In the summer of 2006, I stepped off a bus in Aberdeen, Scotland, with nothing but 200 pounds in my pocket and a heart full of uncertainty. I was about to start an MBA at Robert Gordon University, but I had no place to stay, no connections, and no safety net. A relative in England had subtly avoided my request for help, and I was deeply hurt. But that disappointment set the stage for an encounter that would redefine my understanding of love and leadership.
A friend in the United States connected me with Pastor Wilfred, a Zimbabwean chartered accountant and RCCG leader in Aberdeen. He didn’t know me, but he agreed to host me temporarily. When he picked me up at the bus station in his seven-seater car, I felt something shift. This wasn’t just kindness; it was a glimpse of something eternal. He handed me his personal phone, bought my bus tickets, and insisted I never buy groceries for his home. When I once violated that rule, he and his wife were genuinely upset. Their hospitality was a living sermon.
Pastor Wilfred had been sent to plant a new RCCG parish in Fraserburgh, one of the hardest mission fields in Europe. He and his wife started with just one or two people. They had no keyboardist. I never told anyone I could play the keyboard, but when I spotted one in his home and started playing, he was stunned. That was how I became part of his team. He accommodated me for six months, sponsored my MBA graduation, and even helped me pay rent through his mentor, Pastor Chris Gbenle, a medical doctor turned pastor who mentored countless leaders.
Together, we built an intercessory team, prayed, fasted, wept, and traveled. When I met my wife, Pastor Wilfred was the first person I told. He kept vigils for my destiny. For three years, he picked me up for church every Sunday without fail. His love broke me in the most beautiful way. When it was time to leave Scotland, I wept. He told me, “This city is smaller than you, and I will not hold you back.” Over 20 years later, he still checks on my family and ministry. On a recent trip to Zimbabwe, he spent the entire flight reading one of my books.
Pastor Wilfred still pastors the same RCCG parish in Fraserburgh, faithfully serving in a tough field. Pastor Chris Gbenle continues to raise leaders. Their love planted a seed that has never died. To truly care for people is to invest in them, stand with them, and remain present in both their struggles and victories. That is the enduring power of genuine love.
