Revival Stories
TESTIMONIES OF GOD’S POWER
As Christians, we are called to share our testimonies to encourage everyone and to help increase each other’s faith. These stories help to demonstrate the power, authority, and goodness of God. They aid in telling His story on earth today. The Church was not built on law and doctrine but on the testimony that Jesus died and rose three days later. Any testimony, no matter how small or big, has the power to change lives by directing the hearts of all people to Jesus our savior.
PATTY – AFTER 20 YEARS, I FEEL NO PAIN
God is Moving in our Home Groups!
MADI – CONVICTED AND FULLY HEALED
God can still use us
Amirah – Dream Encounter
Anya – God in the Public Schools
Elle – Freedom after conviction
Nadia – Mass Confirmed Gone
Mark – Foot Ailment Healed
Ron – Eyesight Restored
Cassandra – Son’s Headaches Healed
Bailey – Sister Leaves Behind Witchcraft
Dax – Bible Club Update
Andre – Evangelism on Halloween
Alex – A Team Saved
Zoe – New Life Found in Surrender
Xander – A Freed Mind
Leanna – Freedom from Sexual Sin
Whitney – A Purified Perspective
Gwen – Healed from Celiac Disease
Sam – Heart Monitor Disappears
Isa – Healed from Cancer
Maliyah – A Godly Encounter
Helen – Power of God with Joy
Samuel – ON MISSION
Claudia – From New Age to New Life
Jordan – Freed From Depression
Rosie – Healed from Eye Disease
Joseph – Dead to Sin, Alive in God
Josie – Brother Saved After Church
Sloan – Miracle – Leg Lengthens
Matthew – Movement in Toes Returns
AnnMarie – Years of Spinal Pain Healed
Jessica – Recreated Organ Miracle
Scott – There’s Something Different
Hunter – Healed and Assured
MORIAH – CONFIRMED PREGNANCY HEALING
Bella – Boldness and Baptism
Crista – Torn Tendon Healed
CARLOS – DEAF EAR OPENED
YESENA – TWITCHING HEALED
James – Broken Neck & Back Healed
AUSTIN – FRESH HUNGER FOR JESUS
LIFE GROUP BAPTISMS
DOUG & ELISIA’S RESTORATION OF MARRIAGE
LEO’S BAPTISM
CECILIA – SPRAINED ANKLE HEALED
BEACH YOUTH
TAMU-CC REVIVAL
Leanna Jimenez was introduced to pornography around the age of 10. This led to a porn addiction by the age of 12. She was a pastor’s kid, meaning she grew up in the church and knew well what was right and what was sin. At 16 years old, during her sophomore year, quarantine came and she was home much more often. She delved further and further into sin, kicking off a drug addiction, and began to identify as homosexual. At 17 years old, she entered into her first relationship with a boy. Trying to fill a God-sized hole, she fell into sexual sin. Shortly after, she found out she was pregnant. Despite knowing the word of God, she decided to get an abortion. By the time her freshman year at TAMU-CC began, she was plagued by depression and anxiety, realizing her sins were not going away. If anything, they were intensifying: cigarettes and weed turned into acid and edibles, and occasional drinking turned into binging.
At her lowest point, she texted a neighbor, Sloan, to ask for prayer. To her surprise, Sloan responded immediately by inviting her over to talk and pray together. Sitting together in Sloan’s dorm room, Leanna began to express that she just didn’t know how to escape all of the hurt and darkness in her life. Sloan began speaking the truth of Scripture to her and told her she needed to repent of everything and come into right standing with God. Leanna’s eyes were opened so she could see how lukewarm she was with Jesus. She began confessing everything and then rededicated her life to the Lord. In that moment of confession and surrender, God dramatically changed Leanna’s life: she stopped taking medication for depression and anxiety, she was freed from alcohol and drug abuse, and she was freed from homosexuality – God renewed her purity and innocence.
Yielding to the Holy Spirit
Believers are met with two options when the Holy Spirit desires an encounter: reject it or yield to it. This was Whitney Kelm’s decision to make during the Greater Things Conference in July of last summer.
Whitney grew up in the church but was unfamiliar with any sort of expression of the Holy Spirit. While attending the conference, she started observing different expressions of the Holy Spirit, most of which made her uncomfortable. She knew she desired an encounter with the Holy Spirit but the idea of it seemed so foreign to her.
