Kicukiro District is one of three districts in the Rwandan city of Kigali. In July 2023, it was the site of an African Enterprise mission that saw over 850,000 people reached and 2000 people turn to Jesus.
In the depths of the city is an area nicknamed ‘Sodoma’ or ‘Sodomu’, from the biblical narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah. The area has been given this nickname as it is known for its many sex workers, bars and drug trade.
The AE mission team selected this site for one of their open-air events. The preacher, a faithful woman named Mama Fabrice, shared her own testimony of deliverance from drug addiction and prostitution. She spoke from Luke 5, about how Jesus’s disciples left their livelihoods to follow Him, and urged the huge crowd of over 3000 people to leave behind their sinful professions and pastimes to follow the Lord.
People flocked to the AE missioners for prayer after the sermon, as gospel choirs sang praises to God.
A woman named Mukadusenge Shakira came forward to share her story with AE missioner Kezia. She had been working as a prostitute to try and earn money for her family, but said after hearing the sermon, “I wish that my life could be changed. That’s why I came here – that Jesus may deliver me and change my life to be free from all these bondages. I wish to be a Christian starting from today.”
A young man named Karinda Viater, who moved to Kigali to look for a job, also responded to the call to repentence. He shared with AE missioner Caleb, “I found myself staying here in Sodomu where I quickly picked up habits of fornication and a very deceitful life. I have been living like this for a lot of years which burdens my heart and I couldn’t do anything to change my life.
Today I heard the testimony of the mother who was preaching and I could relate a lot to her stories. She talked of how she used to stay on the streets, how she was a prostitute and how she used to use a lot of drugs and it’s as if she was talking about my personal life.
The greatest part is how Jesus changed her life which also gave me hope that Jesus could do the same for me as well. I am very happy that I have given my life to Christ and I trust him to help me in my life from now on.”
Overall, 104 people put their faith in Jesus at this event, and were swiftly followed up by local churches for ongoing discipleship. Praise God for His powerful work through the preacher on this night to bring about repentance and transformation in the lives of so many!