Thank you so much for your gift to the ministry of Love Alive.

This month I want to share with you a letter from a partner church pastor here. He asked me to share this letter with those who have helped his church.  I hope it blesses you as it did me.

                     Message from Pastor Patrick and Philomene Ntaganda

I am Pastor Patrick Ntaganda from Agape Church Rwanda. I am married to Philomene, and we have two children, Ariston and Alvin. After graduating from National University of Rwanda, I was planning to get an employment but God called me to the ministry. When I first started pastoring the church, I did not know where to start from because we had no church building we were renting and at the same time I was renting the house where I was living. My heart was on the children, but I was not good at teaching them but I had seen Laura training children’s teachers then I went to her and asked her to come and give us training. She came and gave us 4 day training but she did not end there but kept on coming after some time.

Later, she had visitors who were coming from her church in the USA and brought them to our church. When they arrived at our church, we were then fellowshipping in a small tent which we used as a church building, we prayed with them and asked what they could pray for us. I remember my first prayer request was Bibles as most of the believers in my church had no Bibles. Another prayer request was to have more land for the church because the one we had was so small.

Soon after the group left for the USA, we received enough Bibles for church members but a few months later, there was a government announcement that churches which have no good buildings should be closed. It wasn’t easy for us; in fact, it looked as if we were going to stop and join other churches that had nice buildings, but because our friends from the mission team had become our prayer partners, Laura shared our prayer needs and they continued to pray for us and this time the need was not only the land but also a building.

I thank God, despite the church building being closed, we continued to pray and we could visit other churches which were open and fellowship with them. We continued to evangelize, baptize and help those that were in need. Without Laura and those partners, we couldn’t make it. They continued to pray and help us with funds which helped us to continue the work of God until they raised money to buy the land and construct a church building.

Dear brothers and sisters, I am taking this opportunity to testify and tell you that I saw the hand of God. At first I was afraid because I didn’t know how I will survive because God was telling me to be a full time minister as a Pastor so i was not seeing any means of how to care for my family and meet some needs in my church because here in Rwanda offerings are very little to the extent that those collected in a month cannot feed a family even in a week and they need to be shared in many things.

Through Laura and Love Alive, I was able to have food for my family even during COVID – 19 when we were in total isolation we did not lack anything, one of my sons Ariston is in good school and school fees is being paid. Continue to pray for us because I feel I should continue the ministry but sometimes we meet obstacles when we fail to provide for the family.

Since September last year, Agape Church was reopened, we have a big and nice building and this is because of your effort. Recently our praying friends suggested that our church should be sharing with them the request every month and you pray for it. You people are absolutely amazing! When I shared with the church about that proposal, they were moved by emotions and some of them shed tears. Thank you so much and may God continue to use you the way He desires!

Love and blessings from,

Pastor Patrick and Philomene,

Agape Church – Rwanda.

Thank you, for your support. May God abundantly bless you!