Tisholavo used to hate Adventists. Let's see how God used Adventist World Radio to radically change his life!
“I used to hate Adventists. If they had evangelistic meetings I would throw stones on the roof.”
One day as Tisholavo [SEE-hill-ahvo] watched the beautiful young ladies walk into the Adventist meetings, an idea popped into his mind. “I need a good wife,” he thought. “Maybe I can find one here.”
He entered the meeting, and sitting in the back surveyed his options. One girl stood out to him, and after the meeting he introduced himself.
“I didn’t tell her about my bad past and I started praying to impress her. We were married soon after, but instead of fixing my problems things got worse.”
Tisholavo had a criminal record which caught up to him, and after being found guilty of murder, he was placed on the most wanted list. Realizing his situation, Tisholavo fled to a remote forest area to hide. Here he lived for four years.
“I was living like an animal in the woods. I had made a mess of my life and felt like there was no hope for me.”
Like the prodigal son, Tisholavo decided there was nothing to lose and ventured out of the forests. Knowing his family had surely abandoned him, he went to the SDA church. An elder met him and assured Tisholavo that his place was in the church and he was always welcome. These words brought a glimmer of hope to his heart.
“Though the church elder was very welcoming, the other people feared me. My past began to haunt me again, and in fear I returned to the woods.”
But this time, Tisholavo took something with him to the woods: a radio. This was his only connection to the outside world and he listened eagerly to different programs.
One day, he stumbled across an Adventist World Radio (AWR) broadcast. The words stirred his soul, and he began to fall in love with the Jesus who would forgive a sinner like him. Excited about his new friend Jesus, Tisholavo began inviting other thieves and criminals in the area to come and hear the AWR programs too. Convinced of their salvation through Jesus, Tisholavo and 15 other ex-criminals came out from the woods and were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
“Together with my once thieves friends who are now Adventists, we built a church where we all worship on Sabbath.”
Today, Tisholavo leads out in a small group study where they listen to AWR programs and pray together.
Tisholavo preaches like John the Baptist wherever he goes and is often called “apostle” by those who know him.
“AWR changed my life. Through it, I found forgiveness and hope!”
