Living Out The Gospel With Dunni
- Imogen Cook
- Nov 7, 2022
- 23 min read
Updated: Sep 29, 2024
My friend Dunni is truly someone that lives out the Gospel. She’s beauty, she’s grace, and she takes Jesus with her everywhere she goes. I learnt so much from my conversation with her and I’m thrilled that you can read her wisdom today! We talk about things she’s accomplished, her experience with community, and how she uses her platform to share the goodness of God. Buckle up and get ready! I present to you: Dunni!
Table of Contents
Dunni’s Testimony
Can you give us a brief glimpse into how you became a Christian? Did you grow up in a Christian home?
My Grandfather was actually one of the lead pastors in a Baptist Church in Nigeria. If I remember correctly, he was one of the founders or at least a major part of the Baptist ministry in Nigeria. So, I guess you could say I grew up in a Christian family. I grew up living with my Uncle who was a deacon in the church. My Mother I would say is a prayer warrior. You could say I was surrounded by Christianity, it’s been a part of me since I was born. Even before I was born because they spoke life over me before I got here.
That makes sense, it’s the norm for you.
Yeah, it’s a part of my everyday life.
Were you born in Nigeria?
Yip, I was born in Nigeria and I moved to New Zealand when I was about 8 or 9. So I would say New Zealand is my home because of the growing up I did there, but now I’m in Australia and I’ve been here for… coming up to 3 years now.
Wow! Time flies, doesn’t it? It feels like you were here not that long ago!
I know, right? I can’t believe it’s been almost 3 years, and soon I’ll be saying, I can’t believe I’ve been here 20 years!
Are you planning on being there for 20 years?
Well, my partner lives here. We’re both happy in this space, God has been really good to us. I think if we do move, it will be to another city in Australia. But I definitely love New Zealand, it’s going to be my forever home. I do hope to raise my kids there, maybe. But my partner has never been to New Zealand, so when I take him next year, I hope he might have a change of heart. We’ll see. *Hopeful giggles*
Was he born and raised in Australia?
No, he was also born in Nigeria but in a different tribe. He’s been in Australia longer than me though.
Awesome! Well, time will tell. So tell us about how God’s goodness has kept your passion for Him going over the years.
His goodness in my life is daily. It’s every day, every minute, every second. I think one of the things I am learning right now is the fact that we shouldn’t take anything for granted. There is the goodness of God in everything that happens to us, whether it’s bad or good, you know? For us, we define it as being bad but God has a reason for why it happened. Even in sorrow there is still goodness. It’s hard for us to say, there is goodness in my pain and in my sorrows, but it’s something I’m learning to do.
So, it’s every day for me. It’s the fact that I can wake up in the morning. The fact that when I had a toothache a while ago, I could still eat properly which might not sound like a big deal but for me, imagine not being able to chew meat and only drink juice. It gave me a different perspective on life, so I think that God’s goodness is in everything that I do daily. Like walking down the street and just the fact that I can walk; the fact that I’ve got all my toes. Imagine if you have a toe missing, you’d feel pain because your foot is not complete. It’s these little things that we think don’t matter but it really does. It’s every day.
Absolutely, every day, just counting your blessings is key.
Yeah, I count my blessings every day one by one. You might feel like you haven’t got exactly what God wanted for you but I think for me, working in disability, I tend to be a bit more thankful. I might have a few impurities here and there but I don’t have it as difficult as other people, and I see them happy. So, the fact that I’m complete physically, it gives you a different perspective of life. So definitely, I count my blessings every day because it’s grace. It truly is grace.
Amen! I love that so much! As you mentioned, you work in the disability sector. What is your role at your job?
Well, I’m a disability coordinator, but I just got another job as a client service manager. Still working with people with disabilities, but more focused on acquired brain injuries.
Oo congrats on your new job! That sounds quite interesting!
Thank you! I officially start next week, so I’ll let you know how it goes.
*I checked in and she is loving it!*
Community
So you have a huge community around you which, I know for me, community helps us thrive in life. What does community mean for you?