During her morning time alone with God, she read Isaiah 6: “Woe is me; I am a man of unclean lips.” She prayed for a moment like Isaiah’s. She wanted to see God. Following the morning’s session, she realized she didn’t know how to receive what the Holy Spirit had for her. Through the wisdom of her husband, she realized that she had unbelief in her heart and judgment in her mind. Later that day in the evening service, Randy Clark made a call for anyone wanting to be filled with power and love to step out of their seat for prayer. She made her way to the front of the room. When a prayer partner came along to lay hands on her, she was met with the choice to reject or yield to the Holy Spirit – and she chose to reject it. She immediately knew that she missed the moment. But God reminded her that He looks on his children who are humble and contrite in spirit. Another person came by and laid hands on her in prayer. This time, she decided to yield to the Lords work in her life. As the Holy Spirit filled her she yelled loudly and then dropped to the floor. She felt the weight of God’s presence and glory. She had the Isaiah 6 moment she desired; she thought, “Woe is me, I am a woman of unclean lips.” During this time, God revealed His glory to her. He reminded her of what was said to Job when God asked, “Where were you when I formed the foundations of the world?”
When Whitney finally stood up, she knew she felt lighter. She knew God did a cleansing in her and she felt the fear of God. It felt like the coal touched her lips. She knew she had encountered the living God. By removing herself from the seat of judgment, God changed Whitney’s perspective; where she once observed chaos during Spirit-filled moments, she could now see it with a clean heart and clean mind.
In the spring semester of 2023, Alex Garcia responded to an altar call at his young adult bible study to grow in his leadership. During this time of prayer, he felt an impression from the Lord to start something faith-based at his place of work. As a coach at a youth sports complex, he felt like he was in a unique place to minister to athletes. Some time later he began to plan an event called Faith and Football, a free training for students along with an opportunity for them to hear the Gospel. After opening in prayer, the kids began running through drills at various stations. At one of these stations, a young man named Eric hurt his back so badly he could barely stand. Having faith in the healing power of God, Alex offered to pray for him, and after persisting in prayer, the pain went away completely. When it came time to share the Gospel, Alex also invited Eric to share his testimony of God’s healing. At the end, Alex gave a call for salvation and encouraged the young athletes to come forward to a makeshift altar they fashioned out of sports cones. Of the 44 in attendance, 35 responded to the call for salvation. Months later, Alex notes the students haven’t been the same since that evening. Through Alex’s obedience and boldness in his workplace, eternities have changed for that group of young men.
No More Celiac Disease
For much of Gwen’s life, she experienced intense, debilitating stomach pains. These pains were usually accompanied by a shift in mood which made her grumpy and irritable. Around age seven or eight, her parents took her to the pediatrician to try and get an answer. Due to her stunted growth, the pediatrician decided to test her growth plates and thyroid. Nothing was unusual, though, so the doctor suggested removing gluten entirely from their home to see if Gwen had Celiac disease. It was confirmed shortly after cutting out gluten that Gwen did, in fact, have Celiac disease.
A few years later, on Sunday, July 28th, a guest pastor, Richie Seltzer, invited anyone in need of physical healing to stand up. Gwen stood immediately, eager for her body to be healed. Her father decided to stand alongside her, placing his hand on her shoulder. In the middle of prayer, Richie called out that someone’s gut was being healed. Without a doubt, both Gwen and her father knew he was talking about her. During the response time at the end of service, Gwen asked to go to the altar. It was there that Gwen knelt and cried, seeking the Lord in a profound way for an eight-year-old. She told herself and God she wasn’t standing up from the altar until her gut was healed. Gwen recalls feeling a hand rest on her head which sent tingles throughout her whole body. It was God’s hand on her, healing her from head to toes. She hasn’t struggled with Celiac disease since!
During spring break of 2024, the youth ministry at New Life wanted to provide students with a positive hang out opportunity. They decided that they would gather on Wednesday for a streaming of the movie Jesus Revolution. Although this was a different day than when the youth ministry usually gathered, 174 teenagers came together in fellowship. At the end of the movie, they closed in prayer. A call was given for anyone who wanted to live lives like the ones depicted in the movie to come forward. Many of the students responded to the Lord at the altar and there were 6 salvations and 9 baptisms that evening. A couple days later, inspired by the movie, some teens went to the beach to share the gospel, which resulted in the salvation of two more souls. Whether it’s a movie or a couple of teenagers on the beach, God can use anything and anyone to bring His people back to Him.
