Divine Connections That Shape Generations
Bonnie Duell with Claudia Porter (right) and Hellen Nguthiru (left)
A Note from the Team
Bonnie Duell has been a faithful voice of wisdom within Torchgrab Africa from the very beginning. As a Board Member and principal advisor to our ministry, she’s played a pivotal role in connecting Torchgrab Africa with many of the relationships that now form the foundation of our ministry on the ground. We are deeply grateful for her guidance and the lasting impact of her faithfulness.
Over the years, I’ve come to understand that God often works through relationships that seem ordinary at first. A simple conversation, a shared moment, or a small act of obedience can become a divine connection that carries fruit far beyond what we can see in the moment.
For many years, our lives were rooted in farming. Dave worked the land faithfully while we raised our family and served the Lord where we were planted. Then, in 1978, for the first time, Dave didn’t have to farm any land. That unexpected pause opened a door. We decided to attend six weeks of Bible School in Dallas, Texas, at Christ for the Nations Institute. Our oldest daughter, Tamara, was also a student there.
Businessmen in our hometown of Greeley, Colorado, had generously gifted us with a brand-new yellow Cadillac. One day, Thomas Remi of Meru, Kenya, East Africa, also a first-time student at CFNI, noticed Dave cleaning the car and commented on its beauty. Dave invited him to go for a ride. As they drove around, praising God together, they began to speak in other tongues. Almost unbelievably, they discovered they shared the same prayer language.
That friendship eventually led to Thomas inviting Dave and a team of 18 to Meru for a week of large meetings. Awesome miracles and thousands of salvations were experienced, and long-term relationships were formed. It was our first time ministering overseas. One relationship opened a door we didn’t even know existed.
Over the years, we continued supporting the work in Kenya and returning with teams to share the Good News of God’s great love. Thomas’ sons, David and Isaac, grew up to start their own ministries, planting churches and evangelizing.
Many years later, we took what we called a Grandchildren’s Tour to Kenya in 2015, visiting people and places connected to decades of ministry. It was a precious trip, and one we didn’t realize would be Dave’s last before he went home to be with the Lord. Even in that season, we could see how faithfully God had sustained the relationships He’d established long before.
During that trip, we visited a children’s school in the slums of Nairobi started by Hellen Nguthiru. Though we hadn’t met her personally before, the fruit of her obedience was evident. Hundreds of children worshiped, recited scripture, and welcomed us with open hearts. It was a powerful reminder that God’s work continues through people who say yes, often without knowing who their faithfulness will one day bless.
Years later, God connected Hellen with Torchgrab Africa, leading to the growth of Petra School on the Rock across Nairobi and, more recently, with the opening of Petra Torchgrab School in Mombasa, Kenya. On opening day, January 7, 2026, children gathered on land that now represents hope, provision, and a future shaped by the love of God.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” A conversation in 1978 became a harvest decades later, not because of our efforts alone, but because God faithfully brought the increase in His perfect time.
May we never underestimate the significance of the people God places in our lives. A divine connection may seem small today, but in the hands of a sovereign God, it can shape generations, transform communities, and populate Heaven.
Walk faithfully in what’s in front of you today. Be obedient with what God has entrusted to you now. You may never see the full impact of a single connection on this side of Heaven, but God can and will use it far beyond what you can imagine!