Progressive miraculous recovery of wrist after fall
We’ll let François speak for himself:
“On Wednesday, December 5th, I took a wrong step as I was heading toward the couch.
I lost my balance and (fortunately!) fell onto the couch with my full body weight landing on my wrist, which twisted awkwardly at that moment.
My wife Rita and I heard a terrible cracking sound as I landed. We were both shocked, and the look in each other’s eyes suggested the worst. The pain was unbearable, but I immediately asked Rita to lay hands on me and pray.
After a few minutes, I recovered from the initial shock. Still, I expected significant swelling. I thought I would have to go to the emergency room at the nearest hospital. The pain remained, but the swelling didn’t appear, so I decided to wait it out at home. Before going to sleep, I asked Rita once more to lay hands on me and pray.
During the night, I felt her lay her hands on my wrist again. The next day, she did it three more times, and we prayed together. The pain gradually decreased, and after four days, my wrist was completely back to normal. It’s clear that God brought healing here.
This is exactly what healing schools and sermons are for. You don’t have to be a believer for ten years—you just need to trust your God and persevere.”
Threatened miscarriage becomes a bundle of joy through prayer
We also received this testimony from Rita D.:
My daughter-in-law Jessie had already been pregnant with twins in 2017, but that pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.
In January 2018, she turned out to be pregnant again. However, at the first ultrasound, a blood clot was found in the uterus that was growing along with the pregnancy. The clot was 4 cm long and 0.5 cm thick.
We placed her name in the church prayer box, and François and I prayed for her. Many others also prayed during the fasting days in January 2018 and in Antonio’s Bible study group.
At the follow-up check on February 20, the gynecologist wanted to determine whether she could continue the pregnancy or not… but that question turned out to be unnecessary because the blood clot had simply disappeared! The gynecologist couldn’t believe it, but our God had intervened. That was such amazing news—it filled our hearts with joy! The clot was gone, and our little miracle measured 5.65 cm and was 12 weeks and 2 days along. HALLELUJAH!!
On March 2, we found out that my first grandchild would be a boy. Hooray, boy on the way! Ferne was born on August 22, 2018, at 12:40 a.m.—a strong and healthy boy. He weighed 3.19 kg and was 48 cm tall.
My prayer for this was based on:
PSALM 138:3 – “When I called, You answered me; You greatly emboldened me.” and
PSALM 32:10 – “The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.”
Thank You, Father, for Your healing and my healthy grandson!
And another testimony at the dentist
We received the following testimony from Jos:
“I had four implants planned in my upper jaw… After a fair bit of preparation, including taking antibiotics the night before AND reading Psalm 23 multiple times, the oral surgeon got to work. A thorough anesthetic was administered, and the drilling began. The goal was to firmly screw in four bases into the bone of the upper jaw.
The first two went in without issue, but the third and fourth became a bit tricky.
There, they had to drill carefully right to the bottom of the sinus, and anesthesia doesn’t work very well in that area. It got quite painful, but I bit through bravely. The bottom of the sinus turned out not to be strong enough. The dentists had anticipated that and inserted a special base where bone will grow in over time. Then came the screwing in of the two final posts, which I could literally feel reaching the bottom of the sinus. No perforation of the mucous membrane… a masterpiece. During the procedure, the surgeon also noticed a significant abscess near the molar next to the back post, so that tooth had to be removed too. It had caused me some minor pain in the past, so that was taken care of as well.
Afterwards, everything was sutured and rinsed. It had bled quite a bit, but you don’t notice much of that. The whole thing took a full three hours…
The surgeon was so thrilled with the result that she raised both arms in the air like a winner of a cycling classic and shouted with joy. I also thought the posts were positioned perfectly straight and beautifully parallel… an amazing result.
The funny thing is, they use a kind of wrench like in a garage when tightening wheel bolts… They call it a ‘rack-in-jack’ system, where the lever grips when turning in but clicks loosely when turning back… I had to secretly laugh!
Now we’re about four days later. My cheeks, which were quite swollen and bruised at first, have almost completely gone down. I have a bit more pain today because I stopped taking painkillers, but I was allowed to start training again from day one—and just now I completed 50 km at an average of 32 km/h…
Psalm 23 really is something… I don’t consider this a miracle, because those people are very skilled, but things could definitely have gone wrong—like a sinus floor perforation, or one of the posts could have been misaligned. But no, everything was perfect.
We have a God who loves us…”
Father Heart Schools have a spectacular impact on dental treatments
In June we received the following testimony from Monique v.N.:
I had just been to the dentist for a crown treatment. Last year, it didn’t go well. The dentist missed the nerve at least 10 times with the injection, which left me completely stressed and caused me to faint (partly due to my low blood pressure) in the dentist’s chair. We didn’t finish the treatment that day, and I drove home in a daze.
The next time, he asked his wife—also a dentist—to join. Apparently, she was better at finding nerves. The nerve was found more quickly, but even then, I passed out again.
It was possible that I also reacted poorly to the type of medication, so this time they had already changed it, but even that hadn’t helped. That time, we did manage to finish the treatment after I fainted. My husband came with me that time so I wouldn’t have to drive 20 km home by myself afterward. So, after much hassle, I eventually went home with a beautiful crown in my mouth.
At the Fatherheart School A in Vaalbeek last November, another tooth broke. Because of my fear from the previous crown treatment, I postponed the dentist appointment. But a few weeks ago, the tooth broke even further.
Today, I had my first appointment for this new crown. By now, I had completed two Fatherheart Schools. Just last week, I was back in Vaalbeek—this time for School B. These two weeks changed me deeply (my view of God as Father and of us as His sons), and I longed for God to confirm His presence during this dentist appointment. I had always prayed before, of course, but this time I asked Him to show me that He really would be there for me.
