ILI: History Makers Leadership Podcast
Explore the transformative journey that is leadership. In each episode, we will dive deep into strategies, stories, insights, and the core values that shape and inspire effective Christian leaders who make an impact - all around the globe. Get ready to unlock your leadership potential.
When leaders are equipped, kingdom impact multiplies. Equipping leaders and spreading the Gospel. Let’s change history together!
This podcast is brought to you by the International Leadership Institute.
ILI: History Makers Leadership Podcast
Ep. 78 | How Faith and Vision Sparked a Global Calling
What if the path to your purpose started with hunger, hope, and a whisper from God? In this inspiring conversation, Houdou Sefande shares his remarkable journey from rural Benin to global leadership—driven by faith, perseverance, and a passion to solve real problems.
You’ll hear how Houdou’s early challenges shaped his calling, how he learned to hear God’s voice, and how a single act of obedience led to life-changing opportunities through ILI’s leadership movement. He also opens up about building a faith-driven business after facing constant power outages—and how a random online connection in Brazil became a story of divine destiny.
This episode will speak to anyone wondering how to live their purpose, lead with conviction, and turn challenges into impact. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or simply seeking clarity in your faith journey, Houdou’s story offers both wisdom and encouragement.
If you care about spiritual discernment, purpose-driven business, African entrepreneurship, or simply need a reminder that God still guides ordinary days, this story will encourage and stretch you. Subscribe for more conversations with history-making leaders, rate the show to help others find it, and share this episode with someone who needs fresh courage today.
Discover how faith and vision can move mountains—and how your own story might be part of something bigger.
Join a community of leaders who are ready to change history and make an impact in this world. When you take part in ILI training, you will discover how ILI's Eight Core Values will help you transform your leadership. Discover more at ILITeam.org/connect.
Hello and welcome to the History Makers Leadership Podcast. Uh, we are here to share leadership with you, to share the stories of those men and women who are changing history by accelerating the spread of the gospel. Today I have a very special guest, Hudu Sefunde. Hudu is from the Republic of Benin. And in honor of his African origin, we are both uh sporting African traditional sharks, which uh they gave to me graciously as a gift when I visited Benin. So, Hudu, welcome history makers.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_02:Well, uh these episodes are will help us to focus on the journey of leaders that compose the uh the our ILI family around the world. Uh, we have done interviews with others, and we will keep doing that today. Hoodoo is here in the United States. We are face-to-face here at our studio, and uh I get to ask him a few questions and hear about his story again. Hoodoo, um, give us a little bit about yourself. Who are you? Um, we all know that you came from Benin, but explain to us even where is Benin?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, um, thank you so much, Norival. It's a pleasure to be here with uh all of you guys and uh this place I lie. So uh yeah, I come from Benin. Like you said, Benin is um in West Africa, is close to Nigeria. Oh Nigeria. So if you look at uh Nigeria and you see a country that looks like a key, yeah, because uh God is going to use that key to open doors in this world.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, how interesting.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so um I'm married. Uh God gave me a wonderful princess, she's uh from Brazil, uh, like you, yes, I know that. She's name is Sarah, and we have two kids, two wonderful kids. God bless us with kids.
SPEAKER_02:And that is going to be one of the stories that we're going to explore in a minute. Okay, because that in and of itself is a story. But um, you did did you grow up uh in a Christian family or in church um or not?
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah, thank you. That's interesting. Um my dad was a Muslim. Okay. Yes, he was missing, and uh, I mean when I I was um a small boy, um at a first part of my life, she wasn't living with us, so I was with my mom. Okay, and uh so my mom used to take us to church. We used to go to church, but of course, going to church is not mean that you are a Christian, right? Yeah, that's that's the way I started. Uh I mean it's going to church.
