By Nikole Hahn
A remote village in Rwanda chose to go without beans—their only source of protein—to stockpile enough cash to send a family to an unreached Muslim people group in North Africa. This love for people they don’t know began with just one woman.
Nick Pirolo taught a missiology class at the Christian Leadership Institute in Rwanda five years ago. It wasn’t enough to give the students knowledge. Nick desired the students to experience a different culture, but was that possible in their own country? A chance for mission exposure came in the form of another organization. This organization went to the university looking for translators for a short-term team they brought to Rwanda. The students joined the short-term team and, with Nick, journeyed an hour and a half away to a remote village.
“Walking through the village, they shared the Gospel and thought six people came to faith,” Krystal Pirolo said. Three of the students, now with this other organization, felt dissatisfaction at leaving the six villagers to figure out their faith alone. Nick and Krystal mentored them and had discussions about the village. Unlike in America, where there’s a church on every corner, this village doesn’t have access to people of faith or biblical resources.
“We’re both Rwandan and speak the same language, but I had no idea it could be so different working in the village. The villagers are so different. It was like this cross-cultural experience,” One of the students said to Krystal. Although the village was only an hour and a half away from Kigali, transportation costs can be prohibitively expensive. The other organization sponsored the students to follow up through weekly discipleship groups. Out of the six people who became believers in the village, the students learned that only one was truly transformed.
*Carrie was a single mom with five children. She never finished school and barely got by financially as she raised her children alone. Carrie became a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Some people slowly change over time, but for others, the change can be immediately apparent.
“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:20 NIV)
The students continued making trips to the village. Every week, the students discovered new believers because of how God used Carrie. Carrie shared the Gospel with everyone and lived out her faith, too.
“Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23 NIV)
One of the students whose wife attends Krystal’s Bible Study said, “We must disciple [Carrie].” This student asked New Creation Ministries (NCM) to disciple Carrie, and she became an NCM student, the first and only woman to attend NCM’s training. Her dedication was such that she consistently came, staying at the house of two of the students when she was in the city, and Carrie was discipled regularly.
Krystal was known as an American mama to her women’s Bible Study group. She attended the women’s weddings and funerals, wiped their tears on bad days, and celebrated with them on good days. For six or seven years, Krystal would gather with these Rwandan women to study the Bible in each other’s homes. Krystal experienced a bad day when discouragement haunted her thoughts. What a God to send some encouragement via a text message! The message was from *Lena. She was in the village watching Carrie get baptized.
“And as soon as I thought of her, I thought of you because you equip us, and that’s what you’re all about, seeing women equipped to do what God’s called them to do.” Lena’s excitement continued with another text. “I couldn’t help but think of you and had to text you to tell you how much I love you, and I’m so glad you’re here. I felt like I was floating above the ground because I was so full of joy at watching this woman get baptized and see how God was using her.”
Because of Carrie, 60-100 villagers became believers in a community that once had zero believers. One woman made a difference by living a lifestyle of faith. Because of Carrie, small groups are popping up there and in neighboring villages, where people are gathering to learn more about Jesus and worship Him. Carrie graduated from NCM’s program and sent three other leaders to study at NCM.
Later, at the Bible study, Krystal was excited to discuss Carrie’s testimony with a visitor. As the group talked, Krystal learned something amazing through *Nancy, a Bible study member preparing with her husband to share the Gospel with unreached people groups in a North African closed country.
“Krystal, you described that village as poor, and they are, but I need to tell you something about the believers in that village. They support us financially in going to North Africa.”
One of the students gave more details during the drive home after the study. “I think this comes from one of your teammates who taught us about partnership like this kind of course. Every time we go into the village, we tell them that the reason we are able to come and visit them is because somebody somewhere else partnered with us and sent us. And from that, they realized they wanted to be part of what God’s doing in the world.”
But, to do this, they had to give up something.
“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, ‘Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.'” (Luke 21:1-4 NIV)
This village in Rwanda are farmers. While they grow their own food, they purchase rice and beans. Beans are costly. What if they gave up buying beans for a while to save their money to support Nancy and her family to go to this North African country?
The villager’s passion for Jesus couldn’t be contained. “There are people somewhere else in the world that have never heard about Jesus like we did. And so, let’s find a way to participate in the mission.”
Krystal was in awe of how God worked in this situation. “This is an amazing example of God at work in the world. He used churches and individuals in the US to send missionaries. He raised up Rwandan believers to work with them to bring salvation to a village. Then, God called the most unlikely person and gifted her with evangelism to bring transformation to almost 100 people. Then, God gave that church a heart for the nations.” She was reminded of 2 Corinthians 8:1-4:
“And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.”
Krystal says, “These new believers are poor, but they give sacrificially to see others changed by Christ.”
One woman mentored a group of women and, with her husband, equipped them to share the Gospel. One woman came to faith and experienced heart transformation. Her persistence, by the power of the Holy Spirit, changed the whole village. A group of students weren’t satisfied with one visit to the village and possibly six believers. They returned again and again for the one woman and discipled her and the other villagers. Now, the village is considering innovative ways to reach the youth in their communities and neighboring villages and sending their first missionaries to an unreached people group. And this started with just one woman. What a difference one woman makes in the world!
Discussion Questions:
Share a link to this blog post on your social media with an answer to one of the questions below. Or leave a comment below.
- Are there cross-cultural experiences outside of your local community that you could regularly visit? Share what you have learned about that community and its beliefs.
- Why do you support mission orgs or missionaries? How have you seen their impact?
- After reading this article, what themes stood out to you?
Related Articles:
- Prayer is powerful. Consider joining our monthly prayer time for the unreached. Prayer paves the way for the work of God. Cilck here to learn more.
- Learn about New Creation Ministries here.
- Learn about the Pirolos here.
- Never Too Old For Mission
- #AskAMissionary: Nicolette Hutcherson
* Names changed.
* Header photo by Pixabay