No More Celiac Disease
For much of Gwen’s life, she experienced intense, debilitating stomach pains. These pains were usually accompanied by a shift in mood which made her grumpy and irritable. Around age seven or eight, her parents took her to the pediatrician to try and get an answer. Due to her stunted growth, the pediatrician decided to test her growth plates and thyroid. Nothing was unusual, though, so the doctor suggested removing gluten entirely from their home to see if Gwen had Celiac disease. It was confirmed shortly after cutting out gluten that Gwen did, in fact, have Celiac disease.
A few years later, on Sunday, July 28th, a guest pastor, Richie Seltzer, invited anyone in need of physical healing to stand up. Gwen stood immediately, eager for her body to be healed. Her father decided to stand alongside her, placing his hand on her shoulder. In the middle of prayer, Richie called out that someone’s gut was being healed. Without a doubt, both Gwen and her father knew he was talking about her. During the response time at the end of service, Gwen asked to go to the altar. It was there that Gwen knelt and cried, seeking the Lord in a profound way for an eight-year-old. She told herself and God she wasn’t standing up from the altar until her gut was healed. Gwen recalls feeling a hand rest on her head which sent tingles throughout her whole body. It was God’s hand on her, healing her from head to toes. She hasn’t struggled with Celiac disease since!
On August 22nd, Jarrod Harris, a Junior and baseball player at TAMUCC, had a late night conversation with a couple of his teammates where he shared his testimony about getting baptized at One Night the year before. His friends strongly identified with his story and were convicted by the Holy Spirit, feeling that they were living only halfheartedly for God. Deciding that they were done living in compromise, first thing the next morning they contacted one of the pastors and asked to come to the church at 7 a.m. so they could be baptized. The following Sunday, they shared with the congregation what had happened. Senior Pastor Mike Fehlauer followed up with a simple call that if anyone felt like they identified with what these young men just shared, this could be the time for them to give their lives completely to God. Young and old across the church immediately began to respond and made their way to the baptism area. Baptisms continued through the duration of the service and even into the next service. That Sunday a total of 43 baptisms occurred. Alongside the water baptisms, the altar was crowded with people receiving prayer and ministry, with many being delivered from a spirit of suicide.
Unexplained Illness Miraculously Healed
Although Kate Collins had a relationship with the Lord since childhood, she struggled in her ability to lean on Him for all things. In mid-February, she began to experience intense sharp pain in her back along with her face swelling to the point she couldn’t see. She rushed to the emergency room and was admitted to the hospital to find out what was happening. Test after test completed and the team of doctors still couldn’t find the cause for her extreme symptoms. Several days passed as her condition worsened with her heart rate dropping to the thirties at times. At this point, the hospital staff admitted Kate was dying and they simply didn’t know why. She and her husband were instructed to make final preparations, as she struggled with the thoughts of leaving her family and if she said she loved them enough. She asked her husband to reach out to Pastor Mike and Bonnie Fehlauer for prayer. They arrived and as Bonnie entered the room and took her hand she immediately felt stronger and knew death was not coming for her. In the following days, as she got better, the doctors didn’t understand how she could be recovering so quickly, chalking it up to a miracle. Through this near-death experience and divine healing she discovered what God’s purpose was for her family and the role she was designed to fill in it. She learned to set aside the desire to be the head over everything and relinquish control to her husband and more importantly the Lord. It’s in our weakest moments, as we leave our lives in His hands, that He builds us up again as He intends.
One morning, Brittney Garza was taking her baby, Saveah, for a stroll. During the walk, the stroller accidentally tipped over causing the baby to hit her head. After rushing to the ER and later being sent to Driscoll Children’s Hospital, they discovered she had a brain bleed the size of a golf ball as well as broken collarbones and ribs. With the baby only weighing eight pounds at three months old, almost everything seemed to be against her recovery. After a full week of staying in the hospital, doctors decided to hold them even longer upon discovering even more complications. Sunday evening, Brittney reached out to a friend who attended New Life for support and prayer from a Pastor. Pastor Mario, being the only one available after a youth service, showed up that night in full faith that it was God’s will to heal the baby. In his prayer, he prayed for God to show his power, confirm His calling on the baby’s life, and get the family out of the hospital before noon tomorrow. The next day, Pastor Mario got a call that the family was released at 11 a.m. The doctors reported how they ran all these tests and couldn’t find anything to the point they said, “It’s like she never hit her head.” However, because of the broken bones, the family still had to return to the doctors. After running several X-rays, the doctors could not find any trace of a broken collarbone or ribs. In another display of God’s provision, the baby who once couldn’t gain weight gained four pounds in just three days, and has continued to gain weight and develop healthily ever since. Saveah’s testimony serves as a reminder to us all that breakthrough healing comes from the Father.