SPEAKER_02:But at some point, yeah, I guess you had to choose. Yeah, you could go to Islam and become a Muslim, yeah, yeah, yeah. Or you could choose the the faith of your mother. Yeah. Tell us how that happened.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, uh no, uh, because um for you to go some for something, you it have to, I mean the thing have some need to have something to attract you, right? Yes, does uh definitely so um yes, uh I was surrendered with Muslim, uh yes, uh either at school or in the place we were living, but I wasn't seeing something that can lead me to uh to Islam, nothing. Uh but in other side I had opportunity to go to church to listen the word of God, and that's I mean I was um let's say 11 years old, around 11 years old, and uh I was in the church compound with uh uh someone who he was on Elder. Uh so he just asked me, we were having a conversation, and she he he just asked me, look, Udo. Uh by the way, he he didn't use Udo because in that time they call me with uh a name people in our uh I mean it's local language, Kobalo. Kobalo, yes, Kobalo. Saved um I say Savidi, I'm speaking French now. Let me go back to English. So um it means um uh means someone uh with uh high position, um with uh like uh you know in the kingdom, people who are well respected, and that's it means in our side in our language Kobalo. So he said, Kobalo, um if you die today, where are you going? Are you going to heaven or what? Where will be your place? That's all and uh the conversation ended there because I don't have the the answer. Okay, but uh this question is I mean it's continue hitting me inside, hitting me till the next Sunday, and uh in that time it was a a small church, and um at evening, children with the gather children to teach them the word of God, and uh it's a children's service. Okay, okay, uh, so um uh you know I couldn't resist anymore. It was a call inside. You need to give yourself, I mean, to give your life to Jesus. Then at the end of the service, I raised my hand and said, Look, today I want to give my life to Jesus. That's how I came to Jesus.
SPEAKER_02:Wow, that's interesting. Well, you know, I remember hearing um a quote by somebody saying that if a person could only consider for a moment the eternal destiny of their soul, yeah, they would they would um they would be open to the gospel. And that it seems like that's what happened to you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, it it is true, it is true. Because look, um in that time with uh um poverty and you you see people dying also around you, and uh of course, when um you hear about eternity, eternity is uh uh is not something that you can imagine. You just uh think about something without end. Right. And you are going to not just being in eternity, but in hell. Can you imagine? Yes, so the choice is um a quick one, right? Yes, absolutely, yes.
SPEAKER_02:That's and and uh and I'm glad you made that decision, just like me.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, and uh here we are today, many, many years later, yeah. Uh still serving God. Yeah. Of course, from accepting Christ as your Lord as your savior and receiving salvation by grace, um the at some point there's a next step, which is uh to uh for a lot of people it's a calling into ministry. Yeah. For you, it's a different it was a different calling. Yeah. Uh tell us what do you what is your in in your best sense the calling that God has upon your life?
SPEAKER_01:Um, yeah, that's that's so interesting. Um before a calling, God needs to build you.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, yes.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, to build you. And uh I have been through a lot of things. A lot of things, and uh uh let's say I remember some uh maybe two years ago, God was telling me, look, your life, there's nothing that was easy in your life, and he told me, Look, this is because I want to use you in a certain level. That's why I all this thing will came into your life. Because, you know, I was uh yes, I gave my life to Jesus Christ. I um I was saved, and uh, but I went through a lot of things, a lot of things, and um uh till a moment in my my life, uh I didn't even know what to say again. I pray, I did everything, and I was tired. I was tired, and uh it looked like okay, God, now I'm tired. Do whatever you want. That was it. And God was reminding me, see, saying, Look, son, when it looked like you were alone, I never leave you alone. I was there with you, even if you didn't know that I was there. Wow. I was there, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And Hudu, that is um, you know, when you talk about having a difficult time, yeah, you're having a difficult time in rural Benin, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Which is um, I don't know where Benin ranks in terms of the poorer or the richer countries, but it's definitely not a rich country.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, of course, of course.
SPEAKER_02:Uh and and and you don't come from uh uh uh a wealthy family.
