Testimony of Salvation
I was raised by a single parent since my father divorced my mom while I was a toddler. As an African man, I grew up under African Tradition Religion. My father rejected me because he believed that my mom cheated on him. As a result, I was given an African name ‘Mohlouwa’ which means ‘the hated one.’ My teenage experience was full of anger, hatred, and frustration. The void I had in me led me to multiple relationships which were characterized by violence. Due to the anger I had towards life, I assaulted most of my girlfriends until I was arrested and was put under correctional supervision because I was still under age. I hated my father with passion for not being there in my life.
I was taken to Zion Christian Church(ZCC) by my aunt as an endeavour to curb my wildness. I was comfortable in this church since it practiced syncretism (mixing ‘Christianity’ with ancestor worship). I immediately underwent a water baptism which signified that I was now a born-again Christian. Although I stopped doing some wrong things, I continued doing things like drinking alcohol and hating my father.
In the mist of all of that, I was invited by a friend to an evangelical church. It is there that I got convicted of my sin, and I repented and believed in Christ as the Lord and Saviour of my life. After this event the Bible had a totally different meaning and prompted me to love it, activating the desire to know more about God and my purpose in life. My first and toughest assignment was to forgive my father. Although it was the hardest thing to do, God helped me to do it. I then enjoyed a good relationship with my father until he passed on.
The gospel challenged me on the cohabitation I had been in for six years, and as a result, we married. My first marriage lasted for another six years until I lost both my child and my wife through death. God helped me to persevere throughout the ordeal until I met my current wife. That process taught me to trust in God and to rely on His strength (Eph. 6:10).