A girl suffering from cerebral palsy in the Shanxi Province hopes to further her studies in a theological college after recovery so that she could be a witness to God in the future on the exclusive platform prepared by God.
Gao Xiaoxue, 24 years old, lives in the urban area of Xiangning County, Shanxi Province. She has been suffering from cerebral palsy since childhood, with paralysis of both the lower limbs and right hand valgus. With her faith in God, she always has a smile on her face.
Her recovery has been aided by years of care from her grandparents, who are in their late 70s. For more than 20 years, her grandpa has to take care of her life in his arms from time to time. He was often tired and sweaty, but never had complaints.
Many years ago, the fellowship of the disabled in Shanxi began to be concerned about her growth, and Xiaoxue even recognized Deacon Zhu Hongli as her nominally adoptive mother. On a recent Saturday, two deacons, Pastor Geng Fuqin and an elder from the Linfen Church went to her home for a visit.
The grandpa said that he had been hospitalized for heart failure last winter, but with God's conservation and care, he had recovered.
After Xiaoxue suffered from cerebral palsy in her childhood, her grandparents took her to Linfen, Taiyuan, and other places for several hospital treatments. They also rented houses and spent a big amount of money on treatment. Some relatives and friends even told them to give up, but they insisted. Later, the grandma accepted the gospel, followed by the grandpa, so they had something to rely on in their lives. Each Sunday, the two seniors wheeled Xiaoxue to the Linfen Church to hear the sermon and established contact with the fellowship of the disabled.
At first, the wheelchair-bound girl had slurred speech, was depressed and reluctant to communicate. After more than ten years of visits and communication, Deacon Zhu and several sisters told her about the great love of the Lord, so that she gradually knew more about God. Xiaoxue started by reciting two verses at a time and was nervous at first. During another service, she met Pastor Huang Hailin (husband of Pastor Geng Fuqin).
The grandpa said, although Xiaoxue is in a wheelchair every day, she is very busy. She would read scripture after getting up in the morning. She has read the Bible in large letters over and over and can recite many verses. She never went to school, so her grandparents taught her the words at first. When she comes across words that she doesn't know, she would listen to the scripture reading programs. She also prays, often for an hour or two, for God's grace, for her own spiritual growth, for local churches, for the pastors, and for the needs of brothers and sisters.
She also listens attentively to the church's video sermons every Sunday with her grandparents and repeats the listening of the recorded videos four or five times so that she can know them by heart. After that, she would repeat it to her grandparents. She also insists on learning to write. In order to recover her limbs, the grandpa bought her standing training equipment to exercise her limbs.
After getting to know Pastor Huang Hailin and Pastor Geng Fuqin, she became more eager to serve God. Her wish is to walk to the pastor after recovery. She is eager to go to a theological school for further study, carry out spiritual practice to be a witness to the Lord, and bring hope to more people like her.
(The writer is a contributing writer for the Gospel Times.)
