Elcidio

My name is Elcídio and I live in Maxixe, a coastal city in Mozambique. My mother lost her first husband with whom she had three children and after a few years, she met my father and had me. He had other wives and children and did not live with us and only visited periodically; he was an absent father. My father was addicted to alcohol and when he drank, he would come with violence. Over time my parents separated, and my mother dedicated herself to serving God. When I got to high school, I started to consume alcohol and cigarettes; pornography and fornication were normalized among my peers. I couldn't get out and couldn't even see the light. I went through depression and felt I had no one to whom I could share what was happening.

I grew up going to church but without knowing the real value of it in my life and without knowing Jesus. However, when I thought all was lost in my life, God used a man to direct my life and help me find the way to salvation. He told me about Jesus and through him I got involved with Young Life. The catalyst for my change was wanting to serve Jesus and become His disciple by learning daily to seek and share about Jesus with others through my words and actions.

Now a Developing Global Leader, the impossible is becoming a reality and I will be the first in my family to graduate from university. I am studying accounting and business management at a local university and expect my education to help me achieve my life goals and provide leadership opportunities to help me and the ministry in my community grow.