But all was not lost!  Pastor, Miki Hardy and his wife, Audrey, who were very close to our family, given that my parents served the Lord with them at l’Eglise Chrétienne, welcomed us into their home as one of their own children, despite much persecution and spiteful gossip.  Their two daughters, Frédérique and Carole, treated us like their own brother and sister, and we grew up feeling loved and cared for and very much at peace. The grace of God definitely kept us and protected us throughout our childhood.  We went to the same school as Frédérique and Carole, and received a first class education thanks to our adoptive parents.

Although I was baptised at the age of 12, at my own request, it was at the age of 16 that I was really convicted of my state and made the decision to give my life to Jesus.  This was the start of a changed and renewed life for me. Very quickly, I found my heart drawing back from unhelpful relationships, smoking and music, which tended to take hold of me completely, and which tended to make me moody and withdrawn in the end…

Despite my weaknesses and shortcomings as an adolescent, the fact that I was seeking the Lord and His plan for my life, kept me from many bad experiences and unnecessary hurt.  The sincerity and unity I saw in the brothers and sisters encouraged me to give myself fully to Him.  I also had the opportunity of discovering the hearts of church leaders across the CTMI Network, of which my local church forms part, both in Mauritius and during trips I made to Chaville in France, Ringwood in the UK, California in the US, and Zimbabwe.

After passing my Baccalaureate, I won a French government scholarship to continue my studies for 5 years in France.  I attended the Sorbonne, and passed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in French Literature with flying colours. During the years I spent in France, I got to know other wonderful brothers and sisters at l’Assemblée Chrétienne de Chaville – CTMI’s partner church in France – who lovingly took care of me.  Miki and Audrey did not stop supporting and encouraging me throughout my studies.

I had always loved singing for the Lord, not only in church but anywhere else too – for example, some of the youth from the Chaville church and I organised a series of concerts at the Sorbonne to glorify God and tell people about Jesus.  But at the same time, I learned little by little to seek the Lord’s direction for my professional life, so as to make choices that would be in line with my faith in Jesus.

Today, 20 years on, I am still doing well.  My professional life has been a success, as have all the other areas of my life, for that matter.  By His grace, the Lord brought a wonderful young man across my path called Raharison.  Today, we are married and serving the Lord together, and have just had our first child, a beautiful little girl.  We are deeply grateful to the Lord for blessing us with that gift.  The Spirit of the Lord is creating the desire in me to have a humble and contrite heart to serve Him, in unity with my family and my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I am eternally grateful to Jesus, not only for having taken such wonderful care of me, but also for the gospel of the cross that is preached in our church, and all the other churches working with CTMI!  This message has transformed my life and set me free to serve Him together with my brothers and sisters.

Joëlle

After 20 years in the ministry as pastor of a Charismatic Pentecostal Church, in Malawi I felt that I had it all. Yet, as time went by, I became frustrated because I couldn’t see change in the lives of the Christians. The harder I preached the worse the situation became. Our church in Blantyre went through 3 splits due to fighting between leaders, and the struggle for power. I was so tired and lonely, to the point that I was on the verge of quitting the ministry altogether.

It was at this time, in 2001, that God sent Miki Hardy and the CTMI team for the first of many visits to Malawi. For the first time, I heard the gospel of the Cross of Jesus Christ being preached in all its simplicity and in all its power.

Never before had I realised that I was an arrogant, proud, and legalistic man. What Christ meant when he said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me,” suddenly became clear to me. I knew right there and then that I had to lose my life and die to my selfish carnal sinful nature. I realised that this was the only way that I could attain the excellency of the life of Christ, which would enable me to experience His life of resurrection, and to live a victorious life through Him. I began to see that, as a Pastor, this was the only way I could minister and impart the life of Christ to the congregation. With regular follow-up visits by members of the CTMI Apostolic team, and 2 further National Conferences with Miki Hardy and other CTMI pastors, we were all encouraged to take, and to keep walking on, the road of the cross.

