House of Joy Nears Completion
When the president of Burundi visited Mt. Hope in early March, hundreds of people flocked to what is normally a quiet, rural mountain on the outskirts of Gitega. President Nkurunziza toured the building site of Sister Connection’s "House of Joy" and spoke encouragingly about the building’s progress. He mentioned that he now sees the building from miles away whenever he passes through the region. A beacon of light from the mountain.
The presidential visit sends a clear message to the community that widows and orphans have worth. The House of Joy will be more than just a gathering place and training center for widows. It will be a symbol of hope and stability for all widows and orphans in Burundi.
The story of the House of Joy began at Sister Connection's 2007 annual conference. Standing before a crowd of hundreds of widows and orphans, the governor of the Gitega province, promised to give land to Sister Connection. An orphan himself, he told the hundreds of orphans standing before him that he expects them to do great things. To the widows he gave his admiration and respect. By his words -- and actions -- he was united with them. He told the leaders of Sister Connection, "I see what you are doing all over this country, and I want to help you."
Mt. Hope, the mountain given to us, is strategically located just miles from Gitega, Burundi's second largest city. The beauty of the mountain is astonishing -- a reminder of God's ability to bring forth beauty from ashes.
The House of Joy stands as a testimony to all who pass by of God's faithfulness to the orphans and widows of Burundi. Widows from all over Burundi will gather here for fellowship, prayer and to receive much sought after instruction. It will be a safe place of community and growth. A place for education and training. A gathering place for worship and leadership training for the growing number of widows involved in Sister Connection's trauma recovery and micro-lending programs.
The House of Joy has 3 meeting rooms, a full kitchen, office space, storage and restrooms. The foundation is strong, built with rock. The walls are built of strong baked bricks, and windows and doors have just been installed. In this final stage, the interior floor and wall surfaces will be finished, the kitchen will be completed, electricity and plumbing will be installed. We want this to be a place of beauty and welcome, nicely landscaped.
Labor for the House of Joy has been provided by national workers at 1 dollar per day. When possible, we have hired Sister Connection orphans (teenagers) to do the job of hauling water and rocks. The total cost to this point is $35,000, including engineering and design costs. Sister Connection's National Director, Joy Buconyori, and our Legal Representative, Bishop Elie Buconyori, have supervised the construction. They estimate it will take another $35,000 to complete the work.
As the House of Joy is dedicated later this year, we pray that our Lord, who declares Himself the father of the orphan and husband of the widow, will do great things for generations to come. We pray that this House of Joy will be a place of worship and praise to a God who has taken initiative on behalf of His beautiful children, for His sake and glory.
To date Sister Connection's Board of Directors has provided most of the funding. If you would like to contribute toward the completion of this project, please send your check to Sister Connection's treasurer: Dan Kurtz, c/o KTC, 8050 Spring Arbor Road, Spring Arbor, Michigan 97283. If you have questions of any kind, please feel free to contact Sister Connection's President, Denise Patch, at 317.888.0135 or denise@sisterconnection.org.
