Back in 2005, a rag-tag group of 47 passionate Burundian believers from 4 churches set out to share the Gospel with as many people as they could in a 2-week period – 1200 came to faith! But we had no idea that it would spark a movement that, 20 years on, has seen over 219,000 people come to Christ, plus countless miracles! I’m always inspired to see stories and miracles from the Book of Acts replayed in a modern context. Onesphore, who founded Harvest Initiatives, reflects on that first summer…

For the 20th anniversary of that first campaign, the Harvest team has gone even bigger. The usual two-week outreach has expanded to a whopping nine! They’re hoping that this new strategy of equipping churches nationwide to send out their own people will bring unprecedented impact. Harvest trained 577 trainers from 31 churches, who took it into their congregations.

We’re a few weeks in, and it has already been incredibly fruitful. You can read more below – there have been healings, witchdoctors renouncing their dark powers, and rapid church growth!

A witch doctor turns into a witness

Preaching to a witch doctor takes courage, wisdom, and prayer. That’s how Lucien and his team approached Toyi.

Toyi had once called himself a Christian but never found the peace he longed for. When life became hard and money short, he turned to witchcraft—at first faking power to make money, then experiencing real, dark forces. Nightmares haunted him, and he became bitter and feared.

Lucien knew a direct approach wouldn’t work. He and another evangelist arrived, pretending to seek healing. Toyi offered charms and medicine, but they refused. “We’re not here for that,” Lucien said. “We came to tell you about Jesus.”

They asked if his powers brought peace. Toyi fell silent. When asked if he knew what awaited him after death, something stirred in his heart. “Even in church, I never truly encountered Jesus,” he admitted. Right then, Toyi decided to change. He gathered every charm and magic item and set them on fire. Villagers came running, and about fifteen were so moved by what they saw, they gave their lives to Christ on the spot.

When Toyi’s wife returned from the fields, he told her the news. Weeks later, she and their son attended a local crusade. Welcomed instead of shunned, she wept and accepted Jesus along with her boy. Now, one month later, the family hasn’t missed a church service. People still seek Toyi’s old help, but he tells them, “I’ve changed. No amount of money can make me go back.”

He doesn’t yet know how he will earn a living, but he’s unshaken: “God will make a way. I’ve never been this happy. The Lord is my strength.”

A Mind Restored

Imagine waking up one day and finding yourself wandering mad in the streets. That’s what happened to Eloi. At just 18, full of dreams and just a year away from graduating high school with a focus in hydraulic engineering. But all of a sudden, his life took a tragic turn. For over a year, this once bright, hopeful boy became a shadow of himself, bound by forces no one could fully explain.

One day, Gerard and a group of evangelists decided to go see Eloi.  They had known about him for a while and had seen him in that state. But this time, they were on a mission. “We knew this was more than just a mental problem. This was spiritual,” Gerard said. “The enemy had taken hold of him, but we believed Jesus could set him free.”

They brought him back to his parents’ home and began to pray. It wasn’t easy. The moment they started, Eloi became aggressive. He shouted and resisted. But the team pressed on in prayer, standing in the authority of Christ. And then, something shifted. Eloi suddenly fell asleep.

After some time, he woke up, and everything was different. He was calm. He looked around and knew where he was. He recognised his family and himself. Tears flowed down his father’s face. After so many months of hopelessness, he fell to his knees in front of Gerard and said, “Pray for me too. I want to come back to God.”

Word spread quickly. In the following days, neighbours and strangers came to the house just to see for themselves. Many couldn’t believe what they were seeing. And one by one, hearts began to turn. So far, 15 people have given their lives to Christ after witnessing Eloi’s healing.

It’s now been a month. Eloi is thriving again; he may not have gone back to his engineering studies, but he’s found a new purpose. He’s now enrolled at a mechanic training centre. His dreams may have been disrupted, but God has restored them.

From 5 to 400!

For more than 20 years now, Harvest Initiatives’ Evangelism Outreach programme has been using the Jesus Film to spread the Good News across the country. During the day, some teams go house to house, sharing the Gospel door to door. As the sun begins to set, others set up projectors and sound systems, and people start gathering to watch the story of Jesus.

Four years ago, in Bugendana, a commune in the central province of Gitega, there was a small Anglican church led by Pastor Evariste. At the time, the church had barely five members, and there were even talks of closing it down. But Pastor Evariste held on, faithfully praying and asking God to show him how to reach the people around him.

Then one day, Harvest Initiatives approached him and asked if they could show the Jesus Film just outside his church building. Without hesitation, Pastor Evariste said yes. “This is exactly what I’ve been praying for,” he told them. “A way to reach the people.”

The first night the film was shown, over 50 people came, and many gave their lives to Jesus. Just like that, the church began to grow. Today, that same church sends out over a dozen evangelists across the Bugendana region. They’re not just sharing the Good News; they’ve also been able to give out 20 Bibles to new believers who accepted Christ during the film screenings.

The church is now home to more than 400 believers. Pastor Evariste is truly grateful that God answered his prayers through this film. 

Read more stories from this year’s outreach.