My wife used to be one of the most miserable of women. My heart was so full of law and principles that I insisted that she follow to the letter. I had a blueprint in my mind of what a Pastor’s wife ought to be as far as her behaviour, speech, dressing, etc., was concerned. She felt so bound, never free to serve the Lord as she was or to allow the Lord Himself to have his own way with her life. This situation was not helped by my being a husband in the African setting, where tradition makes you believe and act as though you are some kind of a chief in your home; where you demand to be obeyed and almost worshipped by the wife and children. But, it was this gospel preached and lived by the men of CTMI that led me to repent before my wife, as well as the leaders of the churches, and to the congregation.

Today, 9 years down the line, thanks to the power of the gospel of the Cross of Jesus Christ, and the example set by Miki Hardy and all his brother Elders at CTMI, my wife is free to be who she is and to serve the Lord; and so are my children. For a long time now, we have not experienced any divisions in the church like we did before. There is so much more unity in all the leaders of our churches. Today, we have much better working relationships under this gospel of grace with other churches of the CTMI Network in many countries, as well as with pastors in Malawi, with whom we would never have been able even to talk to previously! I have had the privilege of sharing my testimony as a Pastor, a husband, a father, in churches working with CTMI in Kenya, Mozambique, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, as well as all over Malawi.

The lives of our church members continue to be transformed. Young people, whom we have sent to attend the Youth Camps conducted by CTMI Teams, have returned completely on fire for Jesus, radically different from when they left. What an encouragement it has been for us to see them take their place in the church. My own daughter is presently studying medicine in the USA, I know that she is dying to get back to attend a CTMI youth camp either in Zimbabwe or Mauritius. My son is doing a law degree here in Malawi at the University of Blantyre. He will most certainly be attending the youth camp in Bulawayo in August, and in Mauritius in December; something he has been looking forward to for years! Honestly, I really can’t imagine where these stories about CTMI encouraging young people to leave their studies could possibly come from!

We can look back on all this and say ‘Thank you’ to the team, the family, at CTMI for the example that they have set us, which has enabled us to become truly better servants and followers of our God Almighty, and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

To God be all the glory!

Pastor John Katimba – Blantyre, Malawi

The entire uncut interview is available in 3 parts for ease of downloading.

Click on the links below:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

What a joy it is for me to share my testimony, about how the Lord has been faithful to me!

My name is Hélèna, I’m 24 years old and I am presently studying for a Masters in International Affairs in France. My family met the Lord during my childhood and, since that time, we have known the Elders of Eglise Chrétienne and the CTMI team. I did my secondary studies in a Star School in Mauritius, and have always been ambitious. Being in a good school, having good times with friends did not fill my heart with satisfaction. My life remained the same and there was no joy or peace in my heart.  When I really began to hear the gospel of the cross, my life was so confronted and God started to show me the state of my heart and my life. I surrendered my life to Jesus and started to discover great things. The elders and leaders were always available whenever I needed it, and they took wonderful care of me. The family of God is really amazing!

Once I completed secondary school, I decided to start my tertiary studies, but choosing a course was not easy. I attended career guidance courses, and even asked my parents about it. Being close to the leaders in my local church, I sought their advice too. They encouraged me to find something that I like and to seize the opportunity and the privilege that I had getting to go to university. After a three-year course, I succeeded with brilliant results and I acknowledged the hand of the Lord in my success. So many times, I had been discouraged, thinking: “It’s too much!” It was often very hard, but the elders always encouraged me to persevere, not to give up, that God has already planned everything for me. Today I am so grateful for their advice. I can see that, as I trusted God, He never disappointed me. On the contrary, He went beyond what I could imagine or hope… I have been awarded a scholarship to continue my postgraduate studies and this is how I am in France today.

When I hear all the false accusations circulating that CTMI encourages young people to give up their academic path, I wonder how this can be. I am living proof of the contrary! I am where I am today, not only because of my family, but also as a result of the direct counsel and help of these same elders and leaders of CTMI in Mauritius and here in Paris. I don’t remember anyone at any time saying to me: ‘Its better for you to leave school.’ What I have seen is how the elders of CTMI have at heart the future of young people. Each young person is cared for individually, based on where his/her relationship is with the Lord. Without the direct assistance and support of the CTMI family, it would have been almost impossible for me to think of coming to spend 2 years in France, far from family and friends!

