Raphael moved to Johannesburg from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1992 to pursue post-graduate studies. After completing his degree, he started working as a water engineer, but soon felt a call to missions. There were no evangelical churches in the inner city, where immigrants and refugees from DRC and many other African nations move for jobs, education, and cheap housing. He started an outreach group and eventually became pastor of a multicultural congregation.