Cell Phone Turns into Bountiful Harvest

Chrisostom grew up in deep poverty as one of 12 siblings in the small rural village of Karama. Life was a daily struggle, with barely enough food to go around and little chance for education or opportunity. Like many young men in his village, Chrisostom saw no future at home. At 25, desperate for a better life, he moved to Kigali, the capital city.

But instead of finding hope, he found heartbreak.

In the city, Chrisostom quickly fell into survival mode, sleeping in sewer tunnels and eventually turning to theft to survive. A particularly risky theft at a Chinese gambling den landed him in prison for two years. When he was released, life didn’t get easier. He tried selling illegal alcohol to make ends meet, but constant threats of re-arrest and bribes only deepened his despair.

Chrisostom hit rock bottom. He became so depressed he rarely left his bed, overwhelmed by shame, failure, and hopelessness.

But God wasn’t finished with him yet.

One day, as members of Heaven’s Family’s Disciple-Making Movement (DMM) visited his father’s home, Chrisostom reluctantly got up to listen. The Word of God pierced his heart. Inspired by the message and a renewed spark of hope, he sold his only possession, a small phone, for about $25. With it, he bought eggplant seeds and fertilizer.

Four months later, Chrisostom’s small step of faith produced a harvest worth ten times his investment!

Today, Chrisostom is a completely new man. He owns a cow, has harvested six bags of maize, and planted 100 tree tomato plants. He is expecting a harvest that could earn him close to $700. Even greater, Chrisostom gave his life to Jesus, was baptized, and now passionately shares his testimony with other young people who, like him, once thought there was no way out.

In Chrisostom’s own words:

“Today I am happy and thank God for giving me a new direction. I did not know I had capital—I thought I had nothing. But God asked Moses what he had in his hand, and one word from God changed my life. I was blind, and now I can see!”

He goes on to say:

“Thank you to Heaven’s Family and all the donors. You are workers in a great harvest field. Without you, I would still be trapped in darkness. Now I am a true disciple of of Jesus!”

Because of your generosity, lives like Chrisostom’s are not just being saved—they’re being transformed. Hope is being planted in fertile soil, and the harvest is already abundant.

Thank you for being part of God’s great work.