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Rev 2:25 "But hold on to what you have until I come."

Part I. A poor Zimbabwean boy 

    My names are: Voccideo, Ovid, Tapiwanashe, Foster Chikura. I was born on August 5th1993 at Makoni District as the youngest son out of a family of six siblings. My father was a part time teacher by profession and a full time alcoholic. My mother on the other hand was a housewife. We have one girl and five boys in my family, but the fifth boy is an illegitimate child of my father. My father was a respected man because of his job, yet was a despised man because of his habits. In ancient Latin, my father is described as- Helluo linrorum- a book worm. A book worm is one who is eager to start arguments to the end to show off his knowledge. My father was also violent and argumentative. As long as he got drunk he would harass my mother and anyone who dares to stand in his way.

    Apart from alcohol, my father also majored in marijuana the illicit drug that is so ubiquitous within our society. he used to take me out into the woods and while we strolled he would be puffing up these weird smelling cigarettes. The acrid smell still haunts me to this day. Back then these were all normal cigarettes to me, but now realized they were marijuana. 

    Despite all the negatives, my father was very fond of me, a thing sons should embrace, but seeing where it took me I regret the affections he had for me. My family used to call me daddy’s briefcase because wherever he went I would go with him. He would go with me to meetings and even to his office. Because he went with me everywhere it meant he went with me to the beer halls and bottle stores as well. It also meant I was the one to pick him up when he got drunk and fell. I started knowing the different scents of cigarettes since I was five years old. 

    My relationship with my father had a paramount role in my life. Psychologists content that much of our behaviour is determined by nurture which is just the circumstances and environment we grow up in. I grew up in an environment that was nothing short of unpleasant. We would gallivant together in the alleys and beer halls. 

    As early as I can remember, I always hated church. From my gullible stage I was exposed to the “finer” details of the beer drinking life. I grew up in society and environments where drinking beer and smoking signified manhood. I grew up lacking proper role models who would steer me in a direction that is good. I hated church and at home I never really enjoyed going and since no one was enthusiastic about church, no one pushed nor urged me. This kind of lifestyle did not come up with its fair share of sinful inclinations. At age 14 I was already growing and selling marijuana as well as drinking alcohol. Back then they called me Ras, short for rasta a title of those who believe in Rastafarianism or simply those that delight in marijuana smoking. Like the Pergamites from Pergamum, I had fallen prey to the stumbling block of Balaam, in which case was my father. My father had shown me that alcohol and drugs were nothing to be ashamed of but instead to feel heroic about. Not only had he shown myself only but also my other brothers, all of whom drinks and smoke even to this day. Because of that by age 14 I was already selling and smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol without shame. 

    I was made prefect at school throughout my primary education and from form 1-3. Considering what dark things I did without people knowing and how neat and clean I presented myself in school I would call myself the chief of the hypocrites. I had adopted the teaching of Balaam from my father, who was a drunkard and a drug abuser but also a preacher at our local church. The lord says, I know thy works! No matter how much you hide from the mundane, God is omnipresent, he reads, understands and evaluates our hearts with the keenest expertise. Through examining my own heart God saw that I was in need of him.

    Not only did I fall prey to the stumbling blocks of bad influence, but also did I spread forth my bad influence to others as well. When I was in high school, I formed a group we called the brethren. It was composed of 4 boys with nothing but mischief upon our minds. Our sole purpose was to incite terror among fellow students in school and establish dominance. As it stood I was the only one then who could roll marijuana cigarettes at our high school. Therefore everyone who wanted to have a puff would come through me and smoke it together with us. With my three friends we used to enter into long unending arguments claiming to whoever we met that there was no God. I was so lost and without purpose. I never went to church nor read the Bible except when divinity lessons required me to do so at school.

    In spite of my evil deeds at school, I was good at hiding and pretending. I would always come to school well dressed and never unkempt. I would always participate in those activities in which straight edged students participated in. I was the head of a debate class and a public speaking club. I was also a student librarian a position that was conveniently strategic as it made it easy for me to steal books from the library. Because I was full of this hypocrisy I could easily deceive many people. I would also have girls chasing after me to the point that I would have three girlfriends at a time who were madly in love with me.

    By the grace of God I finally finished my high school and I was now yearning to attend the university. Coming to the university I anticipated a smooth and great life where I would enjoy a number of the finer details of life. However when I came to university I realized life wasn’t all that rosy. There were a million and one obstacles. In my first year I began to be passionate about pleasing myself through pleasure seeking and a better materialistic life. During my first few weeks of my first year, I was so keen on enjoying campus life to the fullest. I would go to shows every Fridays as long as there were known artists performing. I still did not have a purpose and direction in life. All I said to myself was that man must live and that’s what I did! I started selling alcohol to make money to satisfy these desires. I pried all the alleys and restaurants in town selling whiskey to the people. I would enjoy, sell and drink from the cheapest whiskey to the most expensive ones. I would sell them to people from all walks of life; prostitutes, drunkards and even people from the intelligence. As if this was not enough, I begun downloading porn and selling them to movie dealers in Mbare. When you download porn you also consume porn and that is what I did. All these activities came to me with their fair share of emptiness and hopelessness. I had become sinful of the highest order, a first degree sinner. But God was not ready to leave me downtrodden, he had a purpose for me to become an ancestor of faith. 

