Bruno Yookie Budia’s Story.
Yookie was born in the DRC and came to South Africa when he was 14 years old. Difficult circumstances in his own country forced him to flee. Captured by soldiers, he was forced to kill people when he was only 9, and also witnessed the rape and murder of his own two sisters.
He managed to escape from the cave where he was imprisoned together with other children after 9 months and returned to the village where his parents were .
That day brought no happy reunion. He arrived, only to see his father and mother killed in front of his eyes. His mother was only able to get out the words, "Son, Run!"
During the years that followed, he travelled through Burundi, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe searching for peace. Finally he ended up in the streets of Durban (South Africa) where he became a "street child" himself, fending for himself daily. He was unnoticed and had to carry the hurt of the past alone.
Desperation for a new and different life suddenly quickened his mind to the words of his mother, spoken years ago. He was reminded that Jesus could hear him when he had nobody else to talk to. He prayed to Jesus then. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he found a church and people who helped him to lift up his head again.
He later joined another church in Durban and also found work. During these 18 months, he was ministered to regarding the hurtful past and began to heal inside.
Yookie then moved to Cape Town where he worked as a diving instructor and a fisherman. However, the clear call of God on his life guided him to leave the job. He became involved as a youth pastor at a local church and ministered to school children.
A friend introduced him to Youth with a Mission and in 2007 he did an Arts DTS at the YWAM Jeffrey’s Bay Base. After this he went to Worcester and worked with the Cultural Performing Arts Training for 3 months. This further training enabled him to teach on the Discipleship Schools of the Worcester and Jeffrey’s Bay bases on Creative Arts.
Yookie came to Durban in April 2008. He immediately got involved with the Work of Dignity Centre in Burlington. His heart is to be a bridge for hopeless people through creative arts, using drama, dance, music and evangelism. He feels the call of God to become a voice for the voiceless in the streets of the inner city and the poor in semi-rural communities.
Yookie heads up the Youth ministry in Burlington and with his enthusiasm and drive, he is able to gather the young men and women together and ignite them with new hope for their lives.
