Tag discipleship

Mission Critical International is proud to introduce Pastor Ndagijimana Jean de Dieu as the new Director General of Mission Critical Rwanda

Here is his testimony and vision…

I was born on April 2nd 1971, in Rwanda, Africa.

Both of my parents were non-believers. I’m the second born of 9 children.

But presently 4 of us are living (2 sons and 2 daughters.)

Getting saved wasn’t that easy for me because of my parents’ non-belief

I thank God for the crusade that took place in our neighborhood back in 1984. They taught me the words found in “John 3:16.” So after learning about God’s love and Christ as a savior and that He died for my sins, I decided to give my life to Him and live for Him. But wow! It wasn’t good for me when I got home because my parents kicked me out of the house and from there I started a life of struggle for a few days and then I went back home and my parents allowed me to remain in the family but like a stranger. A few months later I was baptized. In 1985 I began to sing in a choir from the Pentecostal church in Rwanda, and in 1988 I evangelized my parents and my mom got saved. So hence I wasn’t called stranger anymore because my mom was like me too and a few months later my grandma got saved too.

In 1990 I got married to my beautiful wife Gaudance and we have six children (a daughter and 5 sons.)

In 1992 I joined seminary in DR Congo and learned more about evangelism. I then became a pastor in 1994, and then in 1995-2000 I went on an advanced course at the seminary back in Congo still. Right after graduation I came back to Rwanda in August 2000.

Then I started a ministry in evangelism and church planting in Rwanda, Burundi and DR Congo.

Nowadays, I am a senior pastor of a young church two years and six months old. The church has about 245 members now.

MY DREAM FOR MISSION CRITICAL RWANDA:

1. To expand this ministry country-wide and to see many people change their heart and accept Jesus Christ as Savior.

2. To share the word of God to the orphans and vulnerable children and show them God’s grace.

Do you ever think about how amazing it was that in Luke 5 after Jesus bids Peter and the others to let down their nets and they pull in what was probably the greatest catch of their careers “they left everything and followed Him.” (Luke 5:11) when Jesus said, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” (Luke 5:10)? I’ve been thinking a lot about this over the last few years.

The passage always amazes me because at first blush it seems like they gave up a lot and they took a great risk leaving their livelihood to follow this Rabbi who “had nowhere to lay His head” and maybe that is part of why Jesus said, “Do not fear” but in retrospect they were trading very little for the most incredible adventure in the history of the world. When Jesus said, “follow Me” there is no way they could have known the incredible adventure that awaited them. In that split second where they made the decision to follow Him there is no way they could have known what that meant. As they were walking away from their father, their boats, their nets, and their wealth there is no way they could have known that they were going to see the blind, lame, diseased, and dead healed before their very eyes! They couldn’t have known that they were going to be on the mount of transfiguration and see Jesus in His glory speaking with Moses and Elijah! They couldn’t have know that they would see God clothed in flesh die to ransom humanity and then see Him raised from the dead and ascend to heaven. Peter couldn’t have known that when he left his nets he would preach and see three thousand saved and baptized in one day! In those simple words “follow Me” were concealed huge miracles, intense suffering, wonderful marvels, deep pain, unspeakable joys, not to mention the presence of Jesus, the most lovable and admirable being in the universe.

The astounding truth however is that each of us have been called by the same Rabbi to “follow Me” and the same adventure is waiting for us if we will leave our shore of Galilee and follow Him and it excites me daily to think that there is no way we can know the incredible things He has in store for us if we will say yes! We may have to leave familiar surroundings, careers, family, and more and there is no guarantee that we will ever return (all the fishermen who followed Jesus from the shore that day were killed in foreign lands for the gospel) but I know that if those fishermen had it to do over again they wouldn’t trade their adventure with God, their Mission Critical, for a quiet life on the shores of Galilee and neither should you or I.

What God sized adventure is awaiting us? There is no way we can know unless we drop the nets and follow.

To Be Continued…