One Shoe in Africa: Winston’s Story

By Winston Matafwali, Julie Maschhoff and Jim Hale

As an African child from a very poor family, author Winston Matafwali was struck by polio at the age of two years and was left paralyzed from the hips down. He could not walk at all. For a long time, he was angry and deeply resented what seemed to be an unfair stroke of fate. In One Shoe in Africa, he tells the story of how he struggled as a young person to come to terms with his disability.

He also shares the details of his spiritual journey as a young and immature child of God and how one missing shoe connected him to a lifelong friend who helped him see the hand of God upon his life.

One Shoe in Africa is also a story about how God uses good, bad, and even the ugly situations in our life to show his strength through his plans for us, which we rarely, if ever, understand until we look back many years later.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664255074

Winston Matafwali

Winston Matafwali is the founder and pastor of The Gateway of Hope Church in Zambia. He and his wife have two children. One Shoe in Africa is his first book, written with the guidance of Julie (Hale) Maschhoff and Jim Hale. 

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Copyright © 2022 Winston Matafwali.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author

and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of

the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of

people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New

International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by

Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-5506-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-5508-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-5507-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022901844

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/22/2022

I am proud to

dedicate this book One Shoe in Africa to Mrs.

Gloria Jones, this great, white woman I used to call mother for

the hope, joy, and abundance of love she brought to my life.

I am so saddened she didn’t live to see this book.

Contents

Introduction

Preface

The Story of One Shoe

1.     If Only I Knew

2.     Mothers and Children

3.     I Would Not Have Gone To School

4.     Allow God to Decide

5.     It Is Not What We Think

6.     A Push From Somewhere Else

7.     I Did It

8.     I Let Go of All the Pain and Frustration

9.     I Can Do All Things Through God Who Strengthens Me

10.   My Bible College Times

11.   I Will Insist I Am the One for Whom God Had a Plan

12.   A Few Stories to Share With You

13.   How Our Church Started

14.   Becoming Somebody Who Mattered To God

Conclusion

Introduction

One Shoe in Africa is the story of how I struggled as a young person to come to terms with my disability. As an African child from a very poor family, I was struck by polio at the age of two years and was left paralyzed from the hips down. I could not walk at all.

For a long time, I was angry about this, and I deeply resented what seemed to me an unfair stroke of fate. What a difference it made when I finally accepted myself as a physically challenged person.

This book is also about my spiritual journey as a young and immature child of God, and how one missing shoe connected me to a life-long friend, Gloria Jones, who helped me to see the hand of God upon my life.

My story is also about how God uses good, bad, and even the ugly situations in our life, to show His strength through His plans for us (which we rarely, if ever, understand until we look back many years later.)

Winston Matafwali

Preface

Zambia, Africa

2018

As the plane came to a stop on the tarmac, my heart began racing.

I realized the next few moments would take me on a journey I had dreamed of since I was 10 years old.

Africa…I had made it.

Finally!

My husband looked at me and smiled.

You’ve waited for this for a long time, haven’t you?

Smiling from ear-to-ear I replied, God is so good.

As we departed the plane, I could hardly contain myself. The person my husband and I had grown to love brought us to this continent. We had come to see our African son as he called himself.

I had always had an interest and curiosity about Africa and now, even more importantly, my husband and I would be spending the next few weeks with our dear Winston and his family.

My mind immediately thought of Gloria Jones, who was still in Florida. If our paths had not crossed in this life, this time would never have arrived. Because of her love and support of Winston, Mrs. Jones had prepared a way for this visit to Zambia.

And suddenly, there he was…all smiles. Sitting tall in his wheelchair and holding out his arms to