I was born into a family of Roman Catholics, we also worshiped evil spirits and the spirits of the dead. Often these evil spirits possessed us, and they would demand animal sacrifices with specific demands. If the specific demands of the spirits were not met, all of the children in the family would get sick, and some would even go crazy.
I was discouraged by this lifestyle and was not doing well in school. I felt too old to just be in grade two, so I quit school with only a grade two education. I started loitering around the community, and this idleness led me to the habit of stealing. I started stealing goats, hens, and garden harvests.
I started a business which consisted of selling the goats and cows that I had stolen. I was in and out of prison for stealing. I narrowly escaped death several times after I was caught stealing or with stolen property like cows. If you are caught stealing the crowd around you will dispense mob justice and will kill you before the police arrive.
On one occasion, the crowd caught me with a stolen cow. It was a market day similar to a swap meet event in the USA. The crowd beat me, tied me up, and piled old motorbike tires soaked with gasoline around to set me on fire. After they had tied me up they got ready to start the fire but could not find the matchbox. It was one of the few times that I was glad to see the police arrive. This was a life-changing event. It was after this incident that I gave my life to Christ. I had been imprisoned eight times before I gave my life to Christ.
While in prison felt great conviction, my inner man was always telling me to change or I would die. That close call with the crowd and to be saved from death was a call from God to change my life. During my time in prison, I heard Pastor Onesimus teaching on the radio, and the message led to a great conviction in my heart and an urgent desire to come to Christ.
I decided to go God’s Embassy Church in Katobo and at the end of a sermon I had an opportunity when they made an altar call to give my life to Christ in 2011. A few months later I was baptized. Since then I have been growing in my faith.
I used to worship evil spirits with my family, but now I only worship the living God. My character has changed, and I am no longer a thief. I have found ways to return to people what I stole from them and repay them. I have also been gathering my children that were conceived with different women. I was an immoral man before coming to Christ. But, now I am married and faithful to just one woman, my wife. I am providing care and financial support to the children that were born from these other relationships.
The Lord has used my testimony to draw many people to Himself. As Paul wrote, “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” [1 Timothy 1:16, ESV]
People in my community say that if God, who saved John, and changed him, can do that in his life, then he will change us and make our lives better too. Pray with us that God will bring many to faith in his son Jesus here in the community of Kinyamahwa and our surrounding villages in the mountains.