Nick and Boris Vujicic Interview Each Other About Nick's Childhood

I'm speaking here with my father Barras for a church dad it's been years and years that I've been telling you to write a book write a book try writing a book it's been three and a half years four years saying dad buy the book and he said well why and I said well there will be other families I'm sure we'll be really encouraged and so tell us in in a short way first of all the title of the book well the title of the book is raising the perfectly imperfect child and it's kind of intriguing title because it's talking about the perfection and imperfection and whatever we turn to be and whatever we define perfection and imperfection is really a very broad and general and subjective thought so in this case yeah looking at you we would consider you being an imperfect child physically by not having the limbs on the other hand with your resilience that you're showing in your life - God has given you and bless you with you are really the most really really a perfect example of what one can do and achieve and be happy despite of all the difficulties so this is what the intriguing title is all about and I think it is intended the book itself is intended really to it through my experience and mom's experience in our raising you with a child being because of special needs there is a lot of people that special needs a lot of parents and the individuals who might be struggling with things they'll give them really hope to give them encouragement that that what we experience this very moment is only temporary and we may well be able to overcome that just like muscle building and then that has not become to be a challenge in the next moment so we can grow we can develop and we can persevere and we can certainly over amazing obstacles in our lives that's really what I'm tending to do with this for parents in general as well as for the parents and individuals who are looking for people with special disabilities or special needs so dad I hear that you've actually got a couple questions for me well indeed I do have a couple questions for you go ahead one of them is do you really think that we have pushed you too hard to to do things or achieve things when we had on you so to speak you know what I am so thankful looking back especially when when I saw my firstborn Kiyoshi being born right and the first thing first couple lines in my head were like how did my parents do this I mean my son has arms and legs I can't imagine you know not even knowing what I really could achieve well how hard do we push him how much do we let him fail at doing something before he tries to get that toy you know from that shelf or whatever I'm very thankful that even though I was complaining at the time when you push me very hard in mathematics that one thing I do know and I loved it how you didn't treat me differently from you know my siblings and we all had our chores and I did what I could and we all had pocket money and you didn't buy us everything that we asked you to we had money to buy it ourselves and you helps us too you helped us to set goals and and so I love everything that you've done and I'm just so thankful for you and mom that it's been such a huge encouragement especially when you're not always depressed at school and obviously not being able to do what everyone else easily did but I'm so thankful looking back that you did give us the discipline to be thankful for what we really had and to really do our best that's really all you asked us to ever do you actually never said this is what you need to get debt that's the goal that you really need to have you know if I go to be in math or if I go to a in math you're happy if I get a C in math you like hey what's going on but any other subject a long as I did my best Nate did you do your best I'll never forget that and that was something for me to reflect that you know that's all my dad wants and that's what makes him proud and as long as we do the best I'll never forget you and mum always said do your best and God does the rest so that's a really good st. really good saying would you say that's the best advice we gave you yeah I think the best advice that you gave us as kids but especially me in my downtime I'll never forget that night after attempting suicide at age 10 and I told my brother Aaron it's all there that you know and obviously it's in the book that I'm gonna you know kill myself you know I think I told him at age 21 or later on he says feted I'm telling dad and I'm like no no no you came in you said you know what's wrong and you know was in my bed and I was crying and I didn't know what to say I was ashamed of it but I just felt so like I was at the end of my road and hope and I'll never forget you stroking my hair and encouraging me you know we love you don't worry about what other people say about you God has a plan for you you're special you're beautiful and it just gave me that reassurance I needed from you and that was the father-son moment I'll never ever forget so I'm so thankful for all of that I think the faith the faith in God even though I did not understand how a loving God could could be loving yet let me stay in this state of suffering and loneliness and pain I also though I remember no matter what happened at school I could always come home to a home of Refuge and I think a lot of kids don't ever get that and that to me is one of the most important things more than academics more than resources more than being independent it's really knowing that I'm loved and that to me is the greatest thing that I ever received from your mom so that's right and I agree now that your parent to remember being a parent as you've touched on things that we're talking about it and that is what I'm actually saying in the book as well it's really a tightrope to to walk yeah to know the child to understand the child to help the child and so on will never be perfect as a parent I'm sure it wasn't perfect right we're not none of us a good let me turn to be perfect actually imperfection however we do try to do our best and we as parents make a lot of mistakes as well and you learn through experiences by the same time going through old hours we do it as long as we do it with the real love and compassion to build you up that is really what is important we as parents as the persevere as much as our child needs to learn to persevere as well so it's a it's a working together to team that team worth amen and amen to that to everything that every good gift and blessing that we're talking about god is so good and to glorify His name just in case some people might