The Family in Action!--#9 DFO
A WHEELCHAIR MISSIONARY!
Stories of Faith and Miracles from Michael, Australia
Copyrighted March 1995 by Family Services, Zurich, Switzerland
This magazine may be reproduced in full or in part for friends of The Family
In his testimony published earlier (see "Where There's a Will, There's a Way--With God's Help!", [T7-T7d]), Michael relates how he received the Lord after a diving accident in which his neck was broken and he was paralyzed. Learning to cope with life as a handicapped person, he was also suffering from a dependence on alcohol. In desperation he reached out to Jesus. As a result, he was delivered from drugs and alcoholism, as well as from smoking, a bad temper, nightmares, and a negative attitude toward life. He began a new life of joy and happiness.
A short time after he received Jesus, Michael met Family members Juan and Ina, who taught him and his brother Simon more about the Lord, His Word, and how to share His message of love with others. Simon eventually joined the Family full-time, while Michael, who only has the partial use of some of his body, has continued to be a witness wherever he can. His is a wonderful testimony of someone who has not let great handicaps stop him from living for the Lord and bringing others to Him--an example to us all!
In the following article, he relates more of his experiences, as well as recent exciting changes in his life.
By Michael, Canberra, Australia
After a diving accident at a local river which left me a quadriplegic, I spent 11 months in a spinal unit and then moved back to my parents' place. By this time, I had done quite a bit of physiotherapy and was able to stay at home by myself while my parents went to work.
In the mornings, the district nurse would come and help me to get washed, dressed and into my wheelchair. My mother would then prepare my breakfast, and after cleaning up, my parents would both be off to work. My father would return during his lunch break to fix us both lunch and spend some time with me, God bless him.
Home Alone -- God Helps!
Occasionally, as I had done this particular day, I would ask him to help me out of my wheelchair and into an armchair for the rest of the afternoon, until he and my mother returned about 5:00 p.m. He would set up a table beside me with a jug of water and books, including my Bible, which I had only recently obtained. The phone would be positioned on another table in front of me, so that I could get the receiver by stretching out my arm, hooking my fingers in the phone cord, and then pulling it over onto my lap.
I looked forward to this time of the day, as it was very quiet and still. I really enjoyed being able to gather my thoughts, read, and pray.
I was all set and my father said good-bye as he closed the back door. I had only just rested back into the chair when suddenly my thoughts were jolted by the ring of the phone. In my clumsy manner I got the receiver to my ear. It was my mother.
We hadn't been talking long, but I was leaning forward in a very uncomfortable position and couldn't adjust myself while holding the phone. So I told my mother that I'd ring her back or talk with her when she got home.
I reached forward, and then dropped the receiver as I lost my balance and slipped over the arm of the chair. Not having much use of most of my back and stomach muscles, I tried to use what little strength I had in my arms to straighten up and to regain my balance. But I fell further to the side and was now arched over the edge of the wooden arm, which was digging right into my ribcage.
I thought about calling out, but the neighbors on our right side were both at work. Anna, who lived on the other side, was completely deaf.
Then the idea came that if I could just stretch far enough I might be able to hit the zero button three times for the emergency number and I could call out my address. It was worth a try, so I swung my arm towards the phone and hit a button, once, twice, but the third time I missed. I slipped even further over the chair with a horrible sound as my ribs grated with most of my weight across the edge of the arm.
My head was now just about touching the ground, and I knew if I tried to move I would just end up in a worse position. Though I could not feel pain in most of my body, I could still feel a very uncomfortable sensation from my ribs. This area of my body is quite unprotected due to a lot of muscle wastage, and I was starting to get concerned.
The blood had started to rush to my head, and I was feeling quite faint and sick. I knew that there was no way that I could stay in that position for three to four hours before my parents would get home from work, and I was sure I'd done some damage.
I knew there was nothing else I could do, so I started to call out loud to the Lord: "God help me! Please, Lord, let someone come! Let someone hear!--Anyone! Jesus! Jesus, help!"