And here’s what happened. The dentist gave just one injection, hit the right nerve immediately, and the treatment began smoothly. And—I didn’t faint!
Meanwhile, the conversation between the dentist and my husband (who had come along again) turned to topics like CPR and emergency situations—not the kind of talk I can normally handle, especially while stuck in the chair with my mouth full of dental tools. I prayed silently for the conversation to stop, but I also noticed that it didn’t upset me like such topics usually do.
At the same time, I became aware of the Father’s presence. Yes—there I was, lying on Him in the chair, my back resting on His chest. And He was tickling me. I was a child. HIS CHILD!
What a celebration! He carried me through it. I didn’t feel any pain or have any unpleasant experiences whatsoever.
Even the dentist noticed something. At the end of the treatment, he said to me: “The two of us did a great job!”
I, of course, corrected that right away—once all the equipment was out of my mouth and I could speak again with my still-numb lips.
I told him that people had been praying for me and that I had been in heaven during the treatment. I told him about a Father in Heaven—which is something you can say in Catholic Brabant. He told me it didn’t matter to him what someone believed.
That was a bit disappointing to hear, but I suspect there may be more conversations to come in the future.
For me, the most important thing happened: I went through the treatment giggling with my Father. I’ve learned to be His child again—and to expect and receive everything from Him!
The impact of these two schools speaks for itself: I would recommend them to anyone! Our heavenly Father longs to have this kind of tangible relationship with us. Hallelujah!
Miraculous outcome of brain hemorrhage at a young age
Ela, 51 years young, shares her own story:
“On April 21, 2017, I had a brain hemorrhage near the brainstem (a very important area of the brain that controls many vital functions).
I had just welcomed some friends who had come by to return a scarf I had forgotten at their place that morning. We were having coffee together when I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my neck. I could feel the blood pulsing violently through the vessels in my brain—it felt like my head was going to explode.
At first, I thought it might be a kind of migraine, but suddenly I had intense pain in my neck and spine, and I couldn’t feel my legs anymore. I started hyperventilating. I crawled to the couch, lay down, and cried out to Jesus three times because I thought I was going to die.
My friends asked, “What should we do? Call an ambulance? Call your brother? Take you to the emergency room?” We decided on the ambulance, because I had a strong feeling it could be a brain hemorrhage.
I lay in the ER for four hours before they did a head scan. Because of the intense headache, I was given some painkillers, and my brother stayed with me the entire time.
I had a bad feeling about it all because the doctors didn’t consider it an emergency. Others were given priority; in their eyes, my situation wasn’t life-threatening enough. So, I was discussing my will with my brother because I knew that the first two hours after a brain hemorrhage are critical—and I had already been lying there for four hours with no treatment apart from the ineffective painkillers.
I asked my brother to call a prayer friend because I felt that only Jesus could help me now. I said, “Please call her and ask them to start praying.” My brother looked at me and said, “But it’s already past 11 p.m.!” I answered, “Just do it!” At that moment, they came to take me for a head scan—and it turned out to be a brain hemorrhage.
Suddenly I received a lot more attention from the doctors. They said I had described the situation perfectly, which made it clear it was a hemorrhage. They also said I had a 90% chance of dying or being left disabled, and only a 10% chance of coming out well. I immediately turned to my brother and said, “I’m going for that 10%!” Ten minutes later, they returned to do a second scan because the bleeding was larger than expected.
I arrived at the ER at 6:30 p.m., and by 1:30 a.m., I was transferred to the ICU, where the first treatments were started. During all that time, I remained calm. I didn’t think much about God or Jesus because the pain was intense—but God was there.
The next morning, they did an angiography with contrast fluid. The doctor who performed the test looked at me afterwards, laughed, and said, “You really got lucky!” I didn’t have to hear that twice—every doctor or assistant who came to my bed said the same thing.
I was never unconscious. I had no paralysis, no vision loss. Now, two months later, I’m still here thanks to Jesus. I’m not in a wheelchair thanks to Jesus. I have no speech issues, no hearing or vision problems—thanks to Jesus and the prayers of all my wonderful brothers and sisters!
Since the hemorrhage, I enjoy each day even more. I’m thankful to still be here, especially in this challenging but special time we’re living in.
God is amazing. I only had a moment to call on Him in desperation—and He intervened!
Today I had to return to the hospital for another angiography. The doctors were looking for the cause of the bleeding and wanted to check for any risk of a future hemorrhage. That evening, the doctor came to discuss the results with me.
Once again, I was among the less than 10% of patients in whom absolutely nothing could be found—just a healthy set of brain blood vessels. I was told not to worry and to resume normal life. I don’t even need further follow-ups. I’m speechless when I hear stories of people whose lives are changed forever by a brain hemorrhage, and I thank God that everything turned out so well for me!
And I have another reason for deep gratitude: for the first 2.5 months after the hemorrhage, I had terrible pain along the entire length of my back. It was so bad that I would collapse and scream from the pain when trying to stand. At first, the doctors didn’t take it seriously, but once I was home and the pain persisted, I finally got a referral to a specialist. Shortly before the appointment, I had a call with Ann who prayed again for this issue. That day, I could barely walk due to the pain. But the tests showed nothing… and a few days later, I woke up pain-free—and it has stayed that way! God is good!!!
Supernatural protection and deliverance during perforated appendicitis
Jonathan and Jiska share their story together:
Jonathan: “September 2016, a few months before Raphaël was born, I felt I had performed below average during a basketball game. That evening I still managed to cycle a good 27 km home and thought I had some kind of flu-like ache in my lower back. I had felt a slight stab in my lower abdomen earlier that week and rebuked the pain. Hopefully, enough sleep would calm things down. Around midnight, after an hour of high fever above 40 degrees, I sat up straight with a deep conviction: “it’s my appendix.”
