Peter de Jong

My injuries seemed to be not too bad. A concussion and possibly a whiplash. I could not work for a couple of weeks, but as the concussion did heal, the whiplash got worse. A whiplash is a neck injury where nerves get damaged.

Most people only have temporary problems after a whiplash, but 20% suffer longer. After a month my situation strongly deteriorated. Besides the constant pain in my head, neck and back, concentration problems and dysfunctional arms, my memory got worse. Even to a point that I did not know anymore where I lived, what month and year it was and I did not recognize certain people anymore. (With some of them I had worked for 8 years).

I had to lay in bed for most of the time because of my very low energy level and my friends had to take care for me.

Of course I could not work anymore or do any ministry. Through this accident my life and future had been completely changed.

I had been working 70 hours a week and made good money. Now I could do nothing and my company had losses. I loved to minister and I had people seen getting healed during my ministry.

But now that I needed God most, He seemed to have disappeared. Through the injury and the medication my mind was not always clear, which made it even harder to stay close to God. It felt as if my faith got stripped till the bare foundation. I knew Jesus had died for me and one day I would go to heaven. I looked for God every single day but it was as if He had disappeared.

In April 1998 I was able to live in my own house again, still with the help of friends.

I could drive short distances with my car again and felt strong enough to go to church again. For a couple of weeks I went to church on Sunday, but after about 20 minutes I felt so sick that I had to leave. Before driving home I first had to rest in my car, otherwise I could not make it.

Now I was certain that there was something drastically wrong with me spiritually. First it seemed God had left me and now I could not even be in church.

Only after I mentioned this to a doctor in the hospital, some months later, I understood that one of the symptoms of the injury is that you can not deal with noise (singing) and a busy environment (church people).

Over the months I had been checked by several doctors and neurologists. They all said the same thing, I had to be patient and had a 95% chance for healing.. Only as time went by and my condition did not improve, I got very worried.

Early 1999 I got one of the best neurologists of the country, who had specialized in the whiplash trauma, to do more tests on me. The tests showed my case did look bad, but there could be accomplished major improvements through good therapy. I frequently had to visit the hospital but soon it turned out that the only improvement would be that I could learn to accept my situation and learn to live with it. Which meant: pain, no more ministry, no more work, no more income, no more future.

My company was close to bankruptcy and all the dreams of my life had been scattered. Through the months I had got depressed and I cried a lot. In the midst of all of this I saw a change in myself and friends saw it too. I had got much more compassionate for other people, much more in touch with my own emotions and softer. The hard core businessman had become much more human and accessible.

One night I was walking through the fields, crying. Mourning about my lost health, future and dreams. I always had been a pioneer, with lots of ideas and vision. Now there was nothing left except Jesus who died for me and one day to go to heaven. I cried till there were no more tears, telling God how miserable I felt.

The next day a friend called to tell me that later that week Bob Brasset and Charles Ndifon would come to Holland for healing meetings. He had organized the meetings and wanted me to come. I told him I knew Bob was coming as he and I are friends, but that I was too ill to come. My friend insisted I would come and he would have a bed for me in a quiet room at the church so that I could rest when I needed to.

The first day I had to lay down and rest most of the time. The second day my situation improved and I was able to attend most of the meetings. The third day I even was able to concentrate and listen to the preaching and at times the pain would be a bit less.

Hope and faith started to grow in my heart. Yes, God still is able, no matter what doctors say and no matter how ill I feel.

The fourth day I could not go to the meetings, but I did baby sit for friends so that they could go.

Driving home that night I did smell a funny smell in my car. I rolled down the windows but the smell stayed. It was the strong smell of Lillies of the Valley. I realized that had to be God, although this had never happened to me before. I was a kind of annoyed because I was still in pain, feeling sick.

I remember saying: God: I don't understand you, but if I ever get healed I have a nice story to tell....

Later on, I have realized that my favorite Bible verse is Matthew 6:33 where it says "seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you". But before that, in verse 28 it says "consider the lilies of the field, how they grow...." God expanded my favorite Bible verse and showed me in a new way that He wants to care for me.

Now let me tell you what happened the very next day.

In the morning I had to bring a last visit to a doctor to get disability money from the government. That morning he made the final paper that said that I now officially was disabled.

Later that day, in the afternoon, I met my friend, Bob Brasset, and we spend some time together. Just to socialize as friends.

Sometime that afternoon God did heal me. Bob had not even been praying for me that day. God just healed me. So the very next day I have packed my suitcase and traveled with Bob and his team for the rest of the week. Ministering with them in Holland and Belgium.

Where ever we went, God did heal lots of people and many got saved. Time after time God did signs and miracles, just as He promises in the Bible.

My company is run by a manager that was hired to replace me as I was ill. Now that I am healed he still works for me, so that I am free to minister.

I am now part of the Victoria Healing Team and I travel with Bob around the world, bringing the Good News about Jesus!

Praise be to God!

He not only gave me back my health, He also gave me back hope and a wonderful future.