be wondering what was the most proud if you will moment of your life so far in your fatherhood with with me being your son if you will they I know we have some questions from the crowd and that was definitely one of the questions that we got yes the the highlight was really when we went to Vietnam in 2014 and having those 30,000 plus in the stadium mostly young people and we're you invited to be the special guest as a as an icon a role model to the Vietnamese youth who showed resilience and an amazing strength in overcoming their challenges in their lives of disabilities kinds of things I think to me that was real highlight that you have become a leader in some aspects and internationally influential person that God has turned out your disability to be used as an powerful force to motivate not only those with disabilities but well hold or yeah praise God and I'm thankful for that and that's really I say to myself if I imagine myself being the way you are and seeing you the way you are demonstrating that courage and faith and all of that it certainly I can't say you have surpassed me I can't say that that would be able to do it I remember you saying at one of your speeches if I was given the choice of having arms and legs would I take that or rather have the impact on people you said I'd rather keep the impact from people they think that I don't think I can say that well I don't think he and we have some of these discussions you know behind camera and I over the years I've told you and mom I really feel that you haven't even seen the scratch of of the tip of the iceberg of just the impact to all the parents aren't it yes God uses the instrument of our ministry where I'm going and speaking through life without limbs but really when I saw you up there in Vietnam tb2 literally 90% of all Vietnamese people at the same time as they were asking you questions you know how did you overcome it you know that was just such a beautiful full circle for me and every time we meet families who are struggling we know that it's all about the one and so we are I'm rejoicing with you I really am it's all it's all God and I'm just thankful that your books done because this is going to go on and on and on and on and go into many many languages to really help even the developing countries we're still as we know integration of people with special needs in society isn't as advanced and so I'm excited to see your book in multiple languages worldwide I'm really really excited so dad I want to ask you seriously what what right now would be the two or three best pieces of advice that you can give me to be the best father that I can be to my kids and anybody else is a father out there what's what's Boris's advice to to being a father I think you will agree if I say to love your children love is the greatest treasure the greatest gift you can give be there for them give yourself in time to them and it is all expressed in your love don't use toys and money and everything else and nannies and whatever to take your place so that is the first thing and foremost the second thing that I would say in your case you have a lot of resources that is I think that what you can do now is be really using your own experiences and challenges and difficulties in life that you have also courage and experiences that you how you have overcome those difficult as you can share those experiences with them when they go through their balance and difficulties you can say yes I understand that been through this or if you think this is a problem how about me and you know I've related some of these things to you in my childhood as I grew up because we were not well-off and I said you don't know what it feels like what it means not to have until really you went to Africa and then you felt like a king in contrast to those people there that you were really wealthy and most of us in the Western society and developed countries do enjoy plentiful and we don't really appreciate it oftentimes what we have so this is something that you can share with them to learn to appreciate life to appreciate what I have including their body and makeup often teenagers as you share as you have gone through that and all children go through we don't like the way you look we don't like this and we don't like that about us we always want to be different and so on but really accepting ourselves is the most important thing and that is something that you will be I believe able to command Apple in a way to really share with your children and come across very strong that will be important for them to build them up to be solid children my grandchildren amen look I I have to say you know there's a lot of what you said that really brings back some favorite memories of mine in my childhood that you had three jobs at one stage voluntarily starting and planting a church 11 months before I was born counseling everyone from A to C seven days a week you were gone but at the same time seven days a week we knew we felt like you were there you always mean time with us you check on our homework you you know you you got me to think differently that okay Nick you can't run like everyone else but you can be good at maths and he's a piano and you know let's encourage that sing together and let's go in the sandpit let's go outside and play soccer and go fishing and all these things I I want to say when when when you say you love your kids be there for them I heard once a saying that when a Twinner when the father really indeed loves his child but can't be there 100 percent of the time that the quality of that time and attention care and undivided attention is given that the child doesn't really remember how many hours of the day dad was not there but cherish what hours they do have together exactly and so that's the beautiful thing and I many memories of fishing all my life and catching these little fish and just having fun and going out there and and and sharing passions and different things and and I and I do thank God that you did come from the background of of not much at all you were quite modest on that you came from quite a poor family and and came in as as migrants as a fifteen-year-old to Australia from former Yugoslavia back in the 1960s 70s in 1970 I thought Oh 69 but in 70 yeah and late 60s and and you know I've never seen hard-working people than my mum and dad never and I remember when I was 13 years old that season whilst watching TV quite a like get off come on you lazy bum go through some though I can't stop and so I I really I really know that Kiyoshi and day on because of the legacy of you and mum have given us those