Honorine Ufitamahoro's Story

On the 26th of January 2025, as the Planted Level 2024 class graduated, something shifted in me.

After the graduation, an altar call was made for ladies who wanted to embark on the new journey of R.O.O.T.S 2025. I was one of the women who stood up that day. If I’m honest, I stood up because I saw beautiful, well-put-together women who looked commissioned and committed — women who looked like they were truly after God’s heart. I remember thinking, “I want to look like that. I want to be recognized as a virtuous woman. I want to be a woman after God’s own heart.” So I got up. I believed it was my time. What I didn’t know was what those women had gone through to become who they were. I thought R.O.O.T.S would just be a class — something you attend, complete, and graduate from. I didn’t yet understand that it was a refining process.

And believe me, transformation costs something.

I remember our first induction. I arrived early, excited and ready. Seeing women gathered from different places, many of whom I had never met before, was a truly beautiful experience. I even took pictures and videos because I thought, “This is going to be such a cute journey.” I felt like I was already becoming “that woman.” But when the lessons began and we were introduced to what R.O.O.T.S truly is about, I realized this wasn’t about appearance — it was about transformation, and transformation required discipline.

Grounding sessions were early Saturday mornings at 8:45 a.m. Saturdays were for resting… or so I thought. But commitment meant waking up and going anyway. We were required to attend at least seven lessons. I made a personal decision: I would attend every single one. At that time, I was working two jobs. On my off days from one job, I was at the other. There was no “free day.” Cell meetings were in the evenings, and I often joined while still at work. It was exhausting. But slowly, R.O.O.T.S began teaching me discipline — showing up even when it was inconvenient, honoring my word, and making room for growth.

During this time, I was in a three-year relationship. I believed this man was my future. In fact, part of the reason I joined R.O.O.T.S was to become a better wife for him. But this is where I got it wrong. I took everything I was learning and tried to force it into a relationship that did not have the right foundation. I kept thinking, “If I apply these principles, if I pray harder, it will work.” But you cannot build something godly on a foundation God has not approved. There were signs. There was discomfort. There were red flags. But fear of being alone kept me holding on. Some days I would obey God. The next day, fear would pull me back. R.O.O.T.S was teaching me obedience, but my heart was still wrestling with comfort.

Then came another shift. I transitioned from being an independent working woman into becoming a student. It was not planned. I had already committed to my job, aligned my life, and felt like I knew what I wanted to do. But God opened a door to school that I had not even asked for, and I found myself asking, “God, what am I doing here?” It was a different city — far from my family, far from my comfort, far from everything familiar. I worried about work, my business, my family, my mother, my relationship, and even R.O.O.T.S. How would I attend grounding sessions? How would I finish my book? How would I submit my assignment? How would I balance school and R.O.O.T.S? I arrived at school late and already behind. I had no friends. A new environment. A roommate. Community life. Everything was different. I was used to independence — just working and going home. Now I was surrounded by people and responsibility. Inside, I knew God was doing something, but I wasn’t ready to accept it.

God’s timing is different from ours. His plans rarely look like ours.

Under pressure, I rushed to finish my R.O.O.T.S book and assignment. In my mind, it was about being recognized. I read the book in one day and submitted my work. But had I truly applied everything? No. When the results came back, I failed. I was angry. I felt like I had tried so hard. I had been attending. I had been showing up. Why didn’t I make it? Then I reflected. I realized that although I had worked hard in many areas, I had not fully surrendered my relationship. I had not fully obeyed. I was trying to graduate externally while internally still resisting God. That failure was not punishment — it was exposure.

That moment taught me obedience. I finally said, “God, let Your will be done. I surrender. Do what You need to do in my life.” Letting go was painful. It still hurts. But surrender became real. I told myself that even if I did not pass, I would join the 2026 class. I was ready to start again, this time doing it properly. Then we were given a second chance. When I rewrote, it felt different. I knew what I was writing. I understood what I was answering. My heart posture had changed. When the results came out, I passed. But more than passing an assignment, I had passed through a process. God had allowed me to fall so I could search myself. So I wouldn’t finish for appearance. So I wouldn’t graduate for recognition. So my heart could truly change.

God can allow a fall just to prepare your rise.

R.O.O.T.S was not about the title. It was not about looking like “that woman.” It was about becoming her from the inside.

Today, I can say I am not yet the finished product. I am still becoming. But now I understand:

• Obedience is better than comfort.
• God’s timing is perfect, even when unexpected.
• Pressure reveals your true foundation.
• Surrender brings freedom.
• Graduation is not the end — it is the beginning.

My journey does not end with the Class of 2025. In many ways, it begins here. I am committed to going deeper, “Taking Root Downward and Bearing Fruit Upward!!!”