Whoever states that we are brainwashed, and taught what to say and do, has clearly got a wrong impression of our lives and our church. The church and its leaders have a heart for us. We are all free to choose to do according to how the Lord leads us. Being in the church, even here in France, I can feel the same heart and love from the elders that I grew up with in Mauritius. I am so grateful for these men of God whose given lives are such a support and help for us. What grace it has been for me to have known the Lord as a young girl, and to have a pure undiluted gospel as a foundation in my life.

Jesus has done great things in my life. His unfailing love and faithfulness never cease to amaze me!

Héléna

As my final year began drawing to a close, I remained indecisive as to what I would study. My parents, being concerned about me, offered me the option of taking a gap year. It was not long after this time that the Lord, by His grace, did a miracle in my life. I can clearly remember the day that I stumbled into a Sunday meeting at Grace Gospel Church in Durban. Pastor Basil O’Connell-Jones preached the message of the cross, and I knew immediately that I was called to identify my life with Jesus Christ in his sufferings, his death, and his resurrection. During the weeks to follow I had the opportunity to meet Miki Hardy and Audrey Hardy, who were in South Africa for a conference. I was also able to meet many young people who were visiting from Mauritius. After hearing their testimonies, I made the decision to go to Mauritius. I really wanted to be with these zealous young people, who like me, had been touched by the Lord and wanted to surrender their lives to Him fully. I wasn’t disappointed, the Lord answered my prayer and I found myself surrounded by brothers and sisters on fire for the Lord. What grace!

Not long after arriving in Mauritius, I heard about the plans to build a new auditorium and offices for CTMI in Trianon. I got very excited about the idea of being involved in any way possible. When I discovered that the construction site was open to anyone who wanted to help, I was overjoyed, knowing that I could play my part in my free time. What an incredible year, working with young people with the same zeal in their heart to serve Jesus. No one instructed us to take part; but we willingly chose to be involved. I saw it as an opportunity to do something in return for everything that the Lord has given me. It was hard work, but I enjoyed it and will forever cherish the moments spent there with my brothers and sisters. I know that the relationships that I have formed with other young people during this time will last all my life.

In February 2010, I will commence my studies. I am extremely grateful to my parents, who are not only paying for my studies but continue to support me financially whilst here in Mauritius. I have decided to study Child Development, and am excited, as I have always wanted to work with children. I cannot recall, even once, someone mentioning not studying to me; on the contrary, the Elders and leaders of the church have always encouraged me to make the most of the gifts the Lord has given me, and to serve Jesus through everything that I do; whether it is studying, working or whatever it may be. The Lord has been so good to me, and I continue to trust Him for all that lies ahead.

Dan – Part 3: How can I do anything else but praise God for leading me to CTMI and to Mauritius?

On arrival, I waited for an hour before someone came to collect me… great start! I moved into a home along with a few other young guys and then went from house to house. It all meant very little to me, where I stayed and why. What hindered me most was the language and culture. I also came to realise that I was a very raw young white man in a foreign country, and that no one really knew what to do with me; which suited me fine. However, slowly, but surely, I began to see something different about these people. I had never experienced such a phenomenon before. Most of those I met seemed to have a genuine desire to serve the Lord before anything else. They were for the most part simple Creole folk, but honest in their desire to follow Jesus, even as they recognised their shortcomings and failures. There was nothing spooky or affected about their behaviour at church, in meetings, or at home with the family.

Without even being aware of it, I began to learn how to love Jesus Christ and His gospel of the cross. Despite myself, I started to put others first, denied my selfish wants, needs and desires. Even I could see that this gospel was setting me free and changing my life for the better. Jesus wanted me to give my life to Him and to serve Him.

