About the Book

A Village Boy's Life and Rare Experience is a luminous memoir about an extraordinary phenomenon that the village of Mukulu experienced when Ezzillogazin departed from Bello mountain.

They could not believe what they were seeing. It was the Ark of Ezzillogazin, the oval of God (divenora in the Mukulu vernacular). They had worshipped and venerated it for generations, and it provided them with clean drinking water and varieties of edible fruits. It had protected them from enemies.

The object emerged from the shadow of the moon on top of Mount Bello. It was followed by a big sound, a bang! A bright light shone on the whole Mukulu village such that the village could witness. It sat there for a second, and then the diamond ball began rolling down the mountain, leaving the creek in its midst. The creek was later filled with fish so that people no longer had to travel far to fish in the big river. They caught fish in the creek near the village.

People began screaming from inside their huts, saying. "We are innocent! Why are you leaving us?" Others said, "Don't take all. Leave us some." At that moment, I wanted young people to know that their parents lived lavishly under the protection of Ark Ezzillogazin. Also, I wanted the world to know that Mukulu was a hidden paradise, where people grew up for generations under the protection of Ezzillogazin.

That event took place when I was five years old, and I can still remember it vividly at seventy-two. For me, it's as if it happened yesterday. It was so powerful that it was hard to forget. Another thing is that before the departure of Ezzillogazin, the whole village was shut in by torrential rain for six days, so people couldn't go to the farm. It kept raining off and on. Creeks around the village were flooded, and then on the seventh day, the block of diamond emerged, followed by the powerful bang. It happened just as people were eating their dinner, so that both old and young could bear witness to it.

The second part of the book deals with my adventures to the city of Fort-Lamy at age eleven. Today, it is called N'Djamena. Driven by hardship and in search of better opportunities in the city, I hoped to find work to help myself. However, because I was underage, I could not find work, and I became a burden to my aunt. Aged fifteen and expecting[LH1], the novelty soon wore off.

I left Tchad and followed my friend to Sudan. In Sudan, I spent close to six years struggling trying to get into school, but I proved to be a failure. I decided to change my nationality to become a refugee from Angola. I registered at UNHCR, and my status as a refugee from Angola was recognized. I asked for education, and they took me to Rumbek Secondary School. I finished and got a scholarship from Sudan Council of Churches to study theology.

The word theology sounded like zoology, and I was excited that I was going to study zoology, but it turned out to be theology. I had never come across the word theology or knew what it meant. But I had learned zoology in geography class.

I was sent to Saint Paul Unity Theological College in Limuru, Kenya. I spent four years there finishing my studies. Giffin Bible College in Doleib Hill in Malakal Sudan (now South Sudan) offered me a teaching position. There I met William Bill, the principal director, and his wife, Lois, his assistant.

I taught for three years. Based on the merits of my behavior, teaching performance, and relationship with my students, they offered me a scholarship to the Interdenominational Theological Center in the United States of America.