I had my first baby at 12; Jesus transformed my life when I was 19

God grew my leg!

About 14 years ago, I was at our church service in Johannesburg. That evening they were teaching on healing and at the end of the meeting we broke into groups to pray for people who wanted healing. I had been struggling with hip pain for a number of years (played a lot of squash when I was growing up, and at the age of 20 started to experience severe hip pain). I was now in my late 30s, and my mum was also in the last stages of cancer. Because of the stress, I used to sleep with my legs crossed and then wrapped round each other, which I don’t think was helping. I was in terrible pain, especially at night, so I found it very hard to sleep. I was aware that one of my legs was shorter than the other, and I didn’t know if that was part of the problem too. 

In the service, someone mentioned praying for people’s legs to grow. I went to ask for prayer, and the lady praying for me told me to sit with my legs out. We could see my left leg was shorter than my right. She prayed and I closed my eyes and could feel my leg growing between my knee and ankle! The lady said she could also see it growing, and then I felt it stop. I opened my eyes and my legs were equal length! Interestingly it didn’t take away my hip pain, and I did have an operation a few years later, but it certainly helped my faith. It was amazing to feel my leg grow. God was showing me his power.

Louise

Freedom from witchcraft

Between the ages of 13 and 17 I started to be curious about all things supernatural. I was born in Lancashire and there is no doubt that learning about the Pendle witch trials of 1612 started my curiosity. The trials were brought against certain women who were accused of using sorcery and therefore deemed to be witches. As I looked more into this, I also looked into horoscopes and magic, spells and potions, curses and the occult and practices of mediums and spiritists. It was so easy to move from horoscopes to deeper involvement as the door had been opened. I began searching out how to become a medium and being open to the powers of darkness. 

Thank God that he had his hand upon me. When I was 17, I went into town and a man tripped up in front of me. I helped him up and he invited me to church. They were having a convention the next weekend. I thought nothing of it then, a few days later, the same man tripped up in front of me again! He invited me again to the convention so I went along. The Lord was there waiting for me. I came face to face with his undeniable love and power. 

During the service there was an appeal for people to ask Jesus into their lives and find salvation. I clearly heard the voice of God telling me that the road I was walking was taking me away from him and this was my last chance to find redemption and salvation for my soul. My initial reaction was to see who was speaking but all the heads around me were bowed in prayer. I had a shiver down my spine and knew that this was a make or break decision. I stood up and felt an almighty burden lift off me. I felt light and joyful – it was amazing. For some reason I grabbed a tambourine and started banging it in sheer pleasure of what I knew the Lord had rescued me from. 

I joined the church and over a few sessions I had deliverance prayer with the assistant pastor. I literally felt the struggle within me of the forces of good and evil. I knew God was fighting for my soul. I kept praying the blood of Jesus over my life. Looking back I know that God’s love was always present in my life, but looking at horoscopes had opened up a foothold for the enemy. Thank the Lord he saved me and set me free. 

Roz

I had my first baby at 12; Jesus transformed my life when I was 19

I am 24 and was born in Ocean View, a low-income community in Cape Town, South Africa. I had a happy childhood until I was about eight. My parents were having difficulties and one day when my brother and I came home from school, my father was very angry and threw us out of the house. My mother was working at a salon, so we ended up staying there – sleeping on a mattress in the back room – as we had nowhere else to go. My parents divorced and Mum, me and my brothers stayed at the salon for a year. My mother got a new partner who abused her; it was the first time we had experienced abuse. Mum turned to selling drugs and we ended up living with my grandmother. When I was about nine I got my period, but we didn’t have money for pads, so I had to use cloths. I began to rebel and started smoking weed. I drank alcohol and would go out all the time with friends who were a lot older than me. 

My grandma passed away, and again my mum had nowhere to stay. I was so embarrassed by my life situation. I would go clubbing, which is where I met my now partner. He reminded me of my dad; he was eleven years older than me. I was twelve at this point, and I moved in with him, not wanting to go to school anymore. My partner could look after me, as he had money. When I was twelve I fell pregnant and had a little girl in January 2015. I then got pregnant again within three months of giving birth. I thought there was no way I could have another baby, as I was still twelve years old. I signed the papers to have an abortion, but when I told my partner, he wanted me to have it, and assured me it would be OK. I gave birth to another baby girl in December 2015. I then started selling drugs like my partner, and got some sort of recognition and respect. At the time I thought this was life, and it was good. I had money and I was being praised, but deep down I always felt empty. I felt something was missing. 

When my eldest daughter was a year and eight months, and my second was eight months, I got sick. I had gallstones that dropped into my pancreas and I got sepsis. I remember falling ill one night, the doctors thought it was gastroenteritis, but I just got worse and ended up in hospital on my birthday, 20 August 2016. I was in a coma for one month. I nearly died, but while I was in the coma I remember seeing green fields and hills, and it was so beautiful. I opened my eyes and there were people – clothed in white. They were praying for me and anointing me. As I turned my head to the right, I saw my grandmother, who was the prayer warrior of our family. I saw her sitting with a brown hat and suit, but she didn’t say anything. I sat up when they finished praying for me, and I was healed and walked out into green hills and fields. It was so beautiful. I heard a voice say: “Everything is going to be OK.” That was all I remember after recovery. In just a week, I went home. I was completely healed. I couldn’t even feel that I’d had an operation. 

I went back to the party life, to smoking and selling drugs, and life was still hard. I said: “Lord, did you save me for this?” I knew about God even though I wasn’t following him. There was a church next to my home, and I would always stand in the garden and listen to the singing. One day a friend invited me to a baptism in the church. I went and then went again. The pastor was preaching about needing God as your personal Lord and saviour. I thought: “I need that!” So I gave my heart to Christ in 2019. He has changed and transformed my life, and I hold on to Jeremiah 29:11 – that he knows the plans he has for me, to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me a hope and a future. 

Kaylin