The Casava Conservationists

Casava is bigger than life in Burundi.  In most neighboring countries a few people eat the root when nothing else in available.  But not in Burundi- here it is a prize delicacy! People sell it on the sides of the road at the bus stands in just about every imaginable form- cooked, baked, fermented, boiled, raw. 

Yep-  just about anything goes when it comes to Casava.  Casava for breakfast, casava with deep-fried fish, casava with spinach, casava with beans, and casava just for casava's sake simply so one can say that they ate casava that day with a good cup of Burundian tea! 

This week we purchased a piece of land to be used as the site for a new church building we hope to build next month.  The congregation of about 50 people have been meeting in one of the most dilapidated houses I have ever seen.  They are so excited about having their own piece of land with a steel tabernacle on it to be used as their sanctuary. 

We requested the members of the church to begin leveling the land so that we could lay the foundations.   There was great excitement to begin the work! As they started to clear the land- several irate Burundians suddenly showed up to cause trouble.   The  former watchman of the piece of land was the primary instigator.  Shouting and carrying on a scene he made it clear that no one was doing anything until the casava that had been planted was harvested! 

By the time I heard the story it had become quite a complicated scenario.  The former owner was screaming and yelling in good Burundian fashion in our head office that if we wanted to clear the casava we would have to pay his former watchman compensation money.  I was totally confused so I asked: "who owns the land now?"  "the church does of course!" came the response.  "err...help me in my state of ignorance and naivety....doesn't that mean we can do whatever we want with the land?"  "Oh no! Of course not, this is casava we're talking about!!"  

And so the battle for casava conservation continues to rage just south of the city on a piece of land that I think we own, but apparently can't touch.....so that a former disgruntled employee can have a share of his casava harvest.  

Absurd?  Oh yeah....totally absurd! (I'm still shaking my head on this one).   However, as I thought about it more, I was struck by this  former night watchman's courage and persistence to have a share in the casava harvest.   He knows what's valuable- at least in Burundi! And he's willing to do just about anything to make sure that it will be his. 

 And I have to ask myself: "am I that eager to have a share of the Lord's valuable harvest?"  We're dealing with something of far greater value than casava- ours is the business of men's souls.  Their eternal destiny is at stake.  John 4:24 comes to mind: "Do you not say 4 months more and then the harvest?" Jesus is trying to help his disciples understand what's really important.   A whole village is ready to receive Christ. It is the day of harvest.  My heart's cry today is "oh God give us passion for your harvest no matter the cost!"