Testimonies

Outreach at Mount Carmel Church, Bandra West from 6th to 9th of Mar 2008 - An update

Outreach at St. Pius Church, Mulund West from 31st Jan - 3rd Feb 2008 - An update

Outreach at St. Francis De Sales Church, Koparkhairane from 6th - 9th Dec 2007- An update

Outreach at Sacred Heart Church, Andheri East from 22nd - 24th Nov 2007 - An update

St Theresa Church Outreach, Bandra West
Held between 8th Nov to 11th Nov 2007

Dubai Outreach & Growth Retreat Testimonies held between 28 Sep to 7th Oct 2007

Testimonies from the Outreach at St. John the Baptist Church, Thane West

Testimonies from the last Outreach at Gloria Church, Byculla East

Our parents were God fearing Catholic Christians, who were regular to Church and family prayer. God blessed my father with a business of manufacturing laboratory equipments. The business picked up rapidly with 30-35 workers under him, but gradually there was no time for God. My dad who was so committed to God began to say ‘work is worship’ and got engrossed in his business.

In the course of time, it was noticed that the machines costing in lakhs, which were packed after being tested in Mumbai, used to blast at the time of testing in the presence of the clients. This strange happening was a mystery. Workers began to leave, as business suffered heavy losses. One day, a worker who had visited a witch doctor came back and reported to my dad that these losses in business were the result of some black magic and invited daddy to join him in his next visit to the witchdoctor. Initially my dad was hesitant and refused to believe, but after consulting a religious person who advised him to go ahead, he visited the witch doctor. This was not the first and the last time, but thereafter he visited at least 35 such witch doctors, all in vain. Somebody suggested that a visit to Ajmer Meera Dattar Durga would help all hopeless cases. That was a final try. He spent a lot in all his visits to these places and all this added to the expenses.

After going there, at one of the sessions a man was manifesting with an evil spirit and began to demand sacrifices of animals, which my father offered, but all this was in vain. Psalm 16:4 says those who choose another god multiply their sorrows and this is exactly what happened in our case. Our troubles multiplied and no one could save us from these miseries.

My parents visited the church in Irla during the feast days. On the first day, the statue of Mary which was kept for veneration looked beautifully decorated, but without eyes to my mother. She was surprised, but kept it to herself. The next day the same statue looked angry with eyes as big as marbles with an expression of anger. My mother who was so stunned to see these happenings went and inquired with the nuns of the parish if the statue kept for veneration was being changed everyday. The answer was no, but the sister told her that maybe our lady is trying to speak to you and that they need to sit in church and pray about these strange happenings. Both of them went in the church and prayed with tears, to show the way. When they came out of the church, their eyes fell on the notice board and in bold letters was the word charismatic that kept on flashing in their eyes. My mum heard the voice of our lady saying ‘Go for the charismatic prayer meeting.’

That Thursday, we attended the charismatic prayer meeting in our parish at Good Shepherd Church, Four Bungalows, Andheri. That same evening, there was an announcement about an outreach programme of Jeevan Jal Ministries. My mother inquired with the others about it, and a good lady mentioned that God was using Br. Trevor to preach His word from the Bible and many people receive healing and deliverance. This was just what we wanted and we felt that finally God through Mother Mary showed us the way to Jesus. We attended the outreach programme and our lives changed completely. All our enemies became friends and the Lord started to work wonders in our lives by healing us and delivering us from the bondage of evil. Ever since we have not given up on the Lord and continue to serve him in Jeevan Jal prayer group.

I would like to testify how Lam. 3:22-23 has come to pass in my life and that of my family members. Lam 3:22-23 states “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is His faithfulness”. Yes His love and His mercies, both never come to an end. Indeed He is true to His word.

Prior to knowing the Lord, my family indulged in necromancy to receive answers for our problems. Necromancy is invoking of a spirit of the dead. We also took recourse to superstitious beliefs using objects and formulas to recover stolen objects. Removing of evil eye with salt chillies or alum was quite common in my family. My mother would also bind the statues of saints to receive favours. There was a time when some translucent layers were given to us and we were told to place this in a bowl on the Altar. The layers would double up. We had to place those layers in a bottle with our petition and then release the bottle in the sea.

