[LIFE WITHOUT LIMBS]
[MUSIC AND PICTURES OF PLACES]
[SINGER] Laughter is the only thing that'll keep you sane
in this world that's crying more and more everyday. Don't let evil get you down
in this madness spinning round and round.
I want you to live forever underneath the sky so blue.
[NICK] The world is a hurting place, and the world needs hope and the world needs love.
My parents always taught me that even though we don't know why I was born this way, that we have a choice,
either to be angry for what we don't have, or to be thankful for what we do have.
I'm here in Slovenia. I'm so amazed. The trains here are so, so fast. Did you see that one?
That's what I'm saying, it's so fast.
[STEVEN] I was overcome with emotion, watching a young man of 24 years of age, being born without arms or legs,
how he overcame insurmountable obstacles to live a life of complete joy.
He lives in a body without limbs, and yet he's extremely happy.
[GIRL] He had, like, the hardest life we cannot even imagine, and our problems seem like nothing compared to his problems.
[GUY] I think it's just really encouraging for
people to see a man who is limited by his body, when they have full capability.
[STEVEN] Nick's coming to Slovenia would mean for us, trying to expose his message to the widest number of Slovenes.
[GUY] Nick Vujicic is a good example for our country, for our people.
[GIRL] I was amazed for him coming here.
[JOSH] We looked long term at what's going to really change this country. We think the message
of the Gospel that Nick brought is one that changes lives.
[STEVEN] His relationship with God, which was the source of his power to overcome, and the help which
God has provided for him throughout his life, is the message that we wanted to bring also to our country.
[GIRL] And I really love his strength and the way
that he actually put that in front of the people is just amazing.
[YOUTH CHOIR SINGING]
[CLAPPING AS NICK ARRIVES IN VARIOUS VENUES]
[NARRATOR] Slovenia has the fourteenth smallest evangelical population in the world.
[GIRL] It's hard to be a Christian because people
don't like churches around here. They don't like God.
[NARRATOR] One of the things that Nick can do really well is, he can open the door to the conversation.
[GUY] Just about everybody's heard of Nick. Last year, there were over 18,000 people who
heard the Gospel in my country, and I think that was one of the largest crowds in the last couple of centuries.
[STEVEN] Nick has a Serbian background, and so he's kind of what Slovenians would say domácí. He's kind of "home boy."
[GUY] He's a Serbian guy. He's our brother.
It's not just another foreigner. He's connected to the country.
[STEVEN] I knew that he was a man who was acquainted with pain,
acquainted with obstacles that seemed almost unbearable.
[NICK] I couldn't see hope because I had fear. Fear of what my life was going to look like.
[GUY] I think a lot of people need motivation and a lot of people are in despair and financial
crisis and have difficulties in their lives.
[NARRATOR] For many, many years, we were an isolated country. We had a couple civil wars.
People lost hope.
[GIRL] I really think that he is going to be a big
inspiration for a lot of people that doesn't have hope.
[STEVEN] And it was something that was definitely historical for the church, because of how many people
listened to Nick's message and received seeds of life in their hearts that we as the
church will be reaping for years to come.
[Todd] Most of the tickets for our events were sold within 24 hours to 48 hours before the event itself.
There was really a firestorm of interest in Nick.
[GIRL] I was so excited, I actually ditched school to come here today.
[SAMUILO] We raised about, around 40,000 dollars, and
all money we gave about to the 14 or 15 humanitarian organizations working with the children and
with the people with disabilities.
[TODD] There was incredible media involvement and
people were just sharing, you know, Facebook links and emails. "You've gotta go see this guy!"
[NARRATOR] 14,960 people that had bought tickets.
[GIRL] I actually involved a lot of people, and I was telling them through Facebook and other
kind of networks that he's coming here, he was like, AWESOME!
[ANDREJ] By my knowledge, about 80% of Croatian people heard about Nick's visit and his message.
[NICK] I wish my grandparents were here. They'd be so proud. They'd be so proud.
[NICKPREPARINGTOGOONSTAGE]
[CLAPPING]
[NICK It is so beautiful to be here in Serbia for the second time.
It's an honor to meet you and shake your hand.
I want to tell you tonight my story.
[GIRL] He just also does practical jokes. He's not like, just like a stern person. He likes to joke around and stuff, which I think is really cool.
This kid came up to me and he said, "What happened?"
And I said, "Cigarettes!" And he's never gonna smoke.
...and it was very difficult to believe that I could have a good life.
My mom, who was a nurse when she gave birth to me. They had ultrasounds done, but they
never checked to make sure I had arms and legs.
I'm not gonna get a job. I'm not gonna get married.
Can't even hold your wife's hand. What kind of father are you gonna be, if you can't
even pick up your kids when they're crying? How can I provide if I can't even look after myself?
You're not good enough. Nick, you look weird.
Nick, just give up. When I was 8 years old, I told my mom that
I was going to commit suicide. And at age 10, I tried to drown myself in
15 centimeters of water. Why? Because of bullying, and second, being a burden to my parents.
And thirdly? Having nothing to look forward to.
I prayed for arms and legs. Cause if I had arms and legs, then I'd be happy, right?
The only thing that stopped me from committing suicide was the love of my parents.
My faith in God is the reason why I've actually found that strength and that joy.
The fear of being alone is worse than having no limbs.
