Editor’s Note: Following is an edited testimony from Bonheur, one of ICC’s grown children in the D.R. Congo. Thank you for making a difference!
First, before I share my story, I want to give thanks to our Almighty God, the Creator who continues to give us the breath of life.
My story is not only mine. It is the story of a place of refuge, a second chance, and of people who believed in me when it felt like everything was lost.
After a volcanic eruption happened on January 17, 2002, I lost my biological mother. At the same time, I had to live through the loss of loved ones, and I became part of a group of orphan children. Eventually, I was accepted into the Patmos Children’s Village.
When I say “Patmos,” I don’t just mean a name. I think of the island where the Apostle John received the Revelation. Patmos represents a place of refuge, peace, and hope for children. I grew up there. I learned there. And it is there that I became the person I am today.
At Patmos, I found mothers who wiped away my tears. Every day, morning, noon, and night, they taught us God’s Word. They even taught us a song I will never forget, which said: “Jesus loves the little children like me…”
I also found teachers who encouraged me. They told me, “Bonheur, you can go far.”
Patmos taught me how to hold a pen, how to adapt to work, how to cultivate the land, how to respect others and most importantly, how to believe in God. At night, we studied mathematics with a lamp light. Who would have imagined that those figures on the board would become my passion?
By the grace of God, in primary school I found good teachers who gave me a solid foundation. After finishing secondary one and two, I had to choose what I wanted to study. Unfortunately, our school did not offer a Mathematics section. The Patmos administrator directed me to a nearby school, so I walked for about two hours each day because there were no vehicles available for transportation.
I studied mathematics there for only two years and then transferred to another school to continue my studies. In 2013, by the grace of God, I obtained my State diploma in mathematics and physics.
After that, I returned to the Patmos village, not only to be a student again, but to help my brothers and sisters. I began teaching mathematics in secondary school. I wanted to continue mathematics at university, but the money from teaching was not enough. When I became independent in 2017, I thought life would be hard for me. But I understood something important: in life, we must never give up. With God, everything is possible.
After six years, I obtained my bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics, and I also managed to pay the bride price. Today, I am married.
Every formula I write, every problem I solve, I owe to this village. Patmos was not just a place where I lived or studied. It was my second birth. To all my benefactors: you did not only help a child, you helped form a graduate. My daily prayer is that God continues to protect our sponsors, giving them the spirit of generosity, and that one day we will be able to meet in Heaven.
