The Journey Of A Preacher's Kid: We Wanna Be Like Them

By La-Verne Simukai

Have you ever wondered:
- what it's like to grow up in a pastor's home?
- What it's like to be a pastor's kid?
- What happens behind closed doors of a pastor's home?
- Can pastor's kids grow up in the church and still love God and serve Him faithfully?
- What the bible says about pastors, their children and their service to the Lord?
In this revealing book, La-Verne gives first-hand real life experiences to answer those questions and more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: La-Verne Simukai
• Release date: Feb 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311369499

Book preview

I am grateful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for this great privilege and honor to be a PK/SADOP. At some point in my life I didn’t think it was great being a PK but God has been faithful throughout. I want to thank Him for the grace He has given me even in writing this book.

I would like to thank my family – my amazing husband Steve for the endless times you listened to my thoughts, my children Steve-Tharreo, Itheiel, Charis, Amarise & Pheim for the patience and support in writing this book. All the questions and discussions – you guys rock! Thanks to my siblings Fiona, Dorcas, Gracious & Joe for their thoughts and contributions.

Special thanks to my parents Drs. Ezekiel & Eunor Guti for the investment they made in me, the love and the patience. You are a true example of what it means to serve God whole-heartedly and the joy of obeying God’s call on your life. You continue to live a Christ-like life regardless of what the situation is. Thank you for encouraging me always – would love to be like you.

Thanks to all the SADOP who were willing to share their life stories and views as a PK. I know I took your time and for some, the stories are just too personal but you were willing to share so others can learn from your experiences.

Thanks to Prisca Soko, Daisy Kativu, Davona Reynolds and Natalie Everage for taking the time to edit the book.

Thanks to Larry Mutenda (Creamy Design) for my cover design

I would like to thank all ZAOGA FIF family who love and pray for us and our parents

Many thanks to you the readers.

Foreword

I am delighted to write the foreword for my daughter’s book. La-Verne was born and raised in a Pastor’s house. She has experienced firsthand the challenges that come with that background. My wife and I have always emphasized the importance for our children to have their own relationship with the Lord, to love God’s people and to live for God.

It gives me great joy that La-Verne has grown up to where she has become a woman of God in her own right. We prayed for all our kids as they were growing up and like any parent we wanted the best for each of them. It gives us great joy to know that God answers prayers

In this book La-Verne shares from the vantage point of being a pastor’s child. She recounts the hardships she and Fiona experienced as our older children when they slept in a steel bath tub. The challenges of moving constantly. The times when we suffered persecution from people who wanted to harm us. Most pastors’ children are subjected to unrealistic expectations. Many times they are not allowed to be children like other kids who make mistakes. I strongly recommend this book to parents, young people and above all the Pastor’s Kids (SADOP). She has written about her everyday life to show that Pastor’s kids are people too.

It pleases me that she has followed God’s call on her life. It is true that she Wanna be like them…

Dr. Ezekiel H. Guti

Introduction

Preacher’s Kids (PKs) or Sons and Daughters of Prophets (SADOP) are unique people. We all grow up in different ways, some good some bad. This upbringing has a way of shaping our future. What we go through in life determines how we respond to the call of God on our lives. My emphasis is showing how we were brought up and the need for PKs/SADOP to obey the call of God on our lives.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to grow up as a child of such a great man and woman of God who have touched millions of lives world-wide? Here is a glimpse of it. The first part of my book talks about my family and how we grew up. The second part is a collection thoughts, views and stories from other PKs/SADOP. The last part is an encouragement to obey the call of God.

This book is written with the hopes of showing that ‘Pastor’s Kids are people too’ for those who are not PKs/SADOP. On the other hand I believe the book will shed some light on those PKs/SADOP who are looking for answers.