Then I stopped, as in between my pleas, my ears picked up a very faint voice: "Hello, hello...who's there?"
I was startled! As I listened to the faint voice, I could tell it was definitely not from outside, but very close. Then my eyes fell on the receiver hanging in the air from the table.
My heart was pounding with excitement and relief. I called out, "I'm a handicapped person and I've had an accident. Can you please call an ambulance or taxi?"
After I gave my address, the thought flashed through my mind: "How long are they going to take?" I was starting to feel a lot worse.
Then I heard the faint voice again: "Michael, is that you? Is it you, Michael?"
"Yes!" I called out, somewhat puzzled.
Again I heard the voice: "It's Peter! I'll be over in a sec! Just hold on and don't worry!" Still quite puzzled, I was relieved to know that help was on its way. It wouldn't be that long, as Peter, a close friend of our family, lived only a few streets away.
I started praising the Lord with a great awareness of His presence: "Thank You, God! Thank You, Jesus! Praise You!"
I heard Peter at the back door. "Come in, Peter! In here!" In no time Peter had me sitting upright. Then very curiously I asked Peter how he had ended up on the phone line. He said that he had to take his wife to an appointment at the local hospital, but a few things had come up that had delayed them. As they were hurrying out, they heard the phone. Peter had run back, unlocked the door and dashed to the phone. After asking who was there and listening intently to the distant muffled voice on the other end, he caught the word "handicapped" and realized who it was. Praise the Lord!
Peter straightened me up some more and stuffed a pillow between me and the arm of the chair so it would be just about impossible for me to go over the side again. Then he apologized that he had to leave, and dashed out the door to take his wife to her appointment at the hospital.
I then rang the doctor and told him what had happened. I still had a very uncomfortable feeling around my left ribcage area. He said he had some time between patients and would be over soon. I again started to praise the Lord: "Thank You, Jesus!" I also prayed for my ribs and any other damage that I might have done.
The doctor arrived and checked me over. The Lord had answered my prayers, as he said that he could not find any visible damage and that I should just rest and watch my side for a few days. Thank the Lord!
When my parents got home, I just couldn't wait to tell them what had happened. Still, how I got through to Peter's house was a mystery. Then my father told me that just before leaving after lunch, he had rung Peter for no particular reason. But the Lord knew why! Then I heard a voice inside me say: "Look at the phone." And there it was--a redial button which was on all the new phones. (It redials the last number called.) Praise the Lord! This just added more intrigue to the way the Lord heard and answered my prayer. "Before you call, I will answer, and while you are yet speaking, I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24).
Reaching Out to Others
After giving my heart to Jesus, I had decided that I wanted to do something worthwhile with my life and for the Lord. He then answered my desperate prayer for direction. Only a short while after He miraculously delivered me from a sad and senseless life of drugs and alcohol, I met Juan, a Family member, at the hospital gym where I was involved in an exercise program to strengthen different parts of my body.
Juan introduced me to street outreach, showing the love of Christ to those we met and telling them about His wonderful gift of salvation. It was a very exciting time, with the Lord leading us to lots of receptive people, not only in the streets but also old friends and acquaintances whom I hadn't seen for quite some time. One such friend was so amazed and happy for the change she could see in my life that she bought a Bible and started coming around for fellowship and Bible studies.
Through her I met Michelle, who worked at the same office as she did. When I rang my old friend and Michelle happened to answer the phone one day, we had quite a long conversation, which soon led to talking about the Lord. I shared with Michelle about my past and how Jesus had delivered me from all my problems and had given me a whole new life, new outlook and real direction! Michelle was really inspired to hear what Jesus had done, and then started to share about her past. She said she did believe in Jesus, but had become disappointed in Christianity when she heard her parents judging and severely criticizing her to some of their friends from their church.
