My life as a Muslim, then back as a Christian
Dr. Zumani Zimba
Harassed, rejected & deported for Christ: God gave me a Good Samaritan to finish my G12, now l am Dr. Zimba with a PhD🙏
1. In 1995 whist doing my grade 7 at Mnoro Basic in chief Katapamoyo, Chipata, l was converted to Islam and re-named Adam by pilgrims from Pakistan. I was the first known Muslim in my village and at my school; l was very young but became very committed and a regular at the mosque in Chipata. Many faithfuls loved Adam.
2. In 1996, l speedily abandoned my Islam faith on my own. Shortly, a man named Brother William MWALE came to visit his parents opposite my village. He was an open born again Christian under Deeper Life Bible Church in Lusaka. He liked preaching the gospel and people shunned him as such.
3. I befriended him, l became born again and started helping him to preach the gospel in my village and at my school. Soon, he left back for Lusaka and left his new convert doing grade 8. In 1997, l finished my grade 9 at Mnoro and emerged the best student.
4. In 1998, mum’s relatives invited me to Lusaka to start grade 10 at Lotus behind Kamwala main mosque. At this time, I had abandoned my Christian faith, went back to just normal good life and was doing very well at school.
5. In 1999, l met Brother William MWALE again and re-introduced me to Christ. I became more brutal and vicious with the gospel; l became a serious member of Kamwala Deeper Life Bible Church, l preached at school every Monday, named pastor Chris in our Scripture Union, visited UTH to pray for the sick weekly, went for overnight prayers every Saturday, etc.
6. My fire and zeal in Christ never went unnoticed, my Lusaka relatives became uncomfortable with it and l was formally talked to many times by family elders to reduce and ‘live a normal life’. But l did not reduce, instead l intensified my faith and church commitments.
7. My uncle and grand mother visited Lusaka in 1999; l was called for the final family meeting. I was asked to choose between being too much born again and deported back to the village or living a good normal life and stay in Lusaka to finish my school.
8. My response was simple: ‘Christ for Chris and Chris for Christ’. They asked me to think about it first. The following day, my response was the same. Few days later, l was told to prepare and leave for the village to live with my mother because l had become too stubborn and useless.
9. I engaged brother William MWALE over my faith-family conflict situation. He always encouraged me in the Lord, assured me that God was in control and would not abandon me. He always told me the stories of Joseph and Daniel in the Bible.
10. “If they eventually chase you, come and stay with me in Kabwata Site and Service. What l eat, you will eat, where l sleep, you will sleep and God will help you finish school brother ZUMANI “, brother William would assur me. “I will not forsake you now, let me be of help where l can help for God’s sake”, he would add.
11. Now, brother William MWALE was working as a car park security guard then with a named bank and sharing a one bedroom apartment with his church friend, brother Simon Kanyanja. But he offered to take me in as a third member in that room.
12. Eventually, l was ambushed at 05:00 and deported anyway with a police escort to intercity to make sure l was heading to the village. Upon arrival in my village, l shared my predicament with my mother and asked if she could send me back to Lusaka to stay with brother William MWALE. My widowed mother did not have money to support me.
13. Mum knew him as a born again Christian, believed in my story and blessed me back to Lusaka for Brother William. He took me in and helped me to finish grade 12. Again, l was the best student at Lotus in 2000.
14. In 2001, the bank promoted brother William with a full time job as accounts clerk for their Kitwe branch. Before leaving, he asked and recommended me to take up his job as car park security guard. I said yes and worked behind Cairo road for close to year and raised some money for college and business.
15. Between 2001 and 2003, brother William and Simon helped to do many other businesses to raise money, went to Feira to order fish, went to Nakonde to order Salaula, went to Rufunsa to order charcoal, etc. l did everything and just 99 jobs.
16. In 2002, he physically made sure l reconciled with my relatives in Lusaka. His position was that God used my Lusaka relatives to prepare me for greatness and huge blessings, therefore, forgiving them was both necessary and mandatory.
17. “If you keep anger against them for the rejection, persecution and deportation, you will miss God’s blessings for you. A Joseph always forgives his brothers for selling him as a slave to Egypt; it’s God’s good plan”, brother William would always remind me.
18. Today, the rest is history but only the power of Christ remains a permanent signature upon my life. My foundation is too strong in the Lord and in all, hence my anchor holds regardless of the storms, waves and winds.
19. On her dying bed in 2006, my mother called me a night before she departed for Chipata where she died upon arrival. I had an exam the following day and needed to ‘gun’ for my third year at UNZA. Eventually, l was forced to visit her since she was sick and leaving for the village.
20. “My son, l have called you to say bye as well as bless you on behalf of everyone. I bless you as king, look after everyone in this family. God gave me 11 children, you are number 8. But l have chosen you for them because of your heart and your God. Above, please look for Brother William MWALE and thank him on my behalf for what he did to you”, words of my mother during our last chart and prayer session.
21. The following day, my sick mother left for Chipata and died in our General Hospital home upon arrival. Hence, dedication my PhD thesis to brother William MWALE was equally in line with my mother’s wishes.
22. He remains so supreme in my education life because he is the main bridge and ladder God used for my academic career. Hence, my PhD thesis was specifically dedicated to him, not to my mother, not my father. But brother William MWALE🤝. He is a man of God, a good man with a golden and godly heart. 🙏
23. It’s a story of my life; don’t just judge the book by the simple earthly cover because the chapters, sections and episodes inside may shock you with solid fires, thunders and lightnings of heaven.
24. Stay blessed and may the God of Joseph, Daniel, Shadreck, Misheck and Abednego visit and reign in your life. Above all, remember to do good to people especially on behalf of God. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
