YWAM POTCHEFSTROOM BLOG
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![]() I'm a Congolese citizen I come from a Christian family with 8 siblings temporarily living in Malawi My life story I am 35 years old and single. I was a refugee for 16 years in different refugee camps and different countries. In 2000 because of on-going wars which was a lot for me to handle and to understand in the year of 2000 I was kidnapped with my brother Fahamu and the rebels tried to kill us because they wanted our bike, we had to choose either our lives or our bike and I remember they told us to run and don’t look back, if you look back we are going to kill you both. After that it became harder and harder. It was then I decided to leave and not experience such life. But running from home to the refugee camp was not easy for me because when we were on the boat crossing the Lake Tanganyika the boat could not cross because of the wind. So had to go ashore in the middle of nowhere to wait for the water to come down but it was not really good because in that place we found a lot of rebel soldier and keep us for 2 weeks without food. We could only eat cassava roots. I have been living for 16 years living as a refugee, trying to get help but it keeps getting harder, these are the refugee camps I visited.
BEFORE One night I was crying to God complaining about my life. I heard a voice calling on my name saying that my son you were not born to suffer. Stop complaining and angry at me you the one choose such life and run far from me. If you come back to me I will restore back your identity and your mind. You are truly going to be my son. from that time I started to remember to go to church and praying again, I start dreaming traveling in different places in my mind was thinking God is telling me to go back home but my calling was to do mission. I remember asking my parents to buy me ticket to go back home my father stop me and ask me to do discipleship training school , he then send to me YWAM address ‘ ywampotch.com’ at the time i did not have a good phone to go on internet . After receiving forms I was excited to ask my father who will pay for my school fees. HIs answer was to pray and ask God. It was really a new experience to me that I can trust God for my school fees. When I was praying for school fees God told me to sell all my belongings and go to school. It was the beginning of my life change. After selling all my stuff the money was very small. After starting school God provided even my outreach fees that were paid by different people most of them are kid’s age of 12-15. In my DTS God did many miracles and showed how much he loves me. And my identity In Christ was restored. AFTER DTS After my DTS and outreach I went back home to meet with m my family after 16 years of life as a refugee. Everyone at home was exited to meet with me again even aunties, uncles and cousins were happy to meet with them since we did not know each other. Sad news is when I was planning to go and meet with my grandpa In Kigali Rwanda he died three days before my trip to meet with him. Praise be to God that I was there to the funeral and give to him my love flower. My grandpa was calling me in the name ‘Kapiri ‘mean s lion or animal that eat too much meat. He will always be in my heart. At home I started youth\kids ministry with 38 orphans’ 18 street kids praying together and watching Jesus movie in my father’s house and praying for theIr school fees as all are not studying. Right now my father is working on that ministry called association TusaIdIane means ‘help one another ‘. It is now registered with government of Congo. I trust God for good people who will like to volunteer and support them. Please pray for: *school fees 10 USD, that Is: 140 Rand p.m. *feeding centre. It is quite a way to reach all the different souls on feeding scheme. *land for orphanage In September 2016 I went to Malawi for refugee ministry that took me 5 months. It was blessed to see how youth in the refugee camp and different nationalities come together praying and sharing word of God. Right now there are more than 56 youth that applied to do DTS discipleship training school. Please pray and support them. I was also involved in different ministries and churches. In my 5 months outreach In Malawi I saw many people like and Rasta and Muslim come and receive Jesus as their Saviour and I was miracles of people getting healed while I prayed for them. And In my 5 months outreach In Malawi it was the difficult life since I started missions. It was a challenge to me to see even our brothers and sisters that are missionaries abandoning me. They blocked me on their contacts, my friends run away because of me doing ministry. I didn’t know what to eat, where to sleep. I sold all my gifts that I received In my DTS that I can eat once a day and I had to ask people to help me with a small space where I can put my sleeping bag just for a night. That was my daily life In Malawi for 5 months of outreach. But thanks to God and all those who supported me with my visas and transport to come back to South Africa. Please pray for me and support me with any amount that God lead you to: Prayer request:
Operation refugee Africa NPO First National Bank 62626450720 Branch code; 240438. Reference: for Steven.
3 Comments
3/21/2019 06:02:55 pm
People don't always ask me about my life story. It's either they are really too pre-occupied with themselves or they honestly don't find anything interesting in me. Even if I sometimes feel I am ready to share my thoughts already, I always find myself left out and out of place. For years I keep wondering what's wrong with me. I thought they don't want to listen to me because maybe I am ugly or because nobody cares about the opinion of someone who did not come from a prominent family. For years I have been very insecure about this. I am glad now that I am in my thirties, all these need for someone else's approval, it's all over now.
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11/29/2019 04:28:24 am
really nice story very much inspiring
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11/13/2022 09:24:26 pm
Pull set quite wall family. Want against well get address community laugh.
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