Anima Sana in Corpore Sano

“Anima Sana in Corpore Sano” is a Latin expression meaning “Healthy Soul in a Healthy Body”! I am sharing this expression which summarizes my conversation with the Burundi Minister of Interior Affairs, a department that caters for religious organizations. As my dream is to train pastors, the Minister was very clear that while the government encourages religious organizations such as AMI-Burundi, it also encourages these organizations not to forget the body! We are concerned about the lost souls, as Jesus asks us a very pertinent question: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8: 36). In our vision, we want to strengthen shepherds, who in return will take good care of the Lord's sheep – the believers. In the conversation between the Lord and the believers about the end of times, he invites them in the Kingdom because he says: “I was hungry you gave me food, I was thirsty, you gave me drink, … I was naked you clothed me...” (Mathew 25: 35-36). In other words, the believers who did not forfeit their souls did also do something for the body! While our mandate as AMI-Burundi is to invite people to follow Jesus, we agree with the Minister that we cannot forget the body. It is in this way that we have responded to the flooding at Gatumba in the past. The next phase of taking care of the body, is the construction and renovation of the Kibati Basic School (Ecole Fondementale de Kibati). We have promised the Minister to help the government in the area of education, and I am glad soon we will say: “Promise made, promise delivered”. With the support from our trusted partner, International Ministries, we are now in position to do what we promised, but in two phases. In the first phase we will build 3 new classrooms, an administrative block, and a sanitary block. After this phase, we will proceed with renovation and rehabilitation of old classrooms. To do this, we have a tripartite partnership: AMI-Burundi, International Ministries, and the Union of Baptist Churches in Burundi (UEBB). On site, we are working directly with the Regional Minister of that area within the UEBB. In this endeavor, we will work with the local community of Kibati to make sure that the entire project is first and foremost, a project of the Kibati community. People of Kibati are the ones to decide what kind of school they want for their children, and I am glad AMI-Burundi joined in only at the invitation of that community. We are excited that the community dedicates one day each week to work at the school. No wonder, when we finish the project in August 2023, we will look back and say: “Together, we have done it”!