impact stories
July 18th 2023
I first met Abraham under a bridge in Muizenberg, South Africa. My first thought was maybe we could help him, but I never realized how much Abraham would impact my life.
Week after week I would meet him on the street or at the ministry U-Turn and learn more about his story. Somedays I would bring him some dinner or some water and he would always be tidying up his bed under the bridge or sweeping the sidewalks. Abraham would tell me, “I just want to be a good neighbor.”
He loves to read and would always has a new book. Abraham is a pillar in the community and he loves to share the Gospel to anyone who will listen on the streets.. He carries the light of Jesus inside of him. During one of our sidewalk conversations, he looked at me and said, “How can I be really homeless if the Holy Spirit lives on the inside of me.” Wow. I was just blown away how right he was.
father abraham
One day, I went by the bridge, but Abraham wasn’t around. Later I found out he had a stroke and was in the hospital. The next week Abraham was at U-Turn while my team and I were ministering, we asked if anyone needed prayer for healing, Abraham came forward. He told us he had pain all over the left side of his body and severe muscle spasms since the stroke. My daughter Grace, myself and another little girl on our team laid hands on him and began to pray. A few minutes later, Abraham began to weep and told me that the pain was completely gone and so were the muscle spasms. It was amazing to see God instantaneously heal Abraham.
Abraham taught me so much about seeing people and stopping for the one just like Jesus did. The cherry on top was seeing God’s love for him manifest in his healing. Oh how I look forward to the day I see Abraham again either on this side of the earth or on the other side of heaven!
July 5th 2023
Prior to DTS I had no interest in speaking to strangers from a platform. I actually was very intimidated by the idea of holding a mic and speaking to a group of people that I do not know. So when I was asked to speak during outreach I was very reluctant, but I felt like the Holy Spirit wanted me to share about prayer.
So I opened my bible and my journal and started to draft some notes with a red pen I began to underline my notes highlighting what I thought was important and writing down some rhetorical questions. In my simple mind I was trying to plan out the teaching to ensure I didn’t screw it up.
On our way to Capricorn church located in the nearby township, I was praying and asking The Lord to calm my nerves. I asked God to speak to me and use me. I immediately heard the still small voice say,” Jeremiah 1:9. Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth”
Man did I get goosebumps, I knew the Lord had plans different from mine and my faith increased to open my mouth and completely surrender to Him. I jumped up on stage with excitement to see what God was going to do. I started working my way through the message and I then heard the Lord say “Now share your testimony.” So I did.
Capricorn Ministry Night
With “Prayer” being the theme of the teaching I shared how God got me through so much even before knowing Him and the only explanation for it is that someone (my wife and her parents) had prayed for me even when they did not know me yet. The power of prayer was reaching me even when I was on the other side of the world in a war zone.
The service ended and the church pastor told me, “The Lord just confirmed something to me through your teaching!” Wow! God is so good.
Another woman who was Muslim also sat in the church that evening and mentioned she had never met someone who had come to faith in Jesus from a Muslim background. God was using parts of my testimony to speak to her directly and personally. I was amazed that once I surrendered my fear and my plan that the Holy Spirit did take over and minister to those in the room. His plans are so much better and bigger than what we can imagine.
