In January of 2014 Christine became destitute and came in from her village to ask the priest for help, only to be turned away and told he couldn't help her. She wandered through town and noticed a white signboard - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was Saturday, so she spent the night waiting outside the building until she could attend church. She recognized a strong spirit drawing her there. And so began her conversion. The elders began to teach her. On Sundays she would get up at 3:00 a.m. and walk the six hours it took to get to church. Another sister befriended Christine and invited her to stay at her home on Saturday night and again on Sunday night to make her trip to church a little easier.
A few senior couples in Christine's area, connected her to Mother's Without Borders. They have helped her with some of the essentials that she needs around her homestead. She was given a mattress so she wouldn't have to sleep on the dirt floor and she chopped down some small trees, lashed them together and made a bed frame. She mixed yellow clay like dirt around her farm with some water and using her bare hands, painted her humble little home to give it a face lift. A well was dug near her home so she wouldn't have to walk 5 kilometers away to fetch water from a stream. She hired local men and managed her funds perfectly. Her roof was repaired so it didn't leak, a porch was built to protect her entry from the heavy rains and her outdoor kitchen area was rebuilt. A senior sister, Sister Lowe, even added a roof to her outhouse by lashing some branches to the posts of the outhouse to form a pitch for the roof and then sewed the fabric she created from plastic bags that mealie meal comes in, to the outhouse walls with wire. Quite ingenious. They took her grocery shopping one day but she had no idea how to shop for food because she had only ever shopped at the village markets.
One day when a senior couple was visiting Christine, she was not feeling well. The husband offered to give her a priesthood blessing. At a point in the blessing he paused for a very long time. When he continued, he was impressed to bless Christine that she would be able to go to the temple and have her children and her husband sealed to her. Tears flowed and the spirit bore witness that this was the Lord's blessing to her for being so faithful, so obedient and so deserving of this glorious opportunity.
Eight months later, that blessing became a reality. First she need to get a birth certificate in order to get a Zambian NRC. Then a passport. Then a temple recommend with Temple Preparation Lessons. In the midst of all this preparation she developed double vision and couldn't see out of one eye. They nursed her along with an eye patch and medication from an eye doctor. And then she was ready for the temple trip to Johannesburg. It was her first ever trip out of town; her first ever trip on a big bus; and her first trip ever out of the country. She along with 28 other children and adults from her branch, spent 38 hours on the bus to get to the Johannesburg Temple. They spent two days at the temple and then back on the bus again for another 38 hours home.
Christine was sealed to all ten of her children, her husband and her parents. She is a beautiful lady with a strong testimony of the gospel and love for her Savior. (As told by Sister Susan Lowe)
Christine's words: "My name is Christine Namwinga. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me very much, in that he has made it possible for me to reach this age and special time to allow me visit the Temple. I thank very much the missionaries who taught me the restored gospel, and also many thanks go to Sr Lowe and Sr Querry for their tireless help in my life. They have made me to become more dedicated and strong in the things of the Lord as well as temporal. I know that if I continue following the commandments I will trully be saved and live a better life here on earth.
I am happy that I was sealed to my husband, children and my parents because this assures me that one day we will see each other and be together forever in the life to come. I will always be remembering your help my sisters and I will be crying anytime you come to my memory.
I know that this church is true and it is lead by a prophet of God Thomas S. Monson. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet from God. I promise that I will share what I know to be true in this church to other people so that they come to the knowledge of the restored gospel as well."
Christine Namwinga
Christine's homestead
The bed frame she made for her mattress
Taking District President Kapato to the homestead
Her kitchen
The outhouse the Sister Lowe helped to roof!
Christine's way of grocery shopping
A "face lift" for her home with yellow dirt
Christine and Sister Lowe after her sealing...April 2015
The group from Zambia that attended the temple - children and all
".And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father." D & C 81:6 Christine will be rewarded with a mansion!
