Violet’s Story

Stories | August 10, 2022

Father in the name of Jesus, I pray may you meet every person with disability around the world living in poverty. You are our provider, provide them the comfort they deserve and give them channels for which they can be able to uplift themselves from poverty and make them be able to work. Lord we pray in the name of Jesus, make the environment accessible so that people with disability can also know you and your knowledge. So that when they come into your kingdom for them, they do not perish. Father may they also be able to see heaven in Jesus. Father we thank you and bless us our king. Thank you, Jesus Christ.   

I was born in a Christian home in Cameroon – even when I acquired my disability at an early age it didn’t discourage my Christian faith. I was taken for treatment to a Christian institution, where not only my physical treatment took place but they motivated me to be strong in the Lord.

I obtained my first school leaving certificate in 2002. From there, I was enrolled in a dormitory school where there were people from different kinds of Christian and faith traditions.  My parents were not there to take care of me but God was there, which really helped me forget about my disability and focus on the learning activities.

I was also enrolled in another dormitory school. There, we get up at 5am every morning, we pray, then we go down for mass. That really motivated me to love God, to know more things about God.

When I obtained my advanced level certificate, I had to go to university where I had to do things on my own. It was kind of a free life, nobody forces you to go to the church. Because I had a good foundation on Christianity, I had to discipline myself and found myself going to church. God really blessed me because he sent me to university and sent help from Church and from around my hostel. That pushed me further and motivated me to always be stronger. I have now completed a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Project Management. I use this knowledge to make a living run an online business sourcing clothes and shoes for my customers.

My impairment has never limited me. For example, there was a time when I left to go and evangelise to people. Somebody would say if she can come and preach about Christ, despite her impairment, that means God exists. Some people in my situation say if God actually existed he wouldn’t have left me in this situation, he wouldn’t allow me to be a person with a disability.

My disability did not discourage my faith. I think God gave me my impairment. In everything, we should give thanks to God. My disability does not limit my faith in a God, because my disability is a tool to evangelize others, a tool to motivate others to come to church. It motivates me to keep up because I know my walk with God is evangelism to others.

I am never absent from attending church, never absent from mass, morning prayers, or a singing service. I always make sure I go to church.

My faith has also motivated me to advocate for people with a disability. ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40). It has made me understand that God is in all of us, but some people have decided to isolate people with disability, forgetting that the same God created people with disability.

I try to use scriptures from the Bible to change the mindset of people and make them understand that disability is a part of human life. It doesn’t mean that the person is dead or no longer a human being, or that the person is from a special kind of world.

My pastor always said people with disability are people with special abilities, so it has really caused me to change the mindset of people about people with disability.

My church views my impairment as a special ability. There is this scripture which says ‘The Lord is my strength,’ (Psalm 28:7), and despite my disability I keep going. They told me at times that they don’t even think I have a disability and they forget about it. They have accepted me like one of them.

To include me, for example, we print out prayer points for people to go to the alter and read out the prayers. In my case, having to carry the bible to the altar is inconvenient. So I just take the piece of sheet, go to the alter, read it out and pray.

Another thing they have done in order to make everything inclusive is that the altar is accessible in a way that even somebody with a wheelchair, not only crutches, can enter the pray. The entrance has been made in such a way that wheelchairs can access, even the floor is flat.

The Church has been made accessible; it has been made in such a way that when people with disability come, they praise us.

In my church I am both the treasurer and the financial secretary, so I take care of money in the unit and try to keep record of those who have come and try to find out those who are absent. Then, we do follow-up of people who have dropped from the church. We also try and contribute money to meet some challenged person’s needs in our community.

I understand that I have a future with God and the plan for me is for good and not for evil (Proverbs 9:11). Anything that is working in my life is according to the plan and purpose of God. Therefore, if I don’t follow God I won’t obtain the plans that are proposed from him.

I want God to heal me because I believe that as I walk in Christ, I expect transformation, I expect healing. His limitless power can work in me and become abled again.

Pray with Violet

I pray for persons with disabilities around the world living in poverty.  I pray that God will reveal livelihood opportunities to the ones seeking means of livelihood. Lord I pray that as they come across these opportunities may your immeasurable favor follow them in the Name of Jesus Christ.  Lord protect all those living with disabilities from exploitation. I pray that God will cause people to truly understand the difficulties and challenges of people with disabilities. I pray that even in their poverty God will grant them good health. I pray that Law and polices that favors people with disabilities in the areas of health, education and tax exoneration will fully be understood and implemented so that people with disabilities will gain access to opportunities .  I Pray that God will provide for their families so that they will be able to support their loves ones with disabilities.

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