“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31
Sam —
We are rejoicing as one new family, reunited in Christ Jesus, and praising His most holy name for all He has done for us through many faithful prayers. I know that I am nothing, yet my Father in heaven in mercy has heard my cries and answered them by the merits of His Son. I humbled myself and prayed along with many other brothers in Christ, and God has answered our prayers in restoring my wife and children unto me.
My family and I come from the religious group called Hutterites. If you trace their roots back about 450 years, they were part of the early Ana-Baptist movement in Europe. This group of God’s people were on fire for the Lord, standing for truth, and winning many souls for the kingdom. My people have lived in community down through these years, sharing all we had with each other, and living together on a colony. But we lost the fire of the Holy Ghost, the quickening of revival among us, and settled down into religion. This is where I found myself about four years ago—lost and groping for answers, blind and stumbling around in my works religion.
After much searching I was gloriously converted, born again by the Spirit of God. This happened about two years ago. The scales fell off my eyes as they did for our beloved Paul. My wife still lived on the colony and was very religious. When I came to her with joy to share what God had done for me, she thought that I was drunk. She chased me out of the house with many words. I felt altogether alone and forsaken. I had no one at the time to share my painful burden with, so I turned to the Lord. I fell down on my face in utter despair and cried out to Him. I did this day after day, until one day, the Lord reached down from heaven in tender mercy. He gently took my hand and whispered in my ear by the Holy Ghost. He said to me, “Sam, it is all right; it is all taken care of. I took care of it two thousand years ago on Calvary.” I seemed to hear Him say in my soul, “Get up My son and lift up your head. Be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Look to Jesus and the Father.”
Susanna —
Our years apart were a nightmare. I always thought I was better and more religious than my husband. I tried to shove him around all the years of our marriage. Even after he left our home, when he would come for a visit, I tried to tell him what to do. As I look back on all of those years, I see now that these actions flowed out of a bitter, hateful, cold, and rebellious heart. When Sam came to visit after he was born again, I resisted him. When he told me that Jesus had forgiven him and that He was real in his life day by day, I thought he was insane. I had never heard him talk that way, and his face was full of peace. Each time he would come to visit, he would share more about Jesus and what He was doing for him. I only got angrier each time. But deep down in my heart, I was not satisfied. Yet I was too proud and religious to listen to that still small voice inside of me. I was so bound by religion and following rules and regulations that I was blind. The fear of man was my snare, keeping me from being honest in myself. I was miserable but wouldn’t admit it. I had no idea of the blessings that were waiting for me if only I would repent and believe in Jesus as my only way of salvation.
Sam —
These painful experiences continued for the space of two years. I was a lonely man yet not alone, because Jesus was my closest friend. Many prayers were prayed, many tears were shed, and many other Christians were praying for our situation. Then in February of the year 2000 I went to the Leadership Seminar at Charity Christian Fellowship in Leola, Pa. While I was there I was asked to share my testimony with the rest of the men. As the men heard of my divided home, they all began to pray for my wife in the daily prayer sessions at the seminar. God also sent a few individuals who agreed with me in united prayer for Susanna. It seemed that God was bearing witness in the hearts of some that my wife was going to be saved soon. We prayed the prayer of faith and believed God for the results.
Two weeks later the faithful God of glory moved in my dear wife’s heart and changed it completely. As I walked through the door to visit her and beamed a loving smile at her, something happened—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, as if someone turned the light on in her heart. Praise God, Susanna’s heart melted, the hardness was gone, and she came with me that very hour. Two weeks later she was born again as she cried out to Jesus to save her.
From that moment everything has been different. It is like nothing has ever happened—no wounds to heal, no bitterness to deal with, everything is under the blood of our Savior. Blessed be His holy name. If any household be in Christ, it is a new house. Old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. I thank God for all the people who prayed for my family, especially those who prayed with me personally. Pray for us as we serve the Lord in South Dakota. We want to be instruments of revival wherever we go. We know that satan would like to destroy our family, but God is greater than all his plans.
Susanna —
Two weeks after Sam returned from Pennsylvania he came to visit me. That day the mighty God worked a miracle in my heart. As my husband came through the doorway, I just stood and watched him. I will never forget the shiny, gleaming face that greeted me. The peace of God which passeth understanding was radiating out of his face. Instantly my stony heart was softened. I can’t explain it, but I was ready to learn from him and follow him wherever he would lead me. I knew that very moment that what my husband had was the truth. My fear of man disappeared. It didn’t bother me anymore “what will other people think”. I went with him that same hour—that is how fast the Holy Spirit moved in me.
In the next two weeks that followed, I came to Jesus Christ. I gave my everything to Him, and He accepted me and took my burden of sin away. He saved me, even though I am not worthy and in spite of all the evil that I had done. The fear of man, my pride, rebellion, hatred, and anger were all taken away. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! I am free in Christ Jesus, not free in men. He only is the ark that saves us from all that is evil in this world. A precious verse to me has been 2 Cor. 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.”
I have had much pressure from relatives to turn back to my religious traditions and away from Christ. God has kept me in His hand. The last 15 months that we have been together have been beautiful. All praise to God; we are nothing. God has given us a new love for each other. A love like nothing we have ever experienced in twelve years before. Everything is covered by the blood of Jesus. We never accuse one another of things in the past; it is all gone. He washed us white as snow. Thanks to our Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Isa.9:6
God is still at work in us this last year. He has shown us many things, and we are walking in obedience to His light. He blessed us with homeschooling our children, and we have been so thrilled by this challenge. I will end this story of God’s restoring mercy with this joyous announcement: we are expecting a little baby. We have three precious children now and rejoice to receive another one from the hands of our gracious Father.
