In 1994, during the genocide, I fled from Rwanda and I passed through different refugee camps. I ended up in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya— where I stayed for 19 years as a refugee.

My first 3 years in Kakuma nobody helped me—except the church. They offered me shelter. They offered me food. They offered me a community. And that is where I received Jesus as my personal savior. I was demoralized and the church gave me hope.

I felt God calling me to be a part of the solution so I became a pastor to help them see a bright future and to feel that they still have a gift to offer. God did not give up on them. 

Kakuma is a training ground for reaching the nations with the gospel. Refugees are people on the move. Some are resettled to their countries, others are integrated into nations of refuge, others go back to their homelands. So while I was in Kakuma God gave me a vision of reaching nations with the gospel from the refugee camps. But I was limited. In 2016 God helped to resettle to the U.S.A. where I feel freedom to accomplish that vision.

I joined IAFR to continue pursuing this vision. I would like to invite you to partner with me in reaching the nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

—Jean Pierre Gatera