SPEAKER_01:So definitely you've had plenty of struggles. God yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely, yeah. Uh, you know, uh like um it was hard, to be honest. It was hard to a certain moment in my life, like uh you can have opportunity to uh I mean to eat one time a day. Okay, yes, uh, which is at night, and uh you know, if they share food and the one that you can have, uh, if you want to eat it immediately, you can eat it, or if you want to cut it a little bit and keep something so that uh the next day you can have it because you're going to have food the next night again. I said so it it wasn't easy at all. It wasn't easy at all, and uh um, you know, my uh like I said, at the first time of my life I was living with my my mom, and uh it was a rural part of uh I mean side uh of the city, and uh there's no lights, you know. So we have some a small, I know it was one, so our mom at night uses to cook food, and then after we can share it to study.
SPEAKER_02:Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and um there was uh one um bedroom and one living room for everybody. So we we just we share it, we were sharing it together.
SPEAKER_02:But um yes, uh But it seems like you're you talked about studying. It seems like that's one thing that you never gave up was developing yourself.
SPEAKER_01:I know of course, of course, of course, and uh it was uh it was hard. Like um, I told my children, look, I don't remember um in my life where or when they bought a book, a book to see, Udu, this is your own love. I don't remember that. Okay, so even in secondary school, I needed to develop some technique to have access to books. And the way I was doing is that um when we start, I will make my classmate to know that this guy has something inside his uh I mean his head. So then they will bring the the book and say, can you explain to yes, can you so it's let you have access to books, okay? Of course, they won't come with um uh you know, you have uh SSS book and you have uh the the answers, all these things, so you better make sure that you give them the good answer because they are going to check to cross-check, uh, you see, so and all these things, by the way, help you to develop. I mean you need to think a lot, you develop yourself, right?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's and apparently you are at this time already a problem solver, you solve problems for people, yeah, you help people, and and that's so interesting because actually you are a business consultant, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yes, and and and and even even now in my calling, when I was God was talking to me, he told me, you know that you are a problem solver, yeah? Uh-huh. Yes, I hear that from God, you know that.
SPEAKER_02:So when did that happen? When you made when did you make that shift of understanding that that that God was calling you to something else? He obviously he was not calling you to be a pastor or anything like that.
SPEAKER_01:No, no, no, no. Uh at least to be a pastor, pastoring a church. No, no, no, no. Of course, of course. But um uh, you know, it said you are a problem solver. Okay, and like um I uh you know, when I met the first part uh when I was at university, I mean I finished, I just finished university, I was since I can hear this thing in inside me. Uh the voice telling me you are a leader. You are a leader. But to be honest, I didn't know what it means to be a leader. Well, to be a leader means to be, let's see, a CEO, a chair, something like I mean a great man and something like that. But I didn't have that, I mean, perspective of being a leader, which means have a vision. I didn't know that.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. Until I met Eile. Okay. Yes.
SPEAKER_02:So it was during our training that God clarified your vision for you.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yeah. So, wow, this is what I want. That's why, since I start, I went through that training till today, I keep working with Eiley.
SPEAKER_02:Right. Yes. Because you want to you want to help other leaders. Yes, I want to identify. Yes. Now, we do need to step back because I promised our listeners and our uh those watching that we were gonna talk about how in the world a man from Benin marries a woman from Brazil.
SPEAKER_01:Wow, this is a whole story. I know this is a long story, but it could be an episode in and of itself. Yes, we yeah, we we are not going to. I mean to um in my life, I just chose that I don't want to go with uh a girl if it's not to marry her.
SPEAKER_02:Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01:That was my decision in my heart.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, how old?
SPEAKER_01:Uh no, uh let's say when I was in uh in secondary school, because for me, before that, it doesn't matter things of girl, no, it doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_02:That's a great, that's a good godly decision.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so I I have that decision, that uh commitment in my heart that if I talk to a lady, a a girl, it's only to marry her.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:That's all. So then um the the first lady I was able to talk to, um, a girl, I mean, so um she said no. And uh, you know, um I spent three years. Uh she said no, and uh before I talked to her, I I talked to God because I you know I developed intimacy with God. And then the um uh girl said no, don't go. And um, you know, I was uh a stubborn yes, I can tell you, I say no, father, this is what I want. Okay, so and uh in that time, you know, I was uh so stupid to think that if you keep asking what God said no, he will allow you. Oh yeah, yeah. So I spent three years, okay, keep pushing God to say, I want it, I want it. At the end of the uh the three years, God said, Okay, go ahead. And I was happy. I thought it is his will.