Uncertain about the implications of this, I tried to dismiss the revelation through reasoning, although the thought wouldn’t leave me. Jiska suggested, after we rebuked the cause together, that I visit the doctor the next morning anyway. When the flu-like feeling hadn’t disappeared by morning, I decided—after Jiska urged me again—to go to the doctor, even if it was just to get a note for the day.
He examined me and, although it didn’t really seem like appendicitis, he advised me to get an ultrasound of the lower abdomen to rule it out. Once home, I figured a trip to the radiologist on a quiet day wouldn’t be a bad idea. So I cheerfully biked to the radiologist who explained that the large white swelling on the screen was my appendix, and the large black spot around it indicated a burst appendix. When I asked if that wasn’t life-threatening, the radiologist explained that the infection had become encapsulated (for an indefinite time), which was why the symptoms were mild. This situation can become life-threatening if the infection leaks from the capsule into the abdominal cavity.
The radiologist referred me to the hospital. I biked to the hospital closest to our home to make things easier for Jiska, who was alone with Chloë and heavily pregnant with Raphaël. However, there was no emergency care at that hospital, so they referred me back to Leopoldstraat, where I had just come from. I first stopped by home to grab my laptop and a few things and then cycled back to Leopoldstraat, where I was admitted. Although the cycling still went fairly well, the perforated appendix hurt more when hitting bumps in the road, especially after all the poking and prodding from the radiologist.
Right after the diagnosis from the radiologist, I notified Jiska’s school. Jiska had immediately called the hospital, but they hadn’t yet seen anyone with a burst appendix come in. In the end, Jiska arrived at the hospital just minutes after I did.”
Jiska: “In the afternoon, the school secretary informed me that Jonathan had biked to the hospital because of a burst appendix. A bit concerned, I continued teaching and together with the children we spoke health and life over Jonathan. My caring principal allowed me to leave early to go to Jonathan. Before I could leave, I had to arrange childcare for Chloë and find out where Jonathan was. I had already heard that his appendicitis was likely encapsulated. But I didn’t know much else.
After calling the emergency department at Sint Maarten Hospital, it turned out Jonathan hadn’t been seen yet. They hadn’t heard of a patient with a burst appendix. But hadn’t it been at least an hour since Jonathan left for the hospital…? Where was he? Why hadn’t he arrived yet? Had he managed to bike there? Was it even smart to bike with a burst appendix? So many questions raced through my mind, but miraculously I remained calm.”
Jonathan: “At the hospital I received 5 days of intravenous antibiotics, but they couldn’t reach the encapsulated pus collection in my abdomen. There were two options: puncture the abscess and try to remove the pus, or perform surgery… but that would be a major operation with an incision from chest to lower abdomen. One radiologist refused to do the puncture. If the other also refused, it might have turned into major surgery…
Until that point, I had mostly experienced minimal symptoms and a light vacation-like feeling, but now I was struck by a sense of unrest. This unrest was turned around after praying with Jiska and a friend from Mechelen and opening God’s Word with His promises later that evening (including Psalm 23). I regained my composure, rebuked the unrest, spoke life into the situation, and commanded in the supernatural that the doctors would perform the puncture the next morning—“and if not, He would do it Himself.” Without further notice, after a peaceful, fairly carefree morning, I was wheeled around 11 a.m. to the radiology department where a friendly, confident radiologist, after warming up, delivered a hard whack and inserted a 15 cm long needle into my abdomen. Over the next few hours, several hundred ml of pus drained from the abscess, and the mild fever I had until then disappeared almost immediately.
I then received another week of antibiotics. In the end, I was discharged from the hospital without surgery! It took some time for my intestines to return to normal (the large abscess had temporarily shifted several organs), but we were very grateful for a relatively smooth recovery from my ruptured appendix.”
Jiska: “We’re so thankful that Jonathan didn’t need abdominal surgery, and I was especially happy that he recovered quickly and was back home. I really needed his help since I was 6 months pregnant and working full time!”
Psalm 23 (HSV, emphasized by Jonathan)
A psalm of David.
The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness, for His Name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
When you walk with Jesus, everything will be alright!
During the Christmas holidays, Monia was allowed to join Kobe, a friend, and his family on a trip to Munich. On New Year’s Eve, they all went for a hike in the mountains. It was already 4:00 p.m. and it would soon begin to get dark. Kobe’s father pointed to a mountain hut across the valley and told Kobe and Monia they could walk there while the rest of the family would drive to the hut by car. So Kobe and Monia set off… but what they didn’t know was that they had both been looking at the wrong house—one located much higher on the mountain across from them. Seeing that it was getting dark quickly, they walked briskly.
They completed a 2-hour hike in 1 hour and 15 minutes. They had already received a few calls asking where they were…
Eventually, they arrived at a house that was clearly not a mountain hut and realized they had gone the wrong way. The real mountain hut was much lower down!
By now, it had become quite dark. If they were to walk down on foot, it would mean hiking through the woods in the dark…
Kobe saw some people working with a snow machine higher up and decided to climb up there to ask for help. To reach it, he had to scramble quite a distance up a steep black ski slope. Monia couldn’t follow and stayed behind alone, feeling anxious. Kobe had the backpack with the only phone and the gloves. If he were to fall, Monia couldn’t help him or call for help! So she began praying for protection…
Kobe safely reached the snow machine, but the man operating it angrily pointed to the warning sign: danger to life! People had already died from getting too close to the machine the wrong way.