After a few more conversations over the phone, Michelle finally came over for fellowship one evening. She started to open up about her problems, doubts, and fears. Our fellowship with the Lord really started to grow strong: He blessed it as we desperately started seeking Him in prayer. "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Soon Michelle was telling all her friends about Jesus and witnessing about the Endtime.
One night Michelle rang, very excited, telling me about Matthew, whom she used to go out with. He had told her how he had drifted away from God and that he was now looking for answers, and wanted to know more about God. Michelle started bringing Matthew over regularly. We also started to spend quite some time in prayer over the phone.
Soon we met a few more people who wanted fellowship. Juan suggested that the Lord might be leading us to set a time when we could regularly bring all these folks together. For a few months our little group met once a week, with about five being regular and keen, and at times up to four others. We would meet for fellowship at each others' homes where we'd read the Word, sing, praise the Lord, discuss, and pray for anyone's needy situations. It was very inspiring to see the Lord's hand moving in this little gathering, and everyone really enjoyed it.
After a time, other commitments came up that stopped everyone from getting together. However, Michelle and Matthew still dropped by quite often and we seemed to be getting into more Word and desperate prayer than ever before about the problems in their lives.
Tony -- A Mirror of My Past
Around this time, which was about four years ago, Michelle met a man named Tony whom she quickly grew fond of. She was trying to lead him to Jesus, and she introduced me to him. After hearing about his past problems with drugs and alcohol, his wild temper, and how he'd been in trouble with the police, I felt as if I were looking into a mirror, seeing my own past. When he showed me some of the artwork he had done, I felt that I could have easily been looking at one of my own old sketch books.
Tony was receptive, and eager to hear how our pasts were so similar. He listened intently as I told him how Jesus had changed my life. He said that he did believe in Jesus, but wasn't ready to ask Him into his heart. Michelle was disappointed, but later encouraged after being reassured that prayer can change any situation, and that God always answers.
A Business that Became a Mission Field!
Matthew also was going through some problems at this time. To share about his burdens and situation, we went for a walk in God's creation and found a nice place to talk and seek God's guidance. Matthew owned a little wine cellar and pizza business with his partner and friend Craig, whom he had been witnessing to and had led to the Lord. It had been going quite well up until this time. But like so many other small businesses around, they were starting to feel the effects of the bad economic situation. Their stock was getting very low and they didn't have any funds to fill their shelves. It looked very likely that their business was going to be closed down.
While in prayer, Matthew asked the Lord that if it was His will for the business to stay open, to please do a miracle within seven days to save it. Also being convicted about putting God first, we read about tithing and giving to God's service. We read how many a business had been saved and businessman had been rewarded after they started supporting God's work. Matthew then pulled a $10 note out of his pocket and said, "This is all I've got till a week or so. It's my first tithe! Please give it to God's work."
Well, a couple of days went by, then day five, day six, then on day seven Matthew rang. Very excitedly he began to tell me what had happened earlier that day. He'd received a call from his supplier, and to Matthew's astonishment, he didn't ring to pressure him about the money that he and Craig owed him. Instead, he said that he wanted to help by stocking the cellar's shelves and that they could pay him back when they were able. Matthew said he couldn't believe it! The last person he would ever have thought of, who himself was in serious financial difficulties and needed every cent he could get, was going to help out.
Jesus performed the miracle of touching this man's heart on the seventh day after Matthew's prayer for a miracle in seven days. What a specific answer! Praise the Lord! This incident not only increased Matthew's faith, but Craig was also impressed and his faith encouraged.
Matthew's spirit and love for Jesus grew as we spent many evenings together in prayer and in the Word. I hadn't been out witnessing for quite a while, so was thankful to the Lord for answering my prayer when Matthew said he'd like to go out on outreach. He really enjoyed it and said he loved preaching the Gospel.
It was not long before the little wine and pizza shop itself had turned into a mission field! Many were reached there with the message of Christ's love and His soon return, as Matthew and Craig started witnessing and giving out pieces of literature to their customers. God bless them!
Family Sample Encourages Matthew and Craig!
