No More Fear

Auburn

As the door opened behind him, Auburn jumped. The chimes hanging on the back of the door clanged with each entry during our Zoom meeting, making him whip his head around to see who might be standing there.

Despite the fact he was in the safety of the Oikos facility, it was second nature for Auburn to have his guard up. He’s had to do so for years in order to survive the streets of South Africa.

Auburn explained how he has to be keenly aware of his surroundings each day, especially when walking to and from his job as a butcher. The lurking dangers are real and terrifying. He never knows when he may have a run-in with one of the many gang members roaming the streets.

It’s happened to him before, when he felt the barrel of a gun pressed up against his head. Not once, but three times, including the time when his 2-year-old daughter was with him.

Because of the ever-present gang violence and corrupt police department in his community, Auburn has become very observant of his surroundings. This skill is one God has used to draw Auburn to Jesus, and to Oikos.

A life transformed

After meeting Alan and Michelle, Auburn joined Oikos. Although he grew up hearing the Gospel from his evangelist grandfather, it didn’t have the impact on him then as it did when he was re-introduced to it.

Being so observant, Auburn saw Christ in the Oikos community. He says God used Alan and Michelle’s honesty to win him over to the Gospel.

Auburn described to me what his life was like prior to this. After his grandparents died, he stopped going to church. His brother’s life was cut short when he was murdered over a simple misunderstanding. Then, his mother died from COVID.

These events, along with the fear and trauma he developed from the times he found himself held up at gunpoint, turned Auburn into what he referred to as a ticking time bomb.

“I had a lot of pent-up anger, and was probably headed for a nervous breakdown,“ he told me.

But now, with Christ living in his heart, he no longer walks in fear. “I'm still observant, but by God's grace, I'm no longer afraid,” he exclaims.

“Now, I smile more, and I’m learning to live life with joy and love for others. My fiancé and I communicate better with each other, I have more balance in my life and my work, and I'm sincerely interested in other people's stories.”

Auburn’s co-workers have noticed these changes in him, and ask him what happened to the previously angry Auburn. This is his opportunity to encourage them, motivate them, share the Gospel, and invite them to Oikos.

Auburn says Oikos has also helped him know he's not alone in what he previously experienced. He’s learned from other participants from Malawi and Zimbabwe, who have stories similar to his own. God has used these similarities to further soften his heart.

Paying it forward

Auburn’s future goals are to teach the youth of South Africa about their constitutional rights, since this isn’t taught in South African schools.

“I only learned about my constitutional rights through YouTube videos,” he explained. "I want to educate others so they are aware of the rights they have in their own country"

In addition, he wants to pay forward what Oikos has done for him. “I want to do exactly what Alan and Michelle are doing, for even more people all over Africa.”

Auburn attributes his goals to the critical thinking skills he’s developed through Oikos, and realizes he never would’ve thought of these goals if it weren’t for the critical thinking exercises Oikos provides.

He’s thankful to God for the opportunities available through Oikos, and wants others to be blessed with similar opportunities.