Kobe shouted down to Monia asking if everything was okay, but couldn’t hear her answer. He asked the man for help, who advised them to walk down the black slope on foot—a 15-minute hike, but very steep. Kobe didn’t feel safe doing that!
Kobe then called his father’s girlfriend, who spoke to the man in German and asked if he could accompany them. Kobe went to get Monia, and together they were allowed to hop in. It was a very scary ride because the machine leaned steeply forward on the black slope. Halfway down, they had to get out, and two snow scooters were waiting. Monia and Kobe each sat on the back of one, and they were both safely brought down. All’s well that ends well after a thrilling adventure… and thank You, Jesus, for all the protection and rescue in such a special way!
Divine protection on the road
A heavenly encouragement
We received the following testimony from Dora:
“Recently, our workplace was confronted with a company restructuring, which caused a lot of anxiety and tension among the staff. Coincidentally, while on the train home that evening, I was rereading my own testimony from the Fatherheart School I attended last year. When I reached the last sentence—‘It is our heavenly Papa who watches over us, who protects us, and who says to me: just trust Me, everything will be alright’—I started wondering whether that was really true and what I would do when difficulties came my way.
Suddenly, I noticed that the conductor had entered our train car and was diligently checking everyone’s tickets.
Panic hit me when I realized that I had changed handbags over the weekend and didn’t have my train pass with me. In just a moment, everyone around me would be staring at me as a fare-dodger—a situation you really want to avoid… I prayed: ‘Father, if what I wrote is really true, then You help me out of every situation—even this one. I trust in Your help!’
The ticket inspector had now reached me. He checked the two people sitting next to me, then looked me straight in the eyes, pointed at me and said: ‘I’ve already seen you,’ and simply continued on without even asking for my ticket…
And in that moment, God encouraged me once again and reminded me: ‘Just stay close to Me, and everything will be alright.’ I find it so special—just as it says in Psalm 23:4: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. God is truly my Shepherd, guiding my life—even in difficult circumstances!”
Experiences with God during vacation
In June, Harry and Suzanne went to Hungary with Eugène and Josée. They had a wonderful holiday and planned to drive home over two days. At the end of the trip, Suzanne mentioned that she hadn’t really experienced anything special with God this year. Josée responded by saying that they had been able to go everywhere without any issues and had always found parking—wasn’t that enough? Still, Suzanne longed to feel God especially close once more…
On the way back, they spent a day in Passau, on the border of Austria and Germany. That evening, they enjoyed a delicious ice cream at a terrace. Suddenly, they saw very dark clouds approaching and hurried to the car to drive back to the hotel. In the meantime, the sky had turned pitch black. They had to drive through a forest on a narrow winding road and encountered an oncoming car flashing its lights. Suzanne urged Harry to drive more carefully, as they didn’t know the area.
They came around a bend and suddenly, according to Josée, it looked like a monster was coming toward them. A huge tree was lying or hanging across the road, and they couldn’t stop in time. Suzanne saw massive branches coming toward them—some of them already broken—and was convinced they were going to smash through the windows. Josée grabbed Eugène’s hand, thinking it was over. Eugène was certain they would never make it home with this car.
There was a terrible crashing sound, but suddenly, they were past the tree. Harry stopped the car and got out to inspect it. Aside from Suzanne’s cracked mirror and some scratches on both sides of the car, the vehicle was fine and everyone inside was unharmed. They were sure they hadn’t passed under the top of the tree, because the car behind them couldn’t get through. Eugène had the sense that the tree was lifted as they drove by and came down again afterward… Whatever happened, each of them was convinced that there was no way they could have gotten through unharmed—yet that’s exactly what happened. They had clearly been extraordinarily helped and protected!
Suzanne got her special encounter with God, and Josée remarked that perhaps it would be wiser not to make such wishes in the future…
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. Psalm 91:13
We received the following testimony from Nathalie and Werner Steurbaut, a couple from our church who have been living in Uganda since 2008.
There, they run a children’s home that now provides a safe place for no less than 115 children to grow up!
On October 26, they went out for a meal at a restaurant by Lake Victoria in Entebbe. They got back in the car afterward, and Nathalie opened her window before driving off.
At that moment, a snake fell into the car.
Nathalie had Werner get out of the car, and she also stepped out from the passenger side. In Uganda, every restaurant has an armed guard, and the guard at the restaurant where they had eaten saw something was wrong and came running. Using the butt of his rifle, he pulled the snake out of the car and beat it to death. Nathalie took a photo of the snake afterward. Having grown up in an area where she often encountered snakes, she wasn’t afraid of them!
Then Nathalie and Werner drove home. They had just left when Nathalie began to feel something was wrong: her muscles stiffened, foam formed on her lips, and she started having difficulty breathing. That’s when she realized she had been bitten by the snake… she hadn’t even felt it!
Nathalie turned the car around and immediately drove to the nearby hospital. Once there, Werner had to go in and get help—Nathalie could no longer walk and was becoming more and more short of breath. Two puncture wounds from the snake’s fangs were visible in her arm. They showed the photo, and it turned out to be a bite from a green mamba, a highly venomous snake. Antivenom was urgently needed—but not available at the hospital.
Meanwhile, their son Maxim, who “just happened” to be at a nearby café, heard about the snakebite and rushed to the hospital. Nathalie could no longer speak, was barely breathing, felt herself growing weaker, was placed on oxygen, and couldn’t move—but she could still hear everything. Staying calm was crucial—but how do you do that when everyone around you is panicking and unsure what to do?
