My name is Esther and I'd like to share my story. Thursday, October 9, 2014 will forever live in my memory. My husband had just abandoned me. I was nine months pregnant. I had little hope of giving birth safely as no single week of my pregnancy had passed without my husband beating me. Once he had beaten me until I was unconscious and left me laying on the floor. My neighbor rescued me.

In the wake of his abandonment and his abuse, my spirit was weak. Why was I going through this? Will I even be able to give birth successfully?

With thoughts like these filling my mind, the shaking began at 8 pm. I was in intense pain and bleeding. There was no one around to help. I thought I was going to die along with my unborn child. In my haze of pain, I heard someone knock on the door. I couldn't muster up the strength to tell the visitor to come in. A man I had never seen before came in but I couldn't have done anything to stop him.

He slowly walked in and stopped when he saw me. His shock at finding me like that was evident. He immediately helped me up and took me to the hospital. There I received treatment and eventually gave birth to the most beautiful twins—Joyce and Emmanuel.

A few days later, while I was still recovering in the hospital, the same man who had brought me there came back to visit. He introduced himself as Pastor Charles Mulale and that he was a church planter who God had sent to plant a church in our village. That Thursday evening, he had been going from hut to hut sharing the gospel and he believes it was no coincidence that he came to my hut during my time of need.

Pastor Charles shared the gospel with me and I gave my life to Jesus at that very moment. I will never forget the peace that filled my heart that day knowing there is a God who cares for me and loves me. I cannot express how thankful I am that Pastor Charles was obedient to God's call to come to my village and plant a church. God has already used him to save my life and my children's in more ways than one—praise His holy name!