January 15, 2026
Warmest greetings and New Year’s wishes to you!
We end the year 2025 with much to be thankful for. Above all we are grateful that God has been leading and guiding us as we have tried to respond to critical needs in Burundi. At times our efforts seem so small in the face of such daunting problems, but we feel that God can take and use what we are able to contribute.
And we are SO GRATEFUL for everyone who has supported us in prayer and in financial giving! We literally could not have done this work without the many who have stood with us!
Here are some of the bigger things we have been able to achieve this year:
- Trip to Burundi from January 12-24 with two of our board members, Paul and Karen Tae.
- While there we were able to see and evaluate the projects that we’re funding.
- We met and conversed with the members of the board of the Dorcas Association which oversees the work that we are involved in.
- Seeing the success of the farming project we were able to send money for the purchase of land that will belong to the Dorcas Association that saves them from renting land.
- Two groups graduated from our Dorcas Sewing School in April.
- Financing the start-up of a training program on more advanced sewing machines called the Oholiab School.
While we have seen big successes, we have also seen huge challenges as well.
- The new project, Oholiab School, has struggled and our partners in the Dorcas Association are considering what they can do to make this project self-supporting by the end of July.
- Insects badly affected the corn crop and the yield was much less than hoped for.
Our original project of the Dorcas Sewing School continues with 27 students, mostly all women. While we have slowed down running the beginner and advanced classes simultaneously, the demand to receive the training is unrelenting. We hope to see the next graduation in April.
The new field which we helped purchase is now planted in rice and, with the rainy season in full swing, it is slowly growing. In another field which was also rented last year, the women who do the work are growing corn interplanted with soybeans. Both are staples in their diet.
We again thank you for your prayers, gifts and support which you have provided!
With much gratitude,
Leslie & Tim Boettcher