I wouldn’t say I have a huge community. I think over the past few years of my life (I’m still quite young by the way), I’ve really learned that quality is better than quantity. For me, my community is about five people. To some people, that might not be a community but for me it is. These people help keep me grounded in life. So, I wouldn’t say my community is massive, but my community of church members, that’s big. But my personal community, I have a group of friends who have now turned into family, they’re really my core group. My outer communities are my church, my work. Then smaller groups within that would be things like the choir and the youth group. So, putting all that together, I guess you could say my community is big.
Mmm, that’s a good point. I think I wanted to ask that question because everytime I look at your Instagram stories, you’re always with people, you’re always out doing stuff, so I’m like, wow, she’s got so many friends!
*Dunni lets out a hearty laugh* You know what? That’s the thing though. Someone said to me the other day that I do have a lot of friends. And you know what? It’s good to be friendly. One thing about me is that everybody’s my friend. Jesus was friends with everyone, He loved everyone. Whether everyone loved Him was a different case. But He loved everyone, you know? So, you’re right, I’m very social. I think that’s how we bring people into Christ, how we bring people into light.
We have to show that even as Christians, we can have fun. People turn Christianity into a religious thing and it’s not. It’s about having a relationship with God. So you’ll see on my social media, that yes, I’m out there hanging out with different people. If someone introduces me to a new person, I might be like, ‘hey, let’s go out for dinner’. And that’s just how I live my life. So yeah, it’s great that I have my core group of 5 or 6 people, but I think it’s dangerous as believers when you just stick to that group; you can become so closed off.
So, for me, I like to meet different people, go out to lunch with different people, sometimes going to the arcade, you know, just hanging out. That’s what people need right now, especially as we’ve gone through Covid, we’ve had to stay at home and it’s been depressing. People need to know that life is worth living. If I can make you feel that way just by taking you out, like, anyone can message me on Instagram and ask if I want to hang out and I’ll say ‘yeah! Where are we going?’ Even when people message me after seeing my instagram stories, I’ve never met them but that’s my Instagram friend. *Giggles*
That’s a great way to reach people!
That’s funny though, you’re the second person to ask me that.
It just comes across that way. But, it really shows how social media depicts things differently to how we do things in person.
Definitely, and I think because I do post a lot, people think I’m always out. But I just like memories. Sometimes I share them because if I haven’t been out with someone in a while, it’s like I just want to show them the good times and memories we have together. You’re right that social media can be deceiving. Like, a lot of people I hang out with will be a friend of a friend. But I don’t mind posting on my page, we’re having fun, enjoying life and that’s what it’s all about!
So true, the main thing is enjoying life with people. Which is what we’re called to do, right? You made me think of that quote, I can’t remember who said it, but it says that there’s no such thing as strangers, just friends you haven’t met yet. That’s what I think of, for you.
I think that just about sums up everything I’ve been rambling about. They’re friends I haven’t met yet. Obviously, we need the spirit of discernment because you don’t want to be friends with absolutely everyone, but regardless, we are still meant to show God’s love. We shouldn’t make people feel like they’re not loved. So, if we hang out and I make you laugh and smile, I think I’ve preached the Gospel. It’s not only about doing Bible studies, but really showing the love of Christ. That’s really what the Gospel is. As Christians, we can make it so complicated when it’s not.
Yeah, I think we do! Especially because it feels like everyone is getting offended about everything these days. People are very strict with who they talk to or whatever it may be.
Yeah, it’s like if you say one thing, it means something else. It’s just the world we live in. Everybody wants something because everyone is trying to stand for something. It’s why we have so much division in the world. There’s always something that someone is fighting for, but who are we to judge them?
You’re right, it’s not our job to judge.
Everybody today is fighting for a cause and it’s like, where do we draw the line? If you say something, you might be called racist or homophobic. Our world is all over the place, so it’s quite interesting where we’re at right now.
It’s very interesting and very strange. But see, I knew you’d be spitting some wisdom for us today, Dunni!
Becoming an Author
You are a member of the Changemakers Book Club. How did you become involved in that?
It was a great opportunity that I had with an amazing man of God called Pastor Adeniyi Borire. He’s a Doctor, a brain surgeon, and he also pastors the church that I attend called the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Sydney. He started this book club. There’s currently 6 of us and together we collaborated on this book project called Hagar: Unloved and Unwanted.
So this book about Hagar came out in 2021. I’m very keen to read this because the description sounds amazing. Can you tell us about it?
