In a series of podcasts produced by the South France Conference, called Inspiring Stories (Histoires Inspirantes) Paulette Abati opens up to tell her life story. Born in Guadeloupe, she met her future husband, Joel Abati, during her studies in Paris. Joel Abati became one of the most successful handball players in the world. He became world champion with the French national team in 2001, European champion in 2006 and won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games. He became world champion again with France in 2009. Thus, as the wife of a great sportsman, she led an exciting life with lots of travel opportunities, meeting heads of state and enjoying what she could call a “golden life”.
When the family moved to Montpellier, they settled down and built a house, but one night the house burned down and Paulette lost everything. The traumatized family was saved physically unharmed and found refuge at a neighbor’s house. Paulette looks back at the good times, but she has also realized that you have to think about things. The verse that she closes the interview with is from Ecclesiastes7:14 NIV: “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.”
Paulette Abati is the Women’s Ministries Director for the Franco-Belgian Union.
Watch the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAsNGq15szw
Inspiring Stories
Meet Paulette Abati