From Disability to Empowerment

My name is Salamu Mazadu

When I was a child, my father put me in school. I learned to read in Hausa, but I wondered why they didn’t teach me in my own language—Jibu. Later I was able to write some easy words in my own language, but I had no idea how to write most of the words. So I became very sad as I decided God must have created my language so it couldn’t be spelled on paper. 

Then I began to have leg pain and couldn’t continue school. Everyone convinced my father to take me to another village where the shaman could divine, with turtle shells, who had put a curse on me. While I was there, I received the news that people had killed my father. I was sad beyond words and my leg was worse—infection was in the bone—so I wasn’t able to go to the burial.

I had never heard of the Bible or Jesus Christ. But a year or so later I met Perry and Anne Priest, who were translating the Bible into my language.

Perry: "When we visited Salamu’s village in east-central Nigeria, the villagers always avoided us. But we could talk to Salamu. His leg infection had left him disabled. He couldn’t walk away from us like the others did."

Perry and Anne took me to their house and gave me medicine. They also gave me two small books in my language. They said it was God’s Word. I learned about the lost sheep, the man who built his life on sand, the slave that was forgiven, and much more. I was beginning to learn that Jesus came to earth to die for my sins. I was so happy that God’s Word was in my own language, and it was very clear.

Perry and Anne took me to three doctors, but I didn’t get well. Suddenly they said we should go to a hospital in Jos. We went, and the doctors made a big cut in my leg.

Perry: "Thanks to a missionary doctor who specialized in treating osteomyelitis, Salamu had the surgery he needed. He lived with us for several weeks. Once he fully recovered, he had no pain in his leg and, for the first time in seven years, no infection."

We kept studying about Jesus, and I wanted to trust Him. I thought, “If I trust Him and follow Him, the people of my village will reject me, maybe even kill me.” A few days later, the Lord helped me decide for Jesus. I thought, “He loved me and died for me. I will trust Him. Even if they should kill me, I'll go and be with Him.” So I gave up all my fears and believed in Jesus.

While I was recovering, Anne taught me to type. Soon I could type in my own language. How happy I was! I began using the computer to type the Jibu Scriptures that Perry and his language assistant had translated.

Perry: "Salamu began to make changes in the translation. When I checked with the language assistants, they agreed the changes were good. Salamu kept making changes and became the main translation assistant."

It was in my thoughts a lot that if someone had told my father about Jesus, he would have believed. After the last surgery on my leg, I dedicated myself to help my people learn about Christ. In the dry season, several of us started going out to different villages to read God’s Word to people, and to preach. We began praying for at least two disciples in every village.

What a wonderful thing Jesus has done for me. He is the one who first loved me, so now I love Him (1 John 4:19). His Word says that whoever comes to Him, He will receive with two hands!

*Salamu Mazadu’s testimony was translated by Perry Priest. Perry and his wife Anne served in Nigeria with Wycliffe through the Nigerian Bible Translation Trust.

*While Perry and Anne were on furlough, they received a letter saying the Jibu had organized the first-ever Christian conference for their language group. People from many villages came, some from areas where there were no believers until a few years ago. There was friendly competition in Scripture memorization and song writing and among choirs from the various villages. Salamu was one of the preachers.


*Story found on Wycliffe website