Testimony by Teresa Du Toit
Originally published in the August 2026 issue of JOY! Magazine
My story does not begin with joy, but in a heavy silence. Yet, God’s hand was already moving in the quiet spaces of my infancy. He placed my grandmother in my life, and with great insight, love, and dedication, she took me in and raised me, ensuring that I deserved a chance at a future.
But that future came with a high emotional price: I was only three years old when I had to be sent to live in a school hostel. To a tiny child, it felt like an absolute betrayal. In those cold, unfamiliar hallways, my childhood ended before it could truly begin. Very early on, I had to learn how to stand strong in a world where the people you need most are simply not there. Looking back, I can see that even in those lonely corridors, the Lord was quietly building a fierce resilience inside my soul.
The anchor and the loss
I walked through the dark, isolating spaces of my youth with cerebral palsy, facing the world from a wheelchair and navigating a severe speech problem. But the trajectory of my life changed forever at the age of 14 when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour. He became the anchor my drifting soul had always longed for. He gave me the strength to push forward, helping me achieve my matric certificate against all odds.
A blessed union
Later, I moved to a Cheshire Home so that I could attend Access College, an institution catering specifically for disabled people. There, I proudly earned my certificate as a junior computer operator. Because I chose to keep growing in my faith, I also completed a deep discipleship course during this season, proudly receiving my graduation diploma.
It was during my time at Cheshire Home that the Lord brought John into my life. We married and became a beautiful, unique unit. John was a quadriplegic, and our marriage became a true symphony of grace: because of our respective physical challenges, I became his hands, and he became my mouth. Together, we navigated a world that wasn’t built for us. Eventually, life grew harder, and we had to move to Els Medsorg. Then, on 15 October 1999, the ultimate darkness hit when John passed away. Suddenly, my “mouth” was gone, and I was alone again. The foundation of my faith had to carry me through that devastating valley, proving that Christ remains steady even when your earthly world collapses.
The hands, the mouth, and the admin
After John’s death, God brought me back to my grandmother and gave me a new purpose. I became her right hand, serving and caring for her faithfully for 21 years. By helping her handle daily life, I learnt the ins and outs of administration. When she passed away, it felt like the most difficult mountain I had ever been asked to climb; the grief was so heavy that I cried for three weeks straight. But God did not leave me comfortless. Today, I live completely independently because of the knowledge, strength, and practical skills I gained by her side during those two decades. He turned my years of service into a tool for my own freedom.
The fighting spirit
Eventually, my path led me to Avalon Home. It is a place where it is dangerously easy to lose your identity in the grey routine of waking up, eating, and sleeping. Well-meaning people will even look at you and say, “Hey, don’t dream. You are disabled; you’re only going to be disappointed.” They try to prescribe a small, limited life to you until you no longer feel like trying.
But I refuse to let adversity dictate my joy, and I absolutely refuse to be just a number in a hallway. The Holy Spirit gave me a piece of wisdom that carries me through every single day: I would rather be disappointed than never try.
The voice of the invisible
Where I once relied on John’s voice to speak for me, the Lord has given me a new mouth. Today, I run my own small printing business and sell airtime to the residents and staff right here at Avalon Home. My writing has become my ultimate expression. People look at my wheelchair and my speech limitations and see walls, but when I sit down to write, the walls completely fall away.
I do not write to gain anyone’s sympathy. I write to show a cynical world that the human soul knows absolutely no disability. Every single word I type is a joyful act of obedience to God, proving that my life is vibrant, productive, and filled with purpose.
The limitless hand
When people hear my story, the practical thinkers always ask about finances and survival. My answer to them is always the same: God owns the entire universe. If your life is securely held in the hands of the limitless One, what on earth can stop you?
He does not ask for our physical perfection; He asks only for our availability. I made myself available to Him in that lonely childhood hostel, in my beautiful marriage to John, and in serving my grandmother. Today, I make myself available for the people at Avalon Home through my business and my words. When you stop looking at your limitations and place yourself fully in His hands, the impossible simply becomes your normal, everyday life.
This article appears in the August 2026 issue of JOY! Magazine. Read the digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 22/07/2026
Feature image: Sourced from original article published in the August issue of JOY! Magazine
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