Our Story

One By One Ministries began in 2021 with a conversation between the two of us (Courtney & Elijah) about Elijah's home village of Miramba, a small fishing village on the shores of Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As we talked about the spiritual and practical needs facing the community—including limited access to education, economic hardship, clean drinking water, electricity, and biblical discipleship—God began stirring our hearts with a desire to do something.

At first, we thought the best way to serve the community was by creating opportunities for families to earn a steady income. We began exploring the idea of a coffee business that would connect local farmers with international markets—not to support the ministry financially, but to help strengthen families and create lasting opportunities within the community.

Shortly afterward, we traveled to the United States. While we were there, we spent time researching what it would take to begin exporting coffee and planned to return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a clear path forward. But as we prayed, we sensed the Lord cautioning us against making money the starting point. Instead, we sensed Him saying,

"Focus on the school and the children first."

Not long afterward, during a time of worship, I poured out my heart to the Lord.

"Lord, I don't know how to go back and do this. There is so much need, and I don't know how to help the multitudes like You."

As I worshiped, the Lord began singing over me the familiar song of comfort He had often sung before:

"Come, come, come to the garden."

The garden had always been a place of peace, rest, and communion with Him.

But then the Lord changed the lyrics and sang over me:

"One by one to the garden."

In that moment, He impressed a simple but life-changing truth on my heart:

"It isn't about the multitude. It's about one person at a time."

What had once felt overwhelming suddenly became clear. We weren't called to solve every problem or reach every person at once. We were simply called to faithfully follow Jesus by loving the people and serving the communities He placed before us—one by one.

From that moment on, the name One By One Ministries was born, and it has remained the heartbeat of everything we do.

Before we returned to Congo, the Lord led us to remain in the United States. During that season, One By One Ministries officially became a nonprofit organization, Elijah began the process of obtaining his permanent residency, and we welcomed our first son, Joshua, into the world—all while continuing to wait on the Lord to reveal the next steps for the ministry. Although it wasn't the timeline we had imagined, those years of waiting became years of preparation as the Lord continued shaping both our family and the ministry.