Our featured missionaries the month of August is Pastor Paul and Elizabeth Johnson in Rwanda, East Africa region. Pastor Paul serves the Lord as founder and senior pastor of the first Calvary Chapel’s in Rwanda: Calvary Chapel Kigali in the capital city of Kigali, closed during Covid 19 outbreak and Calvary Chapel Shyorongi, which still operates in the northern foothills, thirty minutes from the capital city of Kigali.

About the Johnsons:

Paul and Elizabeth have been married for 16 years: once in Canada and twice in Rwanda. They were married in Canada in 2007 and in the following year, travelled to Rwanda to be with Elizabeth’s family, being married again in both the traditional cultural wedding and a civil legal wedding. Both Paul and Elizabeth come from two different, but similar worlds. Paul was born in the rural wilderness of the Yukon, just south of the Arctic Circle (i.e. cold), whereas, Elizabeth was born in the eastern part of Rwanda in a rural farming community (i.e. warm and hot). Both were born and raised around mining industries: Paul’s father worked on a gold dredge in the gold fields of the Yukon Klondike and Elizabeth’s father worked for a iron-ore mining company in Rwinkwavu, Eastern area of Rwanda. Elizabeth serves the women’s and children ministries, overseeing the ECD, Early Childhood Development Centers, within the country. They also have an extensive and fast-growing Library Ministry throughout the country, having started and trained hundreds to thousands of Librarians and ECD Early Childhood Development Center personal. They receive numerous shipping containers of tens of thousands of newly published children, youth, adult books and reading materials and distribute and create libraries. This is opening numerous opportunities for ministry. They moved to Rwanda from Canada in spring of 2016 full time after Paul received his calling from John 15:16. Calvary Chapel Rwanda has planted two ministries, Calvary Chapel Kigali and recently, Calvary Chapel Shyorongi, a congregation set in the rural countryside in the Northern Province, full of children, youth and adults.

Below is an overview of their missionary work in Rwanda and prayer requests we received from them.

CHURCH MINISTRIES:

Children / Early Childhood Development Centers
Food Distribution
Men and Women
Outreach, Evangelism, Anti-drug Campaigns
School of Ministry (SOM)

MINISTRY SITES:

Gisozi/Jabana Gasabo District KIGALI CITY
Calvary Chapel Shyorongi, Rulindo District, Northern Province
Muhanga, Southern Province
Lake Sake, East Province

ACHIEVMENTS - SERVING ABOVE SELF

1 Calvary Chapel plant (only one existing within Rwanda)
38 New Community Libraries Created throughout country
2 Shipping Container Libraries full functioning
60+ Existing Libraries Trained & Replenished
6 Children only Reading Corners
1500+ Early Childhood Development Centers
850 Home Bag Libraries
1500+ ECD Caregivers Trained
120+ Librarians & Teachers Trained
Received 5 Containers of Books from Book Aid Int. (est. 250,000 books)
Build CCR Head Quarters: Residency & Guest’s Accommodations (in Kigali 2 acre Land)

HIGHLIGHTS

Here are some highlights of what the Lord is doing among the Johnsons in Rwanda.

School of Ministry

Young Men are being trained and being absorbed in the Word and Ways of our Lord and God. We enjoy training young men for the ministry of the Word.

Pray them saturate their hearts and minds in the things of God through the Word for generations to come.

INEZA Foundation Library: Literacy and Children’s Ministry

INEZA FOUNDATION: “Let’s Read Together” - Ineza Foundation provides tens of thousands of newly published reading materials from book publishers through Book-Aid International (https://bookaid.org/) for a majority of both private and public Libraries throughout the country of Rwanda…

Pray readers to understand and learn new life skills and imagine “what if.” Ineza foundation encourages a reading environment to assist all readers to imagine, to inspire and to create a new experience for themselves for self-improvement and self-determination.

SAY NO TO DRUGS AND YES TO JESUS

Pastor Paul is an approved and appointed antidrug campaigner in Rwanda. Having tasted the life as street people since the 1970’s and having his own brother succumb to the perils and death from illicit drugs, Paul has a burden to help not only street people but anyone and set them free through the Gospel and assist in their transformation to wholeness.

Calvary Chapel Rwanda has a very large land designated in the Eastern for a wholeness, retreat, and rehabilitation center, as well a youth camp. PRAY for the Lord to plant this center for the transformation of valuable lives for generations to come.

CCR FOOD DISTRIBUTION

The Johnson’s are personally involved in every aspect of the CCR ministry. They started and continue to purchase and distribute food to those most needy.

Women’s Ministry

The women participate in sewing and read and study the Bible together. Women’s Ministry sewing Initiatives from self-improvement to income generation!

PROPOSED NEW CHURCH BUILDING

Calvary Chapel Shyorongi New Plant to start on provided land within residential area of vast community. Pray Lord to provide needed funds for Sanctuary and Offices to seat over 500 attendees. Pray the Lord to use this as a sending church to plant numerous churches in same district.

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for Pastor Paul who needs to acquire a bachelor’s degree in theology to enable him to officially apply for official church status within country, as there, they require all church CEO’s to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology to start and/or operate a faith based organization.
Pray Paul to learn the Rwandan language as he suffers from a short-memory problem.
Paul oversees the Leadership training of the School of Ministry, the Elders and Associate pastor(s).
Pray for wisdom as he brings forth the word of God to facilitate Godly character and living in their leadership style.
Pray for our Elders: Janvier and Clemente for their wisdom, character development and spiritual discernment as they lead and implement ministry decisions.
Pray for Elizabeth as she oversees the Women’s and Children Ministries as well the Library Ministry.
Pray speed Registration Of Calvary Chapel Rwanda Process
Pray Men to attend Churches
Pray CCR Team Unity & Wisdom
Pray Rest & Good Health For The Johnson’s
Pray Team(s) to join CCR for Ministry: Church Construction, Community Outreach & Evangelism
Pray Provision: To Start Phase 1 ff CCR Shyorongi Church Building