Around this time my parents went away on a six-week tour around Australia. My brother Simon and some other Family members came to stay with me to look after the home while they were away. We had six weeks of inspiring fellowship, prayer and lots of outreach with a great harvest of souls won to the Lord. Praise God! The sample of the Family in the home and in their real Christian love and concern for others was really convicting and had a great effect on Matthew and Craig.
Matthew and Craig soon decided that it was not necessary for both of them to be working in the shop at the same time. They got so excited about reaching others, they decided that after opening the shop in the morning, the one who was not working that day could take the car and come over, and we would read and get really inspired with the Word. Then we'd pray and go wherever the Lord would lead. So another door was opened up for many more souls to be reached. Praise the Lord!
Tony Saved Forever!
Soon Michelle's feelings grew considerably for Tony, and she was getting quite desperate, as it was now evident that he still had some problems with drugs and alcohol. One night they invited me over for dinner. In the course of our conversation, Tony told me that he was having a real battle trying to break free from his old habits and was now ready to ask Jesus into his heart. After reading Bible verses on salvation, the three of us joined hands and prayed with Tony as he came to his Savior and was born again. Thank You, Lord!
But a couple of months passed, and Michelle and Tony's relationship fell apart, due to Tony still not being able to let go of his bad habits. Not long after the breakup of their relationship I got a real shock. A friend of Tony's visited, named Jos. He was acting really odd, staring at me, etc. Finally he said, "Tony has been in an accident. . . . He's dead!"
Tony had been a passenger in his friend's car, and while both were intoxicated with either drugs or alcohol, they had driven over a bridge into a river. Tony drowned, but his friend got out of the car and swam to shore. It was quite a shock, and took a little while to sink in. Even though I felt sad, later the Lord gave me peace in my heart, knowing that Tony was in Heaven and free from his torment.
Comforting Tony's Family --More Won to Jesus
That night Jos rang me back, and asked if I would come over to Tony's mother's place, as he and Michelle were there trying to give some support to the family. On the way over, we prayed for the Lord to fill our mouths with the right words of comfort. We spent the next few hours listening to the family, and encouraging them that Tony was now with Jesus and enjoying all the glories of Heaven.
Sometimes it was hard to know just what to say, as Marianne, Tony's mother, was in shock, and Jack, Tony's stepfather, had drunk quite a bit of alcohol. Marianne's other two children, Sue and Daniel, were both exhausted from the ordeal and fell asleep not long after we had arrived. By the time we were ready to go, Marianne was calmer and the effects of the alcohol had worn off Jack a bit. Before leaving we all joined hands and prayed for the Lord's peace and Spirit over the house. Marianne and Jack also prayed and asked Jesus into their hearts.
Chain Reaction Continues!
One evening I got a call from Matthew. He began by telling me that he and Craig were thinking about putting the shop up for sale due to various circumstances. The Lord had kept the shop open, in answer to our prayers, and it had served its purpose for His glory, but now it looked like it was time to move on.
Matthew then told me that he most probably was going to move up to Queensland to work in his mother's caf until his debts were paid off. We both felt a little sad, as the Lord had let us share many lessons together. He told me that Craig, too, had similar plans to move on. I was really starting to wonder what was up the road, but once again, I just needed to trust the Lord.
Then Matthew started to get excited as he talked about his friend Nick, who had just come back from a trip to India. Nick had visited Matthew at the shop, where they talked at length about Jesus. Nick, who was already saved, had prayed and asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit, praise the Lord!
Matthew brought Nick around, and Nick told us about his trip to India and how he'd gotten into a lot of drugs there. The conversation soon turned to religion, and Nick shared how now that he had received the Lord, he was looking for more in life. When we asked him if he would like to come out witnessing, Nick jumped at the invitation! God bless him!
The day came, and we all got together first for some inspiring fellowship. The Lord had even worked it out that both Matthew and Craig could have the same day off. We prayed that the Lord would bless our witnessing, and off we went to town. There were quite a few people around and we got to spend an hour or two on outreach. Nick watched and listened intently and was not afraid to join in at times.
