I was born and raised in a middle-class family in the Netherlands. My father was a naval engineer but worked in project management and technical coordinator jobs. My mother was a schoolteacher, and she taught me how to read and write in elementary school. As a child, I served as an altar boy in the Roman Catholic church and later as a musician in youth choirs. From an early age, I have always believed that God existed, but, in hindsight, never knew you could have a personal relationship with Him.
Early January 2012, my mother passed away after suffering from cancer for almost one and a half years. Optimistic as I was, I remember telling my mother to stay positive, but frankly, she was the most optimistic person amongst us. A few months later, in 2012, my best friend asked me to attend a service at a charismatic evangelical church out of curiosity, and we were both not even Christians.
On that day, my life started to change radically for the better. I started attending church services faithfully and, although the charismatic movement had its downsides (I changed church three times in seven years), it was the beginning of my journey in faith. Soon after, the Lord provided me with a 400-year-old house in the city centre of Leiden, and I have seen His gracious provision ever since.
Due to birth complications and the lack of appropriate medical coverage, Abraham was born in Bucaramanga (a city in the north of Colombia). It was the toughest period of our lives. Luisa’s parents came over to Bucaramanga, and as Christians, we wanted to go to church. Now, over the past months before Abraham’s birth, the Lord had already been revealing to me to go back to Scripture and trust in His Word alone. So I knew I had to find a reformed church in Bucaramanga and found Iglesia Bautista Reformada de Bucaramanga. I contacted them, and the next Sunday we went there.
What followed was an amazing display of the Lord’s grace. God truly revealed sane Biblical doctrine, I had become a confessing evangelical (or reformed Baptist) and now completely endorse the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. Everyone, without exception, is a sinner, and we bear the consequences of sin. One of the differences between a Christian and a non-believer is how one perceives things in life. If you are reading this and are not a follower of Christ, you might perceive this as slightly offensive, but I learned that whatever happens, it is for the best because it is God’s will that matters.
During the tough, uncertain times of Abraham’s birth (and the period after), we proclaimed that whatever would happen, we would endure the pain in the flesh yet rejoice in spirit. And what an example of the mysterious, marvellous work of God. The Lord took this birth defect of Abraham and turned it into a great blessing for many. Let me explain. Due to Abraham’s situation, we went to Colombia where the Word was revealed to us.
Here, we got in touch with the reformed Baptist congregation of Colombia and established relationships there. Luisa’s father is now building a reformed Baptist church in Aruba with the help from Colombia, through which many believers are blessed. Only the Lord knows what many more blessings might come forth from this.
We moved back to the Netherlands since Abraham needed certain medical attention continuously. Abraham is doing well now, he is a joyful boy, for which we are exceptionally grateful to God. We have been in the Netherlands for nearly a year, but the Lord led us to Manchester.
Try God.
Also Read:
- Men in the Bible: A Man of Considerable Goodwill
- The Myth of Omnipresence (1): The 5 Places God Always Is
- Overwhelmed
- Great Truths Adults Learned
- I Passed a Professional Exam and Got a Job After 10 Years
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