Maxim kept talking to his mom and kept repeating: “You’re not going to die, Mom, you’re not going to die!” He thought out loud about where they might find antivenom and thought of the zoo. He knew a woman who worked there and called her. She was at the theater and normally would have turned off her phone—except she was still waiting for a friend to arrive. She promised Maxim she would inform the zoo and let them know he was coming to collect the antivenom.
He jumped on his motorbike and rode to the zoo. They had one vial of antivenom in stock, but it had to be paid for immediately—€1000.
Maxim promised to return with the money and raced back to the hospital with the antivenom… They had 40 minutes before the situation could become fatal.
Nathalie received the antivenom just in time and immediately felt the effects. Her muscles relaxed, she could breathe better, and she regained her ability to speak and move.
Maxim returned to the restaurant where it all started and told them he urgently needed €1000 to pay for the antivenom. The restaurant owner—another Belgian—and an Italian couple together lent him the money so he could go and pay.
This type of venomous snake is a tree snake, and according to experts, it does not occur in that region. It only lives in the jungle in the north—definitely not on a treeless parking lot. It is suspected that someone intentionally threw the snake into the car. Earlier that week, Nathalie had rescued a child from a witch doctor’s sacrificial altar. Child sacrifices still occur regularly in Uganda. That meant a loss of income for the witch, and Nathalie had received threats as a result. Threats like this are sadly common for Nathalie and Werner because of the nature of their work.
The other five antivenom injections that Nathalie needed were flown in from South Africa.
Although the acute symptoms disappeared quickly after receiving the antivenom, Nathalie suffered from severe muscle pain for days and reacted strongly to each injection. She experienced headaches, vomiting, and extreme weakness. Nathalie spent a week and a half in the hospital—but she survived, and this story once again shows how God was already prepared for everything and miraculously coordinated all things for His daughter in Uganda… to Him be all the glory!!!
Is anything too marvelous for the Lord?
Our Theo turned 82 this year. He’s in excellent shape and often goes cycling with friends. Before setting off, he always prays Psalm 91 for protection—for himself and his friends. In mid-May, they had just completed another 88 km ride.
Only two kilometers from home, he was riding alongside someone when his wheel slipped into a groove filled with liquid tar, causing him to fall hard. His feet were still clipped into the bike, and he landed on his left hip. His friends urged him to stay down, but Theo got up and walked home. He hadn’t broken anything—which in itself was a big miracle after such a fall—but his entire hip turned dark blue from a major bruise. Someone later told him that two people had already ridden through that same groove before, but they hadn’t fallen. Theo’s bike was completely wrecked—covered in tar, including the tires and brakes. His clothing was also badly damaged.
The next day, Theo went to the town hall to report the accident so the groove could be dealt with and others wouldn’t fall there. He also filed a claim with his personal liability insurance and visited the doctor, who monitored the large hematoma on his hip for several weeks. Many people advised him to press charges, but Theo decided not to.
Theo had received his bike as a New Year’s gift from his daughter and son-in-law. It had barely been used, and Theo had customized it quite a bit. A bike shop estimated the damage to the bike at €1500, his torn clothing (also a gift) at €700 to €800, plus medical expenses. Two insurance assessors came, but after weeks of back-and-forth correspondence, he was awarded only €455.
This frustrated Theo deeply because he expected a fair compensation—and had prayed for it. On top of that, Theo is a faithful giver in our church, and doesn’t God promise to bless us richly for that? After weeks of wrestling with it, Theo finally surrendered everything to his heavenly Father. “You are a just Father,” he prayed, “I may want more, but I’m not getting it, so I release it to You. If I can’t bike anymore, so be it.” Theo felt like a heavy backpack fell off his shoulders in that moment.
He tried cleaning the bike with white spirit and cut off the tires because there was no other way—but it was beyond repair. In October, he joined his friends on a ride using a very old bike. One of the men said he still had a good bike at home, but Theo didn’t really believe him. Besides, he assumed the man was taller and the bike wouldn’t fit. After the ride, Theo went along to take a look anyway. To his surprise, it was a really good bike—made of top-quality materials, clearly worth more than his first bike, and it fit him perfectly.
Theo asked how much the bike would cost, and his friend said, “€400.” Theo bought it immediately and is over the moon with his new bike, which is much better than the previous one and within his budget—he even had €55 left over! The Father provides for His children, though not always in the way we expect…
He will cover you with His feathers
We let Jasmijn share her story:
“It was a Friday evening. I was home alone with my three children—Jonas (7), Bram (6), and Karalien (13 months)—and Jonas’ friend Bastian. My husband Wouter was away for the whole weekend.
I was tidying up on the first floor while the four children were playing downstairs. A little while later, Bram came upstairs to play, followed a few minutes later by Jonas and Bastian. I remember a thought flashing through my mind that I should go get Karalien—she loves following the boys around and recently started climbing stairs… I should’ve listened to Papa’s warning!
A few minutes later, I heard the boys shouting: “KARALIEN IS FALLING!!” I heard a tumbling sound on the stairs. I rushed through the room into the hallway, pushing the boys aside who were standing at the top of the stairs. As I ran down the stairs as fast as I could, I saw Karalien lying at the bottom on her back, crying loudly. Without thinking, I picked her up, prayed briefly in tongues, tried to comfort her and checked her for injuries. Thoughts were racing through my head: ‘Thank God she’s crying,’ ‘an angel must have caught her,’ ‘she’s not in extra pain when I touch her,’ ‘I don’t see any external injuries’ … all the while trying to reassure the boys who were very upset and worried—after all, they had seen her fall from the top of the stairs.
Within minutes, Karalien was calm and back to happily playing. Mentally I felt reassured, but my heart was still pounding. Still, I decided to call Ann for medical advice—after all, my 13-month-old daughter had just fallen down a 16-step wooden staircase, with a 90-degree turn and a stone window ledge sticking out at the corner.
