AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ONE DISCIPLES.
The Lord will be King of all the Earth. On that day, there will be ONE Lord and His Name will be ONE. Zechariah 14:9
Beloved sons and daughters;
My original commitment with Burundi was for four years. That is what the Lord inspired me to commit myself. It has now been more than six years that I have been serving this nation.
My commitment with Dr Paul Taylor was to help him to launch and sustain this “business” of transforming Burundi, not his ministry.
Dr. Taylor has provided most of the money wired directly to Burundi. I have also helped to provide a lot of money to this cause not just raising funds but spending my own resources. We have done this according to our own limits.
Furthermore, there have been hundreds of hours of dedication taken from my business in the US for this cause. Working late hours was part of this exhaustive commitment due to the time zone. This represents thousands of dollars taken from my business during the last years. And I am blessed and happy to have done that.
To have chosen Jeremie Manirakiza to lead ONE was one of our best decisions. I am really blessed to see what we are seeing nowadays. I am satisfied. What we are observing, I mean, all that has been accomplished is amazing.
And I will never forget my beloved sons and daughters of Burundi.
Moreover, we want to let people know the following and hope you can share this with others: from now you will have to PRIORITIZE investments so that ONE (you all) become sustainable. In other words, you shall have to provide for yourselves and the business of ONE. I am starting a transition phase that will allow you and the others to accomplish this: be self sustainable.
I am aware of the culture, the difficulties and limitations of the country. However I am also aware of the wealth of this nation and its capacity to overcome any poverty mentality. There are thousands of people who do well in the nation and prosper there amazingly.
I have shared about this a few years ago, and some of you didn’t understand it at the time. Many Burundians have a mindset of starting NGOS to help the country and they count on grants for these NGOS to maintain them. But an NGO is not a SUSTAINABLE source of income. It doesn’t PRODUCE wealth, only brings wealth from other NATIONS to be spent. When the resources stop, the “ministry” stops. This kind of ministry mentality is one of the biggest hindrances for sustainability and true prosperity. Unless these NGOs begin to invest in businesses that will generate wealth. We have done this in a small scale, but encouraged to know that this is the right way to go.
I also care to mention that I DO NOT LIKE the word “ministry” for what we do.
Look at these verses:
“But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.” Matthew 22:5 NKJV
“And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”” Luke 2:49 NKJV
Jesus didn’t say ‘my Fathers’s ministry’, but my Father’s business.
“So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’” Luke 19:13 NKJV
“Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;” Acts 6:3 NKJV
“That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,” I Thessalonians 4:11 NKJV
What Dr Taylor was saying in some of his messages is that “he is trying to prepare you for that day.” The say the grants will stop. That does not mean the day that our resources will end, but the day that you, all of you, ONE, will be self sustainable.
Look at what has happened: All the funds we send are spent with needs, not the BUSINESS. You treat the funds as BREAD — and all that is sent is eaten and not transformed into SEEDS - part of it is not invested.
If all the money collected in the churches and NGOs in Burundi were considered SEEDS and not bread, can you imagine what this nation would become?
The time for change is now. We are happy and blessed with all of you, but the time has come to sustain a more mature relationship for your own good.
Sincerely and with love, in Him, the ONE.
Dr Josimar Salum
#ASONE
