I Had Become What I Hated

If you haven’t read S’s story yet, click here. Her story gives a fuller picture of the multiplication happening through this testimony. She is a Global Gates missionary who led H to faith in Jesus.

“My story begins in a small town in Somalia. As a young boy in a broken home, I experienced hunger, neglect, physical abuse, and deep loneliness. When my father was away driving his trucking route, my stepmother would send me outside to sleep in the cold.

At the age of five, I began learning the Quran like other Somali children. When I struggled to memorize lessons because I was hungry or exhausted, my teacher beat me and sometimes locked me in a closet. One day, he struck my right eye with a stick, and I lost sight in that eye completely.

At seven, I was sent to herd my uncle’s sheep, then later camels. By fourteen, I cared for 50 to 70 camels alone in the wilderness, enduring heat, cold, hunger, and long journeys searching for pasture during droughts.

I spent eight more years herding camels until drought killed them all. At 22, I traveled to a new city I had never seen. There, I fell into drug addiction and eventually led a gang that robbed people just to survive. I had become like the people who had mistreated me. I was now the one harming others. I had become what I hated.

Then one morning, I saw young men my age walking to school, clean and full of purpose. Seeing my torn clothes and empty life, I decided to leave crime behind.

I found work with livestock exporters and eventually traveled through Yemen to Saudi Arabia. After months of hard labor, the man who employed me refused to pay me. When I stood my ground, the police arrested me, and I spent six months in prison before being deported.

Back in Somalia, I joined the military and fought against terrorist groups. Later, I left the army, opened a small business, and even began schooling for the first time. Though I faced setbacks, I worked hard and never stopped searching for meaning.

On March 14, 2024, everything changed. While scrolling TikTok, I came across a Somali woman named S* who greeted viewers in the name of Jesus Christ and taught from John 1:1-3. I had never heard a Somali speak openly about Jesus like that. I watched her videos repeatedly, curious about what she was saying.

I downloaded the Somali Bible and began reading day and night. For seven months I studied quietly, watching videos, reading Scripture, and learning about Christianity on my own.

One passage that changed me forever was John 10:28-30, where Jesus says: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

I wanted to belong to this Shepherd who gives eternal life. On December 20, 2024, S prayed with me and led me in confession of faith. That night, I became a follower of Jesus. I felt joy, light, and peace like never before.

From that day on, I began sharing the Word of God on social media, forgiving those who hurt me, reconnecting with relatives, and praying for others. I started sending money to my mother every month, even though my salary was small, something I had never done before I met Christ.

In 2025, I moved to Ethiopia, where for the first time I met other Somali Christians in person and attended church freely. My faith grew stronger, and I knew Jesus had completely transformed my life.

Today, I live with hope, peace, and joy. I am no longer a victim of my past and no longer bound by anger, crime, or shame.

I was born twice: once into a life of pain, and again into the eternal life of Christ. I thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for rescuing me, for turning my pain into testimony, and for using my sister S as a light to guide me to Him.”

_{* Names hidden for security purposes}

A note from our team:
Just before he was scheduled to travel for a six month discipleship school, H was found unconscious in his room after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke. He spent weeks in the hospital unable to speak or eat. By God’s grace, he slowly regained the ability to do both, and he has now been transported to his biological mother’s family to continue recovering.

We believe God may use this season to allow him to witness to his family as they care for him. He is at peace with this and grateful to be with them while he heals, but he continues to lean on your prayers as God restores his health.

If you’re encouraged by this story and want to learn more about partnership opportunities, reach out to us at connecting@globalgates.info.