In a sense, some of this was easy for me. When the Lord pulled me out of the hell I had been living in, I had no friends and no family. My life was in a total mess. In time, I understood that Jesus was providing me with true spiritual friends, brothers and sisters who were guiding me to Jesus; unlike in my previous life where it was always to a bar or to drugs! I cannot describe it in any other way, but that God Himself gave me a new family in the spirit. They surrounded me, protected me, prayed for me in very difficult times, and loved me despite all my weaknesses. These men of God have been like fathers to me, always pointing me to Jesus, encouraging me to be real, reminding me of the call He has on my life; quite a few of them had been just like me until they met Jesus. I can honestly say that the closer I get to God, the more the things of this world have become strangely dim.

How can I do anything else but praise God for leading me to CTMI and to Mauritius? It was there that I found him for real, got to know him for real. What a privilege it has been to serve him with devoted and committed Christians in an amazing spirit-filled, Jesus-driven church, with a vision to preach the Jesus Christ and Him crucified to all the nations. I am a testimony to Paul’s statement that the message of the cross is the power God to those of us who are being saved… In less than 3 years, I have found myself part of a team working in an area where heroin is rampant. We are in contact with drug dealers, addicts, and prostitutes all the time, as we reach out with the message of Jesus. Without Him, could I possibly have avoided falling back into these temptations even a few short years ago?

As an added bonus, I want to add that both my sister and her husband, who were on their way to divorcing after many years apart, have discovered God’s grace and acceptance and found his forgiveness in another CTMI Network church. Today they are reconciled and have begun to rebuild their lives and their marriage as the Lord intended it to be. My own relationship with my parents has been restored. I am brought to tears knowing God’s miracles in my life and in the lives of my family. I am so grateful to Jesus for giving me a second chance and placing me within the CTMI ‘family’. I bless the Lord for Miki Hardy, his wife Audrey, as well as all the elders in the different churches who stood with me in love and patience and grace. I am so proud to be able to declare, like so many of my brothers and sisters in all the churches working with CTMI all around the world, that I am a free slave of Jesus Christ, and a member of this wonderful ministry.

Dan M. – Gaborone, Botswana

Why is this relevant?
When we finally decided to leave the church – mainly because we had, for all intents and purposes, been cut off from fellowship, our immediate reaction was to rise up, insist on our rights, let everyone know how badly we had been treated. We thought of trying to set up a group of people in the same boat as us. We wanted to write letters to all and sundry… Does this sound familiar?

However, God in His mercy and His grace stayed our hand and stopped us from acting out all these fantasies. It would be falsely modest to pretend that I was at peace about all this. On the contrary, a number of scenarios rose up in my mind as to how we would be vindicated, restored, even given new positions of responsibility, as the Lord exposed this situation and dealt with those who had acted so uncharitably unchristian.

Finally, the only thing that we felt we should do was to write a short letter stating that we were leaving the church with immediate effect; that we were sorry that we could not agree with the actions and methods of the leadership. We expressed briefly that we had been strongly tempted to create problems, but had been led by the Lord not to pursue this path. We also added this verse from Samuel 24:10: “I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD’s anointed.” We had peace in our hearts that Jesus would deal with the matter in His own time, and that He knew how to take care of His church…

Why is this important?
A tiny group of upset parents, and a few disaffected former members of churches working with CTMI, have set themselves up to use any means, fair and foul, to attack and destroy the ministry of CTMI. For some reason, they and their ringleaders have set themselves up to make judgements and express themselves on people, events, circumstances, and issues of which they know very little about. They insist on making their particular gripe into a “pattern”, and generalise that CTMI is this, that, and the other. They also wilfully ignore the evidence before their eyes… of lives transformed, family relationships restored, people set free, young people serving Jesus with all their hearts!

As someone who actually had a genuine reason to react, but chose not to, my advice to those parents, so concerned about their individual child, is the following: Surely Jesus is big enough to care of His Church. Surely He has not appointed you to bring correction in ways that are only dishonouring His name amongst pagans and unbelievers. More importantly, should you not be concerned that your actions are in fact lifting your hand against the Lord’s anointed?

Just so you know, within 4 years, the church we attended in the UK, along with its 4 local plants, no longer existed!

This preacher with a strange accent said only God could change me!

There wasn’t really a plan, it was more of a ‘trial and error’ situation as nothing had worked before. We both knew and felt it was the right thing. I began a detox program, started going to gym, and seeing a psychiatrist. It all seemed to be working out. The plan started off well; I don’t know why, but it did. I started going to gym and became a bit of a health fanatic.

