David's Story

David Balabyekubo grew up a devoted Muslim in his small village of Kiwungu. As the first born son in his family, David was inline to be the next Sheikh, after his father. But God had a different call for David's life.

In 2004, David was in a secondary boarding school. It was the month of Ramadan, a time in which Muslims are in daily fasting and prayer. Muslims believe this is a time to hear from God and do what he says. One night, after his Muslim prayers, David slept and had this dream: “I saw Jesus on the cross while blood was flowing from him, then after I saw the empty cross covered with snow. I heard a voice speaking to me, saying, Ali... Ali... Ali... I am the Lord Jesus, I choose you and appointed you to be my servant, go, go, to be born again in a Christian church and confess my name”.

After he woke up, David thought it was the devil that was speaking to him. After a week he had the same dream again, and then a third time. He heard the Lord directing him to go and read the Bible, in the book of John Ch. 14: 1-6, which he says really touched him ( “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”).

David said after that time he started loving Christianity and after two months, found himself in the church. At that time a Christian pastor led David to Christ. God changed his name from Mitala Ali, to David Balabyekubo. When David's family found out he had converted to Christianity, his family disowned him and gave the community permission to kill him. When David returned from school he was beaten 200 times with a cane. He ran away, fleeing into the fields to hide. God led David to safety in Kampala where he remained for 8 years and met his wife, Florence.

During that tough time, David says that God began to shape him as a preacher and teacher of the Word and was inspired to build a ministry. God then told David to go back to his community and the village where he grew up. God told him to go back to the people that persecuted him and show them the light and salvation of Jesus. He knew it would not be easy, but also that he had to obey the Lord’s direction.

Through God-ordained events, David was granted the land where the Muslim spirit tree stood in the village. David told his community members that he was going to cut down the spirit tree, an act which the community believed would kill him. After days, weeks and even months went by after the cutting down of the tree, the truth of Jesus Christ began to reach the hearts of the people of Kiwungu.

God has used David to lead more than 1000 people in his home village to Christ, including his mom and dad, who previously rejected him. David started a Christian primary school, a local church and now a local NGO that partners in his ministry. David says that he is glad to be used by God to do such a wonderful work with the people that once persecuted him because of Jesus. Doers of the Word Africa NGO works in the areas of Evangelism, Health/Sanitation, Needy Children and Community Development. David and his wife Florence, are parents to four beautiful children (Favor, Prosper, Daniel and Grace). David is the Executive Director of the NGO and the village primary school (Divine Wisdom Jr. School).