In Chimpembelle Village, Zambia, Onedy Kalimina’s uncle died. When the Head Man dies, one of his relatives on the mother’s side is chosen to replace him. As it happened, the 22 year-old Kalimina was chosen. He was taken to the village witch doctor who prepared a charm called Chitumya. Then he was asked to kneel down and pray “Chitumya come into me and I come into you.” After praying this, Kalimina took a ceremonial bath and put on an arm band for protection that no one else was ever to see. This occurred in 1990.
While taking a college course, a friend shared with Kalimina about Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit convicted him and on February 20, 1991, he knelt down and confessed his need for Christ. At 6:00 a.m. the next morning he heard a voice calling “Kalimina, the child of God does not put on that band.” Twice more the voice repeated the same message. So Kalimina responded, “What do I do?” In response, he heard the voice say, “Take that band off your arm, put it in a plastic bag and go to the mountain.” He obeyed. On the mountain the voice said, “Pray ‘Satan I now renounce with your works and word. I am now for Jesus.’” After doing this he threw away the band and immediately felt unburdened.
Kalimina for the first time went to church. While there he heard a voice speaking, “Kalimina, look at where the pastor is standing. That is where you will stand.” He heard this message three times. Emboldened, Kalimina shared his faith in Jesus with his two wives. They both put their trust in the Lord and began attending church with him. Yet again the voice spoke telling him that he must share Jesus with people but having two wives was a conflict. So he went to prayer.
While praying, Kalimina had a vision. His second wife was about to board a train for a journey. When the train came he got his bag and jumped aboard. But his wife was still not on so he jumped off to be with her. After this vision, the voice said, “The train is ministry and you cannot go on it with the second wife.” Three days later he dreamed he was on a journey with his first wife and they were taking a car. Kalimina jumped into the car but the wife was not there so he got out and then woke up. He cried out, “God I’m confused. This is my first wife. I can’t leave the wife of my youth!” But God was quiet.
One year later, Kalimina’s second wife came to him and said, “I am not your wife, I must go back to my parents.” Now he was left with his first wife. A year later she died. So he went looking for his second wife only to find she had married another man. So the single father with five children cried out, “Lord, why has my first wife died?” God spoke to him and said, “I want you to go into ministry with a different wife.” So he asked God for a wife who loved Jesus, loved children and loved farming.
Kalimina and Hephziba
Meditation
James 1:18—By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures. (Holman CSB)
In 1999, the Lord gave Kalimina a widow with four of her own children. Hephziba told him she wanted to work for God, keep orphans and farm. They soon added two more children for a total of eleven kids. Today, the oldest is nineteen and the youngest is eleven. With his family, he walks the seven kilometers to the church he pastors, a trek that takes an hour and a half. In 2005, Kalimina led a Head Man, Ezlon, in a nearby village to Christ and helped him escape his charms.
Recently, our disciple making leaders at a pastors’ conference in Kabwe, Zambia trained this wonderful man. Kalimina committed his life to be an equipping leader for disciple making. We were able to spend time training him in his own home where he holds godly influence over the 400 villagers. Two Head Men hope to spread what they have learned to other villages. Will you pray for God’s strength and blessing to be upon Kalimina and Ezlon as they bring hope with training to those who are famished for truth? Whether you are in an African village or a metropolitan city, it doesn’t who you are or where you are, God wants to use you to serve Him and share the gospel. He chose to give us new birth by His incomparable truth so that we might bear fruit!
Inspiration
Discipleship is not a program. It is not a ministry. It is a lifelong commitment to a lifestyle.—George Barna in Growing True Disciples