After calling it a day, and heading back towards the car, we saw a young girl sitting on a bench looking quite sad. We felt the Lord was leading us to go and talk to her. Then Nick excitedly asked if he could do the witnessing. He confidently started talking with the girl about God and it wasn't long before she asked Jesus into her heart.
Again we headed for the car, thanking and praising the Lord. Then Nick moved toward a tree in the car park, leaned against it and was sick. We had all forgotten that he was suffering from a non-contagious form of hepatitis, which he had contracted while in India.
Once home, we were all convicted to pray for Nick.--And miraculously the symptoms, which usually take quite a while to get over, were just about gone within a week, praise the Lord! Nick had really received the fire of the Spirit and was now witnessing to those around him. It was no time before he had led all his family to Jesus, God bless him!
Matthew Moves On, Nick Grows in the Faith!
Soon the day came for Matthew to leave, and Nick, Matthew and I drove to Sydney, from where Matthew's bus for Queensland was to depart. After having some dinner and talking about all the Lord had done, His many answers to prayer, and all of our exciting experiences together, we prayed for Matthew's trip, and for the Lord's blessings. Then we both gave Matthew a hug, but not much more was said. It is always hard to say good-bye, but we all knew that God was the one who had brought us together and He was still in control and guiding our lives. As He said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5), and "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it." (Philippians 1:6, NKJV).
It was also very encouraging for us to know that the Lord had just recently opened the door for a new Family Home to open up not far from where Matthew was going to be, where he could get lots of fellowship. Thank You, Lord!
That night as we drove back home, Nick and I talked about the future. We wondered what the Lord had in store for us back in Canberra. We spent the next couple of months reading and studying God's Word to inspire us, as we went about getting His Word out to others. The Lord was always faithful to lead us to receptive souls, with many being won to the message of Jesus' love--more souls for His kingdom, praise the Lord! Nick's zeal and love for Jesus and His service grew by the day.
Soon the day came when Nick's desire was fulfilled. His prayer to be able to move into one of the Family's Homes, where he could serve and get training as a full-time disciple of Jesus Christ, had been answered. The same sad feeling I felt when seeing Matthew off came over me as I was about to say good-bye to someone else whom I had learnt many precious lessons with and whom I had grown very close to in the Lord's love. But at the same time I was very happy and excited for Nick: The Lord was giving him his heart's desire to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).
Prayer for Help and for a Companion
I hadn't seen Michelle for quite a while, as all her free time was now spent with a new love that had come into her life. Craig was working long hours trying to pay back his debts and it was not long before he, too, moved north to Queensland. All of my closest friends with whom I used to go witnessing and enjoy many hours of fellowship had moved.
I felt quite alone, so I prayed and asked God to bring along someone I could fellowship with, someone who really loved Jesus, and would like to help in His work. I was also starting to feel quite lonely for female companionship. Since my accident I had never had a close relationship, so I added to my prayer, "Lord, You said in Your Word that it is not good for man to be alone..." I was reassured once again by His promises, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," and "No good thing will I withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Hebrews 13:5b; Psalm 84:11).
I continued doing street outreach, using the special taxis for people in wheelchairs to get to and from the city. I also started to spend a lot of time writing to people and witnessing to them through the mail. I found this form of witnessing quite exciting--praying and listening to what His Spirit gave to put in each letter. But as the mailing list grew, I found myself always falling way behind, due to being limited to just pen and paper.
The Lord Answers Prayer
One person I was starting to be in regular contact with was Marianne, the mother of Tony, the boy who had gone to be with the Lord. The Lord kept laying it on my heart to ring her and give her His Words of encouragement, as she was still going through a lot of pain over the death of her son. She was also in the process of separating from her husband, because of his longtime problem with alcohol and his abusive behavior.
