Martin's Testimony
Suzette's Testimony
Shannon's Testimony
TESTIMONIES - Martin De Villiers
I
always believe that I had a "Golden minute" to accept Jesus as my personal saviour.
M
y personal walk with Jesus started in about 1974 when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal saviour at a Sunday school puppet show. Although I knew everything that there was for a twelve year old to know about God, I still "back slid" and followed the things of the world.
I
eventually came to a point where I was going to church searching for God on Sunday's but living as I please during the week. It was not until May 1986 when my whole world literally when up in smoke and God had to show me that I never had this golden minute and that I should return to Him straight away.
I
was "called up" for a three month military camp at Oshikati, South West Africa (now Namibia), starting on the 15th of May 1996 till the 13th of August 1986. Even before I went on this "camp", I knew that something was going to happen to me. Even when I said good bye to Suzette, (my girlfriend at that time / she later became my wife) I walked away not looking back and not knowing if I would ever see her again.
W
e flew to Ondangwa on Saturday morning the 17th of May 1986 and started a one-week period of retraining and acclimatization. I was part of the Special Forces units, dealing in demolitions so we were update with the latest booby traps, mines and explosives used in the Angolan conflict. We were to be deployed on the following Tuesday (27th of May 1986).
T
he Sunday before we were deployed, my conscience got the better of me and I went to church for the first time in weeks. I do not remember much else except that for some unknown reason I never took my Gideon's bible out of my pocket.
O
n Monday the 26th of May 1986, we were to go to the Oshikati shooting range to test our equipment and get some shooting practice. A friend (Mike) and I were walking together towards the "shooting line", when we notice and unexploded 40mm impact grenade. We marked the grenade and were walking to get some explosive to blow the grenade, when one of the troops kick this grenade. I fell between Mike and I and we were "blown" into the air.
I
came down hard and felt a bit dazed. I could feel my left leg had been hurt and saw that I was bleeding all over, but things had happened so fast that I though I had been shot. I looked for Mike and realized what had happened. In once "stupid" moment, one guy's frustration caused seven people to be badly hurt, he had for some unexplained reason kicked this grenade while walking past.
A
t first I did not think I was so badly hurt, because Mike was getting all the medical attention. We were all place in a "Buffel" (A military anti-mine vehicle) and driven to Oshikati field hospital. There we were stabilized and four of us were taken by ambulance to the main military hospital at Ondangwa.
O
nce again we went through a battery of test and again I though I was okay. Everyone was running around helping the others and I was left alone on my stretcher. Later I was examined, cleaned up and admitted at the hospital. Later that e night, our "troop" came to visit us and give moral support.
T
hat evening I could feel my leg bleeding, so I asked the medic to call a doctor to have a look at it. But I was told it did not look too bad and they asked me to stand next to the bed while they put clean sheets on the bed and put an absorbent material to absorb the bleeding. But after I got back into the bed the floor was covered in blood. A doctor was called and I was rushed into the theater. They discovered that both my arteries in both legs had been severed and that the only reason why there had been no blood was that the blood had some how clotted but after I had been "cleaned up", the bleeding had started.
A
n orderly handed me a form to sign, but I asked what the form was for. The doctor informed me that they were going to amputate my left leg below the knee but that they think they could save my right leg. I do not know what it was but I totally refused to accept this and also refused to sign the form. I was yelled at and told that if my leg got gangrene that it would be my own fault. But I was prepared to take the chance.
T
he doctors then decided to operate and try to close or patch the artery. I went under that evening and when I woke up I was in a military aircraft on my way to Grootfontein. I later found out, that they were too scared to fly me, all the way to Pretoria and that they first wanted to stabiles my before the trip.
I
spent two more days in Grootfontein and had a further two operations to my legs before they were forced to fly me on a "mercy" flight to Pretoria. I arrived at 1 military hospital late on the Thursday evening, where I was cleaned up and wheeled into a ward. Shortly afterwards my parent, family and Suzette were allowed to come and visit me.
A
lthough I was out of danger my recovery was to be a long one. I underwent a further two operations before the arteries were finally repaired. And I started a rehabilitation program, which included learning to walk again and much more. We also had a big scare when I tore all my stitched in my left leg (all 32 of them) while trying to learn how to walk again. This wound eventually became septic and if it were not for the quick action of the doctors and nurses, I would either have been dead or totally lost my left leg.
A
fter 42 days in hospital, I was released and sent home on the 7th of July 1986, where I was to rest. I returned three more times to 1 military hospital but was eventually pronounced fit to return to civilian life on the 13th of August 1986.
T
his incident had left major scares in my life physically and emotionally but God still had a plan with me. The most amazing thing was than even though I was almost dead, I never once though of my salvation. God had to show me my "golden" minute rule was invalid and that I need to get right with Him before calamity strikes. At first I was angry with God because he had taken so much away from me but eventually I realized that what the devil meant for evil, He turned into good.
O
n the 21st of September 1986, both Suzette and I gave our lives to Jesus and we have never looked back since. The morning after I had accepted Jesus I could for the first time get up out of bed without first moving my feet to get my blood circulation. It took a further two years for my healing to be complete.
T
oday most people who see me do not realize that I was almost dead. I do not have a limp or any other evidence of the accident except the scars, memories and our salvation to remember what God has done in our lives.
O
h yes before I end, one last testimony of the accident, remember the Gideon bible I had in my pocket? Well it most certainly save my right leg because a piece of shrapnel, the size of an old R1 coin hit the bible and bounces off, all that happened was a splinter broke off and entered just below my knee caps. If this piece had hit my leg without the bible being there, it would of hit my knee cap for a six.
M
any other things happened to me while in hospital, which I have not mentioned, but one thing that stands out and I have yet to explain was a "dream" I had while under anesthetic. I "dreamt" that I was dead. I could see the nursing staff standing around my body but I was "floating" above them. Then a being came and pushed me through the wall and I went down a type of "tube". A voice said to me, "you're dead, Martin", but I said "No, I can not die I am to young", then this voice said open your arms and you will live", I did this and sat up in the middle of the operation. This is well documented at the Grootfontein hospital and till this day has never been explained, but the way that I had to open my arms made a cross. Truly Amazing.
PRAISE THE LORD!!!
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TESTIMONIES - Suzette De Villiers
S
uzette's testimony runs parallel to my conversion. Suzette has grown up in a religious household and with Christian values. She attended church all her life and was challenged at a school S.C.A. camp but a guy who knew his bible and spoke about God, Eternal life and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ became a reality in May 1986, we I was hurt on the boarder. Suzette would spend weekends at my folk's house and go with my mother to church on Sundays. She enjoys this church and often told me about this church when visiting me. I did not want to have anything to do with these "happy clappies".
A
fter I got out of hospital we attended church but I soon lost interest but Suzette remained faithful. We were invited to attend a movie called "LOVE NEVER FAILS" and we were both challenged to receive Jesus. We both stood up and have never looked back since.
PRAISE THE LORD!!!
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TESTIMONIES - Shannon De Villiers
S
Shannon's conversion was so natural that she accepted Jesus as her saviour. She and I were driving to the bank teller machine when she asked me a question about people going to heaven. I replied that not everyone who goes to church will go to heaven and went on to explain salvation to her.
A
fter I had finished I asked her if she would like to accept Jesus as her personal saviour, which she did and right there in the car at the age f four Shannon accepted Jesus Christ as her personal saviour.
PRAISE THE LORD!!!
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