MISSIONARY WORK REPORT FROM BURUNDI -II-

(...) So about 9.15 a.m., we arrived at their place of worship abut 3 kms. from where we slept. We were very surpised to find that already a nice group of about 50 people, including children, had assembled. We were introduced to the brothers who owned the place and who before the separation was their church eider in the SDA church: His ñame was Ndilujinam Paschal. This brother gave us a heartly welcome and told us that we could conduct the whole Sabbath programme. Therefore, brother Mwamjabeki opened the meeting, as usual, and then he made the review of the Sabbath school lessons from the book of Daniel and Revelation, indicating the series of events which correspond to signs of the times.

I conducted the day's lesson which was about the sins fo the spiritual Babylon.

During the missionary program we were able to give them an outline of our church, and explain that we belonged to an intemational missionary society which is an organized church in the whole world. We gave them reports from the East African Unión and neigbouring countries such as Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zaire, and South África.

During the divine service, brother Mwanjabeki spoke about church history starting as early as 1833 when William Miller, under the influence of God's Spirit was studying the Bible verse by verse until he carne to Daniel 8:14. He continued with the history of the church until 1925 when the SDA Reform Movement was organized. Because our brethren were not aware of our visit and some of them lived as far as 7 or 8 km from where we assembled, we closed the meeting and agreed to meet on Sunday morning for more studies. We had a good lunch time with some of them who remained until the closing of the Sabbath. Brother Mwambene led the Sabbath closing service, where he spoke about the lost chance of Pilate, relating to a class of people today who

depart from the sanctifying truth they have in their hands and judge against their own conscience regarding God's requirements. John 18:33-38.

SUNDAYAUGUST 12, 1991

We arrived at the meeting at about 8.30 in the morning, and most of ourbrothers and sisters were already there. Afterthe usual opening led by brother Mwanjabeki, brother Mwambene had the opportunity to speak about the chosen people of God and their covenant. This subject related the three important points for obtaining holiness as a conditionto enter into the heavenly kingdom: obedience to the Ten Commandments of God, the health reform and the lines of organization. Later on, brother Mwanjabeki brought the observance of the Sabbath and how we can keep it, andjustbefore we closedthe meeting, br. Mwanbene spoke about the need of the reform in dress. Later, on Sunday evening, it was the right time to organize the church at Solorezo, Bujumbura, since we had to visit another place on Monday morning. During the elections, the following officers were chosen: Church leader, brother NdilujunamPaskali, Secretary brother Johana and church treasurer, brother Nyabenda Tharaise; other church officers were to be elected later.

THE FIRST HINDRANCE

While travelling on foot on our way to Bwayi, we passed the first village known as Mugina, and upon entering the second village, name unknown, we were stopped by two men who came riding abike. They asked us in Kirundi, their local language, where we came from and where we were going, and they received their answer from the brother and sister who accompanied us. They asked us to produce our passports and identity

cards, which we did. Then, having examined our passports, they introduced themselves as zone chief and zone police respectively and they said we were allowed to proceed to our destination, but our passports would be kept in their office for security reason. But we told them if there was any problem with our passports then they could arrest us because we would not be able to sleep anywhere without our documents. It took about two hours before we could agree, and finally they said we would be under police escort at our brother at Bwayi who would keep our passports until the next morning, so we accepted. When we arrived at our destination, we were told to open our suitcase so that they could check them, then they gave our passports to our brother's son since our brother was not at home. Only a few minutes after the police left us, we were again surprised to see a number of brothers and sisters coming in groups to meet us. When we asked them who had told them of our atrrival, we learnt that while we stopped on the way, people passing by had circulatedthe informationthattwo Temperate pastors from Tanzania had arrived and had been stopped by the police on their way to Bwayi. So, members of the Temperance group around that area started to come and meet us at brother Lazaro's house. After about ten minutes, the house was fully packed. Then, one brother invited us to speak to them and brother Mwanjabeki started to greet them with a few words and then brother Mwambebe did the same. But they said we were free to speak as we liked. So brother Mwanjabeki and myself told them about the history of the Reform Movement in Tanzania.

Bother Mwanjabeki said that almost in every country where the Reform Movement messengers entered, there was a strong opposition,speciallyfromtheformer

brethren and the authorities. This was the experience in Tanzania and in Kenya. Brother Mwambene spoke about the experience of the Reform brothers in Zambia related to the experience of Jesus Himself whom for the sake of the truth was persecuted until death. We woke us very early in the morning and afterprayerwe leftto the governor's office, taking all necessary documents with us. We were accompanied by brother Lazaro and brother Cyrille. After walking for one hour, we reached a place where we could catch a bus to Cibitoke. It took us about 30 minutes by bus to arrive there.

