Trying to numb the pain.

“The acne was so severe that every time I went out, people would give me remedies for the acne.”

Tumelo’s life turned upside down when she discovered that the man she thought was her father was not her real father.

“Finding out the truth about my father made me feel like my whole life had been a lie. I became a very lonely person. I had a void inside me. I was very angry and bitter because of the problems in my family. Things were so bad that I began smoking at 12.

A family member  used to smoke to release stress and I also started to smoke to release my own stress. Smoking cigarettes numbed the pain that I had for a while,” she said.

Tumelo stole cigarettes from her mother’s purse and used her pocket money to buy cigarettes. Over time, the cigarettes were no longer effective and she began smoking marijuana.

At the same time, she had an outbreak of acne which caused her to be bullied and teased a lot throughout high school. “The acne was so severe that every time I went out, people would give me remedies for the acne. My peers would tell me how ugly I was and I had constant headaches,” said Tumelo.

Tumelo’s mother was invited to attend services at the Universal Church and after a week, she invited Tumelo as well. At first, she attended the services for the sake of attending until one Wednesday service that caught her attention.

“I eventually took a decision to get baptised in water and leave my old life behind but I still had a void inside me. I understood that I was lacking the Holy Spirit. I made purposes to receive the Holy Spirit. I wanted to know God personally. I engaged myself in a one week fast and I prayed more.

I attended a night vigil and an altar call was made for those who wanted the Spirit of God. During the prayer, I sought the Holy Spirit like never before and immediately the loneliness left me. God revealed Himself to me,” she said.

Today Tumelo has a good relationship with her mother, is happy  and has peace. “I am happy with who I am and I have no reason to go back to my old life. I want others to receive what I received,” said Tumelo.