“I saw my grandfather step into the fire and suddenly he began to swirl around and around and go up in the air and then looked down and started yelling at us for not believing him.” These were Bishop Grivas’ words as he described a horrific experience that he had as a ten-year-old boy. His grandfather, a soothsayer in their village, led worship to demons and sacrificed animals at nine different shrines.
Years later, Grivas’ brother Deo, who had found Christ dramatically, felt compelled to break the family’s ties to darkness. So, late one night, he traveled to the site and destroyed all the shrines and burned them to the ground, declaring that only Jesus Christ would be worshipped there.
As the years passed, the testimony of what Christ had done in Grivas’ family spread to the wider community. Through the efforts of Don McLaughlin and his team at High Adventure Gospel Communications Ministries, radio stations were established in various Ugandan cities, and thousands of SonSet radios were distributed to refugees in the north — bringing the message of hope to countless people, including Grivas’ village.
Inspired to further God’s work in his village, Bishop Grivas led the effort to construct a church. Don advised that it be built at a particular location, but his team’s architect suggested an alternative site. Don agreed, and the church was built — unbeknownst to them, on the very ground where Deo had destroyed the shrines and proclaimed Christ’s Lordship years before.
In his later years, the Bishop’s grandfather trusted Jesus as his Savior, and before his death, powerfully shared the gospel message with his village. As a result, hundreds came to Christ. The transformation of Bishop Grivas’ family and village is a living testimony of where darkness once reigned, God’s light now shines.
By Ruth Weber, August 2025