Making Disciples Who Make Disciples
Wilson’s Story
Wilson grew up in rural Tanzania, and he moved to the city in search of a better life. Having no formal education, he started selling shoes to make money, but Wilson eventually became a debt collector and auctioneer. He harassed debtors, roughing them up and issuing threats until they paid up. He built broad networks and sufficient capital, steadily moving up the financial ladder. Within a few years, he became a loan shark.
“If I gave you $40, I’d expect to get back $80 in a month. And if you failed to pay up, I’d take you to court,” he recounts, an unmistakable hint of regret in his voice.
Wilson has friends in all the right places, including the judges and police, so he inevitably won against the defaulters. Despite the wealth he amassed and the big house he built in the city, Wilson was well acquainted with inner turmoil. One day, Wilson was visiting the rural settlement he’d come from. As he walked a route that led him through a neighbor’s homestead, he found a few people clustered around what sounded like a radio. Wilson’s curiosity drove him towards that sound.
“Maybe I’m missing some breaking news,” he thought.It took just a moment for him to realize that this was no ordinary radio—and the more he heard, the more he wanted one for himself. When he asked where he could get one, he was told to look for Pastor Mlima. Emmanuel Mlima, a TTI trainer, gladly lent Wilson an audio Bible and told him to listen to the Gospel of John and then Romans. The more Wilson listened, the more the words gripped him.
Romans 6:23 seemed to address him directly, and the guilt drove him to seek out Pastor Mlima again. Under Pastor Mlima’s guidance, a remorseful Wilson prayed for forgiveness and surrendered his life to Christ. Since trusting Jesus with his life, Wilson’s mission has been to make disciples. He plans to return to his village to be a disciple maker there. He has shared the Gospel with several people, including the chief of the village.“Chief Mundi is a very skeptical man, but I am hoping to send him an audio Bible he can listen to. I will also invite him to the next screening of The Jesus Film,” declares Wilson, his voice filled with determination.
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Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations. That's why we're committed to getting the Gospel to every place and people group. From the home page you can learn more about TTI and find more stories of lives transformed by the Good News.