What struck me most in those early days in Botswana, were all my Dad’s friends. They seemed to accept me as I was… bad habits, foul language, sullen attitude, and all. They seemed strange, because they were always thanking God for everything, and appeared to be genuinely living lives dedicated to Him. Also, no one tried to ‘push’ God onto me, as I had experienced every time I had been to a church. They just let me be myself, and their lives spoke so much louder than words. Here was a group of people totally sold out on Jesus Christ, who practised what they preached. Could it be that I had finally found some true Christians?

So, there I was, getting well, having it all under control. It all seemed so easy, until I went back to Durban for a 3-week holiday. Within hours of my arrival and linking up with my girlfriend, we were high on heroin and I spent the whole time stoned. It was then that I realised that nothing had changed; I wasn’t cured at all. I was only clean in Botswana only because there were no drugs there.

One Sunday morning, I was up early, and for some reason, I told my father I wanted to come with him to church. I wasn’t expecting, nor did I desire, anything. I was just bored and didn’t want to be home alone with my own thoughts. I walked into an empty hall, and was told that most of the congregation were all at a conference on some island somewhere. I was very happy that no one came up to ask me anything. As the pastor was also away, they put on a DVD recording from a program shown on TBN of a preacher called Miki Hardy. As this man began speaking, my heart just softened and I started drinking in everything he was saying. All I heard was that Jesus loved me just the way I am. He had chosen me like I am, with all my problems and issues. He had done everything for me on the cross, saving me and, in His eyes, I had been cleansed of all my sins. Probably the most profound thing I heard was that I was weak, and in my own strength I can do nothing (every other church told me I needed to change). But here was this preacher with a strange accent declaring that only God could change me!

My heart exploded. My soul cried out saying, “Yes, it’s true! I am weak, I am lost in my sin; I am hopeless in my own strength!” I had finally found what I was looking for – the truth of Jesus Christ and what he had done on the cross for me. Everything for my life had already been accomplished on that cross. At that point, I was completely broken because I knew that my life was the result of my own decisions, but now, Jesus was there to pick me up from the mire and set me free. Being the proud, self-sufficient young man I was, I kept all this to myself.

But to everyone’s amazement, I started attending all the meetings. I began seeking God, saying to Him, “God, if this is true then I will give my life to you!” I remember when a pastor visited from Zimbabwe, I managed to spend time with him and told him my whole story. He told me about Mauritius and Eglise Chrétienne, a church where the people tried to live lives totally given to Christ; where they do not compromise their walk with the Lord. He asked me, whether I would consider going to spend some time there. I asked him why he believed this was important? His reply was that I was so young in the Lord, and had such strong desires for things of the world. The church in Gaborone was small and could not give me the care that I needed at this time… to establish a strong and deeper foundation in my life. He was very adamant that I must seek the Lord’s will about this important decision, that I should see what my Father thought of the idea. In the end, the decision would have to be mine, because with my past, I could not expect healing and restoration if I chose to do something that I did not really want to do under compulsion. I knew it was true that I was not free of drugs, and that I could fall at anytime. Deep down, I felt at peace that this was the right thing to do; and. after a time of prayer, I went off, flying into the unknown!

Since I was living in Zimbabwe, I looked at the options of studying at Rhodes or University of Pretoria. It was during that time that I began to feel that the best place for me to study would be in Mauritius, at the new private university. Let’s be clear here, no one told me to go study in Mauritius… it was purely my own decision, which I came to on my own, in part because I had visited the island many times in the past, and I knew and loved so many people there. I made the choice, in discussion it with my parents, who gave me their approval. I’m so grateful to my parents for always supporting my decisions! I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to learn new cultures, new languages, and how to adapt to another society. Therefore, in 2004 I moved to Mauritius where I stayed for 4 years. I successfully completed my degree and have a B. Comm. in Marketing and Management.

