Reflecting on his second visit to the Projects in summer 2008, Tim Burton writes:

"The best part of the trip for me would undoubtedly be in seeing the improvement in people and projects since my first visit. In terms of health, two people stand out. First, our friend JCO, who was very unwell and confined to his home when we visited him in 2007. I could see then that he was an amazing man with a lot of passion for God and for the community. Seeing him well this year was amazing; spending time with him, listening to his account of the post-election violence, and his stories which seem to be about everything and nothing, all at the same time. It was also great to have him finally receive the guitar we had ear-marked for him 12 months ago.

The other person who stood out was a man named John Rapemo. I visited his home in 2007 and his testimony really touched me. I had been struggling with people requesting material things, so when John approached me at our Umoja celebration and asked me for a bible I was really happy but had no idea how to get him one.

When I returned this year, I hoped to see him again, intending to get him a bible, or give him my own. And there he was, now part of the Umoja team, but looking ten years younger. The vast improvements in his health were so clear, and I spent a lot of time with him, observing the incredible changes as he was walking with us; running even, something that would have been impossible in 2007. He had also received health training from the government and was running several groups for HIV/AIDS patients, already working hard at investing back into the community. And in the end, I was able to give him a bible, which was an amazing privilege.

Tim Burton

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