Part II.  A New Creation in Jesus. 

    It was during my pointless time on campus that I met Dr Lee through the Korean language program. Through one to one Bible study Genesis 1:28 made me realize that I needed to be fruitful and multiply in this world. I started to see the purpose that God had for me. I started to see the love that Jesus had for me. Jesus started giving me a purpose in life to become fruitful. I transcended from being a wretch without purpose to having a purpose in life. I started to see the love of Jesus in my life. I now have brothers and sisters with the same purpose from God. My purpose is to obey Jeusus’ command in Mathew 28:19- to carry the gospel to the ends of the world. I stumbled upon Galatians 2:28 which says, I was crucified with Christ, yet not I live but Christ liveth in me. My sinful life was filled with remorse and regret, but learning about Jesus started to give me what money could not give which is real peace. I let Christ live within me and I departed from the life that was sin infested. I started attending Sunday service faithfully and diligently. One to one bible study with Missionary Samuel drew me closer to Jesus and Jesus drew closer to me as well.  

    I began to attend the Sunday service more religiously, not because of clothes or food, but because I had a deep desire within me to know more about Jesus. I became more and more attached to the word of God and I started moving from the world. I am glad to announce that on December 31, 2013 I held my last bottle of beer, I broke up with my girlfriends and I stopped smoking marijuana all for and by the grace of God. Since then I have never had beer nor drugs and I also kissed dating goodbye. Many people who knew me back then ask me how I succeeded. Only through the grace of God can someone do what I did. Now I spend the rest of my years on campus a sober and spiritual man, more interested in the Bible and church than the things of the world. I thank God who helped me to meet Jesus personally, I was crucified with Christ and now I no longer live but Christ liveth in me. 

    Through one to one bible study I could see myself being moulded into a future leader. In 2015 I moved on to live at the Bible center in Harare. We had early morning prayers with the brothers. Personal one to one bible study with Dr Lee and group bible study with Missionary James Lee. I was greatly transformed from a dead, wretched, fatalistic and hopeless sinner to a faithful servant of God. I was made the leader of my common life in 2016 and I was greatly honored by such a responsibility. My life in the center was and is very fruitful as it helped me greatly in spiritual growth. 

    Through testimony writing and sharing, Bible memorization, message preparation and sharing, I was made to feel the presence of God within my life. Later on I was made an intern Staff Shepherd at the Bible center and the responsibility still makes me stronger spiritually every day. I have around six Bible students at present who don’t come to me for alcohol and drugs but to learn Jesus.

    When I came to the Bible center there was a lot of wrongdoings going on. Some brothers were getting drunk and indulging in sexual immorality. They would bring girls over to the church and participated in sexual immorality. Just like the people from Pergamum, we were tolerating the woman Jezebel who was indulging in sexual immorality. Myself, brother Sibusiso and Brother Moses were accused by the brothers that we were missionaries’ spies.  The brothers were always quarrelling among each other. At first I felt discouraged and persecuted. However through the brothers and missionaries prayers and through Missionary James’ Galatians messages, the brothers repented while some moved out of the Bible center.

Part III. Missionary candidate to Korea

    Whenever I tell people about my vision to go to Korea, they are fascinated by the idea of nice buildings, food and gadgets. They are fascinated by the worldly life in Korea. However my vision in going to Korea was different from what people thought and saw. It has always been our prayer topic of Zimbabwe UBF that Zimbabwe would be a missionary sending country and a holy nation. My prayer is that through my work and prayers I can be the answer to our prayers. I want to go to Korea as a missionary and I want to be a full time servant of God and a part time student. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I want to use God’s guidance to grow spiritually and materially. My passion is being an influential leader to my people and being an ancestor of faith to my people like Abraham. Revelation 2:21 say to hold on to what you have. I will hold on to the teaching of Jesus that brings life and remain faithful to the mission that so profoundly gives life and redemption. I will keep on being a faithful servant, like the Smyrnans,  to the point of martyrdom. 

    I give thanks to God who has given me this chance to go to Korea and I know that I will receive ample spiritual training as a student missionary that will lead me to be a true ancestor of faith to my people as well as the whole world. My vision in going to Korea to master Korean to teach bible and raise disciples of Jesus. I also want to learn the God of Korea. I don’t know how to serve Korean students but only by faith, I would like to challenge fishing and one to one study. Most Africans go to Korea to make money, but I want to teach the Bible and become missionary to Korea. I believe it is possible when I hold on the word of God tightly and pray that God be with me to be a missionary to Korea.  I want to learn how to serve God’s mission and learn discipleship making ministry. 

My Prayer topics are as follows; 

• To master the Korean Language.
• To have one-one bible students in Korea.
• To be a faithful missionary to Korea 

One word : From poor country boy to missionary to Korea.