Laughter through Suffering

Burundi has gone through many hard times. That's the unavoidable truth. And their still suffering everyday. Every family has a story of pain and loss. The terrible things that the patients have gone through. The conditions of housing and food and work. If someone only heard these stories, they would expect this country to be a place of darkness and despair. They could never imagine the light that radiates from these people.
Each heartbreaking story, each hard situation, there's always hope. So much hope. Hope fills the trees the air and the ground. And this culture laughs. Everyday they laugh. I would like to say that we laugh with them, but more often they laugh at us. Americans? Hilarious. You would think that I could be a sit down comedian with the laughs I get for my clumsiness or language errors. But that's the point. They find joy in the littlest things. They find joy in the dark rain clouds or the bee flying throughout the flowers. They find joy in each other and in us. And most importantly, they find joy in God and His goodness and grace. All the laughter and hope comes from Him. And they love and worship Him.

"May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace 

as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow 

with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13