Grief, Grace and Hope: The Autobiography of Pakisa K. Tshimika

Overcoming nearly insurmountable physical disabilities, as well as personal tragedies that would derail the lives of many people, Pakisa Tshimika has experienced a life that has both inspired and been inspired by countless others along the way.

After starting on a lengthy recovery following a devastating automobile accident, Tshimika has endured family tragedies and the deaths of many friends and relatives. Yet through it all, he pursued a life of faith and unstinting service to others. His life has become a means to overcoming one obstacle after another.

• Having grown up in a remote corner of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tshimika gained a college scholarship that allowed him to come to the United States, where he soon became a standout on the soccer field.
• Just as his future seemed assured, he saw his dreams all but destroyed by the accident that nearly claimed his life.
• Despite his severe disabilities and being told he would never walk again, he pursued a Ph.D. in public health, hoping to help alleviate the suffering of the people of Congo.
• Today, Tshimika devotes boundless energy to helping the Congolese and others in need, working and living in the United States and extending his friendship and service to people around the world.

From his birth and childhood in Congo to his new life in the United States and abroad, Pakisa Tshimika continues to be an inspiration to all who encounter him. Though his story is filled with grief and tragedy, it is suffused with an unfailing grace and hope.