The Power of Our Testimony
We all have a testimony… situations we’ve experienced and how God has brought us through to the other side. Have you thought about how your testimony could help encourage someone else who is currently facing thier own battles?
Recently I was sharing with a few hundred people about how I tried to commit suicide a month after graduating from high school in 1992. I shared my thoughts during that dark time in my life and how I felt there was no future waiting for me, how I felt alone in my struggles. Then I shared how God brought me through (Lord, you didn’t allow me to die last night, so you must have a plan for me. I want it) and has given me a life beyond what I thought possible - not just for me - but for every person’s life I been blessed to impact as a result of living to see a new day. It was a great moment of encouragement for many who were there.
Africa and the Notion of Poverty
NOTE: This is a summation of the impact of my experiences from Rwanda, Burundi and my previous trips to West Africa as well. This is still a work in progress as I seek to further understand and communicate my own thoughts to others.
“Only by seeking after, knowing and acting out the truth can one be free. All else is the creation of a lie that is appealing to the senses, but is still an illusion.” (Allen Paul Weaver III, Transition: Breaking Through the Barriers, IUniverse, p. 91)
What thoughts enter your mind when I mention the name Africa?
Do you have thoughts of Poverty? Do you envision hungry children with nothing to eat and little or no clothes to wear? Do you think of a territory that is filled with savagery and war? Do you think about places of beauty? Creativity? Dreams? Peace?
(NOTE: This writing serves to give a general overview of my experience in Burundi.)
“Does a waterfall stop falling? - Does the wind stop blowing? - Does the sea stop flowing? - Does the sun stop shining? - Does the bird stop flying? - Does the world stop turning on its axis? - I spend so much time - Trying to figure out: - Who - What - When - Where - and Why? - Without taking the time to enjoy the wonders of this life. - Just taking the time to enjoy the journey…” (Allen Paul Weaver III, Transition: Breaking Through the Barriers, IUniverse, p. 68)
LEAVING FOR BURUNDI
(NOTE: This installment serves as an account of my experiences and as a highlight to the tragic event of the Genocide in Rwanda. To write about the Genocide’s complete history would take too much space here. I am in no way an expert on the many facets of this event. However, I have learned a lot through interaction. There will be resources linked to this writing which you can access for more information. What you are about to read may not be easy… but please read it anyway. - Allen Paul Weaver III, New York, )
(NOTE: Thankfully, our three-person team made it to Rwanda, Burundi and back to the United States safely without any major incidents. Personally, the trip to Rwanda and Burundi was a lot for me to process. However, I didn’t want to write anything lengthy until I had time to “sit” with my thoughts for a bit. At the time of this first writing - I’ve only been back in the states for just under 48 hours hours. Yet I realize this is an opportunity to give you a sense of my experience and thoughts. So what you are about to read is still somewhat of a work in process. Feel free to leave comments. And “Thank you” to all who prayed for us while we were gone. - Allen Paul Weaver III, June 4, 2008, New York, 6:53am E.S.T.)
WHAT IS YOUR NAME?
(CLICK HERE to watch the video for this poem)
It’s not about going where it’s safe… but where you’re needed.
Safe
Cops stay away – fearing for their lives
While families in urban cities face anxiety everyday…
Call for help and you’ll realize
Response time is like the government’s to Katrina…
While bullets fly in rapid succession
No chance for reflection as select corner blocks are ruled by thugs and drug lords
It’s Hell on earth for some.
In a System that devalues a family’s worth.
Come 96th street separation begins…
Segregation exists – you see it on subway trains
And in neighborhood schools where Color rules the terrain
Caucasian students are the minority.
The worst schools in the nation are a majority in ghetto plantations
Kids stand for hours to get through metal confiscation
Like at the school, in the news, where students protested and said:
We’re kids – not convicts!
The Grand Experiment
She was born into this room – 12 by 14 – this closet filled with only a broom, a toilet and a sink. She didn’t know what to think as she aged, but the room was all she ever knew – so she accepted it.
No windows to look through – just 4 walls, a ceiling and a floor – oh and then there was that door – which never opened – the opportunity to explore never given… and she never missed it.
Each time she awoke from sleep a meal would be waiting by that door. It smelled good, so by instinct she’d eat – never thinking to ask for more. Was it day or was it night? She had no concept of time. When it wasn’t dark – it was light – when the tungsten filament was set ablaze by electricity and the bulb came on. Even then she had nowhere to go in the small room with a ceiling and a floor. So she made up an imaginary friend out of the broom to explore the small expanse.