SPEAKER_02:You thought God had given in to you. Yes.
SPEAKER_01:So I went, I met the um the girl, and um, yes, uh she accepts. And uh, you know, we uh yeah, come and see um uh a Christian uh yeah uh you so I I pray with her and we started a relationship, uh but uh um is an is an history I can tell you. Um it was hard, too hard. So I mean it was like something like uh two years, if it is too long, and I have to step back and come to God's presence. I say, Father, because I went, it was uh in my life like a wall before me. I can't move again, and I come back and uh I went, I rent a place, uh a room for prayer and fasting. Okay, yes, and I went there that day, I was praying, fasting, and I say, Father, what is going on? What to do? What one what do you want me to do exactly? Uh I mean in relationship with uh the what I'm saying, this uh my relationship with the girl, the only things he answered me is I told you, I told you not to go. That's all so I stop the I mean I stop uh uh that prayer and fast because there's no need to pray and fast. The only thing that remain is to obey, right? That's it. So I called um the girl and say, Look, it's not about you, it's about me. I can't move again. You say she said, Lo, no, let's fix it. I say, No, no, no, no. I can't move again. That's all full stop. Then I spent time praying, years praying, praying to have another opportunity, someone else, till a moment I told God, look, I'm not asking two, I see one, just give me one, and then come one day. I was in um, you know, in that time we don't have uh internet at home or anything, so but you can there's uh cafes inside. I remember yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember those. Yeah, yeah, internet cafe show. I went there, I was, you know, went to uh some site, but it was boring. And I asked someone, okay, do you know a Christian site, website? He said, Yes, Nicodem point. And then I went to Nicodem point. Um, you need to put your profile, uh, what do you want? Who do you want to meet? All these things. Then I was there's a big chat, and I used to go there and we discussed about the word of God, all these things. And one day with with many people, it's like it was like a public chat, yes, public chat, and you can have a private chat at the same time. Like if you want to talk to someone, you can have private chat. Yes, that's I remember those things. How how that's how it was working, and then I was there one day, one night, and I saw a Brazilian flag in the chat, and I say, Okay, I went to to check the prophet, who is this guy? And I said, Ah, he's a girl, okay. And I saw something he put, I want to talk to um uh uh uh God, uh men of God. That's the way she put it. And I say, What you want to talk to men of God? What about us? Then I just chat in private. Look, I saw your prophet. What do you mean by that? You don't want to talk to us, you want to talk to men of God. What about us? You gotta explain this thing to me.
SPEAKER_00:That's how you started, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And she said, No, I mean, people that love God and all this. I say, Okay, it's good. Then okay, so I just put her in my um, you know, I have a list of people I used to um send message to them, you know. Sometimes it happened to me in different positions. You may be in the uh bathroom, and then God will start talking to you, and you need to run to take note. Okay. Yes, because you know if you don't take note, it will go. And there's no way you can find it again. So I used to do that, and I I will make sure that once I have the got the message, I will share it with my contacts, and so I build a contact, some USA, some Europe, Africa, different countries.
SPEAKER_02:So I put her in uh so there was uh there was the Brazil flag. Yes.
SPEAKER_01:So then we start I start sending message to her that was um uh 20 uh 2028. 20 2018. Yes, 18. Oh 2018 or 2008? No, no, 2008. Okay, yes, yes, 2008. We don't even remember those dates. 2008, and then I didn't know that all this message I'm sending the message we're solving problem in Brazil. I didn't know that. Oh wow, yes, and then like I used to do on um uh uh you know the first January 2009, I prepare a welcome message to my group, people I used to send message, I mean it's based on what God put in my my heart, and I sent to all of them to everyone, to everyone, even her, yes, including her, and then she responded. Um, my dear uh uh I mean it's my dear sister, so he forgot that I'm my dear sister, yes, God use you, I mean all 2020 uh 2008, and then at the beginning of this new year, he starts using you to bless me again, and then I say, Look, hold on. I'm not a girl, I'm a man. So she thought you were a girl, yes, and later she's explaining to me how can a man write like I mean it's it's so beautiful what you used to write. So, how can a man write this thing? That's how we start chatting, chatting, yeah, that's yeah, yeah, that's amazing.
