It's 4 'o' clock in the morning of 5 April 2004 when the well known whining sound of Reynhardt just gives us the message again : "I'm thirsty, I want my bottle...." For the first time I can remember that whining sound is a sound of joy. He lies peacefully while drinking his bottle - with his one hand, as usual when I put him to bed for his afternoon nap, curled around his father's thumb - it giving him a sense of peace and security. It's half past four already and contentment radiates from his little face again, because his tummy is full and his warm little body is snuggled up closely next to mine. Thirteen hours after one of the most gruesome events took place before our very own eyes, tears rolled over my cheeks for the first time. Not tears of sorrow, but tears of joy. Joy because of this warm little body next to me and joy because of what Jesus's "hour" of pain and suffering meant to me today. It's Monday morning. This coming Friday is a joyous day, because it is my birthday, but even more : it's Good Friday. 'n Good day for us, but a day which was a cup of bitterness of blood and sorrow for our Saviour Jesus. I'm glad over what happened that day. Although it was gruesome, I realise in my spirit that it was a joyous day when Jesus paid with His life to give me life. To rise from the dead 3 days later so that I....., and this warm little body next to me, could rise from the dead. It's the same little body which thirteen hours before did not feel so warm, soft and cuddly in my arms.

Danielle and "Boetie" are playing peacefully in the playground of the caravan park on a terrace about 2 and a half metres above the one where we are busy pitching the tent before the rain comes. Two hundred metres further on there is another terrace where an unforgettable sight would minutes later take place before my eyes. "Sissie" comes calmly running across the playground and her words cut through us : "Mommy, Boetie's head is under the water!"

Reynhardt must have wandered from the playground and climbed the stairs to the next terrace where he presumably saw the ducks in the dam and followed them.( We had no idea that there was a dam, because it was not visible at all from the playground) It is very steep to where the water and later on I videotaped the skid marks which could clearly be seen.

As I run, I follow the instructions Danielle is giving when Melanie asks : "Where, where is the water?" We will never forget the sight that awaited us on the other side of the dam wall : a lifeless blue body floating on the water. My first reaction is : "Lord, not my son!" Everything around me becomes quite......Melanie's cries of distress and all the other sounds as I jump into the water and grab hold of the cold, stiff and lifeless body. I try to straighten his arms which are curled up next to his head, but it just jumps back into the same position. I try to bend his body so that he can sit on my knee, but it's too stiff.

I hurriedly think about what one is suppose to do to resuscitate him, but realise that all I know about that is what I've seen on TV on programmes like "911". I press on his chest and water squirts out of his mouth, and then, in a fraction of a second, new hope comes to me : "I revealed his name to you...., Reynhardt,..... and I promised you that he will have a pure heart and that he will not have to endure the impure things you had experienced during the days of your youth".

I immediately realise that I should do that which I'm much more familiar with and which I experienced through my seventeen years of ministry, and it is not CPR, but it is to call upon the Name of Jesus.

While he is lying in my arms I clearly detect no breathing or heartbeat and as I realise what I'm holding in my arms, I call out : "In the Name of Jesus, revive him, please my Lord!"

(It is just past six now where I'm sitting behind my laptop, capturing the story as it happened, when "Boetie" enters the room, showing me all his newest findings......the car keys, my purse, etcetera. I take a few minutes to enjoy this little bundle that is snuggling up next to me before I continue typing the story.)

The lifeless body instantly gives two little jerks with the utterance of the Name of Jesus. I carefully scrutinise the little body, but see no further signs of life. Again I press on his chest and again water squirts from his mouth. I wait a few seconds, but still no sign of life is visible. For a second my faith is strengthened when my thoughts flash back to the many deliverance and healing sessions where I had the privilege to witness the supernatural power of the Name of Jesus. Again I call out : "In the Name of Jesus, Father, raise him up from the dead!" Suddenly a loud cry comes from his body and he starts breathing and his heart pumping. I hold him close to me and thank God for what He just did.

Back at the tent, we covered the still cold and blue body with a sleeping bag and took off the wet clothes. As I was busy praising God for giving us back our son, Reynhardt vomited water and some of his lunch. A holiday-maker offered to take us to the hospital so that everything could just be checked. On our way to hospital Reynhardt vomited twice.

In such a small town the nurses did not really know what to do while they were trying to find the sister on duty and notified the doctor on call. I looked around me, thinking that I have to do something while we wait. My eye caught the stethoscope and I quickly put it on and listened to Reynhardt's lungs. Expecting to hear something abnormal , I was amazed to hear the sound of perfectly clear lungs (according to my opinion at that moment). Minutes later the sister and then the doctor arrived. He listened to the lungs and confirmed that the lungs were indeed clean and that the child functions normally and that we could take him back to the campsite.