Yeah, so the 6 of us each wrote different chapters. My chapter was called Hagar and You. I loved looking at the history and the story of Hagar and comparing it to our generation today. And what it would have been like for Hagar if her story had happened right now. If she was pregnant right now, would she have kept the baby? Because abortion is now a normal thing. You know, she didn’t have the option of having an abortion, it was taboo and she was a slave. Or a mistress she might have been called, or a baby mama that’s a term used these days. So it was a really interesting chapter for me to write because some people think we can’t relate to the Bible, but we can! The only difference is that the times are different.
So, what happened to Hagar back then, with Abraham being her master, it’s exactly what we experience nowadays. You have people in relationships who have mistresses, who are having babies outside of marriage. And you find that, that’s literally the same situation that’s happening. Young, pregnant women are running away from home, away from their parents or guardians. They’re lost. But, the difference now is that we have a social system. We have places that you can get help from. If you qualify, the government will give you money every week for the baby.
So, that chapter for me was really important. It was deep because I could relate it to the young girls of this generation. It was a really good experience that made me want to maybe one day write my own book or get involved with more writing projects. Because I collaborated with other people for this, it was great to get the different perspectives, you get a different revelation or understanding. And I love it because the Bible says that His words are new every morning. For us, His words were new every conversation. The different perspectives were amazing.
I think books like that are so important because like you said, some people don’t think the Bible is that relatable, like it's just a history book. But, like you said, the Bible is relatable! Even though there’s a lot of intense stuff in there, our world today is also intense.
Absolutely!
Are there plans for another book?
No, not with the group at the moment, there is no plan. But I think I do want to write a book about myself and my journey. I just don’t know how to get started yet. For me, I think it’s just that thing in the back of my head. Like, Lord, what do I even write? But I think when the time is right it will happen.
Amen! I guess in the meantime, just write notes.
Absolutely, writing notes, writing stories and experiences. Like, I have so many stories to talk about. I was thinking the other day, I’m going to be 27 or 28 this year? I can’t remember.
One of the two.
1995 I can’t remember. But, I was saying in my 27 or 28 years of living, I would say I’m quite young but the things I’ve been through and the things I’ve experienced, brought me where I am today. It’s definitely not me, it’s been the grace of God. So, I hope to one day get the direction to write a book to help someone else out there. But, in the meantime, I’ll continue to share my story whether in a book or just speaking so that other young people can learn from me. There are so many things that I’ve done that I wish someone had told me, ‘don’t go that way because I’ve been there’.
So true, it’s just using your platform right? Use what you have. So this book on Hagar, where can we find it? On Amazon?
Yip, it’s on Amazon. I also have copies for those who want to contact me, I can post it out to them.
Quotes to live by
You have shared some great quotes on your Instagram stories. You post a lot and I love to see them because I love a good quote! So I narrowed it down to five quotes and I thought it would be great if we could hear your thoughts on them.
1) “Be a woman that other women can trust.” In your life, how are you active in being trustworthy for others?
I think it’s by being transparent as much as you can, and to the level that you’re comfortable with. Trust is such a big thing in our communities and our lives. We’re finding people aren’t able to be in healthy relationships because of their lack of trust and their lack of good communication skills. That’s why that quote is really important to me, because in order for you to trust me, I need to be transparent. Just like for me to trust you, you need to be transparent. That level of trust and understanding needs to be equal. We’ve got to understand that we have different backgrounds. Speaking for me, as I come from an African background, they might use some slang that I may find offensive because I grew up in New Zealand and I have a different understanding of the world, but it’s not to say that that person is wrong. But it’s just having that communication between one another and that builds trust.
So, that quote is important, to be a woman that other women can trust. Be someone who women can go to and confide in, especially as we live in a world where women are being judged and women are being belittled. I think to have someone that you can trust or a girl-power circle is so important to have. Women are the ones who are told to gossip or do this and that, but we have to be our own keeper.
Absolutely true. Especially because we can get so defensive so quickly and that’s why a lot of people stay shut and they don’t want to share. Because they think they’ll be judged.
Yeah, or they might not have the confidence to speak up because of a past experience they’ve had. We have to create a world where women are comfortable to speak up. That’s something I pride myself in. I think I’m very comfortable saying what I want and what I don’t want.