AT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

We first entered the secretary' office where we found two men sitting. We introduced ourselves as pastors from Tanzania working with the International Missionary Society SDA Reform Movement. Then, the man we were talking to asked us to produce our passports, identity cards and credentials. After close examination of our documents, he asked us,

„Are you also Temperate?" meaning if we belonged to the Temperance group. We said wedid.

„Are you who do not eat meat?" We said we were.

He added „And do not drink coffe and tea." We answered „Yes.".

He continued, „Are you the ones teaching your members that they must uproot coffee plants?" We said, „No, we do not teach such thing."

„Are you registered in Burundi?" We said, „No, but we have many interested people here."

„Does the SDA Union in Burundi know that you are here?" We said, „No because we are a different organization." Then, after all these questions, he told us to

wait outside, and while we were taking a seat he himself entered the office of his boss, the governor.

After about 30 minutes, he came back to his office and called us; then he asked us what exactly we had come for and we told him that we intended to visit our future members and have a meeting with them and if possible organize the churches and then apply for registration to the authorities. Then he said, „You cannot speak to the governor now, he is very busy, but the governor said you can come at 2 p. m." So we left the office and went to the nearby restaurant forbreakfast. We came back to our appointment 30 minutes earlier, and when the governor and his secretary came back, at 2,05 p. m. we were there. After we had waited for 20 minutes, without seeing the governor, we were told to report to the police station first.

So we went to the police station and there we were takenby carto the office of one of the army officers. There we were dropped down and were told to wait outside. After two minutes, another man came holding a Bible on his hands, whom later we learnt was a security officer. Thereafter, our brother Nzeyirana Cyrille was takeninfor questions. The questioning that was conductedby a team of three men: one army officer, the commander of police and the security officer, took three and a half hours while we were waiting outside praying and asking our heavenly Father to give us wisdom to enable us to speak to these men.

The second to be interrogated was brother Lazaro, but when they realeased brother Cyrille, they kept him away from us. The interview with brother Lazaro took only 30 minutes and he was released, but again he was kept separate. Thirdly was brother

Mwanjabeki's turn for interrogation which lasted until 6.30 p. m. They all carne out and they called brother Mwambene and took his passport and the credential.

So they told us, ,,Gentlemen, we have understood your mission, but we cannot permit you to conduct meetings with your members because your church is not registered in Burundi. So you have to go back to Tanzania and there communicate to the minister for home affairs in Burundi so that you might be registered." We agreed. Then they told us that on that particular night we had to sleep in the hotel at Citiboke and the next morning we could procede to Bujumbura on our way back home.

At about 7.30 p.m. we were picked up and taken back to the the pólice station, while brother Cyrille had already been taken into custody. When we asked about him they said there was no problem, he was just around. We remained at the pólice station up to 9.p.m. when suddenly we saw five armed policemen coming in a car; they ordered brother Lázaro out and they surrounded us got us into the car and immediately left for Bujumbura. At first we thought we were being taken to the hotel, but we were surprised at the speed of the car and the direction it was driving; then, after one and a half hour, we could see that we were in Bujumbura. So they first took us to the main pólice camp where they ordered us to get out of their car, and took us to the officer on duty. There they spoke in their language, Kirundi, and thy handed him our passports and credentials, after which they left to Citiboke. When we learnt that they were leaving, we asked them about our suitcase which we had left in Cibitoke, at brother Lázaro' house; they said they knew nothing about that and it was none of their business.

From the pólice camp, the same night, we were taken to Bwiza street No. 4 , the pólice prison. At first, the officer on duty asked us: ,,Do you have enough money to pay for the hotel bilí?" We said we did, then suddenly another car carne which took us to this Bwiza pólice prison. There we found two policemen on guard; they opened the gate and the car entered. As usual, they spoke Kirundi and we were ordered to get out of the car and the car left. The pólice on guard there said to us; ,,Gentlemen, this is a pólice prison, today you will be with us here, so come in and choose which room you would prefer between the two." So we entered one of the rooms and after checking what we had in our briefcases, he locked up the door.

IN THE PÓLICE PRISON

When I looked at my watch, it was exactly 11 p.m. when we realized that we were arrested for unknown reasons. Then we had the opportunity to kneel down and thank the Lord, our heavenly Father in prayer.

(...)

Continuation in IMSNews, October 2004