Paul Wambi needed a miracle. Hospital monitors beeped in the background while his infant son, Matthew, fought for survival.  

As a husband and father, Paul stood helpless.  

“I stood at the hospital balcony looking into the darkness. I felt real desperation. I can understand how people feel when they consider taking their own lives. I was in this place of suffering that I didn’t ask for,” Paul shared. My wife, Sereti, was broken, the doctors didn’t have answers about how my son would fare, and I had a hospital bill I could never pay. I felt so desperate, so heartbroken.”   

“I asked the Lord, ‘How is this going to end?’ I asked for a miracle.”  

Inexplicably, Paul’s anguish released its grip. As he gazed into the darkness, he knew the light would come. Circumstances remained desperate, but the weight of his family’s suffering lifted. Instinctively, he knew Jesus carried the cross and bore fatal wounds for moments like this.   

“I became so encouraged and grateful to God for that moment, knowing that He was with me and had not forsaken me. I didn’t know how it would end, but I knew that God did. He knew before it even happened. I could trust that.”   

Matthew survived one day, and then the next. He stayed in hospital for 2 months and faced numerous life-threatening infections, setbacks, and tests.  Doctors watched in wonder as the 26-week premature baby gained strength. In His own perfect plan, God held Matthew’s life in His hands.  

“Those were difficult months, but God provided everything we needed. Through the BSF Life of Moses study, He gave us a fresh perspective that His sovereignty towered over our difficulties. God strengthened me each day as I taught a BSF young adult class. I kept going forward, knowing that God had us covered. I would go to our Leader’s Meeting, then straight back to the hospital. Teaching God’s Word became an anchor for me, it was the source of my peace of mind.”   

Paul and his family rejoiced when Matthew was discharged from hospital. Two years later, they were shocked by a new diagnosis. Matthew had Cerebral Palsy. Again, the Wambis prayed for a miracle. Again, they felt God’s peace and presence. But this time, healing didn’t come.   

Nine years later, Paul and Sereti continue to pray for Matthew’s healing. During that time, they have also learned to pray for more than a miracle.  

Living in Nairobi, the Wambis face challenges with wheelchair accessibility, lack of schools for severely disabled children, and quality therapy. Socially, people often avoid Matthew out of fear or insecurity. 

“We know that Jesus is able to do a miracle for Matthew as we read in the Gospels. In the meantime, we find encouragement in knowing that God has a good and perfect plan . Even in this suffering, God’s glory is displayed. In the daily suffering of caring for Matthew’s every need, we continuously seek God’s perspective.” 

“I think that if the entire world was like Matthew, this world would be an amazing place. It would be like a piece of heaven on earth. He loves people unconditionally. You talk about miracles – whoever shows up, whoever he meets, he is excited to know them. He looks into your eyes, and you know you are loved. God has a purpose for this child beyond what we can see.”   

When Paul and Sereti long for the day when Matthew will speak, run, and play, they find hope in the words of Jesus.  

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  

Like many in Kenya, the Wambi family could have hidden Matthew from friends and neighbors. Instead, they view Matthew’s limitations as an opportunity.   

“People see the way God gives us strength to navigate life,” Paul shared. “They see it is possible to hold onto God, even when he doesn’t give you what you want. Sometimes, the unexpected journey becomes a great blessing.”  

For Matthew, Sunday church services are especially challenging. Loud noise and crowds magnify his symptoms, and he is not alone. Other families with special-needs children share similar struggles.

With the help of a local pastor and other parents, Paul and Sereti created a worship service for special needs families influenced by the structure of the BSF Children’s program.  

“When we prayed, ‘God please give us a church home where each member of the family feels loved and welcomed,’ He provided not just a church for us but for others. People with disabilities, their parents, caregivers and siblings come as they are to worship and serve together.  No one judges them or keeps their distance.”  

In praying that God would use their circumstances for His glory, Paul and Sereti have seen lives transformed. They are living examples of Jesus’s command from John 13:34-35. 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  

“When you remain faithful to the work God has led you to do, you create a ripple of impact. I have learned that our life is part of the greater story of Jesus Christ. Suffering is part of following Christ and I have found out that it is better to be at the feet of Jesus Christ than live apart from Him.”