I was born in Durban where I was raised by a single mother in a Muslim home. I went through high school as a quiet, reserved boy with low self-confidence. Every afternoon I was sent to Islamic classes to learn and memorize Arabic, with no understanding of what exactly it was that I was memorizing. My lack of self-confidence followed me into high school. Soon, because of peer pressure I experimented with cigarettes, dagga (cannabis) and alcohol and other drugs.
The first time I tried ecstasy was on a school outing and I nearly overdosed! But I still managed to finish my matric with very good results that was capable of getting me into any university in the country. The next year I decided to take a gap year, which was to decide on a career path, I fell headlong into drug addiction on a daily basis. I became a full blown drug addict in a matter of weeks. Now I was fully dependent on dagga to get me through the day. It was a lifestyle of cigarettes, dagga, alcohol, xtc tablets and eventually I ended up using Whoonga (Low grade heroine) out of curiosity, as it was something new in our area. At first things seemed to be going okay. I had a permanent job, earned and income and only wore name brand clothing. But things got very bad, very fast! This became my drug of choice and I was quickly addicted to it.
What followed was a horrific cycle of addiction that lasted for nearly 10 years. This period of my life took me to the utter most depths of evilness that a human being can ever imagine. Different methods and ways I had tried to free myself but to no avail. My life was at the point where I was just ready fall down at the side of the road and die. I had failed in life. Multiple times in rehab could not help me. Four times been sent to prison did not help me. A shattered knee because of criminality and been temporarily disabled did not help me. Running away thousands of Km’s away to another province did not help me. I even failed at suicide, because twice with a rope around my neck, I could not even get that right. Living on the streets and sleeping under bridges and on park benches, and even in grave yards, did not help me.
Somehow I had staggered and stumbled my way to the gate of Kwasizabantu mission on the 20 March 2015 and that was the turning point in my life. I came through the gates shattered, broken and lost, wearing dirty clothes and broken sandals. That was my only possessions in this whole world. Just the rags that I wore.
At the mission I had signed in with CYPSA and attended regular church services where it was preached about Jesus Christ and forgiveness of sins. At first I was not interested in this Jesus Christ. I had thought I am in another rehab. I will spend my 3 weeks with CYPSA, look a little better and be on my way to a live my life. A quick fix solution which had failed me so many times in the past but I was so blind. Little did I know the power in the name of Jesus Christ. As I attended the services and listened to the Word of God been preached in truth, I felt in my heart to speak to a co-worker who could pray with me. God had started working in my life. I started to confess my sins and seek to cleanse my life. The burdens that I was carrying on my shoulders through life had started to roll away. Truly God had started working with me. It was not long after, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and gave my heart to Him.
An opportunity to stay longer at the mission presented itself and I could help at one of the departments at Kwa sizabantu mission. I was able to make restitution with those that I have hurt and sinned against in the past. In this time I have continued striving to build a deeper and closer relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and the true Living God. From whom I have learnt that we should hate sin, and love our enemies and pray for them, and not hate our enemies and kill them.
It has been an amazing time in my life. Something I really believe that I was searching for my whole life, in the utter most depths of my heart. And now I’m so glad and totally happy that I have found it and it is the Lord Jesus Christ. Currently I am busy with my B.Ed. degree in teaching with the University of North West. The Lord touched my heart and has called me to schools to become a missionary teacher. To share this amazing truth of Jesus Christ with the youth. It has been the most amazing 4 to 5 years of my life and I’m thankful to the Lord Jesus for finding me and making me His child.
Having been a person who slept among the tombs in a graveyard when on the streets, having not bathed for months, having twice had a rope around my neck when considering suicide and who had previously been obnoxiously irreligious, I was set free!
Now I can testify that I serve a living God who has cleansed me of all of the impurities of my past life. I am forever grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ and also to the dedicated co-workers of KwaSizabantu mission, most especially to the mission Director Rev. Stegen as well as to the founder of CYPSA, Ms. Dube. May God bless and keep you in His grace for giving your lives and the dedication in helping lost souls come to salvation.