You are, that’s a good trait to have. We both have a giggle. But you say it with love and that’s the key.
That really is the key. Saying it with love is so important because you find that nobody likes to be corrected. When I got told that, I’d think, ‘oh my gosh, no. I’m not going to do that.’ But when we say it with love, it comes from a place like ‘ok, you’ve done this wrong, but we’re just trying to help you’. Also, as the receiver, we need to think about what this is teaching us. We need to have a teaching mind and a receiving mind. Not a reacting mind. When we have a reacting mind, we could think, ‘uh, who do you think you are, talking to me like that? You’re younger than me.’ But age is just a number. We have to accept feedback whether it be from the young or the old. We must be open to learn and be teachable. Jesus was teachable. If He hadn’t been, He wouldn’t have been able to do all He did in the 33 years He was here on earth. So we definitely need to be teachable and be willing to listen.
2) “Know the difference between enjoying your youth and destroying your future.” I love this, it’s so good! Can you give us some practical examples of how we can enjoy our youth and not destroy our future?
*Dunni pauses leaving me sitting in anticipation* I would say there are so many ways to enjoy your youth. It could be by doing what you love. For me, I find enjoyment through hanging out with my friends. I find enjoyment in my job and what I do. For some people, that might not be the case. I think when it comes to not destroying your future, it’s the choices that you make now. Not being peer pressured. I’m not saying that as a Christian you can’t go to the party, but what is your aim at the party? If your aim is not aligned with your purpose, you are definitely going to do something that affects your future. I always say to people, you’re allowed to go to parties, you’re allowed to have fun, but why are you there? Once you can define that and if it aligns with what you believe in, it’s fine. It’s really about looking at everything we’re doing and deciding if it’s aligning with what we are called to do and what is right.
Imagine if God has planned for you to be the next Prime Minister? All the bad decisions you have made will most likely show up in the most important moment. Especially with so many photos and videos taken these days. People may not trust you and they’ll question, ‘how can we have a leader like this?’ So yes, it’s good to live in the moment, but let it make sense. Understand that it isn’t just about now, but it’s where we are going.
Society has a very ‘live in the moment and do what makes you happy’ mentality.
Yeah, and the mentality that tomorrow isn’t promised. Sister, tomorrow is Saturday. That’s what I’m hoping for. We can’t just use the ‘tomorrow isn’t promised’ mentality to go out and do whatever we want. If that’s what you’re believing then where are you going after tomorrow? I do understand that the Bible says tomorrow isn’t promised, because it isn’t. Anything can happen at any time. But, it’s by the grace of God that we are here today. It’s by the grace of God that we get to see tomorrow. I think that as believers we can declare over tomorrow that we will see tomorrow. That is the power we carry in our tongue from the Holy Spirit. That’s the power we can manifest ahead of time for ourselves.
3) “When you are desperate for growth, anything is endurable.” Looking back on your life, what have you endured that has resulted in amazing growth?
Having the right mentor. It took me a while to find the right mentor because of things that have happened in the past. Having trust issues and anxiety, struggling with depression. But, having a good mentor to guide me made such a difference. I would advise every young person to have one. Pray to God and ask Him for wisdom when finding a mentor. When you do find a mentor, be open to learning. A lot of us don’t get a result with mentorship because we go and share with a mentor with our own understanding already. With our own agenda.
When you’re with your mentor, you need to be transparent so they can see you. If they can’t see you, they can’t help you. Don’t be like me and come in defensive. Because yeah, you might be right, but there might be a better approach to it. Mentors, especially when they are God chosen, will guide you so you can journey on the right path.
As young people, there are so many paths that we can take and it can be so confusing. Even though I have a mentor now, I am still confused sometimes and that’s ok. Be open with your mentor and say, this has happened, and I don’t understand what to do about it. Can you help me? Can you pray for me? Can we just sit in silence, or can we go for a walk and get ice cream? Maybe your mentor is across the ocean. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have dinner, just get a plate in front of you and have a conversation. For me, that’s definitely one of the things that’s helped me in my growth.
4) “If God can create the whole world in 6 days, imagine what He can do with your life.” Are you a big dreamer? Do you have any huge Godly goals or dreams for your future that you’re wanting to share?
