Londons Experience 'Gospel Being Lived Out' in Companion Diocese

The past week has been full of excitement and blessings for Bishop Stephen and the Rev. Stephanie London. If you have seen any of the daily Facebook posts by Bishop Steve from Burundi, Africa, you will have a sense of how exciting and meaningful their visit to our companion Diocese of Buyé has been. 

Bishop Steve and Stephanie arrived safely in Bujumbura on July 4. They were met at the airport by Archbishop Sixbert (Macumi) and Canon Dominique (Ciza). 

“Sixbert's genuine joy is so warm. We went to lunch at a place on the shore of beautiful Lake Tanganyika. After that, we went to the provincial offices. Just to note: Archbishop Sixbert is both the bishop of the Diocese of Buyé and the Primate of the Anglican Church in Burundi. So, he has two offices, and the national office is in Bujumbura.” 

After settling into their accommodations in the beautiful countryside of Ngozi, the Londons began their adventure by taking part in an outdoor Roman Catholic ordination service. On this adventure, they are visiting more than 10 different communities and participating in multiple confirmation services. To date, they have been given a first-hand look at the ways members of the Diocese of Edmonton are helping build up parishes and communities in our companion diocese. For example,  funds from the Edmonton diocese were used to purchase metal sheeting for a roof on a church being built by the community in the parish of St. Jean in Ngozi: 

“… For the last few years, part of our Buyé funds have gone towards purchasing these roofing materials. Next to the church, they had also planted rows of sweet potatoes and reforested part of the hill because they believe the church should be a leader in responsible land use.

“The second project we visited wasn't for the church but the community at large. Do you remember when Bishop Jane was stepping down, as a gift she asked the Diocese of Edmonton to help fund community water wells for the community? Today, we got to see the results of that project. To get there, we drove out in the country down a barely navigable red dust road and then hiked down a long hill to the spring. The view was stunning, but it was amazing to see the result of Bishop Jane's appeal and the work of the local Anglican community. 

“The well captures the rainwater that soaks into the ground where it is naturally filtered and runs through pipes to deliver fresh and clean water for the whole community to use. It has become a gathering place, and while we were there a large group of people had come to fill their water jugs. We helped to put several of these in and there are more to do. It is moving to see what one small development project can do to enhance the life of a community."

In the coming days, the Londons with Archbishop Sixbert and Clotilde, Mother's Union (MU) President, and Canon Bibiane, MU Chaplain, will help distribute medical cards in different communities. Every fall, parishes of the Edmonton diocese hold coffee-hour fundraisers ($5 | 5 Ways) to purchase medical cards providing 80 percent coverage to people in Burundi requiring health care.

“…We get a chance to see how the Gospel is being lived out in another part of the world. And it is definitely being lived out here.”

Bishop Steve has posted many photos and a few videos on his Facebook Page. Be sure to check them out!