My story

Choirmaster Iveta Viskupová has worked for long years with young singing talents. She is currently a teacher at the Bratislava Conservatory. Since 2004 she has also worked as a teacher at the European Academy for Culture and Arts in Rotterdam. She cooperates with Continental Singers International (USA) and Continental Singers (Netherlands). They made several European tours together. She cooperated in the performance of several musicals like King David, Krysař, Bambi or the rock opera named Matúš Čák from Trenčín. She is the head of The Hope Gospel Singers and Band and she organizes www.musicministries.sk

The breakdown in my young life of “searcher” was a sort of sudden awakening in one the last round-ups I experienced in a party led by my former boyfriend. Every one of us asks oneself: what is the sense of this life? What should we do for this world, for our family? In other words, why are we here?

I think the first god I worshipped was music. Since I learnt to play my first pieces, I found refuge in music (especially in the following years, when I started to perceive the consequences of my father's alcohol-addiction and all the bad moments that it caused for our family)! Music was something that completely absorbed me. In music I found a place to cry. I found peace that was very often missing in the place I lived! I longed for love. I wanted to be loved. I wanted to reach some goals, to give my life a meaning. I wanted to be the middle of the world.

The group of people I frequented was following a diametrically opposite direction. Still today I cannot understand how I could have that sort of acquaintances and how I could go out with the boss of that party... But I know the meaning of it all!

Bad acquaintances influenced my reputation. And I was very sensitive with regard to reputation! It was the only pillar on which I was building my life! Here it is... my reputation (my name) was compromised. It really hurt me. The entire world around me tumbled down. People called me with defamatory names and confined me to the bottom end of society.

Nobody cared about the fact that I was clean with regard to all aspects of life… I didn’t use drugs, although they were available all around me; I didn’t have a confused sexual life, although people supposed I had, because my boyfriend was a well known play-boy. So I felt like in an impasse.

My mum is a wonderful woman. She never forced me to accept her opinion about God and about the world. She let me take my own way. I did observe the way she lived. I did observe her behaviour, especially toward my father when he was calumniating her. I was stunned by her humbleness, calm, and kindness... Once she told me very directly: "dear daughter, young people have meetings at church. They have something that might interest you." Still today, I don't understand how I could leave my old stuff and obediently march to a building where a little community had meetings in the town where I used to live.

Today, I consider it like a NEVERENDING GRACE! I am so happy it occurred!!!! All the way there it never stopped raining; and I started to cry. I didn't know why... I simply had tears on my face and wanted to be already there... When I was in front of the door I touched the handle in order to open the door. Nevertheless, a sort of mysterious force tried to stop me; I cried so intensely that I was completely trembling. Somebody from inside realised I was sitting outside crying. I felt as though somebody grabbed me by my sleeve and invited me to go inside.

There was a fantastic atmosphere inside there. Nothing extraordinary was taking place, but I felt goodness, love, unbelievable peace and joy! Yes, I said joy!! That really interested me. Young people were speaking about the wonders Jesus did for them. I confess that I didn’t understand anything, but I knew what I needed. THOSE PEOPLE DID HAVE IT!

God’s love embraced me so much that it conquered my entire interior dimension. I decided it was time to try out a different life, under the direction of God. It was the beginning of a new era for me. When I look back at it, I am still amazed... I received the greatest opportunity! I don’t like to vainly glorify or exaggerate things, but I do have to confess this: God is the best thing I have in my life and His grace is a gift. And I was able to take this gift thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus was and He is still the Force that guided me when my legs were broken and I lost hope and faith.

God predestined me and used me in His mission by giving me the power of evangelising through music. He gave me the possibility of touching the life of hundreds and hundreds of young people, by presenting the Gospel in different cities, nations, and continents.

He blessed me in this professional area. Unfortunately, my marriage was a failure. It may happen that one of the two partners decides to follow a different path. The result is failure. It is a very painful defeat. For me it was even tougher, because in my childhood I didn’t feel my father’s love. My father didn’t accept me; and the consequences of his non-acceptation were big uncertainties and complex of inferiority. When the early SOS signals came, I was cut unaware. I didn’t know what to do. God has anything in His hands, even the smallest details of our lives. Despite prayers our marriage relation ended up in divorce. I remained alone and still today I am alone. I do have my fulfilment in the LOVE OF GOD and in the CONSCIOUSNESS THAT I HAVE MY OWN PLACE in God’s plan of salvation. This helps me move ahead. God can use my life the way He wants. I am at HIS disposal.

I love Him and I want this to remain like that.