disciplines and values and really have brought us up in a great way to love God yes and to hold family number two that's what you're saying yeah leading by example is very important parents telling someone then are all telling kids you know to do this and that when they themselves don't so we all need to be if we want children that are comfortable responsible and whatever I have to be I have to show it in that regard to really have an impact so that's how it goes in life in general if you want to really have a successful so I believe that you have that quality built in within you and I believe they will be able to transfer an evening plan some of these things very much into your own children that I believe they will be able to develop an excel and actually one important thing as well as a parent is to look at the child and look at their gifts they have strengths and build them up and that is really important to build those talents that they have and which is what you're doing right now as we speak with Kiyoshi seeing that he's got a talent of music and give him music yeah and you're trying to develop nothing guys a definite positive thing to do I really want to just ask you as a final question what was to you I guess the the greatest memory that you've had so far with family what what's your highlight where you would say that was my happiest father moment if you will as a family here just as a last question what was the highlight of greatest family member you have well in raising you the the peak or the highlight really was should I say first the highlight was when you were getting married marrying this beautiful woman your wife how darling look and I the it was very emotional time for all of us as a family as you recall with the wedding ceremony and celebration that we had together as a family we shared to me that was a time as I shared then I still say the same that it is something that I did not the visitor could not see her from the date that you were born with but then may I say that the crowning of it all was when Kyoshi was born as as a grandson and your child that you have actually become a father yourself which was you also desire in your life as much as getting married and your own family that actually has come to fruition I bought from everything else of God is bless you rib that is really a high level I've seen that God has blessed you rather than now you have two children and I'm very blessed to be a grandfather praise God I would I have to say a lot of people come up to me you say wow your parents are amazing and I said they are and every time I mention that to you I know exactly word for word what you and mum say yo say we're not amazing God's amazing we just did what any other parent would have done knowing God and loving that child yes and did so dad I want to say I love you I'm so proud of you proud to call you my father I've learned so much from you legacy of change in our bloodline Kiyoshi is children key oh she's grandchildren to love God love family and know that we're not perfect but together we're better and we know that God loves a song he has a perfect plan in how he even brings beautiful miracles out of broken pieces sometimes so that we love you we're praying for you we also know that you have been told by doctors that you have pancreatic cancer which typically is a quite a quite an aggressive cancer but you look good and and we know that we're praying for you and I know many people are praying for you and if you don't mind just if you want to look into that camera and and just thank them all and and for their prayers that would be I'm sure a beautiful thing for that and talk about that and how that's sort of change a little bit of your perspective of your life as well well it's certainly your birth was a shock as you know and as I was writing the book and going back through these 30-plus years back in my memory as I was writing it as I have actually finished the draft I recall very well last year in August as I just finished the first draft that is a thought I was just diagnosed with the stage four cancers you know there is a bit of a division video oncologists of the opinion one being pancreatic Devon being a liver but either way it's a Stage four and either one is Pleasant and promising so but I'm still here today in 2016 again thanks God because I didn't think that going to the diagnosis and forecast though organizers given at the time I was given one or two months really so I'm very blessed to be and I've had a chance to see how my children my family and all that is I believe because of God and a lot of people praying if they want to thank from publishers on was that everybody's being praying all around the world and I believe that that is the reason I'm still here I know people have differences of opinion but I think that God is sovereign and he has a plan for me yet to be here and I look good am I saying I feel pretty good in contrast to what normally one would expect well we love you dad we're praying for a long life for you thank you and energy and strength and endurance and I know that that there's going to be many letters of encouragement coming to you and emails about how the book has really helped them in their family and I just want to encourage you that if you know of a family who has a child with a disability or maybe your own family needs some encouragement through different challenges and the walk of life that you're in the season that you're in please PLEASE pre-order right now please go online find a bookstore and get a copy for you and your family read it as husband and wife especially a tool like this that that really is a tool of encouragement a tool a book that really you I had the opportunity to read on you and mum didn't never really knew if many other parents at all with the circumstance like this and this is why I know this book is really going to help you and your family and even your parents in group counseling whatever it is we know this book is going to encourage you and that's the only reason why it's being shared and published because we know it's going to impact lives so dad thank you so much for sharing your story sharing your heart and sharing what the Holy Spirit's put on you through this book and may that book in this piece touch millions of lives forever and ever you

Channel: WaterBrook & Multnomah

Views: 91,350

Keywords: Nick Vujicic, Boris Vujicic, raising the perfectly imperfect child, life without limbs, father, son, special needs, raising kids with special needs

Id: OOzkpTpHzgw

Length: 24min 11sec (1451 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 05 2016