V
viltglance007
Guest
Gerald.Mwebe - Uganda.Africa
I was born and raised in a very strong Religious home. All my growing up years I went to church but most of the time I did it in order to please my parents. For me going to church was another activity that we did together as a family.
In my teenage years however, when I joined secondary school I joined a peer group which introduced me to everything negative that a young teenager can do. I joined this group, because I was looking for happiness. Although I had come from a relatively stable family, I wasn't happy and I knew something was missing in my life to make me fulfilled.
So in search of fulfillment as a teenager, I joined this group that introduced me to smoking, drinking, discos and running after girls. It was also during this time that I became very rebellious both to my parents and teachers. I do remember my dad telling me that if I didn't change I would be dead in a few years.
Graciously, God had brought a lady called Aunt Grace into our family who just loved me unconditionally. Around about the same time that my life had hit the bottom this lady trusted in Christ. Because this lady had been a great influence in my life and had loved me unconditionally, regardless of my wicked ways I was so attracted to her new found faith.
One evening she invited me for tea at her place and she started sharing the gospel with me. She told me that Christ had died on the cross for me and for my sins because He loved me so much and that Christ wanted me to trust Him to give me the fulfillment and happiness I was looking for. At that point I got this new awareness of how Christ loved me and I trusted Him and gave my life to Him. Surprisingly, I gave up all my smoking, drinking, chasing girls and all the evil things I was doing at that time without any withdraw symptoms.
So I came to the Lord at the age of 17 years after having led a reckless youthful lifestyle. Because I was raised up in a very strong catholic Home, my father at that time did not appreciate my new found faith in the Lord and consequently threw me out of his home.
Soon I found myself homeless and without a family. I look back to those days as the greatest days of my life. I learnt to look to God as my Father, which helped develop a very deep personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
This passionately ushered me into ministry at an early age of 18. Soon after my conversion I was winning souls for the Lord, preaching on the streets, markets and schools.
Over a period of 10 years I served in different capacities in schools and churches winning souls and discipling them. In 1997 the Lord graciously gave me an opportunity to pioneer and start Streams of Life Church, Which started with twelve people. By the time we came to D.T.S. last year the church had grown to about two hundred Members.
However, regardless of all my involvement in the ministry, I had longed for an opportunity to have some ministry training because I only had a bachelor's degree in Education from a secular University. After a long time of prayer God graciously opened up an opportunity for me to come and do a Masters degree in Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. This I am persuaded is not just a great opportunity for me as an individual; but the entire local body of Christ in Uganda. I long so much to go back and share my training with many of my untrained colleagues who are laboring for Christ in that country.
I was born and raised in a very strong Religious home. All my growing up years I went to church but most of the time I did it in order to please my parents. For me going to church was another activity that we did together as a family.
In my teenage years however, when I joined secondary school I joined a peer group which introduced me to everything negative that a young teenager can do. I joined this group, because I was looking for happiness. Although I had come from a relatively stable family, I wasn't happy and I knew something was missing in my life to make me fulfilled.
So in search of fulfillment as a teenager, I joined this group that introduced me to smoking, drinking, discos and running after girls. It was also during this time that I became very rebellious both to my parents and teachers. I do remember my dad telling me that if I didn't change I would be dead in a few years.
Graciously, God had brought a lady called Aunt Grace into our family who just loved me unconditionally. Around about the same time that my life had hit the bottom this lady trusted in Christ. Because this lady had been a great influence in my life and had loved me unconditionally, regardless of my wicked ways I was so attracted to her new found faith.
One evening she invited me for tea at her place and she started sharing the gospel with me. She told me that Christ had died on the cross for me and for my sins because He loved me so much and that Christ wanted me to trust Him to give me the fulfillment and happiness I was looking for. At that point I got this new awareness of how Christ loved me and I trusted Him and gave my life to Him. Surprisingly, I gave up all my smoking, drinking, chasing girls and all the evil things I was doing at that time without any withdraw symptoms.
So I came to the Lord at the age of 17 years after having led a reckless youthful lifestyle. Because I was raised up in a very strong catholic Home, my father at that time did not appreciate my new found faith in the Lord and consequently threw me out of his home.
Soon I found myself homeless and without a family. I look back to those days as the greatest days of my life. I learnt to look to God as my Father, which helped develop a very deep personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
This passionately ushered me into ministry at an early age of 18. Soon after my conversion I was winning souls for the Lord, preaching on the streets, markets and schools.
Over a period of 10 years I served in different capacities in schools and churches winning souls and discipling them. In 1997 the Lord graciously gave me an opportunity to pioneer and start Streams of Life Church, Which started with twelve people. By the time we came to D.T.S. last year the church had grown to about two hundred Members.
However, regardless of all my involvement in the ministry, I had longed for an opportunity to have some ministry training because I only had a bachelor's degree in Education from a secular University. After a long time of prayer God graciously opened up an opportunity for me to come and do a Masters degree in Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. This I am persuaded is not just a great opportunity for me as an individual; but the entire local body of Christ in Uganda. I long so much to go back and share my training with many of my untrained colleagues who are laboring for Christ in that country.
