DIVINE DESTINY CHURCHES & MINISTRIES

I keep sitting down to write a blog post and not managing it due to extreme exhaustion.  Maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but here in the evening, it really feels impossible to keep my eyes propped open.  I know it doesn't last forever, but jet lag is just no joke, and it's made much worse by children who awaken in the wee hours of the morning with lots of spare energy. 😳🤦🏻‍♀️ #makeitstop

One of the main reasons we visited Rwanda was to see our friends, Joel and Annie Sengoga.  Joel is the founder of Divine Destiny, a church in Kigali that has several church plants throughout Rwanda with a vision to have a church in every province of the country.  Joel's heartbeat is for multiplication and discipleship, and he will readily tell you that the church in East Africa needs more leadership and depth.  To that end, he also leads a residency program to train pastors in the region with an intensive year long initiative that focuses on vulnerability, discipleship and theology.

It was a privilege beyond reckoning to be introduced at Divine Destiny a couple of Sundays ago and be counted among Joel and Annie's friends.  After knowing the Sengogas and praying for their ministry, seeing it all firsthand was such a blessing.



During our time in Rwanda, we were able to visit several of the churches that have been planted by Divine Destiny and meet the pastors and other members of their teams.  We spent time praying with each team, and I am looking forward to continuing to hear how God works in their congregations!

Joel makes a deal with each location in regards to the building.  The local church is responsible for raising the funds for and erecting the building, and Joel/Divine Destiny will pay for the roof.  Even with very few means, these people are finding ways to make a church building possible!






(To read more and see more pics - see Courtney's post about this!)

One striking fact that stands out about some of these experiences was being told that the first "study" Bible in Kinyarwandan was only available starting in 2012, and it is still very expensive.  We take for granted all of the resources we have in the US.  I was taking a picture of two of the Bibles near some flowers, and the pastor went and got the study Bible so it could prominently pose.




One way that we were able to serve was to give a little tutorial on using a DSLR camera to the Divine Destiny media team.




Also while we were there, we got to visit their sewing and jewelry making co-ops.  Because of the poverty in Rwanda, there is a huge need for jobs for people - especially those who may not have had the opportunity to get as much education.  There is a group of women who sew near one of their churches, and the goods are brought back to the US and sold at prices that allow them to make a decent wage, and there is a similar group of men and women in Kigali who make jewelry.  Court and I wanted so many of the pieces!

I have such a love of crafts, and seeing people make things firsthand was such a treat.  God is mightily at work in Rwanda, and he has seen fit to tie Little Rock and Kigali together in many ways.  And seeing all of the ways that God is working through Divine Destiny was such a privilege!  We are honored to be partnered with them!