Street Evangelism on TAMUCC Campus
In October of 2023, Andre Devera felt God put on his heart to begin preaching on the college campus during school hours. He was imparted with a blueprint of a body of people, the bride of Christ, coming together in love, power, and joy representing God. In faith and humility, he set out to preach on campus with other young adults from the church. They shared testimonies, offered prayer, and spread the gospel. In the few times they’ve met, God has already moved so much with people passing by encountering the Lord, being saved and baptized. This latest experssion of God’s move on the TAMUCC campus has a marked difference from before – a newfound anointing for the proclamation of the gospel to complete stangers. Even off campus, many have recognized Andre and approached him, simply wanting to know more about Jesus. This fresh boldness in Christ is not something just for Gen Z, but a seed for generations to come.
At the end of August, New Life Young Adults, the college ministry of New Life Church, held their annual “One Night” worship gathering at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. This night came with a promise: If you bring a friend, they will hear the Gospel. With nearly 1,100 people in attendance gathered on the university’s East Lawn, it was clear that the Holy Spirit was about to move. There was a time of worship before everyone settled into the grass to listen to a message of repentance shared by Young Adults Pastor, Tarik Whitmore. At the end, he gave an altar call for people to make the most important decision of their life. 124 college students gave their lives to Christ and were baptized! Leaders laid hands on and prayed for them while these young men and women waited for up to an hour and a half for their turn to pass through the waters. There were countless lives changed and testimonies of repentance, the following is one such story.
Worship Drawing People to Christ
TAMUCC Senior Megan DePew was leaving a softball meeting on campus when she heard music coming from the East Lawn. She and her teammates were hungry and figured if they heard music it was probably an on-campus event with food. They walked across campus and quickly realized it was NLYA One Night. While she hadn’t gone to church many times, what began to draw her closer to Christ again after being agnostic was worship music. As Megan and her teammates attended the event they began to experience an overwhelming feeling of the Holy Spirit on each of them individually. She knew she didn’t know much about the Bible, but she couldn’t deny the presence of God on her. At that moment, she decided to commit everything to Christ and get baptized. While waiting in line she looked around and realized there were some of her teammates responding to the call as well. Six in total on her softball team were baptized that night. Since then, she speaks of how much more joy she feels and how she and her team will never forget that night for the rest of their lives.
Revival Spreads Across South Texas
Inspired by his experience in 2022, Sebastian Mejia felt compelled to return to Corpus Christi for One Night, an annual worship event held by New Life Young Adults at TAMUCC, even though he had transferred to another university in Edinburg, Texas. However, this time, instead of attending alone, he wanted to bring as many people as possible to experience it with him. He shared with all his friends about this amazing spiritual event, and how no one would leave the same. What started with five yeses grew to thirty-five by the day of One Night. While this seemed to be a lot of people to transport, Sebastian had faith that God would provide, which He did with vans supplied by his church and another friend willing to help. At the event, four student-athletes received physical healing. After witnessing these healings and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit, the traveling students took that fire back with them to Edinburg. Their community has been growing with small groups coming together and more believers taking initiative. Their FCA group, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, has also more than doubled going from attendances between eight and twelve to nearly 30. Along with more people congregating, there have also been salvations and people getting baptized resulting from the testimonies of people who attended One Night. However, they are not planning to stop there. There are also plans for a weekly prayer room on campus. Due to this encouraging growth, they have now decided to hold their own One Night in 2024. Mejia notes how there is a revival spreading from Corpus Christi to Edinburg and all throughout South Texas and people are finally taking notice.