After she accepted my invitation to come over for some fellowship and prayer, and we talked some, Marianne's own need for companionship started to show. She said she would like to come over more often. Soon the Lord once again granted me one of the greatest blessings that a child of God could have: to watch another person be drawn deeper in love with her Creator and Savior. Thank You, Jesus!
In her earlier years, Marianne had drifted away from her faith in God. But in the midst of her sorrow and pain over the death of her son, she had turned to Jesus for comfort and was seeking Him with all her heart.
We started to have weekly fellowship together, and Marianne soon said that the Lord had put it in her heart to help me reach others with His Gospel. Through one of her friends she arranged for a second-hand photocopier to be donated for us to use in our outreach.--And not long after the copier had arrived, Marianne bought a computer and printer, and gave them to the Lord's work, too. God bless her! These were such a godsend, and with His Words being increased more than a hundredfold, so many more could now be reached through the mail ministry.
The Lord Cares and Answers!
I was so thankful to the Lord for sending Marianne in answer to my prayers, a sweet lady who really loved Jesus and who wanted to help in His service, God bless her! And as time went by, I found out that Marianne was also the Lord's answer to the second part of my prayer, as we drew very close together in the love that God had kindled in our hearts towards each other. Now I really do know that He is touched with our every need, and He does care!
Thank You, Lord! You said that if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, souls and Your service, then all these things shall be added unto us--friends, companionship, peace, joy and love. Thank You, Jesus!
And as a postscript regarding Matthew--he rang to tell me that he left the business and is now in service for the Lord with the Family full-time! Praise the Lord!
Part Two!
Since writing the above testimony some time ago, Marianne and I have grown even closer and have been learning many more precious lessons from the Lord--especially about trusting Him and His promise: "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). This is very relevant to how the Lord has been working in our lives at the present.
Marianne and I had been talking and praying about our situation for some time. We wanted to be together and work more as a team for the Lord. Marianne was renting a place and was supporting Sue, her seventeen-year-old daughter, who had left school quite early and was unemployed. In Marianne's job she is somewhat restricted in her witnessing, but is still able to when the Lord opens the door. She has also been helping with the mail ministry, with transport, financially when possible, and most important of all, through her prayers and encouragement. God bless her!
I was living at my parents' home, in a specially built, one-person flat. But for us, finding and moving into a suitable place was just not that easy. With renting, we would have to find a very understanding landlord who would let us do some modifications to his property for my needs, such as wheelchair ramps, a modified bathroom, a hoist in the bedroom ceiling, etc. Then when the time came to move, we would have to undo all the alterations, which would all be quite expensive. If we could buy a home, the place would either have to be already fitted out for my situation, or again, we would have to have the alterations done. So these were some of the considerations we were praying about.
After seeing an advertisement in a local paper for the sale of a house with some wheelchair modifications, Marianne circled it. But after discussing how it was in an area with quite a bad name, and how we didn't have any money to buy it, we soon dropped the idea. We then visited a Family Home in Sydney where we talked and prayed about both of our desires and the situation. After that, I noticed the advertisement again and we decided to go and have a look at the house, if only to see how it was fitted out for wheelchair use.
We prayed on the way in the car that the agent wouldn't barrage us with a lot of pressure. Upon finding the place, we were quite surprised! It was situated in a nice area which neither of us even knew existed. We were even more surprised after being shown through the house. It had three bedrooms, and the master bedroom opened onto a landing which had a ramp that led to the front. It had a big bathroom, an office, and a sunroom at the back. It had excellent heating and other features.
After having been taken through the house I told Lucy, the agent, who was quite friendly, that Marianne and I had just been praying about our situation and had come out just to look at the set-up of the house.
Lucy, looking at both of us with a smile, asked, "Are you both Christians?" After we said yes, she told us that a lot of people were praying that this house would go to the right people.