Whenever I became discouraged, or was having a bad day and just wanted to give up on my studies (which all students go through…check university drop-out statistics on the Internet), it was the elders in Mauritius who urged me not to give up, to continue. I can’t say that I felt at any time that it was because they wanted me to stay in Mauritius… definitely not! What I did really sense was that many of these men of God have known me since I was very young; and they knew the benefits of me furthering my studies, and the self-confidence that I received by completing my degree studies. I am so grateful to them and all those other brothers and sisters in the CTMI family in Mauritius, who supported me during this period. I also stayed in the most amazing homes; ordinary people… just like most folk in CTMI, but I felt part of the family in every home I stayed in!

At the end of my studies I reached the point of what to do next. Which country to live in, where to work? Like any other young person, I asked those I am close to for advice, those who know me.  So, I asked my family, I asked my friends, I asked the elders. I want to end by quoting what the Elder Peter McKenzie wrote to me from the UK:

“…Thanks for the update. I think it’s great for you to go to CTMI Zim and SA camps. This will take you to the end of September, and will give the Lord enough time to settle things in your heart. Obviously it’s good to listen to the counsel of others, but at the end of the day, you must open your heart and do what the Lord wants you to do. Then you will be at peace. So my girl, just put your heart before Him and have some faith for His guidance.”

Does this sound like pastors who encourage young people to abandon their studies, or a church that controls young people’s lives? You tell me…

As a youngster, I followed my parents to church. It’s quite ironic that it was in the Durban-Westville area, where Grace Gospel Church, led by Basil O’Connell-Jones is the pastor… Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more. Once in my teens, I began to rebel and drifted away for all ‘church’ things, because there was nothing that I identified with there. Yet, I always knew that I was searching for something real. For some years, I was a gangster running around the city, involved in drugs, alcohol, violence, burglary, and other crimes. It seemed great fun at the time. But even in the midst of all this senseless behaviour, my heart was yearning for the Truth; and seeing no evidence of that in the churches I had visited, I turned to Satan as he appeared more real to me. Through a meeting with a girl, my life soon drifted into dabbling with evil spirits and total debauchery. Out of this union, I became a father of a baby boy.

In my continuing search, I visited churches, but all I could feel was condemned because of rules and laws that I could never live up to. That was when I finally gave up on God, and decided to ignore Him altogether. Getting involved in the dance club scene only accelerated my spiral into satanic music, drug dealing and being high all the time. It wasn’t long before I started believing that all my friends wanted to kill me. At the age of 20, I found myself in court fighting about access to my son, dealing with an out of control drug addiction. As I had a British passport, I decided to leave it all behind to go to a ‘better life’ with all my South African friends already there.

All I had to show after and incredible first year of partying in the UK, was that I was now a full heroin junkie. I had met up with my sister and her husband, and all we did was related to our next fix. We did also try to come off the heroin, but failed abysmally. I even tried turning back to God, but He did not seem to be listening. I felt lost in dark depths of Hell! In this state, taking advantage of those around me had become a way of life. I saw nothing wrong in using people and destroying them and relationships. Through it all, I tried hundreds of times to come off the heroin by entering rehab clinics, etc. All I could see ahead of me was death, with no possibility of escape.

One morning, naked and lying in my own vomit, after a second sleepless night, I cried out to God, “Please, if your are there…” I tried to go to church again, but all I saw was hypocrisy, plastic, fake Sunday Christians telling me to stop doing this and start doing that. I was defeated before I even began. By this point, I had stolen everything I could; blackmailed and manipulated everyone I knew. Deep in debt to a drug syndicate, I decided to sell myself to them; they could use me for anything, as long as I could get my fix.

Unbeknownst to me, a lady had approached my Dad in Botswana, and told him, “You need to bring your son here with you.” Knowing my state, and what had happened in the past when he had tried to help, he didn’t do anything, until I called him to say goodbye; that I was going to give my life over the drug lords in Durban. He sent me some money and came down immediately to see me. Somewhere in my heart, I knew why he was coming. Having been put into different rehab clinics in the past, I prepared my girlfriend for the separation I felt was going to happen. Deep down, I realised that this was my final opportunity to get well. I recall my Dad crying when I didn’t argue and agreed to go back with him. He must have been so surprised… (to be continued)