Be A Part of the Story

It has been a great year for Divine Providence Training Center, and we have seen God move in amazing ways over the last twelve months. This past November, we had 27 friends from the US travel to Matasia to celebrate the graduation of our second class of 25 pastors, but this trip was so much more than just a graduation.

The trip was the story of an amazing adventure with God. It was the knitting together of 27 folks, all watching as God revealed His purpose and true glory for us all. It was celebrating with the body of Christ as God intended us to do over finding His lost sheep, and in how we, although 8000 miles apart, can make a difference when we just say “yes” to Jesus’ call.

The trip was to show us how we are all part of His story, and seeing the stories of those who have been transformed by the gospel—stories of pastors who are making a difference in the lives of their communities. The story of Mercy who boldly shares the gospel to HIV women and their affected children in a gangland area east of Nairobi, refusing to stop spreading the Word of Salvation when her family’s lives are threatened. The story of pastor Stephen who, because of his training at Divine Providence and skill in inductive Bible Study training, is now the head of a 20 pastor coalition working together in their churches to dig deeper into the Word. The story of the RUMC praise team sharing their uplifting music and giving their testimony to over 50 young local men and women, telling them how Jesus loves them and wants to be there to help them in their addiction.

The members of our team each day walk the streets of North Atlanta Georgia, yet for a brief ten days we were able to relate to what it means to live in Kenya and to be a citizen in God`s Kingdom. We had a time of mountaintop worship and prayer. We traveled and walked on rutted and muddy roads. We pushed a bus up a hill, and a few souls closer to Jesus. What we experienced was how God works through and around us in our self-sustainable retreat center named Chemi Chemi, meaning “Living Water.”

Our trip started with viewing the fruit of investment in these pastors’ lives, the story of what happens after graduation. A glimpse of how their training is impacting lives is best seen in a small church not far down the hill from our retreat center. This visit was to pastor Samuel`s church. Pastor Samuel was a former alcoholic and robber who came to Christ in prison. God told him He would provide training and he soon found our school, where he was able to receive training he could not afford based on his resources and education. After graduation, He felt called to plant a church near our retreat center. We visited his small, rented, make-shift hall two years ago and found a vibrant, standing-room-only congregation with the challenge of no chairs and only one man worshipping with fifty women and thirty kids. Our team bought them 50 chairs. On this return visit, we found them worshipping in a new, tin sheet constructed sanctuary with fifteen men, seventy-five women, and fifty kids all praising with even the smallest and poorest putting a shilling in the basket to tithe for the King. We saw the power of the gospel with two men coming to Christ, and one drunk man crying out for prayers.  Additionally, they have bought another 50 seats. We realized as the week continues that this church represents the story of many, and there was not a dry eye on site as we washed the hands of new graduate pastors and put them into service for Our Lord.

Your donation is not idle. Your prayers for this ministry at Divine Providence are being answered. We are seeing thousands added to Christ`s body and witnessing firsthand how we can be a part of making passionate disciples for Christ. The purpose of our trip was to encourage former students and celebrate the new graduates. But what happened was more. Not only did God open up His glory on the mountainside at Camp Chemi Chemi, our retreat center, He let each of our team experience Him in different moments in their ministry and our collective worship.

Yes, it takes money to finance Divine Providence and time to visit, but the eternal outcome is the building up of people and churches that know that walking with the Jesus is worth it. As Dr. Long put it, “Well done Graduates. You are our legacy and the outcome of our efforts.” Together we can change the world for Christ. Today because of your investment we are making an eternal difference in the lives of over fifty communities and tens of thousands for today and for generations to come. As our next 24 students begin their training next year, celebrate with us and make an eternal investment that will keep on giving long after you give.

This past year your funding paid for all the pastors training, built a classroom, helped finish the well, install a generator, and finish the entryway. Job well done!

Next year funds go to cover the cost of:

• Pastor Training- cost is $2600 a year each for 24 pastors-
• Vehicle, Tires and Insurance and Outfitting with Seats- $28,000
• Furniture and Computers for Classroom- $15,000
• Landscape, Road and Entry repair- $17,000
• Kitchen Equipment and Dryer-  $12,000
• Infrastructure-$20,000 (plumbing and electrical)

So join in the Advent Conspiracy and Spend Less Give More. Honor the reason for the season. Let’s remind ourselves that this season is about what was given.

We hope you will join in praying for us, and if you are a RUMC member, you can honor Christ during Advent Conspiracy by sending a donation to RUMC marked Divine Providence or go to our website www.providencetrainingcenter.org and donate online to National Christian foundation who sends our non profit funds. Both are tax deductible. Thank you for your faithfulness in little. From it He will yield much.