Teens Lead Revival in Public Schools
Starting in early spring of 2021, Mario Carrete, the Youth Pastor at New Life, was burdened by the national percentage of young people leaving their faith when going into college. The Lord revealed to him that the reason for this was because so many of them were spiritually out of shape. They’d been simply taught the scriptures but had been given no way to put into practice what they learned. After talking with other leaders, they came up with the idea to give the kids a challenge during a youth service: to go start a Bible study at their schools. By the end of the week 12 different groups of students started Bible clubs in their schools. However, there aren’t any adult leaders leading these clubs, they’re entirely led by teens preaching and ministering to their peers. It has only been a couple years, but these Bible clubs have grown at an exponential rate. Clubs that originally had 20 in attendance in the first year have doubled to 40 and those that had 50 now regularly have over 100. The importance of these clubs can not be stressed enough. For some kids, they’ve said that this is the only church they get since their parents don’t take them on Sundays. The schools themselves are different, too. Teachers talk about how there are less fights, suicide rates are dropping, and more. If these Bible clubs show anything, it is that there’s no junior Holy Spirit but only the Holy Spirit, and He can and will use anyone.
Man Healed of Stomach Cancer
Conrad Cantu Jr., a member of New Life Church and an M.D., had a brother, Andrew Cantu, who in November of 2022 was diagnosed with stage 5 gastric cancer. This kind of cancer typically has a life expectancy of six to twelve months from the onset of diagnosis. As Dr. Cantu dove into research on this type of cancer he said it felt like everything he saw led to death, but despite how bleak the situation looked, Conrad had faith in the power of the Lord. With this aggressive illness, the doctors came up with a new plan for chemotherapy and surgery. However, Conrad, his mother, and his wife all shared with each other that the Holy Spirit had put on their heart that the doctor was going to perform surgery on Andrew and would find nothing. Conrad and his family prayed for Andrew boldly and at any chance that they got. Like the parable, Conrad wanted to be one of the friends lowering the paralyzed man through the roof. He prayed for Andrew one more time before he went into surgery and then went about the rest of his day. Post-surgery, Conrad spoke with the care-team, and they told him that all they found in Andrew was some scar tissue where the cancer had once been. They even did a pathology report to be sure. While the previous report clearly had cancer everywhere, the new one showed zero cancer. A miracle that could only be attributed to God.
An Act of Faith Leads to Salvation
Just as the Life Group semester was kicking off for New Life Church, Devante Boll, one of the leaders, was beginning to prepare for what God was going to do. This bible study was going to be held at his house; a place that he once associated with sin, he was now eager to use for God’s glory. In preparation, he and his wife discussed buying a baptism trough for their backyard. Inspired by another young adult life group who had recently stepped out in faith and had their own backyard baptisms, they wanted to be ready for what God had planned. While it was expensive, and he had a mortgage, wife, and baby to provide for, Devante knew that God would provide for him. In buying the trough, he trusted in the Lord’s guidance knowing the importance of obedience and that when we freely give, we freely receive. That night, he preached on repentance and one person decided to give their life to Christ and be baptized. In Devante’s act of obedience, all of Heaven rejoiced.
Drew
I’ve had knee pain for about four years from playing sports and getting hit in the knee a lot. During the Todd White service in December, there was a call for physical healing and specifically highlighted knee pain. As he was praying I started to feel something shift in my knee. I had some friends around me laying hands and praying for me. When I went to test it out, my knee popped and shifted back into place. When I went to kneel there was no longer any pain in my knee whatsoever!! There has been no knee pain since that day, praise the Lord!
Aaron Neubauer
Skylar Pottenger
Going into Heaven Come on 6/29, I was praying for a fresh touch from the Lord. I wanted to burn for Him again- I wanted to be filled with His spirit but didn’t know what that looked like or how to get there. As a leader in the church, I felt ashamed to bring up what I was struggling with, and time and time again, the enemy kept me from bringing those things to the light. As time went on, those feelings and thoughts got so suppressed that they just became normal for me. I really believed that “that’s just who I was” and that I was going to have to live with a bitter heart for the rest of my life. The lies and deception that he would whisper to me kept me from repenting or asking for prayer. The stuff I was struggling with wasn’t external sin (The way I lived my life) but internal sin- stuff that was harboring in my heart. Bitterness, holding offense towards others, comparing myself to others, unforgiveness, etc. You wouldn’t look at me and the way I live my life and think that I struggled with these things- they were all internal. They were things that would silence me and keep me up at night.