The birth of the SADOP ministry was very significant and it helped reign in some PKs who were now on the wrong road due to bitterness and resentment. I end up sharing how I answered to the call of God on my life and encourage other PKs/SADOP to obey God. It’s not easy but that’s what PKs are made for – to take over the work their parents do, not necessarily as preachers only, but also in the day to day running of the church. I pray as you read this book it will encourage you or help you encourage someone to be able to get to a point where they can say "We wanna be like them"

Chapter One

The Journey Begins

August 20, 1972 Ezekiel Guti and Eunor Sithole got married in Nyanyadzi, Eunor Sithole’s home. They did not have a big wedding. This is not the usual proposal, engagement then wedding:

Mum had been praying and fasting in Morgenster where she worked as a nurse. During her prayer times she had agreed to obey the Holy Spirit in whatever she was asked. One of the woman leaders was assigned by the church board to call her and tell her that the church had chosen her to marry the man of God, Ezekiel Guti who was her pastor at that time. He had just returned from his training in USA. (His first marriage ended when his wife walked out on him as he was serving God. He waited fourteen years until the church said they needed a mother). She put the phone down with no response. She went to her room and began weeping and praying when, the Holy Spirit reminded her that she had agreed to obey earlier and this is what the obedience was about. This was not easy but after getting confirmation from the Holy Spirit she agreed to it. Earlier on Mum had decided she was not going to get married because she just wanted to serve God without a husband. She had seen how other ladies, who used to be on fire for God, slowed down after they got married. She was not going to let this happen to her. So the best option was to stay out of marriage. But, this was the will of God for her to marry Ezekiel Guti. This meant she was going to have leave her successful nursing career where she had risen through the ranks, and become a fulltime pastor’s wife. Her salary was increased in a bid to have her stay at the Hospital but this did not work. She has never regretted since.

After tying the knot, mum and dad didn’t want to have any children. Dad already had three daughters from his first marriage, Esnath, Anna and Sara. Mum felt having children would not allow her to do God’s work the way she wanted to. That same woman leader who had delivered the proposal message said go ahead and have a baby then give her to me. Nine months later, May 26, 1973 La-Verne Ndewangu Guti was born at Harare Hospital. The name Ndewangu came about because they had to claim me back saying Ndewangu meaning she’s mine. She is no longer yours. They decided having children was not going to hinder them from doing what God had called them to do.

We lived in cottage 593 in Highfield, which is famous for miracles, long lines for prayer and prophecy. This place is the same place where a young man who was praying with my dad saw a bright light and hid under the bed:

Another year again on a Saturday, I was fasting and praying reading the book of Acts, with a young man at cottage 593 which was my residence. Suddenly, the whole house was filled with bright shining and we both fell on our faces. The Lord appeared and suddenly I was caught up in the spirit. I was taken up in the air and I wondered what it was. After that, the Lord told me that if I would overcome temptations, he was going to take me to another country and train me and bring me back to my people to teach my people. The young man who was with me wanted to run away because of fear but failed because of the bright shining that filled the room. He saw three men who were glittering speaking with me, and he hid himself under the bed, trembling and screaming because of fear. This is the God of Heaven whom I preach to you, who showed himself to me at 593 so that I may walk in Him and preach His kingdom to all nationsi

Let me give a brief history of our church Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa Forward In Faith (ZAOGA FIF). This church started in a remote place called Bindura in Zimbabwe. May 12, 1960, Ezekiel H. Guti, my father held his first service under a gum tree (eucalyptus tree). He started with no money but a vision from God and faith in God. He himself had no formal education and no salary. For a long time he would work during the week and on weekends go and preach the gospel until he no longer had time to work like that. The people who followed him did so because they saw God at work through him – blind eyes were being opened, the dead raised, barren receiving babies, cripples walking and plenty more miracles. Many others felt God calling them to work with him even though they would not be getting a salary. Following the example of the Apostle Paul when he said, the love of God compels me; they left their jobs and joined full-time ministry.

For the love of Christ compels us

(2 Corinthians 5:14)

The conditions were not always favorable but God never let them down. As the church grew things began to change but it would be a while. As I write this book we have just celebrated our 50th Golden Jubilee, fifty years of God’s grace. The pastors now drive good cars, wear good clothes and live in good homes. This is the blessing of the Lord. The church has spread all over the world and reached over one hundred nations in six continents. It all came from humble beginnings.

I was mum’s first baby. I’m told I was hard to feed as I was not interested in food at all. They would have to take off my sock and tickle under my foot to try and make me eat. What a kid! Dad helped make this little baby eat but it sure was some ministry.

Mum was now the pastor’s wife in the same church she got saved in. The church was now 13 years old. Nine months after I was born, mum was pregnant again – talk about quick or should I say fertile. I was exactly 18 months and 4 days, November 30, 1974 Fiona Ndaruona Chitsidzo was born in the same hospital. We were still living in the high density suburb of Highfield at Cottage 593. After delivering the baby, the placenta did not come out as expected. This condition causes