SPEAKER_02:And I know that the the whole story about you going to visit her in Brazil, it's an entire story, but I I want to point out something, Hudu, that I have heard you say a number of times. Yeah, and I think it's something that it deserves a little bit of conversation. You talk about God speaking to you, yeah. You talk about God giving you messages in the bathroom, yeah. It happens to me as well. But I I took your lesson going right down. So God speaks these words to you, and you go right. Tell us a little about how is this because you are one of the people I know that I really trust. When you say there's something about hoodoo that when you say I heard from God, I believe it. Yeah, because a lot of people say I heard from God, but it's it was in their mind. Tell me, where does this come from in you, and how is it that you have that God speaks to you and in these things? Or maybe maybe you could give us even some examples.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, the things with God speaking to you. What did the Bible say? God keeps speaking every time. The problem is people don't listen.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, yes, yes, so hang in there because that deserves being repeated. Yeah, God is speaking, yes, he never stopped speaking, he never speaking, he keeps speaking.
SPEAKER_00:We're the problem, we're the problem because we're not paying attention, yes, that's it, and the Bible said it clearly. That's it, that's it, and even me, even me, yeah, I wasn't listening, right?
SPEAKER_02:Well, that's that's that resulted in three years of a relationship that ended up being wasted, right?
SPEAKER_01:That's it, you see, that's it, and um, you know, okay, like no remote. Let me say something. Look at you and Christina, your wife. Okay, um, let's say that Christina shows up here, okay facing you. Even seeing nothing, you can communicate with her. Yes or no?
SPEAKER_02:That's true, yeah. Good. This thing comes from where? From intimacy.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, intimacy, intimacy. Remember Jesus said something my sheep will hear what my voice and they will recognize my voice.
SPEAKER_00:That's it.
SPEAKER_01:That's absolutely and how is it that a sheep recogni recognize the voice of the sheep because the sheep spend time with the sheep every day, every day, and they're listening to the voice.
SPEAKER_00:So this is not a big deal. It's not a big deal.
SPEAKER_01:God keeps speaking, and He speaks in different ways, different manners. Okay, you can like I mean you can hear the voice like I'm talking to you. I I can tell you with my I mean physical is but you hear it clearly. Yes, yeah, the the the the first, I mean the first time I heard this thing, I was in a challenge. Yes, I I helped one of my sisters um to have money to borrow money, it was a million. Yes, and uh unfortunately it was scammers deal with her and I have to return that money back, and I don't have it. How to do I will go to the office, I couldn't walk. I will just keep praying, Father. I know you will never let me down, never you will find a solution. I know, and I trust you. So I just spent time to pray. The last anime, I mean they give me only some um like uh some days, three to four days. You need to solve this. If not, you are in trouble. Then the last day, I mean uh before the last day, which was. Thursday, okay. I went to my that sister house because we need on Friday we need to solve it. We need to, I mean we need to have money, cash. All the millions, we need to have it. So then I slept there, but I wasn't married, of course. So I slept there on morning when I wake up on Morivan. I was praying, Father, what to do, and I heard that voice. Wow, clear. He said, son, you know what your sister and you used to do when you face challenges. And I say, Yes. I just answer, Yes, I got it. I know. I know. Then I I just stopped that prayer. I went out and um went to my sister's room. She she uh the door was locked, she was praying, and I knocked and she said, Stop that prayer, come out. She came out, so we went to another room to pray together. She this is what God and I knew what to do because in the past facing challenges, we knew when we we stay together in a car, one car where there's uh one a two or three in my name. Yes, everything you I mean you pray for, you will have it. If you open it, it will be open. So we just I means we went in that room, we start praying, praying one accord, calling for solution. Now we need it, Father. And then the phone starts ringing. And we we didn't bother, we just kept praying till the moment we stop. When we stop, my my sister picked the phone and the voice uh over there starts, okay, your your your brother Udu is there, but how can I be there? Either it was you know kotonu, right? But she was living in um uh at uh Calavi is another city. Yeah, I suppose to be at Kotonu walking. Yeah the person say Udu is there. She she responds, Yes, and they tell him to come to this office to receive this number of million. Oh wow, that's all yes, and I I can keep talking this type of the the way God keeps solving problems, problems and problems.