On Wednesday, my eyes were finally opened and my ears finally heard! Todd White said “God will offend your mind to reveal your heart. We have placed things in here that don’t belong and it is prohibiting your flame from burning correctly.” In that moment it all made sense. Wanting to burn for the Lord couldn’t happen until I got rid of all of the junk in my heart! The Lord spoke so clearly to me and said “I can’t make my home in you until you get rid of all this stuff in your heart”. Todd’s invitation was for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. And I wanted that! So so so badly! We did this thing called the fire tunnel, and essentially anyone who wanted to respond to his call walked through a “tunnel” of leaders in the church who would lay hands on each person and pray. You were touched by probably 20+ different people praying numerous things over you. Before the tunnel, Todd prayed over the entire congregation and as he was praying, the things that were harboring in my heart began to leave me. As he prayed, I prayed in agreement with the AUTHORITY that God had given me long ago. I felt a physical release of offense, unforgiveness, shame and comparison. I began to weep, not out of sorrow but out of thankfulness- that I was finally free and could finally experience the fullness of what God wanted to do in me. And that’s exactly what happened. As I walked through the fire tunnel I received a touch from the Lord- an impartation of His Spirit and of His fire! An incomprehensible power of His presence came over my body and physically, I could not stand. There was no other option but to kneel at His feet and worship Him.
Since last Wednesday, I have never walked more free! I am a different person inside and out. I have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I am on fire for Jesus! I’ve been given the lens of the Father and everything I say, do, or think points back to Him. EVERYTHING. I will never be the same!
Sloan Lindeman
For the past four years I’ve had really bad knee and hamstring issues on my left leg. I’ve gone to doctors, tried physical therapy, and have done many things to try and get rid of the pain but nothing seemed to work. Even after I stopped dancing, I thought the pain would go away but it instead got worse. It was affecting my everyday life and mental health, and it had gotten to the point where I had given up. I thought I would have to deal with this pain for forever. I wanted to be healed SO badly. I just didn’t think it could happen to me. But on March 1st, I went to Heaven Come and GOD SHOWED UP. Toward the end of the service, I was sitting down at my chair praying and randomly the prayer team came up to me and said God pointed me out to them and they felt the need to pray for me. I could not believe it. God’s presence immediately fell over me and I felt this indescribable love of God from head to toe. They prayed for physical healing in my left leg and I stood up and the pain was FULLY gone. Since then, I have had NO more pain. GOD COMPLETELY HEALED ME. What a miracle. God is such a good father. Through this testimony, it has grown my faith tremendously and it has given me a sense of boldness to share my faith with others. I’ve been learning to say YES to God more and to live for him and not the things of the world. OUR FATHER IS SO GOOD!!
Vilma Ramirez
In November of 2021, I started feeling tired and my gums were hurting real bad. My husband told me to go to the doctor where I had bloodwork done and they told me that my white blood cells were super high, which is not normal. So on December 15th of 2021 I had a dream where a man with long hair and dressed in a robe kept telling me to go to the emergency room. I couldn’t see his face because it was too bright. I woke up, thought nothing of it. I said to myself, it was just a dream. I went back to sleep and the same man came into my dreams again and told me to go to the emergency room. I don’t know if it was an angel or Jesus Himself. Next morning, I told my husband to take me to the emergency room in Corpus and it was there that they told me I had Leukemia. My heart was broken. I was shocked and I didn’t know what to do. I was alone and crying when I heard a gentle voice tell me that everything was going to be ok. I felt such a peace and it was there that I knew that God was with me. I was then transferred to San Antonio where they told me that I was going to need a bone marrow transplant. Six months after that I was blessed with a donor from Spain. 2 months after the transplant, I was told that they found a cancerous tumor on my ovary. They took the cancerous tumor out along with my ovary and in October of 2022 I was told that I didn’t have Leukemia anymore. In March of 2023, after many Chemo treatments, I was told that there wasn’t an ounce of cancer in my body. I WAS CANCER FREE!!! Praise God! God is good! I know that it was Jesus who came into my dream that night to tell me to go to the emergency room. He has been there throughout my journey with this deadly disease. I want to thank everyone at New Life who prayed for me. Keep your faith and remember Jesus is the Great Physician and there is not a sickness he can’t heal. I beat cancer, not only once, but TWICE! Thank y’all for everything and may God bless each and everyone of you!
