TROUBLE IN BUJ

These last couple weeks have been a little interesting here in BURUNDI. A bit exciting. And maybe just a little scary.

Thursday night, two weeks ago, I came home from a long day at World Relief. Seth was at a friend's. And just as I was putting my computer bag down, I heard an explosion. And then another. I went looking for Enoch (who helps around the house) as I was curious. He was posted in our laundry room, looking out through our screened porch to the explosions on the hillside. For comfort (I think that was my primary motivation!), I joined him there.

The next four hours were a bit surreal, honestly. Sitting on the floor of the laundry room across from Enoch, listening to machine gun-fire, grenades, and the explosion of bombs. And a few times, the whistle of the bomb before the explosion. Trying to call Seth and not getting through because the phone lines were jammed. Nervously chatting with Enoch about his years of fighting as a rebel in the bush. And him instructing me how to listen to a bomb to know if it will hit near me and what to do in preparation. I come back to the word "surreal." It was weird and movie-like and crazy and a bit nerve-racking all at the same time.

I asked Enoch what to do in such a situation... thinking that he would have some kind of plan of action from his experience. His response WAS from years of experience and a gentle rebuke to me. He said, "trina, we pray and we trust that God will take care of us."

Yes. Of course.

The fighting we heard that night was between the last remaining rebel group (called the FNL) and the Burundian national army. Apparently, the FNL had staged attacks on several government positions outside the city, and what we heard that night was primarily the government fighting back. Since that night, fighting has continued in various locations in Burundi, and only one other night did we hear it again in Buj.

The response here has been intriguing to me. Friday morning after those first attacks, life went on as usual. NOTHING CHANGED. People talked of it, of course. Rumors and speculations abounded. War?! FNL planning a coup? Government ousted the FNL? I suppose after over twelve years of even more intense and ongoing conflict, a person learns how to manage. And even I, the next time, was noticeably more at ease.

And now, this Wednesday evening as I write, the conflict has seemed to ease. Some fighting continued this week, but mostly it was the Burundian military pushing the FNL out of their former strongholds.

And Seth and I are just fine. Learning to listen to all the talk and filter truth from all the rumors. Developing a plan for ourselves and World Relief Burundi in case something serious does happen in the future. And we're reflecting about what an awful thing war is... and (obviously) what terrible things it does to people, to families, to a country. Burundi is on the brink of peace. So close! But, as analysts speculate, if it falls again into conflict... it will mean erasing years of progress since the new, multi-party government was established in 2005; it would take out all investors and hope for continuing aid to the country; not to mention what it would do to individuals and families personally affected. Please continue to pray for peace for this little African nation.