Q13. What made you believe

What event compelled you to believe God is real and that He loves you?

Answer 13

My family grew up with a traditional christian background and a weekly connection to church.
At the age of 30+ my mum lost her faith and began a journey of searching for whether you could
really know God personally.
One night in our house at East Fremantle, God rocked up in a big way, and revealed His love
and mercy to my mum.
This experience was very profound, and seemed to me, to turn her into some kind of fanatic.
One thing that was clear, was that mum had changed - in a big way - and for the better.
Not too long after this experience I had a close encounter with a car on Leach Hway in Fremantle.
As a result of this accident, I had internal bleeding and a broken pelvis.
On the second day in hospital, I had a visitation of God in my bedroom. From that moment, I had
a deep knowledge that God was real.
From that time onwards, God seemed to pursue me until finally at the age of 18yrs, I gave my
life to Him to serve His purpose and not my own.
During my hospital stay, a minister came to the hospital and prayed for me. Within three days of
going to hospital, and an 8 hour operation draining the heamoraged blood from my stomach, I was able
to walk.
At the end of the third day, I went home.
Two weeks after the accident, I went to camp with my school and did a 10km hike on the first day. At
the end of the hike, (being an all boys school), the teacher encouraged everyone to pair up for a
shoulder fights competition (horse and jockey sitting on his shoulders). The object of the game
being to pull down all the other horse and riders, with the last horse and rider standing to be the
winners. I still vividly remember, launching myself off the shoulders of my horse and bringing the
other final team to the ground. Wrestling with other horses and jockeys on the shouders of another
student probably was not the wisest thing to do after a car accident, but certainly re inforced in
my mind that something special had happened after the minister had prayed for me to be healed.
At about 18yrs of age, as i said previously, God seemed to visit me again, and put such a hunger in
my heart to serve and follow Him, that nothing else seemed to matter.
It wasnt long after this that I fully surrendered my life to God, gave up a career as an equestrian
horse breeder and pursued the ministry and service of christ.
My life as a christian is in no way perfect, but my heart still yearns to know God and obey His will
for my life. It is our desire to introduce as many people as we can, to the wonderful God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Love and blessings
Ps Phil and Sue Ayres