Ann was not entirely at ease. After such a serious fall, brain injuries can still develop hours or even days later. I had to keep a close eye on Karalien during the night, preferably waking her up every two hours to check if she was responding normally—but how do you do that with a toddler?! If anything was off, I’d have to go to the ER. So much for peace of mind…
Of course, we trusted God to care for Karalien and prayed for her and the boys, but I had also asked for medical advice—and that advice was far from reassuring… quite the opposite!
I also called our family doctor, who gave me the same advice as Ann. I still needed to process all my emotions, so I called Wouter and then my mom. Especially my mom was quite concerned. She urged me to notify a neighbor or someone in the village—what would I do with the other three kids if I had to rush to the hospital with Karalien during the night?! I had the same thoughts and was weighing all my options. Maybe I should go inform the neighbors… but then I clearly felt God’s presence: “Everything is completely fine with Karalien. Are you putting your trust in Me or in others?” I chose to let go of all doubt, told no one else, and placed my full trust in our Papa.
I set up a mattress next to Karalien’s bed so I could monitor her more easily during the night. At 9:30 p.m., I woke her up for the first time. I brought her into bed with me… that was a mistake. Once she was fully awake, she started giggling and was having the time of her life! Sleep was off the table. The upside? By around 10:00 p.m., all doubt was gone—Karalien was clearly responsive! I had planned to let her sleep with me, but after an hour and a half of giggles, I laid her back in her own bed. I still slept in the same room, though I can’t say I slept peacefully.
I set an alarm for 2:00 a.m. and briefly checked if she was breathing and moving when I nudged her. All was fine. Then I was so tired I just asked Papa to wake me if something was wrong. I woke up once more during the night and only listened to her breathing—it sounded fine. The rest of the night, we slept.
The next day, my mom told me that she, too, had suddenly felt peace about the situation around 10:00 p.m.!
In the days that followed, people couldn’t believe what had happened when they saw Karalien. The two small red marks on her forehead from the fall were gone the very next day. All she had was a small bruise and a scratch on her thigh.
I am absolutely convinced that God sent angels to catch Karalien during her fall! Thank You, Papa!”
Praying with the neighbors—with results!
Carine and Patrick shared a powerful testimony after praying with their neighbors:
“Alessio, a two-year-old boy and the grandson of our neighbor, was briefly left alone in the kitchen of his father and grandmother’s restaurant while his mother, Jerisa, had gone upstairs.
Jerisa heard a commotion in the kitchen, rushed downstairs, and saw that her son had gotten splashes of drain cleaner on his clothes and skin. She tore the clothes off his little body and drove as fast as possible to the hospital in Bonheiden.
After initial treatment for his burn injuries, Alessio was transferred to the University Hospital in Leuven. There, doctors soon started talking about a skin graft.
After two weeks in the hospital, doctors began to notice slight improvement in the large burn wound under his left armpit.
His mother asked if she could take Alessio home for the weekend. She agreed not to take him outside at all during that time.
That Sunday afternoon, Patrick, Lies, and I were allowed to visit.
Jerisa said she was hoping the doctor would say only a small skin graft was needed. Alessio was standing right next to me. I gently touched him and simply spoke a quick healing over him in Jesus’ name.
That Sunday evening, Alessio had to return to the hospital. On Monday, our neighbor told Patrick that the specialist had said the burn wounds had healed—miraculously well—and Alessio could go home. A skin graft was no longer needed!
His family was overjoyed… and what’s even more special is that our neighbor acknowledged Jesus in this!”
Large malignant melanoma not spread thanks to prayer
In early January 2013, Eva, Dirk’s wife, noticed that a mole on his back had grown larger and darker. She didn’t mention it to Dirk at the time.
During a check-up with the company doctor in February 2013, the doctor pointed out a spot on Dirk’s back that needed to be looked at. It looked “suspicious” and needed to be monitored.
In April 2013, Dirk became ill, and the family doctor came by. He also noticed the spot—and a second, smaller one—and confirmed it didn’t look good. He strongly advised having it removed soon.
Dirk showed his back to Ann and Nadine, both doctors, and they confirmed what his family doctor had said. The spot had by then developed into a small tumor.
Dirk believed and expected that God would remove it in some way and decided to wait, praying in the meantime. When nothing happened and the tumor kept growing, Dirk made a deal with God: if it was still there after the Fatherheart School in July, he would have it removed.
At the Fatherheart School, Dirk began experiencing severe balance issues. He could hardly get out of bed, was very nauseous, and completely incapacitated. He went home and was on medical leave for several months, suffering greatly. He couldn’t imagine also dealing with doctors during this period, so the tumor continued to grow.
By November, it had grown to the size of a large marble—about 3 to 4 cm in diameter. Dirk could hardly lie on his back anymore. He tried several times to book an appointment with a local dermatologist, but was unsuccessful.
Eventually, he heard that a friend was going to a walk-in clinic with a dermatologist and decided to go along. So, on Friday, November 29 at 9:00 a.m., he showed up at her clinic. She immediately decided the tumor had to be removed that same afternoon—and it was.
On Friday, December 13, Dirk and Eva went in to have the stitches removed. Operating under the assumption that “no news is good news,” they weren’t too worried. But that turned out not to be the case. The dermatologist told them that Dirk had two melanomas (malignant skin tumors) of completely different types: one relatively superficial and slow-growing, the other a clearly nodular and very fast-growing melanoma.
These types of melanomas often have a poor prognosis. She was also very concerned about how much it had grown within a year. Dirk was urgently referred to the dermatology department in Leuven.
