Growing up in Zambia, a Christian nation, Kaoma Mwelwa always thought he was a Christian. Now he knows for sure — and desires that “everywhere I go, Christ is preached.”
Q: How old were you when you came to Amano Christian School?
Kaoma: I attended Amano Christian School in 2016 when I was 15 years old after completing my primary education from Lifesong School.
What was your idea of God growing up?
I think one of the biggest ideas is that God wanted me to grow up in a way that will bring glory and honor to Him. He created me in order that I can worship Him, and become more like Christ spiritually. God gives mankind a choice to choose what kind of life they want to live, but many choose to waste it. I came to realize that choosing to live my own life was worthless and will not satisfy my heart. As was I growing up, the bigger picture that was and still is running in my mind is that God desires a good life for me, both on this earth and for eternity. Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
When did you decide to accept Jesus as your Savior? What compelled you?
I came to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior in 2013. But before that, though, I had ideas about who God is and how He shows His love to people. It was quite a challenge for me to accept Jesus Christ because I mostly lived among people who have taken the concept that most of the people in Zambia believe to be true: that because Zambia is a “Christian” nation, so everyone is a Christian. This was true even with my relatives, too — they had mostly followed that.
The other challenge was I was raised up going to church and because of that, I thought I was a Christian. In particular, “works” convinced me of being a Christian. But I came to realize that it’s not about what I do or have done that can make me to be a Christian, but only through believing and putting my trust in Jesus Christ by realizing that I am a sinner and repenting of my sins, as Romans 10:9-10 says.
”I was wondering a lot if truly I was a Christian.
Are there any teachers who helped you on your learning or faith journey?
After being convicted, there was no one who helped me grow in the faith. I stayed for four years without the help of anyone. Then at the end of 2017 I decided to take some discipleship that could help me with my faith because I was wondering a lot if truly I was a Christian. So I asked one of the teachers at Amano by the name of Mr. Stephen Grove Jr. (who teaches PE) and he took me through some steps. We went through some books called A New Life by Copperbelt Christian Publications and Food for New Believers by Everyday Publications. I was still wondering if I was truly a Christian, mostly because of the way I fail to live in accordance to God’s Word. So the other studies we did were by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, which was just about the assurance that I am part of God’s family. Some of the studies I remember doing by Dr. Arnold are: The Nature of the Bible; The Bible and Divine Revelation; The Inspiration of the Scriptures; The Trinity; and Thirty-Three Things: A Study of Positional Truth. We did all this from November 2017 to November 2020.
What was your favorite part about Amano?
My favorite part about Amano is the fact that I was challenged everyday by God’s Word, because it was rare that a day finished without hearing about God. I enjoyed much of my discipleship time every week, and I enjoyed sports trips, too.
Left: 2020 graduation — “I was the one who jumped the highest.”
Right: Throughout the year, the school competes with other international schools in many different sports, including cross country.
The other thing that I enjoyed most was my time with former classmates and dorm students. The girls, very hard working and always there to help, they made my heart smile; and for the boys, they were very proactive in sports and challenging most of the time, but they too showed me how to love. But we were all unique and gifted differently and each of us contributed something for the benefit of others.
Overall, I loved and still love, the fact that Amano is not just a school for your education purposes. I believe that their first priority is that each student hears God’s word because a person’s eternal life really matters to God.
Where do you think you would be if you hadn’t attended Amano?
Because I went to Lifesong School before I went to Amano, I would have been at that same school until graduating. But I think I would not have had experienced much about God’s Word and what He has to say about me.
”[God] really wants me to first consider that everywhere I go, Christ is preached.
What were your plans after graduating, and how did they lead up to today?
My plans after graduating were to go to college or university for my further studies and to also continue to hear more about God every day. Unfortunately, only one plan has been answered, and that is hearing more about God and being trained to live a life that will help others with the gospel and reaching out to non-believers. But going straight into my own studies didn’t work out because after graduating, I went back to Lifesong again because I still had a sponsorship from them and found that they had set up activities that a student has to do after graduating from high school.
2020 graduation, pictured with Andrea and Aaron Anderson, Liebenzell USA missionaries to Zambia
How do you see God leading your plans in the future?
What I have seen so far about how God is leading my plans in the future is that He really wants me to first consider that everywhere I go, Christ is preached. This doesn’t mean that I have to become a pastor or a missionary, it’s also the fact that God’s command is carried out by every Christian, which is from Matthew 28:16-20. God wants that I, and everyone who has received the gift of life from God, share Christ to those who don’t know Him everywhere we go.
Is there anything you could use prayer for?
I would want to pray for Amano Christian School to continue the same way that they’re doing, and that God may open up a way that they can reach out to those in need of the gospel. Pray for my former classmates that they too, will not forget God but remember Him in everything they’re doing. Pray that God will grant me with right study after my gap year. Pray for unbelieving friends and families that they may come to know Jesus Christ.
Ways to Give
Help Amano Christian School provide a high standard of education in the most densely populated province of Zambia, and enable students to develop their full potential.
