Testimony
From growing up in a Christian home to being encaptured in a system. God saved me from myself . But it didn’t come with challenges and giving up things…
Testimony
Present day:
I am currently in training at Exchange at Heritage of Faith, learning to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
‘ I am exchanging my plans for God’s plans ‘
MiTestimony
My journey begins on the 11 October 2004, I was born Johannesburg South Africa. Born to a strong, well grounded Christian family.
I grew up with loving and very impactful parents. They imparted a lot into my life and always gave me the best opportunities. I attended my school years at a school called ‘St Stithians College’. Which at the time is a very good school in the country.
But I grew up enjoying my sport, especially Tennis and Golf. I would spend countless hours on the course or fields playing matches for the school and enjoying my team mates. I particularly enjoyed my team mates more than the sport. I always used to play for fun and not for what team is the best. My dad would always used to say, ‘Try your best and always have fun’.
Growing up, I enjoyed working with my hands and building many different things. I felt a bit uncommon enjoying the woodworking and fixing things because the kids from my school didn’t do what I did and no one in my family enjoyed the hobbies. Nevertheless, I had enjoyed what I did and I spent many hours in my workshop. This was my happy place, I could be left alone for hours. This was my escape, to just be in my own world and enjoy how machinery works. I know that’s not ‘everyone’s cup of tea’, but hay we all have our own interests and things we enjoy.
Entering High-school, it was not as pretty as I thought it would be. it took me some time to adjust and adapt. I particularly struggled with people because of how people would see me as my older brother. They would mock, compare and say mean things about me not being myself. As I had very different interests and talents to my brother. So even thoughtout college, I had this come in the ‘fore front’ of my face serval times. In which, I would internalize a lot of the pain and struggle I faced at school. As well as, I had a lot of hurt at the time from a friend group that I was a part of that ridiculed a lot about myself being me. So I didn’t enjoy school for any of these reasons. But one thing I did enjoy was sports. I enjoyed playing rugby in the last two years of school.
But an event that I had changed me and my focus for the rest of College happened in a normal church service in October 2022. Where at the time, I loved God and listened occasionally to the messages. But I was very much focused and consumed by the world and school. In which on this normal Sunday service, I arrived late in sound and song and sat at the back of the church. When all of a sudden Ps Sharon called myself and my younger brother to the front. Two brothers in the church were asked to come up and lay hands on us. As well as, serval other people were asked to come and pray for us. Now doing this moment, I had no idea what this prayer was. But, the Lord said to me “I got you, I got you, I got you” and I had this image in my head of a hand reaching out and taking something that is on the palm of other hand. I expressively remember that Image. In which, from that moment, I felt different at school. I just felt that my heart was at Witbank at the church and at the Ixchange program. Basically, all I wanted to do was just to leave school and follow Jesus by being at Ixchange.
But I went through a difficulty that would deeply affect me in relationships and that was Isolation. Towards the end of High-school, I spent a considerable amount of time in isolation. To the point that for my grade 12 final exams, I spent 48 days alone in a small ‘cottage’ studying. This for me was not at all healthy for me and my well being. Adding onto that, I also spent my December in Isolation.
To the point that I was very close to not coming to Ixchange because of all of the deep thoughts and intentions I had. Nevertheless, I committed to going to Ixchange and little did I know that this was only the beggening of one of the best decisions I have ever made
But I went through a difficulty that would deeply affect me in relationships and that was Isolation. Towards the end of High-school, I spent a considerable amount of time in isolation. To the point that for my grade 12 final exams, I spent 48 days alone in a small ‘cottage’ studying. This for me was not at all healthy for me and my well being. Adding onto that, I also spent my December in Isolation.
To the point that I was very close to not coming to Ixchange because of all of the deep thoughts and intentions I had. Nevertheless, I committed to going to Ixchange and little did I know that this was only the beggening of one of the best decisions I have ever made
But I went through a difficulty that would deeply affect me in relationships and that was Isolation. Towards the end of High-school, I spent a considerable amount of time in isolation. To the point that for my grade 12 final exams, I spent 48 days alone in a small ‘cottage’ studying. This for me was not at all healthy for me and my well being. Adding onto that, I also spent my December in Isolation.
