We let Michel, 58 years old, a retired military man, tell his story:

"I want to start my testimony in 1995, when I was going through a very difficult period in my life. My marriage ended in a divorce and inside I was very, very restless and unhappy. One day I got to know a kind Dutch couple in Neeroeteren: Annie and Wiljo. We immediately got along very well with one another, and they became my very best friends.

Wiljo and I had a lot of interests in common, such as triathlon, spiritual human-yoga and Gestalt therapy. I always was admitted at theirs with my problems or for a good conversation. In those times we have experienced together quite some beautiful and less beautiful moments: we had nice parties, we have travelled together but we also experimented with drugs and so on... In the beginning we saw each other almost every week but in course of time the relationship between Annie and Wiljo became worse, and there was not much question of companionship any more then. It hurt me to see how they grew apart from one another. They even talked about separating. We had much less contact with each other. In the meantime I was living on my own again, and I continued my search for inner rest. I started an astrology course, I practised the tarot fortune-telling and the pendulum, I did sports and had relaxation massage and I participated in regression weekends. Sometime in the Summer of 2000, Wiljo told me: "Michel, now I have found it, God has come into my life!" He told me that a few months before he had found a note in his mail box, with the following text:
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11: 28-30. With this text, it had started for Wiljo.

He started to talk about it with several Christians and he bought a Bible. This Bible reading was quite difficult to him, he often did not understand very much about it. Then he asked God: "Lord, if You really want to come into my life, help me to understand Your word." From then on it all started to go better. He did not tell me more that day, he did not want to force anything at all on me. I thought: "again a new caprice, I am curious how long this one is going to last!" A few months later there was a little more talking about God, in a very cautious manner. For me the most beautiful thing was that their relationship was better again. Annie also said that Wiljo had really changed and she looked happier again. This was very important to me. I still can see Wiljo standing in front of me, with his hands folded open: "Michel, if only I could give it to you!" When I arrived home, I often started to think about it. But, at the other side, the difficult period in my life had almost completely finished; so why should I be occupied with it? If I was to allow God into my life, a lot of things had to be changed, and I was not very willing to do so.

Sometime in June 2001 I made another visit to them in Weert. Annie really looked very happy, and Wiljo... you know how it goes: out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. I admit I did like him telling about his relationship with God. At a certain moment Wiljo said: "Come, get into the car, we go for a ride for a while, and then I tell you more while we are on our way." We drove through the woods of Weert until we reached a monument, "The Frontier Church", the remains of a little church in which the Christians came to pray in the 16th century, during the persecution of the Christians. The foundations, an altar and a large cross and small benches were still perceptible there.

Wiljo told me there that he and Annie would marry here in this place September 16, 2001, and immediately after that he asked me to be his witness. What a pleasing surprise! It left me speechless for a moment. That was grand news! One year ago they almost separated and now they were almost married! What a strange turn... what was really happening here? Maybe God was involved in it somehow?
September 16, 2001, the wedding service in the little border church... it was bucketing down! I was allowed to drive the bride, while the other persons invited were driven in a bus to this church. Wiljo assured me that the sun would start shining. At the church the lovely sunrays came shining down through the branches!
The sermon of the pastor, Peter, touched me deeply. I still remember the words: "When two people really love one another, they will start looking like one another after a while." It was an exceedingly beautiful wedding ceremony.
Sometime in the Summer of 2002 I received an invitation from Peter and Wiljo to go together with them to a conference of Derek Prince Ministries at the Emmanuel Christian Church  in Haacht. By then I was living in Haacht! As a matter of fact that conference was OK for me... I only found it a little strange how exuberant the singing was. At some moments I got cold shivers and I was deeply touched. It touched me to see how these people were adoring God. It made me think in any case.

Wiljo told me there that he and Annie would marry here in this place September 16, 2001, and immediately after that he asked me to be his witness. What a pleasing surprise! It left me speechless for a moment. That was grand news! One year ago they almost separated and now they were almost married! What a strange turn... what was really happening here? Maybe God was involved in it somehow?
September 16, 2001, the wedding service in the little border church... it was bucketing down! I was allowed to drive the bride, while the other persons invited were driven in an autobus to this church. Wiljo assured me that the sun would start shining. At the church the lovely sunrays came shining down through the branches!
The sermon of the pastor, Peter, touched me deeply. I still remember the words: "When two people really love one another, they will start looking like one another after a while." It was an exceedingly beautiful wedding ceremony.
Sometime in the Summer of 2002 I received an invitation from Peter and Wiljo to go together with them to a conference of Derek Prince Ministries at the Emmanuel Christian Church  in Haacht. By then I was living in Haacht! As a matter of fact that conference was OK for me... I only found it a little strange how exuberant the singing was. At some moments I got cold shivers and I was deeply touched. It touched me to see how these people were adoring God.

I asked: "when do the Christians gather here?" and since then I have gone to the service every Sunday. I started to think more and more about God and I overlooked my life... actually I had made quite a mess of it, I had done very bad things... but maybe God could help me... He had helped Wiljo, so why wouldn't He help me?
Again I saw the gesture with the two hands Wiljo had made... if only I could give it to you! I had to let go and to clean up so much in my life! How should I handle this? Wiljo had said: "you just have to ask God and to accept Jesus as your Savior". I knew that, if I would take this step, I consequently had to take it seriously.
On a certain day I went on my knees at my office where I was working, and I said: "God, if You really exist, You may come into my life, but let me feel it therefore."
That night I was deeply touched. I felt an enormous inner peace, a peace I had been looking for already during my entire life. I was glowing, it was as if I was walking around two days with fever.
From that day on my life was totally reversed. I immediately stopped smoking without any problems and I knew that I was able to start a new life without looking back.
The beginning of a relationship with my Heavenly Daddy had been made, there came so many pleasant changes in my life and I was baptized April 20, 2003.

Now, 8 years later, I can say that it was the best choice in my life. I have become a very happy person. In the meantime I am also happily married to Imelda and five years ago we came into the brilliant church called "Gods Ambassade".
I am aware of the fact that I did not choose the easiest way, but indeed the most beautiful and the best one, and I could easily write a beautiful book about walking with Jesus for 8 years, because in the meantime also my mouth speaks from the fulness of my heart. I am very grateful that there have always been people praying for me that Jesus would come into my life.
God is sooooooo PATIENT, GOOD, FULL OF LOVE AND MERCY!!!!!!
Now I know that I am His son!"