Don’t Leave Women Out!

During our week together in Kampala, each country leader gave a report on what’s happening in Disciple Making Movements (DMM) in their countries.  Bahizi from Burundi began his report with a strong admonition to the rest of us, “Don’t leave the women out!”  Bahizi is a storyteller and a good one, often illustrating his life and work with a story.

One such story was of a young girl named Nduwimana Marlene.  Bahizi had held a training on DMM a couple of years ago.  There “happened” to be a young 14 year old girl in that training.  Under the discipling of disciple-makers Sartiel and Meshack, this young girl Marlene bravely began a Discovery Bible Study (DBS) in her home with her parents and siblings.  Neighbors and friends soon began to join in.

Then, as is common in East Africa because public education is very poor, Marlene’s parents sent her to boarding school in January to begin her secondary school education.  She arrived early at the school, and soon began a DBS with 10 other girls.  This group of girls got together and cleaned their dormitory, got down and prepared the mattresses and beds for the other girls soon to arrive.  “This DBS was so full of the love of God that they wanted to share this love with the other girls without bringing attention to themselves.”

The arriving students kept asking who did all this for them and why did they do it.  When pressed, the girls in the DBS told the others, “We did it to show you how much God loves you and cares about you.”

Today, yes, some of the girls in the school condemn them, but what this 14 year old girl began is growing.  Now, at age 15, she has begun 13 house churches in and outside of her school.  There are 35 students waiting to be baptized.  Meschak has encouraged and taught her how to baptize them.

In our time together, Bahizi continued to emphasize the importance of women in the work of making disciples…even 14 year old girls!  “Please don’t leave women out.  They are the ones who are making a big difference in the country of Burundi.”  This is a huge statement in the culture of East Africa…to lift women up to not only walk beside but maybe even sometimes walk ahead and lead the way.  It’s happening...in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, DR Congo, Kenya…we’ve seen it firsthand and it’s exciting!  Just like the Samaritan woman, many women in 2018 are also impacting the lives of people around them because of their own encounters with the Living God at the wells of their own lives…and like her, they are telling others.

Sartiel after baptizing Marlene

Sartiel teaching Marlene how to baptize the next person who wants to be baptized.

The group who was baptized that day (minus the photographer!)

Roger and Bahizi