Then she said, "I guess you would like to know why the price of the house is so low"--which it was--surprisingly so. Then Lucy started to tell us the story behind the house. It had actually belonged to a friend of Lucy's, a lady named Mary, who had since died. After living there for about ten years Mary found out that she had Motor Neuron disease, which progressively caused her to lose the use of different parts of her body. Instead of moving into a special hostel, Mary had spent quite a lot of money fitting her home for her special needs. Mary had arranged that after she left this life, all proceeds from the sale of her house would go to the Carmelite nuns and the Mother Teresa fund.
Lucy then told us that the price for the house was so low because Mary's wishes were also that the house would go to people who would be good stewards over it and who really needed and would use all of its modifications.
Marianne, knowing a bit about real estate, discussed an arrangement whereby we could pay a deposit and rent until we had the money to buy. Lucy rang Margaret, the executor of Mary's estate, and they both agreed to these proposals.
After Marianne and I prayed again and asked the Lord to guide us in all this, my father and his best friend Jeff, who used to be a builder, had a look at the house and both said that it was a golden opportunity that they believed would never come up again.
I still had some doubts and reservations, however. After expressing my hesitation to Marianne, we asked Lucy if Margaret would be willing to include some of the furniture if we were to purchase the place. Lucy rang me and said that Margaret not only considered our request about the furniture, but said she was willing to give it all to us for no extra cost. This included lounge and dining suites, beds, bookcases, fridge, washing machine, etc., all of which were nearly new. It really was starting to look like a golden opportunity from the Lord. Thank You, Jesus!
Although we were thankful to the Lord for how He seemed to be leading, our prayer still remained the same: "Lord, if this is the way, please keep opening the door and confirming Your will. But if you don't want us to have this house, please shut the door."
At this point my father said he might be able to help us with the funds for the deposit, as Marianne and I didn't have much savings between us. There would be some money coming in within a few months through the sale of Marianne's old house, though.
We kept asking the Lord for more signs. Then my mother happened to notice Mary's last name on a letter about the house and said that she used to work with a lady by the same name ten years back. She said that the Mary she knew was a very sweet lady and was always asking after me and how I was coping with my accident. My curiosity got the better of me and I just had to ring Lucy. Lucy said that Mary had worked at the same place as my mother and Lucy was just as surprised and excited as I was! It sure did look like Mary was helping to engineer all of this from the other side. God bless her!
We knew that there were other people interested in the house, so we decided to make a commitment towards purchasing it. Again, we asked the Lord that if it was not His will, to close the door.
With everything seeming to be falling into place, I was starting to get a peace in my heart about the situation. Then on the morning of the day that my father was going to his credit union to close an investment so he could help us with the deposit, the phone rang. I could hear my father, and it sounded like it was some good news. He stuck his head in the room, and said, "You're not going to believe this! That was the state lottery people and they said that my number was drawn! The prize is $10,000!" Praise the Lord! As the Bible says, "They that give shall receive." (See Luke 6:38.)
So as you can see, the Lord has been so good to us and we are so thankful--to Jesus, and to Dad, Maria, and everyone for all your prayers, support and for making it possible for us to have so much of the Word. Please pray for us, as we really want this home to abide under a good standard with His blessings and to be used for His glory.
God bless and keep you! We really love you!--And you are always in our prayers.
Michael and Marianne
(What a testimony of God's love and miracles! Michael is such a good example of a faithful witness, and his story shows how the Lord blesses His witnessers and those who are faithfully giving all they can to reach others!
(This is such a wonderful miracle story which shows that the Lord often leads in ways contrary to our natural expectations. Whereas most of us wouldn't consider buying a house, in this case the Lord arranged the circumstances and showed them by sign after sign that it was His will. They certainly sought the Lord every step of the way and He answered their every request. God bless them!--Maria.)
Update on Nick and Matthew--January, 1995
From shepherds in the Pacific: Jeremiah (Nick) and Matthew have now been Family members for almost three years. Both are fruitful, on-fire witnessers, and now are married to women who also like to get out and witness, God bless them! They are good solid labor leaders, a real testimony of Michael's fruitful witnessing. God bless him!
[end]
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family