Bishop and a Tree

An interesting day. Most of it was spent in resting after a late day Yesterday so there was a bit of a nap. Linda spent quite a bit of time preparing a dinner for us and the Catholic Bishop of Bururi province. He came in to discuss ideas for cooperation and what his people need. We came away with an understanding to explore further and cooperatively with the Anglican Diocese. Bishop Bacinoni Venant is a wonderful man with a deep love for his people. The membership of his diocese is at 500,000 with 19 parishes. Each parish has 20-30 Eucharistic Communities. There are about 80 priests serving the diocese. He joked that I can not leave Burundi and should be the first Anglican Use Catholic here. We all got a hearty laugh over that. We also met today with a gentleman who has a plan to harvest the leaves and seeds of the Maringa tree. He needs 600,000 dollars to get the operation going. He already has a significant number of hectares under cultivation by rural women's co-ops. The tree is full if uses and the leaves, both dried and fresh, contain all the essential amino acids and vitamins. A serving contains 21g of protein. Leaves can be harvested after four months and regrow at the same rate. Oil from the seeds is good for skin and wound care. Cosmetics companies in Europe are paying top dollar for the oil. The leaves can also ne juiced and mixed with water to make an effective organic fertilizer. It may be the tree of life.