Hem Evritaem Tingim Others Nomata hem Feisim Olketa Health Challenge

Maria Lúcia, from Brazil, hem garem sik Usher’s syndrome, wea diswan hem wanfala genetic disorder wea savve kosim man for deaf and isisi kosim man for kamap blind. Hem born deaf and hem lanem saen languis taem hem pikinini. Then, taem hem samting olsem 30 years old, hem start for kamap blind. Nomata lo olketa challenge hia, Maria Lúcia no isolatem hemseleva. Distaem hem winim 70 years old, and hem continue for hapi and laef blo hem garem purpose.

Maria Lúcia meetim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness lo 1977, bifor hem start for kamap blind. Hem sei: “Mi meetim wanfala former skulmate wea nem blo hem Adriano, wea hem just kamap Witness. Hem storyim lo mi promis blo God abaotem wanfala future paradaes lo earth wea evriwan bae garem perfect health. Mi barava laekem wat hem storyim lo mi, so mi acceptim wanfala Bible study. No longtaem bihaen, mi start for associate witim wanfala kongregeson lo Rio de Janeiro, wea olketa interpretim samfala part lo meeting lo saen languis. Witim help blo Jehovah, mi progress spiritually and mi baptaes lo July 1978.”

Afta samfala taem, Maria Lúcia muv lo wanfala kongregeson wea no eni Witness savve lo saen languis. Lo firstaem, diswan hem wanfala challenge, bikos hem no understandim wat olketa storyim lo olketa meeting. Tufala sista lo kongregeson nao helpem hem. Tufala sidaon witim hem lo olketa meeting and raetem note for describem wat olketa speaker storyim. Maria Lúcia sei: “Lo haos, mi savve readim olketa note hia staka taem mekem mi understandim information hia.” Bihaen, tufala sista hia lanem saen languis and tufala savve interpret for mi.”

Taem eye blo Maria Lúcia kamap worse, hem no lukim nao saen blo interpreter. So hem start for iusim tactile saen languis for communicate. Wat nao datwan? Hem sei: “Mi holem hand blo datfala interpreter. And datwan helpem mi for understandim wat nao interpreter saenem.”

Maria Lúcia hem really appreciatim wat olketa interpreter blo hem duim. Hem sei: “Olketa hia spesol gift from Jehovah. Bikos lo help blo olketa, mi savve benefit from olketa kongregeson meeting assembly, and convention.”

Maria Lúcia gohed active lo ministry. Hem iusim tactile saen languis for witness lo deaf pipol, olketa deaf hia sapraes for lukim hao Maria Lúcia waka hard for sharem gud nius witim olketa. During lo COVID-19 pandemic, Maria Lúcia raetem staka leta lo olketa deaf pipol and brata blo hem José Antônio nao helpem hem, wea hem tu deaf and blind.a

Hao nao Maria Lúcia duim datwan? Hem sei: “Mi iusim wanfala flat plastic tul wea L-shape. Datwan helpem mi for raet lo stret laen and formim olketa paragraf. José Antônio hem garem gud memory. Hem savve suggestim olketa topic and olketa Bible scripture, and mi savve includim lo olketa leta hia. Mi trae for raet lo wei wea olketa deaf bae understandim. No evri deaf pipol olketa understandim written languis.”

Nomata Maria Lúcia hem full blind distaem, hem continue for waka hard. Karoline, wanfala interpreter blo hem sei: “Maria Lúcia duim evri waka lo haos blo hem, and hem keepim haos blo hem klin and tidy. Hem laekem tumas for kuki and sharem witim olketa frens.”

Jefferson, wanfala elder lo kongregeson blo Sista Maria Lúcia sei: “Love blo Maria Lúcia for Jehovah hem barava strong. And hem lovem pipol. Hem evritaem duim things for benefitim olketa narawan. Hem wanfala person wea evritaem tingim others.”—Philippians 2:4.