I wouldn’t say I’m a big dreamer. But I do sometimes get these visions of things that I’m meant to be doing. I get vision of me standing up in a big stadium and I don’t know what I’m doing but I’m holding a mic. I know I’m not the best singer in the world *She's actually an incredible singer!* so maybe it’s a vision of me preaching? Whatever it is, that’s one of my favourite quotes.
I have prayed to God that if He can create the entire world in 6 days, that’s so much longer than what He needs in order to do something in my life. I am only one person in all that He has created. It means that for God to do something in my life, He only needs a second. So, I use that quote to remember that He created the world in 6 days and on the 7th He rested. He can do what He needs to do in my life in 6 seconds. My issues are small compared to what He can do. My concerns are smaller than what He can create. God is bigger than our problems and the situations we are in. So, I love that quote and I use it to pray. It’s definitely a testament to His grace for me.
Yes! And there’s another good quote. God is bigger than your problems.
He is definitely bigger! We could be in a situation where we are thinking it’s the end, but God has already seen it all. He’s a master creator and He’s already gone ahead of us. God’s timing is not our timing. He might not give us things because we’re simply not ready for them. If God was to bless me with $50 million today or make me the richest woman on earth, would I still serve God? I don’t think so, because I wouldn’t have learnt everything He’d want me to learn. I haven’t learnt to save properly yet. Someone put money in my account the other day and it almost went straight back out. I was itching to spend it. So, imagine if God gave me $50 million dollars right now, which He can. But am I ready? The thing about God is that He is protective of us. He wants us to learn first. Maybe I need to learn patience first or how to save. Maybe it’s growth, understanding, or even how to share. Maybe I need to know my purpose to know what the money will be used for so I do not sway away from the Kingdom of God.
5) “Closure is not a moment between two people; it is the moment you stop reliving your history and let go of the what ifs.” Have you found yourself living in the land of ‘what if?’ Is that a problem?
I think I shared that quote from a book I was reading at the time. I grew up with my Uncle and his family, but it wasn’t a good childhood. So, my ‘what if’ was ‘what if I had grown up with my own parents?’ ‘What would my life be?’ ‘Would I have experienced this?’ ‘Would I be this strong?’ ‘Would I have been this confident?’ ‘Would I see life the way I see life now, or would I have been pampered?’
It’s easy to get lost in the ‘what if’ because we think we’re the only ones going through that problem at that moment. We think no one has suffered as much as we’re suffering right now. And it’s ok, your feelings are relevant. But, getting lost in the ‘what if’, what is that going to do for you? And if you don’t have the right support system around you, it’s so easy to get stuck in the ‘what if.’
You know, your brain is powerful. We can think of Bali and you’re seeing Bali in your head but you’ve never been to Bali before. You’ve just done that by looking at photos online and you can just picture it. That’s how creative our minds are. So, getting stuck in the ‘what ifs’ is such a dangerous place to be. You don’t get to appreciate where you are in the moment. It takes away from where God is taking you and what He’s doing in your life.
So for me, yes, I’ve been stuck there a lot. And it’s through having the right people around me and spending that time with God, that I’ve been able to get through it. I’m definitely a survivor of the ‘what ifs.’ I’ve experienced a lot of things and there have been days that I’ve cried and asked God ‘why am I even here?’ It’s a dangerous thing because you start to compare yourself to others and you forget all God has done for you.
When you get stuck, it’s so hard to come out. Because the spirit of gratitude is gone, the spirit of thanksgiving is gone, the spirit of love and overall, the Spirit of God has gotten away from you. You’re stuck in what you think God can’t do or what you think would have been a better way. But, this is the way it happened and there’s a reason for it. This is your story and your story is for God’s glory. We could talk about the other routes we could have taken but it doesn’t mean there wouldn’t have been obstacles. Why would you have gone that way if God’s not in it? If God’s in it, the ‘what ifs’ are nothing.
*I take a breath.* Oh wow, you make me feel things, Dunni. Ok, let’s get into the wisdom wrap up.
The Wisdom Wrap Up
What are you most proud of?
I think I’m proud of where I am today.
That’s such a good answer!
