This was a story of overcoming horrific odds by bold faith of the community for a couple to have
children.
Sunday morning service 17th September 2023, we received guests with a great supernatural
testimony work of Gods answered prayer. Talk about wiping tears away, after fearsome trauma.
Talk about God turning one’s mourning into dancing, this is what the story is about in the life of
Professor Ikukumbuta Mwandawande and his wife Lenny.
But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which
He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14The
LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”… Exodus 13:14-14.
We share the story on video but the video recording had bad audio in the interview so I decided to
do this write up. The testimony stirs up faith and trust in God for the silent suffering many, in
similar situations. It will shows that God answers prayer. It shows that when we trust God no
matter the circumstances and despite what we see and the voices from specialist authority God
has the last word on his creation.
Thirteen years ago Ikukumbuta and his wife Lenny arrived in Kitwe, working at the local university.
In their background, they had had nine year the most traumatising experiences of child bearing for
a young couple I had ever known. They lost not one, two or three but four traumatic births. The
babies, were delivered with horrific deformities with odd digits or more misplaced body parts
missing weather nose or ears. Worse still was that each birth deformity got worse but they never
gave up trying. As usual, there were concerns and chatter in the community. Medical experts
weighed in with suspected genetic incompatibility for conclusion. However, their faithfulness and
love for God and each other stood firm in the horrific circumstances.
On my first pastoral visit after they arrived in Kitwe, I naively inquired if they had a child which of
course was negative. However, they gave the background and expressed a desire to have one. I
then quickly realised it was time to bring out the sword of the Spirit, for warfare.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.I assembled intercessors
telling them, “it’s going to be a new birth, a new town, a new church eldership and new pastor form now
on.” Eph. 6:12.
Soon, a baby was on the way with intense medical supervision. However, in the 8th month,
doctors asked Lenny to be hospitalised for 24hrs observations until delivery. Lenny, out of the
trauma she had, went into hiding in another area of town and could not be reached by the
concerned medical staff no persuaded by husband. Happily she called me with, ‘pastor I am
afraid to face another birth from my past trauma. I persuaded her to report at the hospital as
instructed. My word was, “the baby, was surely coming in hiding or in hospital.” She complied.
In due time, a healthy baby boy was born. Ikukumbuta named him Michael (The fighting Angel)
with Hebrew roots and meaning in rhetorical question “who is like God?”. Overwhelmed joyed by
the news on hearing of the medical exclusive delivery where husbands are not allowed near by,
Ikukumbuta drove to hospital in the opposite direction for a while. Eventually being allowed in the
to seeing the baby, he counted the fingers, scanned the child and all was perfect.
At this time, the doctors had intentions of removing Lenny’s uterus to avoid future pregnancies.
However, I got a call from Ikukumbuta to inquire how to respond. My question to him was simply,
“do you want another baby?” Yes! was the clear answer. I said, tell the doctor and he did. A few
years later while doing his PHD in Cape Town in South Africa Lenny had a threatening pregnancy
with a huge tumour but after surgery she was well enough to have Jamima Liseli (Lisle in Silos
language is Lubuto in Bemba). Honoured to have their baby names after me whose name means,
“light.”
It is with this back ground that on Sunday, 17th September 2023, they came to say thank you to
me, my wife and church family. Michael is 13 in high school and Jamima is 7 in second grade. It
was my first time to see Jemima Lisle, my cute name sake. We serve a miracle working God.
I was greatly honoured to have some one I prayed for come back to say thankyou in this way. We
had not seen each other for quite a while and he did not come empty handed.
Luke 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? [18]
There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
Thank you Dr Iku and Lenny. Some one else will be strong because you were strong.
Lubuto Nsofu
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