Teddy M. Gakwaya passed away while in the Vineyard serving GodTeddy M. Gakwaya, 43 died while on a church mission serving God. This took place on the evening of Friday 7 December 07. She died of heart attack. So abrupt that I never had her last words.Teddy left our home for the women conference on Thursday morning. I drove her to meet other 3 church women leaders in Remera suburb of Kigali city. I never knew that this is my last chance to seat by her side in our car. When I said to her bye, I never knew that this is my last minute to see her loving smile on planet Earth. I never even left my driving seat to give her what was to be the last hug. My God hide this death from me. (2kings 4:27) Teddy ministered in that meeting for two days. After preaching on Friday evening, she got a heart attack at 6.30 and died at 7.30pm. In the process of her dying she never got even a minute to say bye to me by cell phone. She left behind a family of 6 children plus other more dependents who normally end up staying in homes of pastors in Africa.HER TESTIMONYTeddy got saved at the age of 16; her parents were stench Catholics and this lead Teddy's parents to persecute her for her deserting the Catholic faith. She was physically beaten many times. I personally witnessed the beating when Teddy was being baptized. After her water emission, Teddy's father came through many people to beat her while she was praying in tongues after the water baptism. In all these persecutions, Teddy kept her faith. The last big trial was when she was asked to leave her father's home and go away. This was because the family sat and took this decision after Teddy refused to denounce her faith.Teddy is sent away from her parent's home at the age of 19.Teddy's parents never wanted her to leave Catholic faith. Young as she was, she refused to denounce her salvation. The parents started to harass her. They beat her, when they discovered that she is determined, they locked her out of her home and family. She started to look for a shelter among the believers in her new church in the rural areas where she was living then. She was later advised to go far from her aggressive parents. She came to Kampala city in 1983, where I was the Youth pastor of the church.She knocked on some doors of believers and the homes that allowed her to stay were small homes. In most of these homes, she was sleeping on floor with or without any mattress. These kind people never had funds to meet all her needs but they offered to her what they had. She suffered in these homes but she never gave up her faith.After over 3 years in this situation, we got married. This was on 3/5/1986. The new marriage life started well. I succeeded in making my wife comforted. I knew her story and I had witnessed the persecution. All this and more other stories made me get a determination to give her my heart. The devil never liked it. Things turned out bad when the Lord called me into a full-time service. This was in 1989. We started facing opposition, poverty and so many other negative forces in our church. Through prayers, we did overcome one trial after the other. One of the biggest miracles that God gave to us at those days was, Teddy's parents getting saved in 1988. They discovered the Jesus Teddy served is more real and they denounced their Catholic faith. Up to now they are strongly saved.Teddy's testimony has helped so many teens and elderly people in our Region. Her testimony has changed lives of young and old people who face problems from their parents in matters of faith.Teddy's Mother Testifies"My daughter was humble & obedient to us among my children", Teddy's mother states. "Our family's salvation came from her prayers. God helped me and I did repent all the persecution we did to her. She forgave me. She was always encouraging me in times of challenges". With the bearing of good fruits, Teddy helped me to change to a life giving faith"…..As I write this testimony, Teddy's mother, Suzan is with us for someday.Teddy has ministered in different churches in Rwanda and Uganda. She has been a mother to so many desperate orphans and other people with different problems. She left me with 3 girls and 3 boys. She also has been taking care of other 2 desperate needy children. She has been the manager in our family. She has been the care-taker of children and all their needs. She has been a humble hello. We do miss her………! One of the big challenges that will need your earnest prayers is the education of my children.A friend paid me a visit and told me this story "That a minister of the Gospel like me lost his loved one. He set himself to ask God why this has happened to him. The Lord told him that it's how God deals with those he loves best. The Gospel minister then commented that this may be reason why God has few followers….. I am happy to know that I am one of those few that will follow Him in all…….."We need your prayers.Augustine and children.
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