The sun was already burning brightly in Nhamaxaxa when Alexandre, a teenager with a restless look and quick steps, saw movement at his grandmother’s house. There were young strangers, carrying Bibles and smiling easily, gathered in the living room with his cousins, engaged in conversations that seemed too serious for him. He frowned, curious. What are these young people doing here? he wondered. Unable to resist the provocation, he went inside.

“Hey, cousin!” Erica called, waving for him to come closer.
“May I know what you two are arguing about so much?” Alexandre asked, not trying to disguise his challenging tone.

“Sure, Alexandre. Come sit here with us,” replied one of the young men without losing his smile. “We are studying the Bible and learning some lessons about Jesus’ love and His care for us. Why don’t you stay and listen for a while?”

Without much choice, Alexandre settled down, determined to observe. He had heard about Jesus, but his life had never been marked by a genuine spiritual experience. On the contrary, from a very early age, his path seemed to be surrounded by pain and rebellion. He and his brothers were initially abandoned by both parents. Later the boys lived for a time in his father’s new house with a stepmother who always made it clear how much she despised the boys.

The hostile environment led them to flee and seek refuge in their father’s old house, on the same plot of land where their grandmother lived. There they survived alone, hiding themselves during the day, going hungry much of the time and lying to their grandmother to get something to eat, saying they had not been given food to eat at home.

Eventually, people found out, and their father learned of their whereabouts. They ran away again, sleeping at the school for two nights until they were found and taken in by their grandmother, who cried when she discovered what they had been through.
Alexandre was still dealing with the environment of animistic practices that dominated his family. He began to help his older brother, a healer, and became involved in the rituals. “I played drums and danced in the ceremonies; it seemed like fun,” Alexandre said. He thought it helped protect him from anybody putting a spell on him through a witch doctor, a common fear in this culture.

At 14, Alexandre was immersed in a lifestyle of excess. He drank and stayed out all night, following the example of his brothers and friends. To not be called a fool, he gave in to pressure and sought to prove his masculinity in ways that only distanced him from peace.

Now, as he listened to the young people talk about the Bible, the rebellious and curious teenager began to feel something different. He had vaguely known some Bible stories from the shows he watched on television about Jesus and the apostles, but they were just entertainment for him. However, that morning, the study stirred his heart. The seriousness and love with which these young people spoke about God intrigued him.

The study ended, but the youths returned the next day, and Alexandre was even more curious. They talked about things he had never understood before, such as the true church and the meaning of the Sabbath. On the third day, the group invited him to be baptized. He hesitated. I was baptized when I was a child, he thought. Then as the young people explained that biblical baptism was a conscious act of surrender through immersion, he committed to re-baptism.

Back home, the pressure began to mount. Friends and family tried to dissuade him, insisting that he had already been baptized and that he did not need to repeat the ritual. His grandmother, worried, said that this was nonsense, that God did not require it. Alexandre was confused, but something in his heart told him that this was the right step. He and his cousin decided that if no one came to pick them up on Saturday, they would give up. However, on Saturday morning, youths were at the door, ready to take them to camp.

When Alexandre emerged from the water, he felt a profound peace. It was as if, for the first time, he had left behind the pain of a lonely and rebellious childhood. There, he felt welcomed by God, who seemed to promise him a future of purpose and hope.
The challenges continued after his baptism. At church, he learned that some changes were necessary, including in his diet. Determined, he chose to follow biblical guidelines and gave up pork, shellfish and alcoholic beverages. This caused tension at home, and his grandmother, upset, criticized him, saying that these rules were excessive. But Alexandre, firm, responded that he was only seeking what God wanted for him.

Over time, his family realized the seriousness of his decision, and even his friends, who had previously mocked him, began to respect his choice. They even began to call him “pastor,” joking about his dedication, but Alexandre took it as a compliment. He knew that his life had changed, and it was all thanks to the young people who had come to his house to talk about Jesus.

“If it weren’t for them, I would still be lost, believing that my protection came from empty rituals and the wrong friends,” he reflected.

Today, Alexandre is a young man who is active in preaching the gospel and is grateful and firm in his faith. “I know that God has always taken care of me, even in the most difficult times. Now, it is my mission to bring this same message of hope to others.”

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

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