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I was born in Sandusky, Ohio to parents that believed in God and went to church every Sunday. I was the youngest of three children and we all attended the Catholic schools. I sang in the children’s choir until grade 8, also helped to clean the church every week on Saturdays. My parents made sure we went to every service when there were visiting missionaries, even when we were very young. We had no children’s church so we all attended the same service.
When I was 7 years old, I received Jesus in my heart. From that time on, I had a relationship with God. I would pray the prayers I was taught, but mostly I would just talk to God. I didn't understand a lot of things about God, but I somehow knew that He heard me when I talked to him. That relationship grew as I grew. When I was in high school, my mom was very sick in the hospital and I stayed with her one night and prayed. I talked with God about how I needed to have my mom at this time. I don't know what all I said, but my mother got well and came home again.
I think that was when my interest in healing began. After I graduated from high school in 1952, I went to nursing school for three years. I graduated in 1955 and went to work in the same hospital that I trained in. Later I worked for a heart specialist in his office. There, I learned many new things that I wasn't taught in nursing. It was very interesting work and I did lab work and even went to patients homes to run ECG's.
I married my husband Jim on October 25th, 1958 and we had our first son on May 5, 1960. My mother died on May 15, 1960. So, I had times of challenge to go through. I did a lot of talking with God at that time.
Jim was a petroleum engineer and traveled to Canada a lot. In 1962 he had a business offer in Calgary and that is how we decided to move. I came with Sean on March 1, 1962, and I asked God if He even knew this place was here! But of course He knew. This caused me to pray more.
We had another son in 1963 and adopted a daughter in 1966. We then had a baby girl in 1967 and one in 1968. I was very busy and I prayed even more. In 1969 our youngest daughter died suddenly, while I was in the hospital having surgery. It was a very difficult time for me. I tried to pray, but it was hard and I felt distant from God. But after 2 weeks of not talking to Him, I knew I couldn't be separated any more. So, I wept and cried out to Him and of course He had never left me. He was waiting on me to open the doors to my heart again. We did have one more child in 1971, another little girl. We are thankful for each one of our children.
In 1972 a friend brought me to a charismatic prayer meeting. Through this I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. My life was turned right side up from there. I had never been to a Bible study, until after this. I didn't understand spiritual things at all. I just believed what others had told me and now I was learning the reasons why I did some things. So, my hunger and thirst for God through his word was immense. All my children and my husband have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. We moved back to Calgary in 1978 and I continued to grow in spiritual things. Around 1984, I finished a correspondence Bible school course. I started attending a church called Victory Life and serving there before I actually attended full time. Pastor Len and Ingrid Zoeteman were my pastors then. When they started a Bible school in the church, God provided a way for me to go. Two years later I graduated in 1987. I later taught in the Bible school and did the administration as well.
In 1995, God brought us to Calgary Full Gospel. I eventually worked in the tape ministry and attended the evening prayer group and Sunday prayer meetings. In 1997, I became licensed with the ACOP. I went back to University and received my bachelor’s degree in theology in 1998. In February of 1999, I was asked to coordinate the prayer in CFG. I have been working in the prayer ministry ever since then. I was ordained on June 6, 2004 and here we are on June 6, 2010. For this journey, I thank God and give him all the praise and Glory. Amen
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