We have 15 pieces of luggage being held captive against it’s will, and ours, in the Burundian customs office. It arrived two weeks ago… 15 bins full of kids toys, pillows, saucepans and very regrettably most of my underwear (yeah, I know). Every week that it is in “storage” at the Burundi airport we have to pay roughly $200 US dollars. For storage we don’t want, because we want the stuff in our home!
Just imagine if we had brought our great dane… she’d probably still be in storage for being “too heavy.” So, here’s the deal. Ben has spent about a bah-zillion intense and frustrating hours at the airport. Negotiating this. Negotiating that. Filling out that form. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Being told
“No, it’s too heavy.”
“Too heavy for what?” we say.
“Just too heavy” they say.
You get the picture.
Tonight we were reminded of brave souls who have fought for so much more than some silly air freight. Our friends Brandon and Kristin, Richie and Natalie, Jeremy and Ash who have known what it is like to hope in the midst of the deepest anguish any parent can know. Their experiences and pain give us perspective. Stuff is just stuff. We will be ok, even without our underwear… but we sure would like it anyway.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses allcomprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Praying for peace that makes no sense at all, and praying the same for our friends. Please join us if you would like, and if you throw in a prayer for my underwear while you are at it, I sure won’t stop you.
Love,
Kristy
:)
Dear God, I pray that people everywhere are treated fairly. Please send your blessings upon parents that are struggling and grieving, and oh, please send some wisdom to the burundi customs staff so they treat people fairly and that miss kristy gets her underwear home where it belongs. Amen.
Hi,
We just recently were told By Sarah(Backstrom) Rinkenberger ( our daughter-in-law) that you are in Burundi. We have gotten to be friends we many Burundin’s ( Mostly connected with the Penetcostal Church in Burundi) but when we visited Burundi in 2009 we were meet at the airport by contacts that worked in the Airport. Because of this our luggage was just sent through without a problem. Our interpreter while in Burundi lives in Bujumbura and has many contacts. His email is manoscar2006@yahoo.fr . His name is Oscar Nkunsimana. I can contact him if you want or you can contact him direct and tell him Ken and Jill Rinkenberger from Cedar Rapids, Ia have asked him to help you. Let us know if we can help? Blessings, Ken and Jill