In many cultures, names carry deep meaning. This is particularly true in Zimbabwe, where parents often choose words like Blessing, Grace, Mercy, or Prosperous for their newborn children, hoping those names will speak life and identity into their futures. But one woman whose parents named her Fearful, was defined by fear and death rather than freedom and life.
But God had a different story to write.
e3 missionaries Gary and Darla – along with their team of seven U.S. team members and 15 trained Zimbabwean team members – encountered Fearful during an e3 short-term mission trip to Zimbabwe. One afternoon, two trip participants and one of our faithful Zimbabwean translators shared the Gospel with Fearful. In that moment, everything changed.
She realized she no longer had to live in fear, because the God of the universe loved her and wanted a relationship with her – so much so that He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross so her sins could be forgiven. She didn’t need to fear death, because those who give their lives to Jesus receive eternal life. So she gave her life to Jesus on the spot and, in the most beautiful reflection of God’s redemption, she was given a new name: Courage.
Right away, Gary and Darla connected Courage with a local body of believers who began discipleship Bible studies with her, helping her become rooted in the Word and begin growing as a follower of Christ.
Later that week, the team visited Courage again. This time, she had invited two friends to hear about the hope of Jesus. As the Gospel was shared, both friends decided to place their trust in Jesus. What no one realized was that a young man, quietly listening from the side, was also hearing the message for the first time. With a humble heart, he too said “yes” to Jesus.
In one afternoon, three more lives were transformed. Courage’s new identity in Christ was already multiplying into more lives transformed through Jesus.
This is the power of the Gospel: it takes us from fear to courage, from lost to found, from death to eternal life. God is rewriting stories in Zimbabwe – and around the world – through the faithful witness of His people.