Black Voices MidAmerica January Testimonies

Ohio State University - January 24, 2025

Deja Onyedumekwu (Student)

During our brave love meeting, Darby preached a message on counting the cost of brave love and saying yes to Jesus. At the event there were a group of 4 women who came together. Before the event, I got to talk with two of them about how they found out about the event, and they said they were not students but just from the city and found out about it on Instagram and felt like maybe they weren’t supposed to be there. Being from Columbus, I was so excited to see young black women in the city who didn’t attend college make it into the room, so I encouraged them. Fast forward to the end of the message I end up being in a small group with the 4 of them discussing the cost the Lord was asking us to pay. 3 of them were expressing how they don’t know because they don’t even know how to hear God's voice and I shared a piece of my own testimony about how though I was looking for Jesus it wasn’t until I laid down a relationship that I was able to recognize God's voice fully and have the desire to obey, but that most importantly it comes from reading his word. That immediately triggered them into sharing about their boyfriends or relationships with men. They were very vulnerable and it quickly became clear that the 3 had not even yet surrendered their lives to the lord and were still desperately clinging to their desires. We were running out of time and I put it simply that the things they brought up are their cost and asked if they would even be able to pray that Lord would remove these things from their life if it’s not pleasing to him. They honestly said they weren’t sure if they could and a part of me was sad for them but also happy that they were actually aware of the cost of full surrender and relationship with the lord. We wrapped up and just prayed that the lord would soften their hearts to surrender, desire him more than anything else, and encourage them to be led by the spirit. When we wrapped up as a whole room, Darby made a call to stand up if you were willing to count the cost to say yes to Jesus, and 3 out of the four of them stood up. It was amazing to see how quickly the lord can move, and in the time of a simple prayer, their hearts were shifted and ready to give it all to him! 

Wilberforce University - January 20, 2025

Imya Terrell 

During our evangelism training, we saw a girl named Fatima. My evangelism buddy, Deja, and I went to talk to her and asked if she had a prayer request. We got to pray peace over her and freedom over any anxiety. After the prayer, she said she felt lighter, like a weight lifted off her chest! After that, Deja asked if she knew Jesus and how her relationship with the Lord is. Fatima said she comes from a Muslim background, but she doesn’t believe in it and that she’s curious to find God, whoever “that” is. We then asked if she’s heard the gospel, and I asked if we could tell her the gospel. She said yes, and she gave her life to Jesus!

Tuskegee University - January 31. 2025

LaThania Barrett

We have 3 altar calls at the end of every message, the second being for unforgiveness, releasing offense and bitterness. Somewhere near 10 people came forward for the call, and there was one girl I noticed who was visibly very affected by the time. I wasn’t able to pray with her but from the corner of my eye I see her fall to the floor in tears. Later on I pray for her and she tells me that she had been feeling so numb, disconnected from her emotions. But as she forgave, she felt herself get lighter, and I was able to pray things over her that she really needed to hear. Coming to the gathering, it was like the Lord reset her heart.