I am ready for change – Suleiman

Suleiman (red hat fills a decision card after accepting Christ at Kanyama Market, Lusaka.

As we enter peak of Lusaka Mission Week, we are seeing hundreds of lives being transformed in the different parts of Lusaka. Today at Kanyama market, we saw a number of people accept Christ as their Lord and personal Savior. While missioner Eva was evangelizing to a group of youths, young Suleiman quietly stood by the corner listening to what is being shared.

After a while he got really interested and inquired more information. Eva and the other evangelists turned their attention to the now emotional Suleiman. “I have a lot of anger in my heart,” he said. “My father left me when I was very young. He was a Muslim and had many women. I grew up with my grandmother who is a pastor in a church. But since my father left, my grandmother has always blamed me for his fault. She blames me for everything that is wrong and then on Sundays she goes and preaches in the church. Because of the mistreatment Suleiman faces at home, he finds it difficult to respect his grandmother and follow what she teaches in church. “How can I see my grandmother in the pulpit talking about the love of Christ when at home she doesn’t treat me well?”

In order to cope with the stress at home, Suleiman turned to drugs and alcohol to find solace. “I drink alcohol, smoke weed because of the stress. I cannot think straight. All I hear in my head is how I am responsible for my father’s behaviors or how I am useless and cannot contribute to the society. I don’t get food from home so many times I have to steal in order to eat”. Suleiman also revealed that there were a few things he stole and was planning to sell off so he could be able to eat but now that he is accepting Christ, he will return everything. “Last night I stole somethings and I was planning on selling them because I am hungry. I don’t do it because I like to but because I have no choice. But now after listening to you, I will return everything I stole and I ask God to forgive me”.

After Suleiman accepted Christ, he was advised to pray to God often so that he can forgive his grandmother for what she has put him through and also to forgive his father for neglecting him at such a tender age.