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I. The starting and the background of Rwanda Mission 

The UBF Makerere Chapter started to pray for Rwanda pioneering work since several years ago. In 2010, Shep. Moses from Makerere Chapter was sent to Rwanda as the first pioneering missionary. He stayed in Kigali and served Rwanda brothers in Kigali for about two years, then in 2012 came back to Uganda. 

In December 2013, Msn. Luke, Msn. David, Shep. Steven and Shepherdess Nakato went together to the Rwanda campus to explore the mission field. That time, we visited Butare (another city in Rwanda which is 126 km of Kigali, the capital city). On the Butare Huye campus, we met several brothers and we held the first Sunday service on the campus playground. That time, we all realized that Rwanda is a good mission field because students there were eager to have Bible study and to know the word of God. Since that time, Shep. Zacheus started to come to Rwanda every two or three months to invite students for Bible study. 

II. God’s work in Rwanda for the last one year

In November 2014, we had the first Bible Conference in Rwanda Butare, where more than 20 students from the Huye Campus joined. The conference was very successful and powerful, and students’ hearts were eager to know the word of God. We clearly saw that they were ripe crops and ready for the harvest. So during the last day of the Bible conference, Msn. Luke and all the Uganda shepherds and shepherdesses gathered together to pray for a way to serve Rwanda brothers and sisters more effectively and regularly. Finally, I and Shep. Zachaues volunteered to come to Rwanda every month to have Bible study with Rwanda brothers and sisters. Since December 2014, I and Shep. Zacheus started to go Rwanda every month. Every time we go, we use the night bus, and spend 10 hours from Kampala to Kigali, then another 2.5 hours from Kigali to Butare. The journey is quite long and tiresome, but whenever we see the Rwanda brothers’ thirsty hearts for the word of God and their happiness upon seeing us, all our tiredness disappears. We then feel that our journey and our visiting are very meaningful. So I and Shep. Zacheus kept coming to Rwanda every month until February in 2015. 

In February 2015, Shep. Zacheus went to South Korea for his master course, then I started to come to Rwanda with other Uganda co-workers. Every time we come to Rwanda, we come in twos, just as how Jesus sent his disciples to preach his word, and everyone leads one Bible study every time. So far, I have been to Rwanda with Ap. Steven, Shep. Ambrose, Ap. Andrew, and Ap. Deo Gracious, and every time, the journey was very successful. All our Uganda co-workers were very surprised with the attitude and thirsty hearts of the Rwanda brothers, and they wanted to serve them again and again. So far, we have finished ten steps (the basic Christianity Bible studies) with Rwanda brothers. After that, we started the book of John.

Early this year, during the campus holiday in Rwanda, we invited 3 brothers and 1 sister from Rwanda to Kampala for two weeks for spiritual training. During the two weeks, they had 11 Bible studies with our missionaries and Uganda shepherds. Every morning, they wake up before 6am for Morning Prayer meeting, and every evening before sleeping, we gather together to read 5 chapters from the book of Genesis and the book of Matthew. During those two weeks, they also visited and had fellowship with all our house church members. After their training, they went back to their campus. 

From September 2015, some brothers were transferred from Butare to Kigali for their third and fourth year course. Since that time, we started to visit two places in Rwanda. First, we stop in Kigali to have two Bible studies with Kigali brothers, then in the afternoon, we move to Butare to have two more Bible studies with Butare brothers. So far, we have brother Guard, Hodal, David, Steven, Bob, James, Sis. Mary and Sis. Claudine in Butare, and Bro. Etenien and few other brothers in Kigali. These students faithfully come and have Bible study together. We realized that we have more than ten faithful, regular Bible students in Butare that are eager to grow spiritually and to participate in UBF ministry. So, I suggested to have Sunday service altogether every month when I come. My suggestion was well-received, and so far we have had four Sunday services together. 

Now we are praying to raise Bro. Guard, Hodal, David, Steven, Bob, Etenien and Sis. Mary as apostles next year. May God continue to help them grow spiritually and become spiritual leaders of the Rwanda ministry. 

III. The challenges and prayer topics of 2016

Now the only challenge is this: I realized that a one-time visit every month for Bible study and Sunday service was not enough for Rwanda brothers. They need more Bible studies and more fellowship. We pray that God may raise a missionary family to stay there and serve Rwanda ministry permanently.

Prayer Topics of 2016: 

• May God send a permanent UBF missionary to Rwanda
• May God raise Bro. Guard, Hodal, David, Steven, Bob, Etienne and Sis. Mary as faithful apostles and shepherds in Rwanda in the year of 2016. 
• May God help me and Uganda co-workers to go to Rwanda more often for Bible study and Sunday service. 
• May God continue to protect and help Rwanda brothers and sisters for their spiritual growth.