Room Full / Heart Full

It’s one thing to sit in a room with Africans all from one country, but it’s quite another to sit in one with Africans from ten – Malawi, Zambia, Malawi, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Botswana and Tanzania. And, how did this happen when most of these men have never met each other face to face, even the ones who happen to be from the same country? Only God puts in the heart of man the plans and purposes he has, and sometimes, we are even clued in enough to catch on, “This was not my idea, but God’s!”

Five years ago Roger had an idea to develop an on-line basic training for Disciplemaking Movements and to promote the course via free google advertising to English speaking nations in north African countries. He was immediately flooded with applications. The course contains video lectures, reading materials and practical assignments the students can go out and do in their own villages. Many, if not most of these students, are using their phones to access the course and it has worked well. The first class was held in the summer of 2018. Since then there has been a steady influx of men and women interested and applying to take the course. Currently and for some time there has been a new class starting every month with around 60 students. Of course, not all students complete the course, but the ones who do, are invited into another level of the course and then another and then another. Each level filters the level of interest and commitment to this kind of work.

The men I am sitting with today are some of the results of that course. They have stayed the course, hung in and were then invited to join with others here in Rwanda. Each of them is unique to their country, their culture, their economic situation, their education, but they all have one thing in common. They have experienced the Living God and they are passionate for others to know Him, too. It was nothing less than a privilege to sit and be with them for the past week.

For example, here are a couple of the answers I got when I asked several men why they do what they do. After all, these men make great sacrifices with their time, their resources and often their safety in order to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They spend days away from their families and travel to distant people in the most challenging of circumstances. It’s not easy! So, why do they do it?

Mathias – Tanzania
“It’s a question of being a Christian. I think back over my life and how many times God has cared for me. Remember, my father died when I was young and my mother died when I was 15. Christians were the ones who helped me and my brother survive. My circumstances were very hard. He has shown me his love many times since that time a long time ago. Because of God’s love and compassion, it is my responsibility to obey Him.”

Emmanuel – Uganda/Rwanda/Kenya
“I’ve discovered that it’s my life purpose. I want to live and equip others. That’s why I do what I do. I always pray to God, ‘Please allow me to train and equip just one more person’... in addition to thinking for sure this is my life purpose, honestly, I just want to bring God glory. I’m only here for this one purpose…”

John O – Kenya
“…I can only say that I have this passion for God. It’s the passion that God has for people that motivates me. I can even say it compels me…The situation is that people are lost and suffering great things with no hope. I can only tell you this. It is in my blood to do this. I love doing it. It is what God has asked me to do. Nothing else. Even when I was young, very young, even then I had a mindset to send many people out into missions to help the poor in our communities here in Kenya. There are so many who need our physical and spiritual help. DMM has helped me to do this thing.

Douglas – Uganda
It’s a passion I have for people to know Jesus. Actually, I had a dream a very long time ago. I saw myself in a house with a table with people going up and down getting some things for themselves. When I reached the table, they handed me a key in the shape of Africa. It was a very old key with rust all over it, but you know in my heart I didn’t want that old rusty key, so they told me, “You don’t like it, so give it back.” So, I did. They put a shiny new key in the palm of my hand and told me to take old keys and go and make them shiny. So I left. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that the old key was lost broken people. God gave me a passion and I want very much to do what God wants me to do.

Liliane – Burundi
Because I love Jesus and I love people!

Moses – Nigeria
When I was invited to this conference here in Rwanda, in my heart, I said, “At any cost, no matter what it takes, I must get there. This is the way for me to reach Nigeria.”