The Mustard Seed of Faith

Rukundo* had been bedridden for a long time. What began as simple weakness and fever had escalated into a grave illness that baffled doctors. His parents were desperate and devastated. The only solution was to transfer Rukundo to a better hospital in Bujumbura, but the journey wouldn’t be easy, as Rukundo was too weak to travel.

The doctors had no choice but to release him and send him home since his parents could not afford to keep him hospitalised. As Rukundo’s parents waited for news of their son’s fate, their desperation was shared among the neighbourhood. When the evangelists heard about Rukundo’s situation, they headed to his home.

Upon their arrival, Rukundo was so weak that he couldn’t even turn his head to face them. Despite not having faith, his parents desperately asked the evangelists to pray for their son.

Before they laid their hands on him, the evangelists told the parents to believe and put their faith in God, not in men. They knelt beside Rukundo, laying their hands on him as they prayed earnestly for divine intervention. “Trust in God,” they said, “for He has heard your cries.”

The following day, the evangelists returned and were greeted by a miraculous sight. Rukundo was sitting up, his face radiant with newfound strength. Overwhelmed with joy, his parents exclaimed, “He is completely healed! There is no pain left. Truly, your God is a living God!”

This profound experience became a testament to the power of God and the unwavering divine miracles, bringing hope and renewal to Rukundo’s family and their entire community.

Once a trader of darkness, now a beacon of hope

In the province of Cibitoke, witchcraft is a common practice, and 70-year-old Vital had made it a way of life. Feared by many, he was sought after by those desperate for power, fortune, or healing. But behind his craft lay a hidden and dark secret.

One day, two evangelists approached his home. Innocent and his partner had come not for his services, but on a divine mission. They had spent the night in prayer, seeking God’s guidance and protection, knowing full well the risks involved. Innocent boldly declared, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world.”

As they confronted Vital, they called upon him to repent, declaring that he would face the wrath of God if he did not turn from his ways. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the fear that had once paralysed them vanished. At that moment, Vital fell to his knees, overwhelmed by a presence he could not comprehend. Tears streamed down his face as the weight of his sins washed over him.

“Please,” he cried, “follow me.” He led them to a hidden area behind his house where he revealed a sack with dark magic charms. As Innocent and his partner prepared to burn them, Vital felt an internal battle raging. “I was shaking, my body felt like it was on fire,” he recalled. “But I knew I had to completely confess.”

With trembling hands, he grabbed a shovel and began to dig. As he unearthed a coffin filled with human bones and skulls, a crowd began to gather. The sight was shocking, but it was a turning point. 

In that moment of revelation, Innocent seized the opportunity to share the Gospel with the onlookers. With passion and conviction, he preached about Jesus—the light that banishes darkness, the Savior who offers redemption. As the crowd listened, the Holy Spirit moved powerfully among them, and one by one, hearts began to change. That day, over a hundred people stepped forward, confessing their sins and accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!

Vital, once a trader of darkness, had become a beacon of hope, transformed by God’s grace. His testimony served as a powerful reminder that no one is beyond the reach of God’s love and redemption. The following Sunday, a small church in Mugina, Cibitoke, was filled with new converts. The light was shining brighter than ever, and the Kingdom of God was advancing, bringing freedom to the captives.

A Miraculous Reconciliation

On a small hill in Zina, in the western province of Bubanza, lived two women—Irankunda and her mother-in-law, Kwizera. Despite sharing the same compound, they had been locked in a bitter conflict for five long years, refusing to speak to each other or visit one another’s homes.

In many Burundian villages, mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law share a close bond, growing vegetables together and cooking from the same pot. But for Irankunda and Kwizera, it was a different story. From the very beginning of Irankunda’s marriage, Kwizera harboured resentment, believing that Irankunda was unworthy of her son. This bitterness spiralled, leading them to suspect each other of malicious intent. When Irankunda’s baby fell ill, she even suspected her mother-in-law of poisoning her child. Their animosity grew so intense that they needed the intervention of an Umuhuza, a village chief, but even he could not mend their broken relationship.

Nkuru, Irankunda’s husband, shared the toll this conflict took on his family. He expressed the pain of being ostracised by his parents: “My relationship with my mother and father has been so strained. They stopped inviting me to family functions and even suggested I should send my wife away I wanted to be considered their son.”

One day, an evangelist visited the village and found Irankunda caring for her child. They approached her with a heartfelt request: “We want to pray for reconciliation between you and your mother-in-law.” Irankunda, feeling defensive, was irritated and accused them of taking her mother-in-law’s side. But the evangelists revealed that they had also spoken to Kwizera, who had sent them to seek Irankunda’s forgiveness.

At that moment, Irankunda felt a wave of shame and guilt wash over her as she realised how much hatred and jealousy had filled her heart. In a humbling act of surrender, she confessed her wrongs and prayed alongside the evangelists.

What happened next was nothing short of miraculous. A crowd gathered around the compound, witnessing the unexpected embrace between Irankunda and Kwizera, two women who had once been bitter enemies. They knelt together in prayer, united in a moment of profound reconciliation. This remarkable display of love and forgiveness touched the hearts of many onlookers, inspiring them to confess their burdens and seek prayer.

Through the grace of God, the lives of Irankunda and Kwizera were transformed. They became living testimonies of how powerful and redemptive love can be when we allow God to heal our broken relationships. This is a reminder that no conflict is too great for God to mend when we choose to embrace forgiveness and seek reconciliation.

A Journey from Pain to Praise

Niyonkuru had prepared herself for what felt like her final breath. Each time she inhaled, she was painfully reminded of the illness that had consumed her for months. Once, Niyonkuru found joy in waking up at dawn and tending to her fields in the early cool of the day. But what started as a growing exhaustion soon turned into a life-threatening illness. 

It was so debilitating she couldn’t do her usual chores and spent most of her time lying down, but as her condition worsened, even that became painful . No medication and no doctor’s visit could bring relief. But God was not done with her story.

A friend, Armand, heard about her dire situation and had been praying and trusting in God’s power to heal. When he heard about the Evangelism Campaign Harvest Initiatives was preparing, he felt called to be part of it. He spent days and nights praying for God’s power to be upon him. “I know I serve a living God, the One who heals and performs miracles. I knew He would use me to accomplish His will.”

When Armand arrived at Niyonkuru’s home, he was saddened to see her in such a terrible state. She looked so weak, and had almost given up, but Armand encouraged her to put her trust in God, to believe in His power to heal. After finishing the prayer, something incredible happened—Niyonkuru’s face lit up, a big smile beamed and tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. “I felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest,” she recalls. “I couldn’t believe it—my ribs weren’t hurting anymore. I pressed on them several times, but there was no pain.”

From that day forward, Niyonkuru has slept peacefully, free from chest pain. She is back to working in her field, doing what she loves, filled with newfound strength. But even more than her physical healing, Niyonkuru has found a renewed spirit. She has joined the choir, a living testimony of God’s power.

“I had lost hope, but now my heart is full of joy,” she shares. “I will never stop proclaiming what the Lord has done for me. He has given me more days, not just to live, but to worship and praise His holy name.”