Ps. 16:4 says “Those who choose another God multiply their sorrows.” We had shifted our gaze from the true living God and put our faith and trust in spirits of the dead, inanimate objects and things and got involved in superstitious beliefs. However, our sorrows only kept multiplying. We went into dire poverty, my brother went astray and we were also inflicted with painful sores on both our hands, feet and face.

We were spiritually blind. I was a Catholic Christian by birth, absolutely ignorant about my God and religion, to the extent that I did not even know that the readings at mass were from the Bible until I attended an outreach at Dockyard in 1992 and there Br. Trevor Lewis made a mention that those who attend mass everyday cover the bible once in 3 years. I also was ignorant of the fact that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. I thought, well Jesus worked miracles and healings and signs and wonders only while He was here on earth, until two major physical healings took place after my conversion in my own family.

Now to me Jesus is real. I have a living relationship with him. He talks to me, He touches me, He gives me direction in life, He is my counselor, my comforter, my strength, my everything. The sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation have come alive now. Prayer life is extremely interesting. The best part of my entire day is my personal prayer time which I just look forward to.

I conclude, Jesus is alive. He lives. He is the only true living God. Last, but not the least, the greatest healing I have received was the healing of my soul and I know that there can be no other healing greater than the healing of one’s soul and I praise and thank God for this.

Around 9 years ago I became very sick and was suffering from pain in each and every part of my body from my head to my feet. I was also in constant depression, shy, timid, no hope, no goal, no meaning and purpose for my life, just existing from one day to another. When this sickness struck me, I went to three different doctors, one after the other and then later to a private hospital and as a last resort to a government hospital to get myself cured. I was losing weight drastically from 68 kgs to 54 kgs during this period. The doctors removed ECG to check my heart, sonography to check my stomach and other organs of my body, X-rays of my chest, urine tests, blood tests and even HIV blood test. All reports showed that there was nothing wrong with me, but the pain would not go and I continued losing weight. After around nine months, a friend suggested that I make a retreat. I went with great hope and expectations. They were all shattered when I did not receive any healing. I did however receive a lot of inner healing at that time. I noticed that a lot of people were saying that they were healed, but nothing happened to me.

I finally came to this deep and clear realisation that I did not know and believe in Jesus Christ as my God and Saviour, though I was a Catholic Christian from birth. I found it hard to believe that Jesus was the only true living God. I believed that there was only one God, but I was not sure what His true Name was. There are so many religions with thousands of years of belief and traditions and millions of followers and innumerable churches, mosques, temples, etc. hence it was difficult to accept only Jesus as Lord over all. It was difficult to believe that Jesus died for my sins 2000 years ago and I receive forgiveness today. I implored God for two things: First to reveal His true self and name directly to me, whether He was Jesus, Allah, Ram etc and I would follow Him, secondly that I had made a mess of my life, and was in such a state, that it did not matter whether I lived or died. But I very much desired to live and live life fully.

When I came back to Mumbai, I started experiencing more severe problems than before in my health, home and office. Each problem was more frightening then the previous one, especially in my office. In the office I would somehow unknowingly be the cause of all the problems. My boss had to invest in crores and lose, because of my mistake. The company could have faced heavy losses, but, every time I prayed in the name of Jesus, my problem would get miraculously solved and a solution would come, where once there was none. I now realized that when I prayed in the name of Jesus my prayers were miraculously answered anywhere and the solution came at the right time only. But, I was too frightened by the series of problems that continued and one day asked God, why He was playing with me, by putting me into problems and then saving me when I prayed. I acknowledged to Him that I was small and that He was big. In His mercy He answered me saying, “Your faith was like the gold that is taken from the mines, it had a lot of impurities in it, when I put you through the fire of trials and big problems, you prayed and saw My love and power that is there for you, and your faith has become more purer now. Now do you believe in Jesus as God?” I bowed down and acknowledged that Jesus is God and the only Lord and Saviour of my life and the world.

