Missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard are Rhema Missionaries in East Africa. They both graduated from Rhema Bible Training College and Oral Roberts University and have been doing work as missionaries in East Africa for over ten years. Vidar and Cathrine Ligard are the founders of Safari Mission and Rhema Bible Training College Kenya. With a degree in Church Administration and a Master in Business Administration from Oral Roberts University, the Vidar and Cathrine Ligard are helping leaders in East Africa to develop in leadership skills as well as Biblical subjects. They are both ordained through Rhema Bible Training College, Tulsa, USA.
Since 1999 Rhema missionaries, Vidar and Cathrine Ligard, have been working to develop leaders in East Africa. Vidar and Cathrine Ligard see so much potential in East Africa. Vidar and Cathrine’s vision is to train leaders and transform people in East Africa—to empower the people to reach and develop their own communities in East Africa. Other Missionaries see similar issues at home and across the globe—corrupt governments, poverty, racism or tribalism, and lack of good Biblical foundations. Vidar and Cathrine Ligard knows that effective missionaries need to work on transforming the way people think and act in order to deal with these issues. Safari Mission is working on solving these problems through Rhema Bible Training Colleges all over East Africa.
A big problem that Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard see in East Africa is that the gospel is “a mile wide and an inch deep”—in other words, there are many believers in Africa, but not necessarily many strong Christians. So many missionaries have done evangelistic work in East Africa, but not many missionaries have focused on correcting the culture of foreign dependency and corruption that often cripples East African societies.
Another common issue in the area is that foreign aid has come in and handed out aid to the poor communities in East Africa. While that method does provide some instant relief, it doesn’t solve any issues long term. In fact, in some areas of East Africa, people have actually stopped producing any sort of work, be it farming or some sort of trade, because they have decided to totally rely on foreign aid.
Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard see the long-term issues with this method. In the Bible, Paul speaks about the fact that he worked so that he would not be a burden those around him. Indeed, the Bible says in 2 Thessalonians that those who don’t work, don’t eat. The book of Proverbs teaches about the diligence and work ethics of the ant, and suggests that we imitate that behavior. In some poorer areas of East Africa, this part of the Bible is not well known.
While foreign aid in time of disaster or famine is absolutely helps people, it should not be a way of life. The goal is to have East African leaders developed in Christian character, values, and work ethic, who will go out and affect the areas the founders of Safari Mission couldn’t. Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard have been working since 1999 to see this come to pass. They have seen the Word of God work in East Africa, and they are believing God to see it on a larger scale.
By training local leaders in solid, Biblical truths including (but not limited to) redemption, righteousness, biblical finances, personal development, and maturity in Christ, Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard have seen entire communities come out of poverty and prosper in the truth of the Word in East Africa.
Rhema Bible Training College Kenya has 8 campuses as of August, 2019. Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard have worked to train over 30 local instructors through Rhema Kenya. Rhema Kenya is an extension of Rhema Bible Training College in Tulsa, Oklahoma, under the direction of Pastors Kenneth and Lynette Hagin from Rhema Bible Church, also located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Being establish by Rhema missionaries like Vidar and Cathrine Ligard means that Rhema Kenya is part of a global network, and all of the students trained there are part of a worldwide family. Not only do these students benefit from the teaching in the classroom, but they have the opportunity to be exposed to a worldwide community that comes as being a part of the Rhema family. There is a sense of support and belonging that comes with being a part of that Rhema family, whether that fellow graduate is in East Africa, the States, Europe, or Australia!
Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard are so excited to be a part of the global difference that Rhema and Rhema missionaries is making on a daily basis. Tens of thousands of graduates around the world are going out and becoming Rhema missionaries themselves—carrying the torch of revival with them. They go out and teach people to have faith in God, to know Him and His promises.
East Africa is changing because of the work of Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard. One pastor in Nairobi had been pastoring for seventeen years and never had any type of formal training. Since attending Rhema Bible Training College, his ministry has changed dramatically. He feels more confident, capable, and knowledgeable in his job as a shepherd of the sheep. His church has recently outgrown its old building and has moved to a new location! This is the kind of change that Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard love to see.
Another testimony from Rhema Kenya is that one student, a pastor, had a church that could only afford to rent half of a mud hut for their church building—half of one. The offering for the week was one U.S. dollar, on a good week. Since they have received the training about Biblical finances (work ethics, stewardship, tithing, sowing and reaping) from their pastor who attended Rhema Kenya, they have not only bought their own church building, they presented their pastor with the gift of a vehicle—all purchased by the church, no debt. THAT is the power of the truth and wisdom of the Word of God.
These are just two examples of the hundreds and hundreds that students can give. Founders, and Rhema Missionaries, Vidar and Cathrine Ligard believe to see more of these kinds of changes in East Africa. East Africa has the potential to be a great influence on the entire continent of Africa, and Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard want to see that happen.
The eight (and counting!) Rhema Kenya campuses are across the nation, helping people from the northern to the southern border. Plans are being made to expand out of Kenya and into eastern Congo (DRC)! Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard are so excited about taking this leap of faith. Church leaders in the DRC are begging to be trained, and the government leaders need the influence of the gospel. Rhema missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard are looking to plant a Rhema Bible Training College in Congo!
As it says on the steps of Oral Roberts University (ORU), Rhema Missionaries Vidar and Cathrine Ligard say of East Africa, “Make no little plans here.” They believe to see the full effects of preaching the gospel—signs and wonders, maturity of believers, generosity and prosperity—across the nations of East Africa.
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