One of the most profound joys of working with the Relay Trust is the way we see God at work in the midst of ordinary human weakness. Again and again we find ourselves offering what feels small and fragile, only to watch in amazement as the living God multiplies the impact far beyond what we could have imagined. It is a reminder, though one we are slow to grasp, that God is always greater than our limitations, and that his Kingdom advances not because of our strength but because of his Spirit.
In South Sudan this is especially clear. Here is a land scarred by years of civil war, a country whose roads are washed away for half the year, where communities are scattered and vulnerable. And yet, within such wilderness, the people of God are gathering. Almost 7000 leaders meet weekly for training in the Scriptures. It is not the cleverness of programmes that sustains them, but the power of the Spirit who, like at creation, broods over the chaos and brings forth life. Local facilitators, resilient and quietly courageous, press on with the work of discipleship, echoing the faith of the early church in Acts, where ordinary men and women found themselves swept into God’s extraordinary mission.
Pastor Yves (second from left) and his BDP group
Something similar is happening in Burundi. In January, the Relay Trust joined with the Anglican Church to launch the Burundian Discipleship Programme. Within months, almost 4000 people were gathering weekly to study, to learn, and to grow as followers of Jesus. Yet the story does not stop there. In the Diocese of Matana, when Pastor Yves and his group reached the end of their training materials and no new books had arrived, he sensed a stirring of the Spirit. Instead of waiting idly, he led his group into the villages around them, beginning a door-to-door evangelism campaign.
What began as a small local initiative quickly became contagious. Other groups, hearing what had happened in Matana, did the same. Before long, facilitators from all nine dioceses were walking from house to house, speaking with families, praying with strangers, and bearing witness to the risen Lord. In the space of just a few weeks, 1393 households had been visited and 6640 people had been spoken with. Of these, nearly 2694 received prayer, over a 1310 Christians committed to return to their churches, and 1046 people repented and gave their lives to Christ, including 37 who turned from Islam to follow Jesus.
These men and women are not returning to empty buildings or powerless pulpits. They are coming into churches where pastors themselves have been strengthened by the training offered through the programme. Here is the remarkable grace of God, that a simple decision by one pastor to act in faith has led to a movement of renewal that is reshaping communities and reawakening churches. What looks like a mustard seed becomes a tree in whose branches the birds of the air can find shelter.
All of this calls us to prayer. Pray for the facilitators who carry the weight of this work week by week. Pray for the students who gather faithfully, hungry for the Word of God. Pray for those who have returned to Christ, that their repentance might be deep and enduring. Pray for the new believers, that they might be strengthened to stand firm in faith even when tested. And pray for the many who have not yet heard, but who soon may, as God’s Kingdom continues to spread quietly yet powerfully across these lands.
As Jesus once said, the Kingdom of God is like yeast hidden in the flour until all of it is leavened. You cannot always see it at work. But when you step back, you realise that the whole has been transformed. And that, in South Sudan and Burundi, is exactly what we are witnessing.