But, I was not yet healed, and I had stopped taking medicines as they were not working and I had clearly heard from the Lord to trust in Him alone for my healing ( I would like to state , that I do take medicines when I get ill now. I only don’t take medicines when I am sure that it is the Lords will to heal me directly. I am very grateful to doctors and the medical profession.) The Lord Jesus made me realise that I had not repented for my sins and I had not forgiven my wrongdoers. When I went for the next retreat, I made my confession fully and forgave all who had troubled me. Within a month of doing this, I was fully healed of all the pains and aches in my body miraculously. Praise be to Jesus!

Later on the Lord Jesus led me in each and every area of my life, I was blessed mightily by the Lord Jesus in a few short years that, I who had only Rs.2000/- as bank balance and living in a very small house came into possession of a big beautiful house worth more than Rs. 23 lakhs, through the mighty blessing that He gave me in my work. I would like to state, that the Lord Jesus insisted that I pay every penny that was due in taxes, even if it ran in lakhs, which I did by His grace. I was not a regular member of any prayer group during those initial years, my spiritual life was like a See-Saw, very good and also at times backsliding. I used to go for my annual retreat with some friends, and put right my spiritual life with the Lord Jesus. Then just before my fourth and last retreat, I found an anointed and powerful prayer group, Jeevan Jal, where God’s love, presence and power was being manifested very powerfully. I became a regular member of Jeevan Jal prayer group and received my full nourishment of Gods Word and direction in Jeevan Jal itself. I discovered God’s presence before and now I received growth in my spiritual life through Jeevan Jal. I want to joyfully say that that I have received a healing for my digestive system, which would make me pass my meals in motions after I had just consumed them and also I could not eat and drink certain kinds of food. This problem which I suffered for more than 17 years was cured during a healing service in Jeevan Jal. I can eat and retain all things normally now and am again back to my normal weight of 67-68 kgs.

My family members have also experienced Gods Love and healing grace through Jeevan Jal and the outreaches conducted by the prayer group. The Lord has also protected and delivered me and my family from various accidents, by informing us previously of them.

More than the healings and the financial blessings, I deeply cherish the constant and steadfast presence, love and guidance of my Lord Jesus in my life. He blessed a nobody like me, with His love and compassion and is continuing to bless me by using me in the service of His kingdom in Jeevan Jal prayer group. Infact the knowledge that God loves me and is with me at all times to guide, protect, correct, bless and use me is the greatest comfort and treasure of my life. To know that I am eternally secure in God’s family, because of Jesus, is my greatest joy and bliss. I am health wise much stronger now than I was 9 yrs back, more in control of my emotions and will, more confident to speak with people and less sinful and much more stable in my spiritual life than before. I owe a lot to all this overall spiritual and personality growth in skills and relating to people to the most wonderful and steady grace of God that is flowing through Jeevan Jal prayer group, especially our loving shepherd Bro.Trevor Lewis, my extended family in Jeevan Jal and the Catholic Church. I am eternally gratefully to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

My name is Savio Lobo and I want to testify how the Word of God has changed my life.

I was brought up in Goa and while I was in Goa, one of the desires of my heart was to become a drunkard. I had heard a song by a famous Konkani singer, Alfred Rose ‘Cigarette odina zalar, pieta soro’ which in Konkani means ‘If a man does not smoke he drinks alcohol.’ So I said to myself that I will not smoke, but drink a lot of alcohol.

So I started with beer little by little and beer became like water for me. Then I started with fenny and so on. I used to go for Goan weddings only to drink and to dance because in the weddings, a lot of alcohol was served.

When I came to Mumbai, I became worse; I started with whisky, rum etc. I used to drink whisky sometimes dry.

I had joined a football team. Our team was such, whether we win or lose, our captain used to bring a box of beer and we used to enjoy drinking.

One day I came for the Jeevan Jal prayer meeting at Framjee Cawasjee Hall, opp. Metro Cinema, Mumbai. And Br. Trevor was reading the scripture Galatians 5:19-21. In this scripture a list of sins is mentioned and this is what it said, ‘Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and the things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

It was as if God was telling me, ‘Savio, if you live like a drunkard, you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.’ Or in other words, ‘You will not enter heaven and experience God’s love.

I was scared and said to myself “With this alcohol, I won’t enter heaven and experience God or His love, then what’s the use of these drinks, I’ll give it up” and from that very moment, I gave up alcohol.

