On Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 6:30 p.m. in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center, Nick Vujicic will come to the University of Tennessee at Martin to speak on “The Incredible Power of Faith in Action.”
Born in Melbourne, Australia, without limbs, Nick Vujicic has a powerful story.
“Obviously, I know I had no limbs, but I didn’t think it was such a big deal until I actually went to school,” Vujicic said. “[I] got bullied and teased or went to public places and people would stare at me and laugh at me.”
It was in those moments that Vujicic questioned why he was without limbs, especially since his brother and sister were born without a disability.
Vujicic struggled thinking about the future. He expected to be bullied the rest of his life, never get married, and not be able to experience fun and fulfilment. At age 8, he began to feel bitterness towards God. For years, he struggled with his purpose on Earth and even attempted to take his own life at age 10.
“Even though I had many broken pieces, I realized that I loved my parents more than I hated my pain,” Vujicic said. “They did nothing but persistently love on me.”
At age 15, Vujicic read John 9 from the Bible, the story of the blind man. In the chapter, Jesus performs a miracle and gives a blind man his sight.
“What changed me was the faith of the blind man,” Vujicic said. “I realized that my biggest disability was the disability within; not the outside, physical disability, but first and foremost, my heart was broken.”
Vujicic explained that God could use him the way he is now, without limbs. He gained confidence in school and became a leader. A janitor saw Vujicic practicing a speech at school, and he encouraged him to become a speaker and share his story. Because of the janitor’s encouragement, he has gone on to speak in 89 countries, give 3,500 speeches, lead 1.5 million people to give their lives to Jesus and share the gospel with 996 million people in the last 20 years.
“I want everyone to understand that there is hope. Take one day at a time. Count your blessings,” said Vujicic. “If God can use a man without arms and legs to be his hands and feet, then God can use any willing heart.”
Vujicic’s upcoming appearance is sponsored by the Bill and Carol Latimer Charitable Foundation. To Bill Latimer, Vujicic’s visit to UT Martin is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for both students and the community.
“I have lived in West Tennessee all of my life, and I thought it would be wonderful and great if we could get someone like Nick to come here,” said Latimer. “Normally he goes and talks to a crowd of 20,000, 30,000, so I hope that we can fill up the Elam Center over there. That is my goal and prayer too, because when you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you need to take it.”
Since first meeting Vujicic at a meeting in Nashville, Latimer believes that he is “the real deal”.
“God appoints people, and he anoints a few,” said Latimer. “In my humble opinion, he has been anointed by God to spread the gospel, and his mission is to speak directly, not to Zoom or TV or anything, but to speak directly to one 1,000,000,000 people in his life.”
Along with hearing Vujicic’s testimony, Latimer hopes attendees walk away from the event both empowered and inspired.
“I want people to realize that you should not let any handicap stand in the way of what you want to do,” said Latimer.
Vujicic’s visit also aligns with the release of his upcoming documentary, titled “No Limbs No Limits: The NickV Story”, which is scheduled for theatrical release on Sept. 25, four days before the event.
Latimer is confident that Vujicic’s story will impact attendees for years to come.
“I have heard lots of speakers in my life,” said Latimer. “I am 88 now, and most of them, after five to 10 years, you forget the words and what they said. I would guarantee you, if someone sees him, they will remember him the rest of their lives.”
