Atupele (Anna) Simenti is a first-year international student with a contagious smile and a resilient spirit. One of her favorite things to do is praise God with her voice in song as part of the Concert Choir at Bethel. She has aspirations of working in public relations one day. But there was a time not too long ago when she became bedridden, unable to move or speak, and thought her life was over. The only thing she could do was pray. And miraculously, over time, God healed her. Now, she is adamant about sharing her testimony with others to bring glory to God.
Her medical issues first began in 2019 with severe pains in her leg, followed by swelling. She went to the hospital near her home in Malawi, Africa, and the doctors initially just treated her pain. As her condition worsened, she went for more testing, including x-rays and specialist exams and she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This progressed to cause inflammation and pain in every joint in her body, up to her jaw.
“I was studying journalism and media studies [at a local university] at the time, but I began looking for a job,” she says. “I could not walk, and the doctors said I would be like this for the rest of my life.”
She enrolled in a government teacher’s training college far from home and lived on campus. It was difficult for her to function in her condition without a family member around, but she was able to get through two years of schooling and obtain her teaching certificate in March of 2023 with the help of fellow students and professors.
However, in April of that same year, her condition began to worsen again. Now, not only was she experiencing pain and inflammation in nearly all of her joints, but she began to experience intense pain in her head, numbness in her legs and episodes of falling. Her parents brought her to the hospital but even with medication, there was no change. Because a CT scan was too expensive for her family, doctors advised them to take her home – there was nothing more they could do.
“My parents tried to raise the money but there was not enough. There was no hope. The only thing we could do was take me to prayer meetings and pray,” Anna says.
As Anna’s condition continued to worsen neurologically, she began to lose her speech.
“There was something I loved to do that helped me hold on to hope. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t talk. But I could sing,” she says.
At her most desperate point, she was certain she would die. She began to have heart and breathing problems and even lost her ability to produce sound.
“The only hope I had left in me was God. When I was alone, I would spend my time in prayer, listening to Gospel music.”
Eventually, Anna’s brain began to wake up and she started to be able to string a few words together. With more prayers, she saw a miracle – she was able to speak, sing along with a song and eventually even walk again.
Over the course of several months, she felt like she got her life back and even began applying for jobs. She continued to be persistent in prayer and Bible study. When she went back to the hospital for exams, her arthritis was still there, but the neurologic symptoms had gone away.
“I saw the hand of God working miraculously in my life. Ever since this miracle happened, I promised God I would not keep silent,” she says about sharing her testimony.
Though Anna still depends on steroids and pain medication to manage her arthritis, she is enterally grateful for the neurological healing she received.
As she began to think about what she would do with her new lease on life, she considered coming to the United States to study at Bethel, where her uncle, Milton Mwalweni received his associate degree in Christian ministry and is working toward his bachelor’s degree.
Being an international student, she is not eligible for federal aid other students receive. So, Anna depends on the generosity of donors for a partial scholarship, and a sponsor for the rest. She is studying hard and working in the dining commons to help make ends meet. If she graduates, she will be the first in her immediate family with a college degree.
“It means so much to me to have a scholarship,” she says. “Everything [donors] give impacts students like me. When you give, you are making a big impact on students’ lives.”
She hopes to one day work in public relations, so she can use her restored voice to be a bridge and a mouthpiece for people.
“I believe God restored me for this purpose,” she says. “God promised to make me a living testimony. That’s why I promised to not keep silent but tell the whole world of the goodness of God upon my life.”