Think about those few moments where you believe you have cracked the secret formula to happiness, and then out of nowhere, life hits you with a wave of uncertainties and heartache. Many people almost immediately react by involuntarily allowing themselves to be drowned by the pain when these waves of life hit the hardest. Some eventually become very frustrated. These frustrations in turn, have a highly damaging impact on their frame of mind, causing many to quit (give up), respond with anger, lose their self-esteem and self-confidence, becoming stressed and depressed in the end.

Such was the case of Doris Konu. Doris, 27 years of age, lives with her husband in Kporwulor in the Volta Region of Ghana. Doris has been coordinating Theovision International’s Bible Listening program in her village for almost 2 years now. Growing up, Doris recounts having to drop out of school at some point because her parents could no longer afford to pay her fees and that of her siblings. She recalls sometimes living off the generosity of her friends and neighbors. With time, Doris’ friends began to have negative influence on her, and it wasn’t long before she was led into fornicating.

Fornicating was a bad thing, at least that is what Doris knew from what her parents had been telling her since she was a little girl, so she taught it might be sinful. But rather than acting as a deterrent, that notion became more appealing as she grew older because of the negative encouragement she got from her friends. Although she occasionally attended Church, giving her life to Christ didn’t cross Doris’ radar in her conservative rural town. She knew nothing of confessing her sins or surrendering her life to the Lord.

A few years later, Doris got married. She lived a very happy life with her husband until they stumbled into a cold-water shock. Countless attempts by them to have a baby was unsuccessful. This wasn’t an easy situation to deal with. She was constantly haunted by the feelings of inadequacy and emptiness, coupled with the social pressure to have kids. Doris felt that somehow she had been denied the joy of carrying a baby in her arms and the satisfaction of kissing the tender cheeks of a newborn baby.

Doris’ inability to give birth became very frustrating. She became emotionally hurt and very bitter. The only way out, that she was familiar with, was to hide under the guise of deviant behavior to conceal her pain. She vent her frustration on others by indulging in meaningless fights. She would sometimes seek solace in the arms of different men, yet she did not find the peace her heart longed for. People were quick to point the kind of person Doris was, but nobody knew the actual reason for her deviant behavior. Nobody could tell what she was really going through. “I did not have peace in my heart. The confrontations I had with people made me angry, but also left me hopeless.” Doris lamented. She longed for an inner peace which unknowing to her, could only be filled by Jesus Christ alone.

When the Audio Bible Listening program was introduced into the town, she joined and started listening to the audio teachings from the New Testament. This was the turning point for Doris. As she received the Word of God, it was like a stream of cold water flowing on her parched ground. She felt the peace of God ministering to her, and that changed her completely. “In Luke 2:36-38, I heard how Anna, a childless widow was chosen by God to bless the child Jesus in the temple. It made me realize that childless women including myself are not meaningless. While many count on children to give their lives meaning, God can give our lives meaning too. Anna’s story is proof of that our lives may not look conventional, but we still have a reason for being alive“. Doris testifies.

Despite her fears, she learnt to take off the mask and finally allowed the peace of God to sooth her pains. She surrendered her life to Jesus Christ and became a devoted Christian. Just like the deep blue sea sending waves to shore, life has its own way of showing us its power in waves; a subliminal way of letting us all know it is seemingly in total control. The good news is that God is the master planner, not life as many people see it. Doris is now the Bible Listening Group leader in Kporwulor. Today, she has found peace despite her inability to bear a child.

We thank God for this great transformation. Our deepest gratitude goes to our generous ministry Partners who made it possible for the audio Bible Listening program to be established in Kporwulor; therefore bringing God’s Word, His peace and light into Doris’ life.