Zephaniah’s Journey: A Story of Faith and Perseverance
Zephaniah Ndacayisaba was born on Mount Musagara in Burundi’s Matana District, Bururi Province. A quiet and thoughtful man, he found joy in one simple pleasure from his childhood—listening to the radio. It was through this that his life took an unexpected turn. One day, while tuning his radio, he stumbled upon an Adventist station called “Agakiza” (meaning Salvation in Kirundi). The beautiful, melodious music captivated him, and soon, he was drawn into the messages and teachings shared on the station.
Through Agakiza Radio, Zephaniah was introduced to biblical truths he had never heard before: the true meaning of baptism, the state of the dead, and above all, the Sabbath. His heart stirred, he committed himself to Christ and began to follow the Bible’s teachings.
But there was one challenge—there was no Seventh-day Adventist church nearby. Zephaniah faithfully kept the Sabbath, but on Sundays, he continued attending his former Anglican church for fellowship. Over time, he found that he no longer enjoyed the Anglican services as he once did. Something had changed inside him, and he finally decided to stop attending the Anglican church altogether.
Zephaniah’s decision to observe the Sabbath drew the scorn of his neighbors. In their community, Sunday, or “ku wa Mungu” (meaning Lord’s Day in Kirundi), was a sacred day, and they were shocked to see him working in his fields instead of going to church. His family, too, was disappointed and began to threaten him. Life became difficult as he faced ridicule and isolation.
In 2016, Zephaniah learned of a distant Seventh-day Adventist church in a neighboring area called Bisoro. Despite it being a two-hour journey, he made the trip and was baptized into the Adventist faith.
Zephaniah’s faith journey was far from easy. After joining the SDA Church, he endured personal hardship—his family abandoned him, and he struggled to find school fees and materials. But God’s grace carried him through, and he completed his studies, against all odds.
By 2020, Zephaniah’s efforts bore fruit when a young man named Egide accepted the truth and became a fellow Adventist. Together, they stood firm in their faith. In October 2022, the church leadership sent a pioneer, Celestin Niyonkuru, to the area. Celestin lived with Egide’s family and began a social media campaign to bring more Adventists to Musagara for evangelism.
In April 2022, a group of choirs called Urunani and several preachers arrived in Musagara for a week-long evangelistic campaign. They preached door-to-door and held an open campaign. Zephaniah watched in awe as his neighbors, who once mocked him, began to listen to the message of hope.
By September 2024, the Musagara SDA Church had grown to 51 baptized members, becoming the largest and fastest-growing church in Bururi Province. The Umucyo w’Isabato ministry made two evangelical trips to Musagara, one in December 2023 and another in August 2024, witnessing firsthand the miraculous work God was doing in the region.
Today, Zephaniah is filled with joy, seeing the very people who once mocked him embrace the message of truth. His faith, once tested, has become a testimony of God’s grace and power.
