The Heart of Redemption: Burundi to India
On the last episode of Travel the Road, "Heart of Redemption: Burundi to India":
The Heartbreak of a Refugee Camp
From Ethiopia, the missionaries traveled to central Africa, an area remembered mostly for the massive loss of life from the genocide of the early 1990s. Countries like Rwanda, Burundi, and the Congo stir memories that most people would rather forget. But for those who remained in this war-ravaged land, these memories are a daily reality. Their first stop was a refugee camp in Tanzania, where leprosy and abandonment from their own government left survivors clinging to life and focusing all their energies on obtaining the basic necessities of life. Of this visit, Tim shared his sobering thoughts, "You're never quite the same after you visit a refugee camp because a face is put to all the stories you've heard. It's at moments like this in your life when you take a long look at what you live for. You either falter or you take a stand for what you believe". With that unfaltering conviction Tim ministered to the people, whose only possession in life was Jesus in their hearts, the evidence of which was clear in their praise unto the Lord and the light in their eyes.
See a clip from the show: "Heartbreak"
Enter the War Zone
Political and civil unrest awaited Tim and Will following their 16-hour boat trip from Kigoma, Tanzania to Bujumbura, Burundi. Just two days before they arrived in Burundi, the President of the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo was assassinated by his own bodyguard. Borders were closing and heavy rebel movement had everyone preparing for the worst. Tim's faith was strong when he said, "nothing could deter us from the purpose we had come for". They were there to preach the Gospel and, by God's grace, they would not be denied. Following a day of preaching to some eager Burundi believers, Tim and Will experienced the unrest first-hand when they heard the popping sounds of gunfire in the darkness of night outside their hotel. The intense battle waged with machine guns and other artillery was, in many ways, a type and shadow of a far greater battle being waged for the souls of every man, woman and child in the region.
See a clip from the show: "Enter the War Zone"
God's Outpouring of His Spirit
There seemed to be an urgency the day Tim preached about the blood of Jesus at church in Burundi. The people listened intently and, as they came forward to give their lives to Jesus, God's Spirit fell upon the people. Tim's words summarized the desperation of those who had endured years of pain and war, yet responded to God's Word: "That day in Burundi as the Holy Spirit fell, we saw the message of the Gospel wipe away the blood of the past. It was a message that no war or genocide could steal, because through the blood of Jesus eternal redemption is found and a new creation is formed. It's the peace of God and life in Him". This would be the missionaries' last day in Burundi and they prayed that God would soften the hearts of the people they would journey to next. As they left for India the next day, they would never forget Africa and the people they had come to know as family.
See a clip from the show: "God's Outpouring of His Spirit"
Man Dies in Mumbai Ship Yard
Just days after arriving in India, Tim and Will found themselves among the workers in the Mumbai shipyards. Here men and women worked at deconstructing steel ships that had been sold as scrap after a lifetime of serving their owners on the deep blue seas. The shipyards buzzed with activity, yet danger lurked at every turn. On average 2-3 people die for each ship that was deconstructed, and there is no such thing as acceptable work standards. While walking the shipyards and talking to the workers, Tim and Will learned of a man crushed and killed by two large pieces of steal on a near-by ship. As the commotion mounted, it was hard not to think that this man was a son, a husband, or perhaps a father to a now-orphaned child. The stories that the missionaries heard of or experienced were often gut wrenching and reinforced the notion that traveling the road is not for the faint of heart. One must be called, and called they were as their ministry in India begins.