SPEAKER_02:So problem solver who does a fun day. Where does that come from again? It comes from intimacy.
SPEAKER_01:Intimacy, right? It comes from intimacy and it comes from look um who is Jesus Christ for us? Oh Jesus Christ, isn't it the solution? It is the solution, right?
SPEAKER_02:Yes, so you take all of this and then you apply it to the business world. Yeah, how does that kind of experience transfer to being an entrepreneur? You are now um you are you are starting up a company in in solar in solar uh solar energy, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So how does that translate, how does that faith translate into business, into entrepreneurship?
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, um like um when I went to Abuja, um the one of the problems was that they used to cut power.
SPEAKER_02:Uh-huh. Power cuts.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, power cut. And um I was with my family, and I need to solve the problem. And uh when we calculate using uh gas well, gen, it was too much, right? So, and uh you can't run gen uh more than six hours, right? Yes, you need to stop, and uh there's uh a lot of maintenance, all these things.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, well, this is one thing that a lot of people are not used to. I've been to Africa a number of times, and every every hotel, every retreat center, people's homes, they need to have a gas generator or a diesel generator, right? That's what you're talking about.
SPEAKER_01:I was thinking uh how to solve the problem, and one of my neighbors told me, look, um, there's an opportunity like that. Uh so he connected me to an engineer, okay. He who knows how to, I mean, install uh solar system, and by the way, this guy is so gifted. Uh yeah, he can build um inverters.
SPEAKER_02:Uh-huh. Yes. Yes.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. So he came to my place, I explained what I need to him, and um I bought the I mean solar panels, and uh um the guys, he started he built the inverter, the I mean the inverter, and then when I solve my problem, I start thinking, what about others?
SPEAKER_02:Oh yeah, solve somebody else's problem.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. So now, and um, you know, the guy also um he he started like a business, but you know, he he was struggling, and uh we we start thinking together, how can we come together, join our uh hands, okay? Yeah, and um so I share the vision uh my vision of this thing with him, and he yes, he has this vision too, and then we start seeing how we can solve the problem. So we order some components to China from China, and uh we build a strong one, and I'm I'm using it at all.
SPEAKER_02:So you're the guinea pig, you're the prototype.
SPEAKER_01:That's all that's it. So I'm using it now, and um we are working on projects like right now, okay, to to solve problems. And uh look, uh, I think we we are talking like business men and uh as Christian, we need to solve problem. And basically, a business a businessman is a problem solver, okay. And uh uh we as Christian, I mean flows who can sense the call inside business need to come uh to serve God by running business.
SPEAKER_02:Wow, that is so exciting. In fact, um we are going to have another conversation that will be focused on how you can you mix your faith, how can you apply your faith to uh running a business, to entrepreneurship, some of the challenges, particularly uh good in Africa. So uh check out um an upcoming episode when Hudu and I will be talking about that for today. This is this is it. I hope it inspired you, I hope it helped to you, because it helped me to see how God can use a man or woman who is completely devoted, completely um committed to an intimate relationship with God. Thank you for being with us. If this episode was a blessing to you, please consider um liking, uh giving us a rating on the platform that you hear uh podcasts or on YouTube and recommending this to others. We want to reach as many leaders as possible to bring them what it means to lead by the eight core values of the leaders who are changing history.