On Sunday, December 15, the whole church prayed for Dirk, Eva, and their children, and Dirk was anointed for healing. It was a very special moment for everyone present.
On Monday, December 16, Dirk and Eva went to the Sint-Raphaël hospital. There, they were again told that the large melanoma was very aggressive and that there might be metastases. Several tests needed to be done, the melanomas had to be removed more widely, and one or two lymph nodes would need to be taken out. It was all very urgent—they said the surgery had to happen before January 1.
That same week, Dirk underwent several tests which were forwarded to Gasthuisberg hospital, where the surgery would take place. And then the waiting began… and it took a while. Despite that, Dirk and Eva were at peace and slept well throughout. They celebrated Christmas with the entire church and New Year’s with their family—and enjoyed it all deeply!
When Dirk hadn’t heard anything by January 8, he called the hospital himself. He was told he was still on the waiting list and would be contacted soon. On Friday, January 10, he got a call saying he would be admitted on Thursday, January 16. He’d undergo another test first, and the surgery would take place on January 17.
The extra test took place on the morning of the 17th, and the surgery was performed at 10:15 a.m. The tumors were more widely excised, and two lymph nodes were removed from under Dirk’s left armpit.
On Monday, February 3, they returned to Sint-Raphaël for the results. “You’re here for the stitches and the results,” said the dermatologist. “Well, I have very good news: we found no trace of cancer in the additional tissue removed—nor in the lymph nodes!”
Of course, Dirk and Eva were incredibly relieved—and we all rejoiced with them! Dirk will still be monitored regularly, but he firmly believes his heavenly Papa will continue to take care of him in the months and years ahead. Thank You, Father, for such a beautiful outcome. You prepare a table before us in the presence of those who trouble us!!!”
God is with me; I will not fear
One Sunday in November, I had a brief conversation with Dora after the service. She’s been coming to our church occasionally for a few years now. I asked her if she was the driver that morning. She confirmed it and later emailed me the following testimony:
“Two years ago, I never thought I would ever be able—or dare—to drive a car again. And now, I’m driving everywhere again. You know I usually only find out last-minute if I’ll have access to the car on Sunday. So last week, when I checked the God’s Ambassade website and saw that the service would be in Sint-Maartensberg, I was quite disappointed. In the past, I’ve skipped events because I didn’t know how to get there. But this time, Lieve wanted to come along—she had been there before—and of course, there’s the GPS! I know I just need to trust Jesus in these things. As you taught me, it’s so important to keep my eyes on Him, so I can truly see and sense His protective presence in so many moments. For me, driving there with Lieve was a huge victory!”
And Dora shared another one of her victories with Jesus:
“Last Thursday, I was standing on the platform waiting for the train to Ghent. I got a text from my colleague saying she had woken up with a sore throat and wouldn’t be joining me for the meeting. We had a long list of technical remarks to discuss regarding a new application for one of our training programs, and we also needed to renegotiate some agreements with the developer. It wasn’t going to be an easy meeting.
I immediately panicked—I thought, I can’t do this alone! I wanted to just go back home and cancel the meeting. But that wasn’t really an option—the application had to be ready by early January, and delay wasn’t a good idea. On the train, I started reviewing my notes again, but it only made me more nervous. Once we passed Brussels, the train was nearly empty. I asked myself: where is this fear coming from? What had I actually learned over the past four years? Then suddenly, the lyrics from one of Inger’s songs popped into my head: “The Lord is my light, my fortress, and my savior. Whom shall I fear? I will fear no more!” The words kept growing louder inside me.
Later that afternoon, I was back home typing up the meeting minutes when an email from the developer popped into my inbox. He thanked me personally for the productive meeting that morning. That message brought joy and confirmed that the meeting had indeed gone well.
Thank You, Jesus, that You are always with me. I will fear no more. Thank You, Father, that You never leave me!”
God is always there
On September 4, 2011, Liesbeth took me to church for the first time. Everything was strange and completely new to me. I was raised without God or church. When the sermon started, someone handed me a tissue… I shed so many tears and wondered how it could be that what was being said applied exactly to me… as if they knew everything about me! Since then, I’ve had that feeling often!
From that day on, everything moved quickly: I attended the service every Sunday, took a basic Bible study over five Fridays, and on November 6 I was baptized.
My life hasn’t always been easy, but looking back, I know that God was always there and that He has protected my life many times! As a small child, my father would beat me as if I were a criminal. For example, if I was five minutes late for dinner, I could already tell by his voice what was coming. Before I even reached the courtyard, he had me in his grip and started hitting me all over. Of course, I screamed in pain—so loudly that even the neighbors came out. The boy next door, who I’d been playing with, got his dad, and he intervened. He pulled my father off me and shouted, “Are you out of your mind? You’re going to beat that child to death!”
I was beaten regularly. Sometimes I had to stay home from school because I was black and blue. I was “sick,” they said—and sometimes I wasn’t given food all day. Friends often invited me to their homes to play. They knew I had a tough life… but to me, it was “normal.”
We played soccer, raced bikes (we had made one from parts of three), built huts, climbed trees, and more—but never at our place. If anything went wrong, my father always blamed me—so I always got the beating. One time, he came looking for me in the forest with his bike. I had to get home immediately. At age seven, I ran so fast that he couldn’t keep up, and he became furious. That beating stayed with me for two days, and I missed a week of school… but I’m still alive!
In 1982, I got married just to get away from home—I thought anything would be better. But I was wrong. Lies, theft, and deceit ruled. I hoped it would get better, but it only got worse. She even tried to poison me through my food a few times… but I’m still alive!
