Achieving
FINANCIAL SUCCESS
She was Catholic and he was a Muslim . It was a whirlwind romance that quickly turned into an impossible case . Like most couples , Brazilian Fabiana and her then Iranian boyfriend Sharokh , had high hopes for their future , but a few months into the relationship , cracks started to appear . Nevertheless , their differences didn ’ t deter them from tying the knot . However , what followed – fraud , illness , loss , suicide , and an insurmountable wall of debt – put such a strain on their relationship that the end seemed imminent .
Where was this God that Fabiana had heard so much about when she was growing up ? Why wasn ’ t He coming to her aid ? Could He not see that she was suffering ? Or were all these problems her cross to bear ?
Worried out of her mind and in tears , Fabiana sat on the number 4 bus , desperate for a sign or divine intervention , and then the bus broke down right outside 232 Seven Sisters Road . When she looked out of the window , the Rainbow Theatre loomed over her and something about the building drew her in .
“ I ’ d passed this building many times , but it never dawned on me that it was a church ,” she said , remembering the first time she set foot in the UCKG HelpCentre . “ I had been crying because at that time , my husband was suicidal because we were victims of a scam that left us so badly in debt that we didn ’ t know how we would get out of it . At the same time , I had to wait three months for my documents and everything just seemed to be going wrong . I didn ’ t know what to do .”
Fabiana spoke to a pastor who challenged her faith in a way that she had never experienced before . “ He prayed and told me that my documents would come and just to believe and have faith in God . ‘ Surely , it can ’ t be that simple ,’ I thought . I thought he was mad . But just as he had said , it happened . That was amazing for me . I had to return to this place . It was completely different to what I ’ d seen and heard as a Catholic . Here , God was so reachable and so real , I had to stay .”
Fabiana was encouraged to stop focusing on what her heart and circumstances were showing her , focus on the word of God instead , and His promises and put her faith in action . As she attended the services , what she heard awakened her faith and opened her vision .
“ God ’ s plan was not for me to suffer . He promised an abundant life – yes , I would have to roll up my sleeves and fight for it , but I was ready for that ! Months had passed now and I saw so many changes in myself , in my marriage , and in our lives in general . The changes in me brought my husband to the UCKG as well . Together , we began to rebuild our lives from one purpose of faith to another , and one chain of prayer to another . Things were looking good , but then my husband fell ill .”
Sharokh was diagnosed with advanced inflammatory bowel disease – a condition that affects the colon and small intestine . Despite their best efforts , all that doctors could do was to prescribe medication to ease the pain and discomfort .
“ It was a shock to my system . Initially , I was very sad and worried , but not desperate like before . We could either accept the situation as it was and accept the disease , which felt like a death sentence over our lives , or fight
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