To the point that I was very close to not coming to Ixchange because of all of the deep thoughts and intentions I had. Nevertheless, I committed to going to Ixchange and little did I know that this was only the beggening of one of the best decisions I have ever made
After High School
My new journey began on the 13th of January 2024, when I left Johannesburg to live in Witbank. I can clearly remember, It was a Friday afternoon and I drove with my Mom in the rain. I remember, how my thoughts were running around met head about ‘have I made the right decision’ and ‘Witbank is a dump compared to where I am coming from’. But I knew this was the place that God wanted me to be at. That’s the thing with the enemy, he wants to deviate you off the plans that God has for you. But It is our part to keep following through with what God wants from you.
Joining Ixchange was not easy for myself. I knew hardly anyone beside my brother and his wife. But other than than that, I felt like a stranger coming into Ixchange. The first day at Ixchange I was super uncomfortable talking to and meeting people. For myself having a quiet personality, It certainly wasn’t easy. But one thing I first noticed about the people is the love that they have for each other. I came from an all boys school, so I certainly wasn’t used to this love. But if I could describe it in one two words, it would be holy and beautiful.
In the first few months, I had to adapt quickly to everything that was happening from staff prayer to cycling. But throughout this adapting, many revelations were to me about faith and about things that needed to be changed in me. So amazing things were happening to me and for me. But there was just one thing that was a real struggle for me and that is relationships. I really struggled to connect and talk to people around me. They would try and give me a hug or talk to me about deep conversations but I just couldn’t do it. There was a barrier in me that prevented me from connecting to people. To the point that I even struggled to connect with my parents.
I was involved in a friend group at school that was ‘unhealthy’ to be in. I was bullied in that friend group and mocked. I was picked on and criticized. This went on until my matric year. Now you may be wondering to yourself, why didn’t you leave the friend group. Why didn’t you make new friends. Well to be honest, I didn’t have any friends and out of the five guys in the friend group, I was very good friends with two of them. Those two were great and awesome friends. But of course there is banter in every friend group and how my friend group expressed some banter was to mock and basically bully me and sometimes there is a jokes made and it’s all ‘fun and games’ .But overtime those words that are destructive and negative, eventually penetrates into a person. In which you become insecure and scared. In my case, I ‘snapped’ at one of the guys and officially left the friend group half way during the matric year. Now because of all the hurt over years, I isolated myself from many people. In which, during the last 6 months of Matric we had exams and no proper school days. In which, I isolated myself in my room for many days and months. Even to the point that towards the end of the year. I spent 48 days alone in a one bedroom ‘cottage’. Now at the time, I was just purely studying and learning, little did I know that it severely negatively impacting me.
So I eventually graduated from school and was on holiday. Yet again, I isolated and spent many hours alone and deep in my thoughts. It really wasn’t a great time for me. I was hurting and was in need of a ‘reset’. January came, and so did my getting ready to come to Ixchange. In all honesty, I wasn’t excited to come. I lost a lot of excitement for it because of the whole isolating period. But I knew God wanted me here and my heart was already ‘planted’ at Ixchange. So as I previously stated, I struggled for the first few months at Ixchange. I was keen and wanted to here now. But it was that same problem of that barrier in me – Isolation.
Orientation camp came in March and that is when my life was changed. I experienced a complete restoration of God on my life. From having huge mental and emotional barriers, I went to being completely free. The reason why I am not giving more detail about this experience is because there is so much detail and explaining to be shared with about this. But, it can be found on the Orientation page on my website.
Nevertheless, I am currently living for God and I am exchanging my plans for his plans. In which, can I tell you I have never been more fulfilled that what I am experiencing now. Sure at times in the natural, you wonder ‘how will I make a living? or how will God provide?’. But all of that has already been taken care of, I must just walk on the road that Jesus always wanted me to walk on.