I used to drink only to get a kick, because when you get a kick, you feel like you are in a different world. And so drinking alcohol, Satan wanted to kick me out of the Kingdom of God. But when I heard the Word of God, I gave up alcohol and kicked Satan out of my life.

After giving up alcohol, I started coming more and more closer to God. Somebody one day told my mother in Konkani ‘Chod Devospon bore nu’ in other words, ‘Too much Godliness is not good’. I said in my heart, ‘Chod Devospon bore nu, tor kide Bebdepon bore?’ which means ‘If too much Godliness is not good, then is drunkenness good?’

If it was not for the Word of God, I would have surely become a drunkard, but thanks be to God, because of His Word, I have changed and given up alcohol.

So I conclude my testimony by saying that if we all want to inherit the Kingdom of God, i.e. experience God’s love, joy, peace, His power, healing, then we all have to give up our evil ways, and as the Word of God has helped me to give up alcohol, so also the Word of God will help us give up sin, and make us the person, God wants us to be.

I had come to Jeevan Jal prayer meeting with a friend of mine in the year 1995. At that time I used to drink a lot and was also suffering from Asthma. But after attending a few prayer meetings and listening to the word of God, I was healed of Asthma. Then I attended an evangelistic outreach and I was very regular for the prayer meetings. After a few months I gave up drinking and joined the intercession ministry. In the year 1997, I had to give up my job because of harassment in the office and I started falling sick. I was hospitalized in Nov. ’97 for pneumonia. After getting discharged, I got a new job, but after few months I had to give up that job. Then I started taking tuitions at home. As months passed by I was getting busy with my tuitions and part time job in the evenings and for this reason I could not come for the prayer meeting nor the intercession meeting.

Again in the month of January ’04 I became very serious and was rushed to the hospital and admitted in the I.C.U. I was suffering from pneumothorax i.e. hole in the lungs. Whatever air I used to breathe would come of the lungs and gather near my chest. The doctors slit my left side near the ribs and put a tube inside and removed all the dirt particles and the gas which had gathered inside my chest. After 11 days, I was discharged, but again on 1st April ’04, I had to be admitted for the same sickness and again the doctors slit my left side and put the tube inside. This time they used another therapy. It was Maundy Thursday; they injected Tetracyline medicine through the tube with a very big size needle. This medicine was like a plaster for my lungs. I could not breathe as a normal person because of the limitation in the expansion of my lungs. The doctors had told me that there would be a pain in my back for 2 hours, but the pain lasted for 24 hours. It was Good Friday and I was suffering with pain, but Jesus helped me bear the pain. I was discharged after 12 days, but because of the tube in my chest I would get pain in my chest. I could not lift anything nor do any work. I couldn’t go to an A/C room nor travel much. In between I used to come to Jeevan Jal prayer meeting on Wednesday, but due to the pain in my chest I couldn’t climb the steps and attended only twice or thrice a month. I was on total medication. In September ’05, again I fell sick. First I started getting nausea, I couldn’t eat and my face started becoming very dark and I started losing weight. The doctor advised me to get admitted and I was put on I.V. They collected my blood and took it for testing for Jaundice Hepatitis, but the reports were clear. Then they did my endoscopy and finally they diagnosed as ulcers in my stomach. They started my treatment and after 12 days I was discharged, but the pain in my chest still persisted. Finally in November ’05, I decided that whatever happens, I will go for the prayer meetings. So I started coming for the prayer meetings. I attended another evangelistic outreach in Sion from 8-11 December ’05. Here the Lord blessed me. As we take tuitions we have Christmas party for our tuition children, so we had gone to buy gifts and sweets for the children. After buying the gifts, I lifted the big box of gifts right from the shop to the main road where we took the cab, without stopping or feeling any pain. The pain in my chest had gone and I could lift the heavy box. I used to have problems travelling because of dust and smoke, but that too has been solved. I can move about very freely. From April ’06, I have started working for 12 hours a day without falling sick.

For all this blessings, I thank and praise the Lord Jesus. I still have a few problems here and there, but I know my Lord Jesus will deliver me from all my bondages and set me free so that I can serve Him in a much better way and be regular for my commitments.

Thank you Jesus, Praise you Jesus