Testimonies

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.

Testimonies

Rosie

Josie

Sloan Lindemann

Matthew Minkler

AnnMarie Bellows

Jessica Garcia

Scott

Hunter

Jeremy Garcia

Craig Pardy

MORIAH DERKACH

Bella Matheson

Crista Pena

CARLOS

YESENA’S HEALING

James Williams

AUSTIN MEDLEY

LIFE GROUP BAPTISMS

DOUG & ELISIA’S RESTORATION

LEO’S BAPTISM

CECILIA’S TESTIMONY

ANTIGONE TAGEL

BEACH YOUTH

TAMU-CC REVIVAL

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

I had an amazing thing happen yesterday at church! I messed up my right shoulder a little over a month ago and it’s been getting worse. I had limited movement and pain. The last few days were especially tough. At the end of the 9:00 service Valerie convinced me to get prayer for healing for my shoulder. 1 day later and I am pain free and have full movement! I won’t deny that I was a little skeptical, but I thank God for this healing! We serve an awesome God! Thanks Josiah for praying for me!

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

Yesterday on 9/13/22 I went to the ER because I was bleeding a lot. I am 13 weeks (almost 14 weeks) pregnant and any bleeding like this during pregnancy is sign to get a check up. I had scheduled an appointment with my OB that day for 2pm but I knew I had to go to the ER instead. They took blood and I got an ultrasound to see if my baby was okay. I asked if Z could come with me to the back but they didn’t let anyone back with me. I was terrified in that moment. I didn’t know if my baby would be alive, if it would have a heartbeat, if I had something internally wrong with me, if my body was rejecting the very thing the Lord gave. I was laying on the table praying to the Lord that my baby would be okay. Declaring that they were okay. During the ultrasound there was a spot the doctor kept pressing on and it hurt so bad. I hadn’t felt that pain before and he was taking pictures of it so they could find out what was happening. During this whole time I couldn’t see the screen and the doctor didn’t speak one word. After about 15min go by he says “The heart rate is 157 and the baby looks okay. They will debrief on what else there is later.” I have never felt more relieved but I was still wondering what the pain I felt was. They told me that I have 2 subchronic hemorrhages. I didn’t know what this meant for me and my baby but I knew the Lord could take it away. I went to my OB appointment once I got discharged and I heard my babies heartbeat for the very first time. It all felt so real. My baby is alive and so healthy. Praise the Lord! I went home and was in pain for the rest of the night but nothing I couldn’t handle. he next morning is W Mornings and I woke up with horrible pain in my lower right side of my pelvis. I didn’t want to miss W Mornings so I got up, got dressed and headed out. It was painful to walk down the stairs, to sit in my car, and even to walk. I knew I needed prayer so I received prayer that morning and it eased my pain but it wasn’t gone. I went home and rested for the day because I wasn’t feeling well and I knew Heaven Come was coming up. I told Z that I didn’t know if I would make it out but in my Spirit I knew I had to be there; whether sitting the whole time or not. I go to Heaven Come and I’m still in pain. Bella gave me the scripture from Mark 4 just the day before and I read it while sitting in service. I knew I had to be like the woman and push through to receive my healing. I knew I was going to be healed that night. After the response call happened I prayed for a sweet friend of mine and tried to go back to my seat but there was no way to get there so I stood in the front of the alter by myself and I worshipped for a minute until turning to my side and asking my friend Anne Marie to pray a healing prayer over me. Her, Sav, and Abigail prayed over me and after I sat down and felt some pain still but not nearly as much. Anne Marie said we were going to pray again for full healing. After the second prayer I stood up and sat down and there was no more pain. I couldn’t believe it. The pain that made me feel useless and debilitated was completely gone and it was all because of Jesus. I believe I was touched by Him and was healed by Him. His Word says that by His stripes we are healed. Because of His broken body and shed blood we could be made whole. I worshipped the Lord at His table and gave thanks to His miraculous healing power and got to share my testimony. I give praise to my King Jesus. He truly is Jehovah Rapha!

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!

Bella Matheson

MADE NEW

Thank You, Lord, that Your work on the cross made a way for the lost and broken to come home.

Thank you, Jesus, for Your grace that covers every breath of mine.

For so long I have been hesitant in praying and speaking Life over the people that I loved the most. Out of fear of offending or fear of what people might think of me, I acted like the good news of the Gospel was something to be ashamed of when in reality the message of Christ’s love for us is that of freedom, love and redemption.

Doesn’t everyone deserve to know that?

For years I was operating out of all kinds of fear. Fear of man’s opinion, fear of rejection, fear of missing out, etc.

All of that was washed away in the waters of baptism and was replaced with a fear of the Lord. A healthy, holy and reverent fear of the Creator of the Universe, my Father in Heaven. It is not a fear of punishment or death but a submission to His will, His ways, and a sense of awe and gratitude that He would leave His throne in Heaven to die for me.

“No other King would lay down their life for me, no other King would trade their life for mine.”

I’ve tried my whole life to live up to manmade expectations and fit the mold, but thank you, Jesus, for the freedom found in knowing that all I ever really needed to be was Yours. I am saved by Your grace. I am unashamed of Your gospel. My life is for You, Lord.

“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,”

Psalms 107:2 NKJV

“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