I heard a Pastor say during a sermon once that someone is praying for the level that you’re at right now. That was a day that I was zoning in and out of listening but when he said that, it caught my attention. It just made me think that we take where we’re at for granted. But did you know that someone doesn’t have a place to sleep tonight? You know, someone hasn’t eaten. I’ve had so many meals today, I’m so full. I’m about to go and make some more food. It’s all by the grace of God. Some people don’t have the basic supplies for life and I went and got my nails done today! But there are people not even thinking about their nails because they haven’t eaten. So for me, I’m proud of where I am today. I might not be exactly where I want to be. But man, I have a good life and for that, I am grateful. You define the life you live for yourself. Don’t let people define it for you. The spirit of gratitude is so important. For me, it’s literally where I am today.
What is your favourite Bible verse?
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. That’s a verse that even if I’m sad, like I could be crying and I’ll just cry through the verse. The other verse I love is Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans God has for me…” For me, those two verses link into each other. That’s what I’m always quoting. ‘God, you know the plans you have for me, you know how many hairs I have on my head.’ He knows all things, so we have nothing to fear. So, those two verses are the ones that I live by the most.
If you could have a do over on something, would you take it and what would it be?
I wouldn’t take it.
You wouldn’t take it? Interesting…
No, I believe that everything I went through led me to where I am today. It’s all so God’s name can be glorified. I am able to share my story and help somebody else. There’s a reason for our pain and why we went through what we did. We might not understand it and I use to want to change some stuff, but today, it’s a part of me. It’s my story, I think if it didn’t happen, I wouldn’t believe that there’s a God because He was the one who brought me out of it. Everything that happens is to glorify the name of God. So for me, I wouldn’t change anything. Growing up, for a few years, I slept in the garage, not a room. It was cold and lonely, but I wouldn’t change it. Today I have a room but I can barely use it because I’m always working. But, I’m so grateful for all that I have. So, no, I wouldn’t change anything because what I went through means I have a story to tell.
I absolutely love your outlook on life! It’s so inspiring. Is there a movie character that you relate to or a specific film where you relate to the story?
I don’t really watch movies. But I relate to a woman of God who was in one of my favourite movies, War Room. Priscilla Shirer is her name.
Yes! I absolutely love that movie!
I think I relate more to her. Her personality, her persona. Just the way she preaches on stage, the way she carries herself, the confidence in how she preaches the Bible. That’s someone who I relate more to. I believe or I hope that I have that same kind of confidence to speak, if that’s the direction God takes me in my life.
I can so see you on a stage and having that confidence that Priscilla has when she preaches. She’s amazing, I love her sermons so much.
I hope I have just boys like her so I can be exactly like Priscilla. *Joking laughter*
What would you say to girls and young women in the world today who are feeling lost and confused?
It sounds cliché but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope, hope is real. God’s love is real. We’re such emotional human beings as women, we hide in our pain. We think we can handle it all but we must learn to release it. One day you will make it. It might be tomorrow, two weeks from now or two months from now. But, that day will come where you will tell your story and look back on the hard times.
I always tell people that they’re not alone. You’re never alone. Even when you feel the pain is too much and you can’t bear it, you’re not alone. All we have to do is call on Jesus. Some people think that you have to speak in tongues to do that but no, it’s as simple as saying, ‘Jesus, help me.’ Call on Jesus. His name alone can do greater things than we could ever imagine. That’s the one thing I tell young women, is that you’re not and you never will be alone.
God is always there. Sometimes it may not seem like it and it’s ok for you to be angry. Jesus felt every emotion that we feel. He’s been sad, He’s been angry. Some people think God doesn’t understand but He does! I think when Jesus was betrayed by Peter, He felt depressed and hurt. Like when our friends do that to us. So, for me, God is always there, He knows what you’re going through. Jesus never forgot who He was, He’s the son of God. That’s what we have to remind ourselves of and we must never forget who we are. We are daughters of God, we are daughters of greatness. Just keep pushing, keep pushing.
Dunni, I can’t thank you enough for giving your time and sharing your wisdom with us today. I’m so excited to see where you go in the future. I’m so proud of you and where you are today. Keep preaching and let God do His thing.
Has anything that Dunni said today resonated with you?
What are your favourite quotes to live by? Share them in the comments below!
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