are questions that we will need to continue to wrestle with, trusting God to lead us and give us wisdom. It is so helpful to have Doug and Deanna on site, to guide and to make us aware of situations that we can get involved in. Let’s continue to be open to God’s leading as He calls us to use the resources He has entrusted to us in order to help others in need.

Africa:Sat&Sun--Refugee Camp

February 17 & 18, 2007

Our Blog posts have been somewhat spotty due to intermittent Internet access. It has been good to reconnect with Doug and spend time hearing about their ministry and for them to get caught up on life in Niagara.

Saturday we had the opportunity to visit the Refugee Camp where the families that we have supported live. The families are living in very difficult conditions. The homes consist of single room tarp covered huts. The single room is 5X10 feet with as many as 7 people living in the space. We also became aware of a number of widows and widowers. In addition to this there were cases where families were split up -- with one or the other spouse remaining behind in Tanzania. It is difficult to imagine the emotional stress that this would cause.

The Refugees told stories of being beaten, raped and having their property seized. In some cases they had documents but the soldiers would take them and tear them up. They were placed on busses and sent to Rwanda. They were settled into the extreme southern area of Rwanda -- close to the Burundi border. The government is providing land, with each family receiving about a hectare of land to plant crops. It was encouraging to see that cassava and some banana trees had been planted. We did notice that many of the cassava plants had “mosaic” disease.

The people were very grateful for our visit and were very appreciative of the support that Cornerstone had provided. It was an honour to be associated with Cornerstone and to know that we, together, could make a real difference in these people’s lives.

One man, Gerard, told us how he had been beaten and mistreated. He returned to Rwanda with two of his children while his wife and 7 other children are still in Tanzania. He hopes that someday they will all be re-united. In spite of all he has gone through, his words to us as we parted reflected the positive attitude of the people towards rebuilding their lives. He said: “The past is behind us, the future is ahead of us. With God’s grace, and with our hard work and determination we will make it."

Africa: Fri--1st Full Day in Kigali

Friday, February 16, 2007

1st full day in Kigali (see information on Kigali below.) The trip here was a long process. The first leg, is a seven hour flight to London. We arrived in London 10:15 a.m. and departed at 9 pm. We became very familiar with the glitz and glamour of the many Duty Free shops that populate the terminal. The consumer culture is alive and well in airports.

We flew overnight (again) to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We began preparing for the time shift with meals being served in the middle of the night on both of the flights. By arrival our digestive systems were fully confused. While the terminal in Addis Ababa is a fairly new structure there is no doubt that you have now entered a different part of the world. Part of the evidence comes from the presence of Muslim prayer rooms in the airport terminals. There is something to be learned from their devotion to a religious system and the discipline they exhibit.

Kigali is a city that has experienced a major infusion of interest and investment from various nations and organizations. This is evidenced by the many white SUV’s bearing the logos of various organizations. Doug and Deanna, through their involvement with MCC, work with partner organizations in Kigali. One of these is the Friends Peace House (FPH). The FPH is the organization that coordinated the distribution of the supplies that were purchased from the funds that Cornerstone and others donated through our Rwanda Refugee Project.

The situation of the refugees is very disturbing. Many of them have been in exile in Tanzania for a long time, and were suddenly forced to leave their few possessions and re-settle in Rwanda. Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa, which makes the challenge of re-settlement even more difficult.

We are including some information on the Friends Peace House. It is good to know that we are a part of the Kingdom of God, and that he is able to use various parts of the Family to do His work.

Continue to pray for the opportunity to declare the Peace and Hope that is ours in Christ as we follow the distribution of the material goods with times of meeting for encouragement and teaching.


The Friends Peace House was founded in December 2000 by the Evangelical Friends Church of Rwanda. It currently has approximately twenty employees, twenty programmes, and is active in all five provinces of Rwanda. FPH celebrated its fifth anniversary during 2005. FPH has three primary goals: 1) to build a sustainable and durable peace in Rwanda; 2) to restore the relationships that were destroyed during the 1994 war and genocide to ensure peaceful coexistence; and 3) to reintegrate and rehabilitate the people who were harmed by the tragic events of this county’s past. The vision of FPH is a unified Rwandan society that has a vibrant culture of peace, which respects human rights, and which improves the living standards of all its members.

Africa Trip: Are we there yet?

The anticipation has been building. A steady stream of contacts with Doug in Burundi has helped to make the vision clearer. Today arrived with a Winter Storm Warning- making the departure more challenging. As we write this we are sitting in the Departure area at the Toronto Airport- after having the flight delayed 3 times they are now bringing in a new aircraft. Is this a good thing?

We will be arriving in London as some of your alarm clocks are awakening you to a new day (which might even be a snow day- for students and teachers). We will wait in London for some 12 hours and then depart for Addis Ababa. This will be our second night in the air. Sleep will be hard to find.

Once we arrive in Kigali we will wait for Doug to pick us up. (He has warned us that he might be "some late"- which could mean a number of things in Africa. On the last trip we saw a bumper sticker that said "In Africa we don't hurry- we're already late.") We will then get our first nights sleep in a bed since we left on Monday. We will head to the IDP camp for the first of the meetings early Friday morning.

Pray for us- for discernment, for protection, for clarity and creativity.

We will try to keep you posted as time and resources permit.

The 2Eds