[INTERVIEWER] You asked two questions at the school. How many of them thought of committing suicide?
Do you trust me? Put your hand up in the air. Just one hand.
85%. So high. Let me ask you one more question.
Put your hand in a fist if you've actually tried to commit suicide. Open up your hand. OK.
[INTERVIEWER] Why do you think that it's so high here compared to what you see normally?
Because of depression, and no opportunities. Up to 95% of the next generation I've seen
say that they've actually thought of giving up. And up to 15% had tried.
You don't know what can come from your broken pieces until you give God your broken pieces.
[STEVEN] We felt that Nick was an evangelist not for a church, not for a denomination, but we recognized
there was a calling on his life that he is an evangelist for the church.
[OBSERVER] I have never, in my entire life seen this kind of openness in the country.
[GIRL] Nick's coming here just opened, I don't know, opened everybody's eyes.
[GUY] I saw many people in Saba Center crying, thinking about life.
[STEVEN] And it was our desire that we would work together to be able to present
God's message through Nick to our nation, and the results have been incredible.
[NICK] Everybody's different, but what we do want to push for is more and more integration and
awareness here in this nation.
I want you to know that He loved me and gave me this smile.
[OBSERVER] This gave them new confidence, new vision. It gave them new boldness to share Christ.
[STEVEN] There's a positive association with the
Gospel because there's a respect for a man without arms and legs who loves life more than them.
[NICK] If you haven't found something worth dying for,
you haven't found something worth living for.
[STEVEN] Nick says that our obstacles are not outside of us, but they're inside of us. When he
realized that arms and legs wouldn't guarantee him a happy life, that to find happiness he
would need to look for it somewhere else, and he found it in reconciliation and a relationship with Jesus Christ.
[NICK] Who you are is who you are and there is not
another you. There is not another me, and it's ok for me not be like somebody else
because I am who I am and you are who you are.
[NICK INTENTIONALLY FALLS OVER ON THE TABLE.]
It looks impossible for a man without arms and legs to get back up.
I will know the truth of my value. What does that mean?
There will be love.
In our life, and in our heart God will not give up on you.
God heals the soul.
[NICK USES HIS HEAD TO GET UP!]
[CLAPPING]
You can do it!
You have arms and legs! You're not happy every day! And we think there are things that
if they just were different, then everything would be fine for the rest of our lives.
Do your best. Move forward. Take one day at a time.
The truth of knowing who you are and why you're here.
William Barclay, he said, "The greatest two days in anyone's life: the day you were born, and the day you knew why."
Take one day at a time. Dream big. And never give up.
People come up and hug me sometimes and say, "Thank you, you know you really changed my life.
You change my perspective," and that very much inspires me and motivates me.
[GUY] I think it's very encouraging for people to see who he is and what he does despite his disablities.
[NICK] If God has a plan for Nick, then God has a plan for me.
[NICK] I don't know anybody right now on this planet
who is better equipped, particularly in this region of the world, with a capacity, with
a mantle to be able to bring God's message to such a wide group of people.
[SAMOLI] We had a few meetings with a few important people who are national figures in our country
who have seen Nick and who endorsed Nick's events.
[NICK] Thank you so much for everything. [STEVEN] No, thank you.
[NICK] Your being here really made all the difference. [STEVEN] Because you've never had an appearance in
Serbia before, so we tried in any way to get the people to come and watch you and listen
to you because you have such an inspirational story.
[GUY] We saw Nick. We saw his life, his example. We must change our perspective of our life.
We must trust each other. We must love each other.
[NICK] I'm gonna do something that you're gonna think why. I know the four people I want to hug.
You, yes I want to hug you. Up the back, about...
[INTERVIEWER] Did you notice something in the crowd, or you knew them prior?
[NICK] No no no, I noticed in the crowd.
Put your hand up if you have the Nike... that's you and your friend.
They were sort of, like, very subtly teasing what I was saying.
And that's what most troublemakers do. You know, they're always wanting to....
They always want to be the center of attention, so I called them out.
I want to give you a big hug. I love you so much.
.[CLAPPING AS THESE GUYS COME ON STAGE]
You had the first kid in tears. That was amazing. The first guy. And he was the chief, man
But the fact that he just let it out.
That's changed the school forever. That's the biggest thing that that school now is
going to remember: love. No matter how bold I was preaching at this public school,
no one is going to say anything negative about it. Not one person. Because the greatest thing
they heard at the end and seeing the power of it was having those people who probably
are the biggest troublemakers in the school cry. They've never cried in public! Ever!
[CLAPPING]
[SINGER AS PICTURES OF PEOPLE SMILING GO BY] Oh, yeah, I want you to live forever underneath the sky so blue
Oh, yeah, I want you to live forever underneath the sky so blue
[NICK] The truth of knowing who you are and why you're here:
the greatest two days in anyone's life! The day you were born, and the day you knew why.
[NICK SMILING]
[YOUR DONATIONS MAKE IT POSSIBLE.] [LIFE WITHOUT LIMBS]
[DIRECTED BY JENS JACOB]
[MUSIC]
[EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY LYDIA HARANGOZO-VUJICIC]
[DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY PETER BORRUD]
[PROD COORDINATOR DAVID GAVRILOVIC]
[MUSIC WITH OTHER CREDITS]