Was going to kill himself
Country:  United Republic of Tanzania

One day I was so amazed and I found tears coming out of my eyes as a man rises up in the church to give a testimony. Like many other Tanzanians this man has no source of income, his wife died 2 years ago and he was left with four children in their young ages. Because he was homeless he took the kids to the rural village where he left them under the care of his mother who was also destitute and almost 70 years old. He left the kids at the village and came back to town to squat and scavenge for food.

On this particular day we were giving out "Free to be You" books to the areas where the squatters live and the homeless live and this man had decided to kill himself. He received the book and folded it and put it in is pocket without even reading it.


He was going to kill himself on the very same day, he had everything ready for the incident, he had asked for rat killer poison which is sold in the streets after lying that he was being troubled by rats at his squatting place.


This man went to the railway lines, a quite place and distant from people and sat down to do his job of committing suicide, but before he drank the poison, he thought of writing something to the people who will find his body, to give directions of his rural village and the address. He had the pencil which was so short but alas, he had no paper to write the words, after searching and searching he got the book out of his pocket and decided to write on it.


Opening the book, the headline on the book said “Shikiria imara Yesu alishinda dhambi” [Jesus overcame sin]. The man read the book and was instantly convicted and decided to give life a chance and seek a church. After a week of searching for a church where he can fellowship, he finally came to the church and  immediately recognized me, he said, "Bishop, Bishop" and I said, "no I am not a Bishop, I am a Pastor" and he said, "it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter, you saved my life when you gave me that book," and he told this story.


What am I saying - I am saying you people have done and still doing a tremendous work in sending the thousand of books that goes all over around the Country here in Africa as well. Thus we take this opportunity to thank you for the thousands if not millions of people who have given their lives to Christ after reading one of ISOB books...

Dear ISOB family in my life with ISOB i have got a new secret. I saw God heal and care souls. People who had been tired because of hardship life have changed their life.

Norbert Enock Mbiliza - ISOB Director Tanzania