INNER
FINANCES
SELF
RUNNING AWAY
IS NOT THE OPTION
I am the youngest of nine siblings, but one of
my brothers was jealous of me, so we argued
all the time. I just wanted to get married and
have my own family.
I
met my husband in my teens. We dated and got
engaged, despite the fact we were always arguing
because of jealousy. We got married when I was
22. I had my first son at 23.
I thought I would finally be happy. But things weren’t
a fairy tale. My husband went out a lot, and I stayed
home looking after our son. As time went on and I
had my daughter, there were lots of difficulties, so
I became very sad. We overcame those difficulties
and we had another three children. I held it all
inside, hoping that everything would get better, but
nothing changed. I even thought of death.
My husband and I separated, and I moved
back to my country. That’s when I realised I’d hit
rock bottom. I had five children with
me, and I had to live off people’s
donations. When my children went to
school, I started working and had no
time for them. Then the problems
increased. I became depressed and
was seen by doctors, but nothing worked for me.
An invitation to the UCKG HelpCentre was the start
of something new. I participated in the Wednesday
meetings along with other seminars; I was then
able to overcome my negative feelings. I decided
to take part in a faith-related purpose to repair my
love life. Over time, I was able to reconcile with my
husband. Our marriage is completely different from
what it had been before. We are now united with our
children. I am no longer the same woman — I have
peace and joy, and I am happy within. Today, my
dream has now become a reality.
12
Inês Moniz