Rutendo is a 32-year-old blind high school teacher from Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. “All my life, I wondered what the world looked like and prayed to God to open my eyes,” she says. “I did not feel lonely because my parents always loved and protected me. But when I got older, life became unbearable.”

In college, she faced discrimination for being born different, making her miserable. “During those horrible years in college, I started to suffer from depression,” she says. She felt unaccepted and pitied. Thankfully, the Lord is merciful and sustained her through her schooling. After a year, she became a Mathematics teacher. A colleague took her to Bible study and nurtured her with Scripture. The Bible revealed deep things she didn’t know about herself, showing she didn’t love herself. “I had to learn that I cannot love other people unless I love myself first,” she says. “When I started to love myself first, I began to see the beauty in other people, too.”

She’s thankful to the Lord for making her different; she’s embracing herself through His love brought transformation. Loving herself has shown her beauty and appreciation for others. Your gift of the Bible has grown her relationship with others. Mephibosheth’s story led her to accept God’s love; she realized her equality with everybody in God’s eyes. She’s unique and created in His image.

Knowing Jesus restored Rutendo’s estranged relationship with her mother. She honors her mother and no longer blames her for her disability. She has accepted that people are entitled to their opinion. “I cannot control what people say about me, but I can choose how I think and see myself. I have made God’s word the standard of my life,” she asserts.

Rutendo is overwhelmed by the love you have shown her. She’s grateful for the gift of life and feels blessed because of you. She has learned that living a meaningless life affects her and her loved ones. She’s happy to find favor in God’s eyes and plans to reach others with the Word.

“God is calling me to share the Gospel with others,” she says. “I want to encourage disabled people that He sees us for who we are and loves us all. Disability doesn’t mean inability.” She plans to impart wisdom to the younger generation, especially the disabled, to stand firm in the Lord and focus on their disability.

Her assistant reads the Bible for her, but she yearns for an audio Bible. She requests prayer as she readies to share the Gospel with others. Rutendo hopes that when she ministers to people with disabilities like her, they will understand and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.