Not a challenge for the faint hearted!
This is the Tour du Burundi; a 7 day sponsored cycle tour around our beautiful nation, the heart of Africa.
This year the tour is helping to raise money for two of our projects. Gitega International Academy (our secondary boarding school, which needs to build new dormitories before the next school year) and Shammah Health Center (recently opened, and longing to meet as many of the needs of the community as possible) as well as some other great projects taking place in Burundi.
The cyclists arrived from several different nations in the days leading up to the tour, including the USA, Canada, the UK and residents of Burundi.
After a couple of days to acclimatise to the heat, to be properly welcomed, and to try and recover missing luggage, we gave them a good send off last Sunday morning as they started the big adventure.
Sadly there have been cases of illness preventing some of the cyclists from riding every day, and one of the cyclists had a nasty accident and had to be taken for emergency treatment.
But apart from that, the updates from the team seem to be quite cheerful, despite the gruelling hills to climb!
On Day Three they arrived at Gitega Homes of Hope to visit GIA and Shammah Health Center for themselves. They also got to meet the children, who were very happy to welcome them.
The next few days take them up around the north of the country. Please pray for God's protection over them for the rest of their journey, and speedy recovery for those who were injured or ill.
We're so grateful for these incredible and intrepid cyclists who have given so much for the people of Burundi, and the work of Burundi Youth for Christ.
Imana Ibahezagire!