In 1988, our son Davy died of crib death. My wife accused me of murdering our son… saying I had placed a pillow over his face and suffocated him. I snapped. But first, I took care of everything—I took Davy from his bed, washed him, dressed him in clean clothes, and brought him to the funeral home. The crib death diagnosis was confirmed by a doctor. Two weeks after the funeral, I broke down. I took a gun and walked into the woods to end it all. I told Davy I was coming with him and placed the gun against my temple… but then I heard someone shouting, “Vicky, over here!” It was the neighbor’s dog running toward me. I was so startled that I started running—all the way to the cemetery—six kilometers to Davy’s grave, where they found me hours later… but I’m still alive!
In 1998, I flipped my first pickup truck on the highway going 120 km/h, without wearing a seatbelt (I didn’t have one). I was working maintenance for a farmer with 7,500 head of cattle. On a sunny day, I was driving home when the rear axle locked—no brakes, no steering. The truck slammed into the guardrail and launched into the air. It flipped once lengthwise and three times sideways, hit the road again, and rolled several more times—just like in the movies—before landing back on its wheels. I kicked out the windshield and started directing traffic until the ambulance and police arrived. They asked me if I’d seen the driver of the vehicle… but I’m still alive!
On September 7, 1999, I had a work accident. The day before, I had even told my (second) wife that I needed to be careful because my work was dangerous… A concrete wall weighing 2,500 kg collapsed on top of me. It took 15 minutes to free me… I gave instructions the entire time to help save myself. I had no visible injuries… but at the hospital, X-rays showed a triple pelvic fracture, a cracked hip, and a torn urethra (3 cm). I spent 3 weeks in the hospital, 3 months in a wheelchair, and had a long rehab. I was declared unfit for work… but not unfit for God!
Now I have found a Father who doesn’t punish me but loves me! In 2012, I attended the Fatherheart School… and there, too, I received deep healing! I’m still growing every day and feel like a student who now attends university for free… God’s university—and I’m loving every second of it!
Divine protection
Mirjam shares:
“Ludwina often looks after our children. At 73 years old, she is still very capable of doing so. Her ingredients are: taking every step with Papa and immersing herself in the world of children and joining in. We are very happy to have her as a granny babysitter! Not everything always goes as we or the children are used to, but it always works out fine, because Ludwina does everything with her heavenly Father.
Recently, Ludwina was watching Joël, our 15-month-old son. He was happily playing in the kitchen while she was briefly in the living room doing something. At a
certain moment, she heard an alarming sound coming from the kitchen. She was terribly shocked when she entered the kitchen. Joël was sitting in the middle of shards from a broken glass he had managed to find. In his hand, he was holding the bottom of the glass with several sharp points on it. He was clearly enjoying the game and wanted Ludwina to join in. He very obediently handed over the glass when Ludwina asked for it. She picked him up from the kitchen and removed the glass shards from him. She checked him from head to toe but couldn’t find a single scratch… if that’s not protection, then what is! Thank You, Father!”
Need an extra boost for the winter months?
SPEAK STRENGTH TO YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM!
1 Cor. 14:4 says:
He who speaks in a tongue builds himself up…
SPEAK STRENGTH TO YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM!
1 Cor. 14:4 says:
He who speaks in a tongue builds himself up…
To build yourself up means to strengthen or edify yourself… so you can build yourself up by praying in tongues. Many Christians think this only applies to spiritual growth, but the Bible doesn’t say “spiritually build yourself up,” it just says “build up.” Brain specialists at Oral Roberts University have discovered through scientific research that when someone prays in tongues, the brain releases two substances that strengthen the immune system by 35 to 40%! Fascinatingly, these substances are secreted from a part of the brain that appears to have no other function. It is only activated when we pray in tongues.
If you want to boost your immunity, you know what to do…
Learning to listen to the Father's voice
HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO LEARN TO LISTEN TO THE FATHER’S VOICE AND OBEY HIM!
On Thursday, March 15, Theo had planned to go on a long bike ride of about 60 kilometers. Even though he is nearly 80 years old, Theo does this quite often.
That Thursday morning, while still lying in bed, he was praying. Suddenly, he had a very clear vision of his white bicycle. Theo immediately knew that God was telling him to take the white bike that day—something he normally wouldn’t do. With his white bike, his feet are more tightly locked into the pedals, making it harder to release them when stopping. His other bike allows for much easier dismounting and is, in principle, safer and also easier to ride. Still, Theo decided straight away that he would do what the Father said, even though he didn’t understand why.
That afternoon, he set off with his white bike. Theo has a watch that also measures his heart rate. While cycling during this season, he wears long sleeves and gloves, making it hard to check the watch. However, his white bike has a little device on the handlebars where he can attach the watch and easily monitor his heart rate.
He left home with a heart rate of 60 to 70 bpm—which is already a bit high for him, though not unusual in cold weather. He was soon cycling at 23 km/h, and his heart rate rose to 80. Just before reaching the Nete (a river), he suddenly saw his heart rate had jumped to 184. Theo hadn’t felt anything at all! He stopped and rested. After a few minutes, it dropped to 86.
He continued for a while, in a lower gear, and things went well. But when he shifted up slightly, he saw his heart rate rise again to 180. Once again, he didn’t feel it—but after resting, his heart rate returned to normal. When the same pattern repeated a few more times, Theo decided to ride back home.
Why did he need to take the white bike? Quite simply: with this bike, he could continuously see his heart rate monitor in front of him. Though he didn’t feel anything unusual, he could see the warning signs and stopped exerting himself. With his other bike, he wouldn’t have seen the heart rate, wouldn’t have stopped… and who knows what might have happened then?
Thank You, Father, for Your protection!
