About Us

The Founders: Our story

The Genesis of a Ministry

The roots of the “Courage to Rebuild” ministry were formed decades ago in the lives of two young people living in very different worlds.  

Jonathan Records was born and raised in Sacramento, California by Christian parents. From early age, he was involved in children’s and youth programs in a Charismatic/Pentecostal spiritual environment.  

Jonathan first accepted Christ at age 6, and by the time he was 16, he had received the Holy Spirit. Even before his early teens, Jonathan felt set apart by God for service. Setting aside worldly desires and materialism, he studied the Word voraciously and witnessed regularly to those around him. As Jonathan drew closer to the Father, God reciprocated by regularly speaking to his mind and heart.  

As Jonathan sums it up, “I was just a kid who loved Jesus.”  

Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, a young woman named Louise-Peggy was growing up in her native Gabon, a small nation on the Atlantic side of Central Africa.  

The eighth of ten children, Peggy (as she is commonly known) was raised in an environment that was Catholic on the surface, but also included undercurrents of spiritualism and occultism. The practice of consulting with witchcraft doctors, astrologists, or palm readers is still relatively commonplace in parts of Africa, and through her family, Peggy was exposed to these and other cultural customs.  

Combined with other events, including a two-year period of molestation that began when she was five years old, these experiences left Peggy confused and desperate for meaning in her life.  

In 2008, after she graduated from College, Peggy had an event that caused her to sink into a major depression. It was at this point that a friend from childhood advised her to enquire help from the witchcraft doctor and very soon, Peggy was contemplating being initiated to the african rituals in search of healing, meaning and purpose. However, the witchcraft doctor was not convinced that he was able to help her, so he gave her two weeks to think about it, then come back if she still wanted to go through with the initiation. It is during this waiting time that Peggy met an old friend who, not knowing what was going on in her life, would present Jesus as the only solution to her problem. Peggy believed him and was eventually led to commit her life to Jesus. Her life was immediately changed, the Holy Spirit began to speak to her heart, and she received an instantaneous, supernatural deliverance from the burdens of her past ordeals.  

Shortly after her conversion, God started stirring Peggy’s heart and impressing her to travel to America in order to Study the Word of God. As she took steps toward following God’s direction, doors started opening – the funds unexpectedly appeared to finance the trip, a friend helped with her visa application, and before long, Peggy held an approved visa and a plane ticket to New York. 

Once in New York, Peggy felt moved to phone the daughter of a church friend. This individual  was living in Sacramento, California, and she kindly invited Peggy to join her there.  

A California Encounter That Changed Everything

Peggy, now residing in Sacramento, came with the knowledge that she was going to marry a  man of God and that he would be white – based on prophetic words received in Gabon!  About two weeks later, Peggy joined a New Members class in a local African-American church  she was invited to.  

Meanwhile, Jonathan had begun attending the same African-American church, after breaking  away from another church movement. Jonathan, already a mature Christian at age 25, signed  up to attend a New Members class to learn more about the church.  

He was entranced by the unusual accent of a certain young lady in the New Members class.  And Peggy was taken with the mature insights of a certain young man in the same class.  

They began a conversation that morning that quickly turned into a series of conversations, along  with fervent prayer together – prayers that were filled with visions and revelations regarding  each other’s calling and ministry.  

On an evening when they were praying, Jonathan had a vision of Peggy in a wedding dress. This  convinced him that he and Peggy would be married, despite the fact that they didn’t really even  know each other yet.  

Peggy, however, wasn’t yet of the same mind. She had been envisioning marrying a pastor since the time that God promised her she would marry a “man of God.” So even though she was  enjoying a friendship with Jonathan, she was surprised when God spoke to her, saying, “He is  your husband – the one I have for you.”  

Peggy had gone on a fast before the Lord because the Lord spoke that she was about to meet with her husband. Also, when she found Jonathan, she proposed to the Lord that if he is her husband, God would put in Jonathan to come and ask her to be his wife. In a couple of weeks, Jonathan asked Peggy to enter into a period of courtship with him. Peggy,  however, didn’t understand the meaning of “courtship,” so she initially turned him down! But  once the terminology was more adequately defined, Peggy willingly agreed.  

Jonathan and Peggy Records became husband and wife on September 12, 2009. 

A Gradual Shift Toward Ministry

Once Jonathan and Peggy said, “I do,” the question became, “Now what?”  

Jonathan became a Licensed Behavioral Therapist in 2017, focusing on children with autism but  also had 12 years of experience in the special needs field. He’d also had experience with  instructional teaching, public speaking, and editing books and essays for theological authors.  He’d worked a series of foundational jobs, including security, painting, construction, gardening,  retail, grocery merchandising, and small business administration.

While living in South Africa, Peggy had earned a BA in social work and psychology. Once in the US, she worked as a customer service representative, before starting her own private  company for house cleaning, child & elderly care. She then became a Licensed Registered  Behavioral Therapist.  

But both Peggy and Jonathan felt called to the study of the Word, to prayer and intercession,  and to various permutations of Christian ministry. As they diligently sought God’s will for their  future, the Lord began to speak to them about ministering in Gabon, Peggy’s country of origin.  Gradually, a vision for the “Courage to Rebuild” ministry in Gabon began to take shape in their  hearts.  

Eventually, they became aware of a job opportunity that would utilize both of them in Maui.  Stepping out in faith, they took the job, and soon became involved with King’s Cathedral Maui.  While serving there on Maui, they’re doing the groundwork that will culminate in long-term,  full-time ministry in Gabon.

Why Gabon?

Peggy explains, “Many people in Gabon go to church, but they’ve never encountered the Lord  Jesus and His Holy Spirit in a way that fosters true revival. Real change can only come through  an authentic personal relationship with God. So our mission is to build a church that leads  people to Christ, even in a culture that is plagued with corruption.”  

Jonathan adds, “Our goal is to be a catalyst for permanent change in people’s lives. We’ll  preach the Word of God and make disciples of people through small groups. We’ll also launch community outreaches, youth programs, counseling services, and mentoring programs through  creative arts. All of this is intended to empower people to live successful lives in the Lord.“  

When they arrive in Gabon, Jonathan and Peggy’s first assignment will be to minister to the  pygmy people – the original natives of Gabon. The pygmy people retain a great deal of their  primitive culture, even to this day. Tragically, for generations the pygmies have been ostracized  by the Bantu people, and there is a tremendous need for the kind of healing that only God can  offer.  

While Jonathan and Peggy will lead this mission, any venture of this kind needs many kinds of  support. Jonathan and Peggy are praying for the Lord to provide the following:

• Financial Support: Both one-time gifts and monthly financial support are needed to travel to  Gabon and carry on ministry there.  
• Prayer Partners: A commitment to pray for the ministry is considered a vital element of  support, and Jonathan and Peggy will need plenty of prayer support for this mission!
• Stateside Volunteers: It will be necessary to have a small community of support personnel in  the U.S. who can assist with various needs that arise on the mission field.
• Mission Field Support Personnel: Ministering effectively to the pygmies will require a handful  of short-term on-site volunteer personnel, including a doctor, a dentist, a  photographer/videographer, and an agriculturalist.

For more information about these support positions, please contact Jonathan and Peggy directly.

Conclusion

When asked to sum up the most important thing about the Courage to Rebuild ministry, Jonathan stated, “In God, there is wisdom. And when the foundations are on the Word of God, you can do anything!”  

Peggy added, “With Jesus as your Lord, it’s possible for anyone to rebuild old ruins into something beautiful and sustainable — anywhere in the world!”