In 1993, a civil war broke out in Burundi, a poor country in East Africa. The violent conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnicities killed more than 300,000 people, including child soldiers.
It was in this hostile environment that Bosco Mutebutsi grew up. At age 7, Bosco saw his parents killed during an attack.
He and his older sister managed to survive and fled into the swamp. Soon after, they took refuge in a local church.
In the following years, Bosco lived in despair as a result of the trauma. “I was at that moment, really hopeless. Life had no meaning at all,” he said, in an interview with Bible League Internationalan organization that distributes Bibles around the world.
Cured to forgive
The orphan’s heart was filled with bitterness and sadness. Bosco’s sole purpose was revengekilling his parents’ killer.
“All I wanted was to finish school, go to the army, get a gun and go after the person who killed my parents,” he confessed.
However, at the age of 19, Bosco met Jesus and his plans changed completely. Healed from his trauma and filled with hope in Christ, he gave up revenge and released forgiveness.
“I was able to forgive the person who killed my parents. God gave me hope for another way to live. I don’t know where I would be if I followed that path [de entrar para o exército]. Maybe I was already dead or in prison,” she testified.
Teaching the Word of God
Today, at 38 years old, Bosco brings hope through teaching the Bible to children and young people in schools in Burundi, in partnership with Bible League International.
“For me, hope lies in believing in Jesus and knowing that He has a better way for you that is different from the wounds you have gone through in life. I wasn’t the only one who went through the civil war – there are many young people and adults who still carry the wounds of war”, commented the Christian professor.
“Once they find Jesus and build their lives on Him, He will give them a better hope and future as they learn to trust Him,” he added.
Through Bible classes, many students accepted Jesus as their Savior. “We are seeing the majority of them come to Christ and join local churches and continue to grow spiritually and have hope for eternity. We are seeing many young people transformed by the Gospel”, celebrated Bosco.
Since 2018, Bible League International has reached more than 88,000 people in Burundi with God’s Word through Bible studies.