In the meanwhile Reynhardt was wrapped in a pre-heated bedsheet, and the sister offered to let him rest in one of the hospital beds while she will, for her own peace of mind, attach an oxygen mask and a heart monitor.

Everything was normal and the only signs of the trauma still left were the eyelids and lips that were still blue and the blue undertone of the body. Also of course the signs of a shock that was too great for such a small child to handle, with eyes that only wanted to do one thing, and that is sleep.

20 minutes later we wrapped another heated bedsheet around Reynhardt because all the signs were still visible. Melanie and Danielle arrived at the hospital and they were greeted with a much better sight than half an hour earlier. They stayed with him while I returned to the campsite.

Back at the caravan park, I decided to rather pack up everything and drive through to Cape Town where we could stay in a warm house with relatives as appose to the tent. The cellphone rang continually and It started to dawn on me what God did today. One part of my mind was busy with taking down the camp and another with the conversations on the phone - something I'm not good at, namely doing two things at once.

I took the video camera and video taped the place where everything happened, so that one day I'll be able to show Danielle and Reynhardt what God did. The atmosphere at the dam was tranquil and the water quiet. This place, which a while ago was only a place of horror. I experienced the guidance to take up my authority in the Name of Jesus and rebuked 'death' who hid in the water so that it would not take another life in the future.

After a nice warm shower and dry clothes on my body, I went to fetch my family at the hospital. In the meanwhile Melanie's sister and her husband also arrived. We drove back to the caravan park to get the trailer and Melanie showed her sister the place where it all happened, while Reynhardt and I waited in the car. The "peace" that was with me, from the moment of Danielle's cry up to now, was once again strengthened when the familiar sight of "Boetie"greeted me, three hours later, behind the steering wheel of the car trying out everything he can put his little hands on : lights, keys, levers, etc.

When we arrived in Cape Town Reynhardt ran around as if nothing happened, bear breasted without trauma and all our antennas were on high alert again to see with what mischief he comes up next to get rid of his excess energy. The night was quiet, and the experience of what has happened still fresh in our memory, when the short sleep set in.............until Reynhardt reminded us that it was time for his bottle..........

During my travel time to the Cape, when I was alone in the car, I experienced God's voice on what He allowed to happen so that He could be glorified afterwards for who He is. I share my experience with you of a loving Father who is not perceived like that by us every day..... A Holy Spirit who led a 4 year old little girl so calmly to come and share the tragedy she came upon, without being fear-stricken or traumatised ........And a resurrected Jesus who wants His omnipotence to work through us, so that the Father can be glorified through it......... A unique God who chose the setting in such a way that no one will be able to proof afterwards that what has happened was due to modern science, medical staff or techniques, knowing that many who will hear the testimony might think it is not possible or that I dramatise too much in my attempt to put down what happened into words...........A Jesus as Healer who perfectly emptied the two lungs that were filled with water, who revived the little heart to beat again, who touched the brain, which according to our calculations was without oxygen for at least 5 minutes, in such a way that it was restored completely.........A God that knows to what extent He can test us and up to which point His strength can carry us so that His will can take form through us as a testimony to others.........An all-knowing God who prepares one through previous experiences to realise, even in the most difficult of circumstances, that there is no greater power in this world than the power that is given to us through Christ Jesus, instead of relying on our human intelligence and insights....... A God who gives us peace of mind which enables us to rejoice about the miracles He performs rather than to fall into despair, fear and reproach without any hope of a Deliverer that protects us from evil..........A God that prepares an audience that is hungry to hear about the almighty deeds He performs......... A Lord who in the days, weeks, months and years still to come will let us experience who He really is : A resurrected Jesus of whom is written in a Living Word : "In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mark 16 : 17) "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons." (Matthew 10 : 8)

And so, a week from today we commemorate the day on which all these things were made possible : the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead with the words that were recorded :
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
There is one thing I know for sure, and that is that Jesus lives, and that we can testify just like the apostle Peter who said that it is impossible to keep quiet about the things he saw. It wasn't a nice experience; something that makes you want to say :"Please, not again". But it was also a experience that made you realise that our lives are not our own, but His, to do with as He pleases and to take us on a path He decides, because he knows how much we can endure so that He can be glorified. Not easy words to say, but driven by the power of the Holy Spirit and through the grace of God which enables us : May You be glorified through our lives, o Lord!

Just as Reynhardt's hand was in his father's hand this morning, this being enough to give him peace and a sense of security, our hands are in the Almighty God's hand and nothing can separate us from His love.

Thank you for everyone's prayers and support. It just made me realise again what the scripture says : "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Seën / Blessings
Tertius