Peter Polanco
There was a stronghold in my life that I set for myself 13 years ago and it was beginning to threaten my marriage. I decided to confess to my wife and to repent to God of what I’d been hiding. I surrendered my addiction and showed my weakness and shed light on it, for God and for my marriage. I knew I needed Jesus more than ever and began to seek Him and community more frequently. By surrendering to Jesus I began feeling mental and physical attacks from the enemy that sent me to the emergency room twice in November. Following that came anxiety and feelings of overwhelming loneliness, even among my friends and family. I felt unworthy to have a spouse and even life at times, I believed I was beginning to lose my sanity and this kept looming over me for a month as I struggled to pursue the Lord. I realized what I was feeling was myself slowly being changed by Jesus and the gaping void that remained was left to be filled. With the help of the Lord, my family, and friends I finally began to feel love again. Life after this season is finally beginning to feel normal again. Since Jesus lifted me from that addiction I’ve been experiencing more gratitude and love by Him than I’ve ever experienced. I went to Jesus in my lowest moments in complete humility and decided to follow Him fully. I’ve been free of anxiety and fear for a month and needed to show the new posture of my heart in front of many.
James Whalen
I always knew there was “something bigger” than us, but if you would’ve asked me a year ago if I believed that was God, I wouldn’t have said a definite “yes”. To make this story short and to the point, let me give you a timeline of events that took me from that “maybe” to “absolutely”. Last November my wife told me she wanted to be separated, within that same week, my son invited us to his baptism. That church service that followed his baptism, was the most emotional experience I have had and led me to start looking as God as that “something bigger”. Fast forward to now, I had been gong to church, reading, and praying but for some reason, getting baptized kept being pushed back, Satan really didn’t want to let me go. He pushed doubt, self hatred, and fear on me, but God is greater than all of those. I decided to give my life to Christ and was baptized on 9/22/2022. If you would’ve asked my family if this would’ve ever happened, they would have said no. But now I can say, without a doubt, that God is most definitely that “something bigger”.
Alana Seaman
Matt Lopez
This is Matt. When he survived a near fatal motorcycle crash in 2021, he knew God had a plan for his life. Though he wanted to turn to the Lord, he felt unable. From an early age, through misguided family members, Matt was exposed to witchcraft and demon worship. As a result, every time Matt stepped foot in a church he felt anxious and angry, unable to stay. Recently, Matt attended a young adults life group. As he listened to the leaders share the Gospel, he noticed a comfort and peace that he never experienced before. Later that night, he made the decision change the narrative of his family and surrender his life to Jesus, and embrace God’s plan for his life.
Lexi Jones
When I was 13 I gave my life to the Lord. During my high school years I veered off that road and had reached a bad state of mind with my mental health struggling with anxiety and depression. Today during worship, with Nicky Cruz was preaching, I felt like the Lord was reaching my heart but due to my anxiety and fears, I didn’t fully listen and move. Later that afternoon while talking with my friend Cecilia, I had a change of heart and felt like I needed to make that commitment and that step in the right direction by giving my life to the Lord. I now trust the Lord with my life and truly believe that he won’t ever steer me in the wrong direction in life and I’m determined to carry that faith with me for the rest of my life.
Victoria Cox
This is Victoria.
In April, Victoria was invited to an NLYA Night on campus by one of our young adults, Whitney Yates. When she arrived, her ears began throbbing due to the loud music. Victoria has lived with Auditory Sensory Disorder her whole life, making her painfully sensitive to sounds. Victoria told Whitney immediately that she couldn’t stay due to her disorder but Whitney offered to pray over her before she left.
Whitney & Liv began to pray. Victoria was amazed at their boldness so she gave a mustard seed of faith, believing God might actually be able to heal this disorder she’s had her whole life. After the prayer, they encouraged her to stay for a minute, and instantaneously, there was no more pain. Tears began to stream down her face, in awe that God healed her at that moment from something she believed she would deal with her whole life.
Since then, Victoria began to attend to an NLYA Tuesday life group. She had been struggling with anxiety and an ongoing addiction to smoking for the last 3 years. In this life group, she was convicted of living a “double lifestyle” and wanted the freedom that others were receiving around her. That night, as all the young adults went to dinner, she overheard a conversation between some of the leaders and a young man in her life group that was also addicted to smoking. Without them knowing it the counseling & encouragement the leaders brought him was also ministering to her. That night, Victoria went home, repented & decided to cold-turkey quit smoking. For three days, she experienced withdrawals and battled severe anxiety and nothing seemed to help.
That Friday evening, Whitney invited Victoria to catch up & get coffee. The holy spirit began to minister to her there in that coffee shop and Victoria said she wanted to get baptized. They went to the church immediately and Whitney baptized her as they believed God for a fresh start.
Since her baptism, Victoria hasn’t had any anxiety or withdrawals from smoking!
From just a mustard seed of faith & obedience, the Lord miraculously healed her hearing, broke away her anxiety, and freed her from addiction.
