Simeon, a new believer

Simeon said that before he came to Christ, he was a witchdoctor and he even built a temple to do his rituals and his life was dedicated to evil spirits. A crowd of people would gathering and sing for him and the spirits while he would dance in this temple. He believed that the spirits of his ancestors would tell him the problems of the people, particularly of the sick. Influenced by evil spirits he could tell people their problems and would give them charms. Many people came from different places in Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. They would pay him and he earned a living through this. He believed the spirits of his ancestors helped him. He believed in his charms. He cut people’s bodies with the razorblade to spread some charms in these wounds so they can be healed. He believed that he was healing diseases through these spells and charms. He even had a uniform which the spirits told him to buy. People who he had bewitched and after went to the hospital, the medical doctors could not help. They had to come back to him for help.

One day Bishop Dickens Mwakawonja Gondwe came to his house and reached him through the one to one discipling. Dickens is one of the pastors trained by the DCI Team at Uliwa. He led Simeon to Christ and began discipling him. Through the process of discipling, Simeon’s life changed and also the lives of his family. He has realized what he was doing as demonic and not Godly. He considers those useless now for the sake of Christ. He no longer uses charms nor believes in the ancestral spirits . He now trusts Christ instead. After he was discipled, he began a Life Group and he was chosen as a church elder at his church. He now believes that Jesus is the only Saviour and healer. Instead of earning a living through practices of a witch doctor, he is now farms. They have family devotions at home each and every evening.</span></span>

Simeon Nyirenda comes from Manganani Village, Group Village Headman Mung’ombwa,Traditional Authority Wasambo. He is married to Chancy Gondwe and the Lord has blessed them with 7 children, 5 girls and 2 boys.