Jaddyn Lesikar
I prayed and was just asking God to let me know if I’m ready to get baptized. Then I went to sleep and had a dream that felt so real. I was talking with some friends outside in the middle of the night. Me and my step sister were talking and all of a sudden there was a loud noise, like trumpets and the sun got really bright. You could see angels appear from the sky and people start going into the sky. I started telling everyone that it’s judgment day and they were asking what that is. The next thing I know we’re in a cloud and we’re looking around and God is right there. Then I woke up and I was freaking out cause it really did feel so real- I knew God was speaking to me & that was my sign to get baptized.
Luis Garcia
I was living in the world and had a rough upbringing. I felt like it was a divine appointment that I showed up to life group that night, I think God directed my steps there. I heard Logan’s message & Andres’ testimony and felt convicted. I talked with the guy leaders in the life group and repented. I accepted the invitation to give my life to the Lord. I didn’t want to wait to be baptized, so the leaders baptized me in the pool at the apartments.
Andres Flores
I turned away from Jesus at the end of my freshman year, and last night at 11:30 PM the Lord gave me the strength to get rid of these chains that have been holding me back all my life, the burdens that have been keeping me away from Jesus. I don’t feel pain in my knee when I walk. I don’t feel any emotional pain or emptiness inside my heart. I feel reborn, and people don’t understand that there is always someone there for you. That’s what I strive to push now that I am a child of Jesus Christ.
McKenzie Gowan
3/27/22… an ordinary day made not so ordinary.
This is such a raw and pure moment between me and the Lord. I first rose from these waters many years ago, when I knew Jesus, but didn’t fully understand what it meant to have a relationship with him.
This eventually led me to be misguided in my faith.
These past few months I have spent in darkness, hiding away with the enemy. Everyday was a battle against myself as I gave into the sins that pulled me farther and farther away from God. I ignored constant corrections sent by God and lived a fear-driven life.
I was hesitant on re-dedicating my life to Christ for many selfish reasons. Whether it be guilt of what I had done, fear of what’s to come after, lack of trust in my faith, and so much more. No matter the reason, I always made up an excuse. It recently came to my attention that all this restraint was coming from the enemy and the enemy only. NO MORE EXCUSES!
God didn’t want me to come to him perfect. He wanted me to come to him broken. Broken and vulnerable. He wanted me to be fully encouraged in my own ways and not the ways of others. I had to show I was willing to lay down my sins and pick up my cross to live the life of a servant, and that’s a choice I made today.
Today wasn’t planned, but I wouldn’t trade it for any other day.
This is where growth starts. Thank you Jesus.
I AM FREE
Krista Valdez
On April 14, 2021 God gave me the greatest gift. I was home listening to Heaven Come services online. The Pastor said someone was struggling with depression. He repeated it again. I began yelling at my phone “it’s me, it’s me. “ I typed in the online chat “I’m here”.
I fell to my knees crying out to God. I felt the Holy Spirit fill the room. God began to empty me of the pain of my three attempted suicides , past child abuse, loss of a child, domestic abuse and betrayal of my family. After God emptied me he began to fill me with his love, joy and peace. I felt completely loved and worthy to receive it. For the first time I felt joy to be alive. Four days later at services that Sunday the pastor shared my testimony and I felt God tell me to get baptized. I practically went running to the front. When you experience the freedom found in Christ, you obey. I’m not here to make you believe in my healing, I’m sharing my testimony because someone may be struggling like I was. God can take away that burden of pain. True freedom is found in Christ Jesus. Waking up everyday with my family and not thinking about death is a freedom I can’t explain. Being able to form bonds and friendships as the real me is priceless. Being able to go to church and not hiding behind a fake smile is amazing. Being able to worship without lies filling my head that I should end my life ….PRICELESS. I am so grateful and so thankful. Thank you God for never leaving my side. Thank you Holy Spirit for guiding me always. Thank you Jesus for saving me. The price you paid for me, I’m eternally grateful.
Keith Scott
A couple days before a Heaven Come service, Keith badly injured his knee while training Jui Jitsu. The injury resulted in an intense amount of pain and made it unable for him to walk. Keith had to use a cane just to make it to church that Wednesday night. During service, Keith came forward to receive prayer for healing. After about 25 minutes of people praying, Keith regained the majority of range of motion in his leg and ALL of the pain had left. He walked out of the church that night on his own two feet, carrying the cane in his hand!
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
