Participants:
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC202008S
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00:39 >> Welcome and thank you
00:40 for joining us on 00:41 It Is Written Canada. 00:44 Today we are looking at how 00:46 God works in a person's life 00:49 and works through tragedy. 00:51 The the Bible assures us in 00:53 Psalm 139 verse 16, this is 00:55 from the Today's Living Bible 00:58 and it says: 01:11 So God sees the end from the 01:13 beginning, He sees our life 01:14 and He looks at us 01:17 and He guides us. 01:19 He helps us along the way 01:20 and some things that happen to 01:22 us are just traumatic, tragic 01:26 and we just-- 01:27 it catches us unaware, 01:29 and unexpected. 01:31 Today we have with us 01:32 Neil Peralta and Neil is going 01:34 to be sharing with us an 01:37 experience that he had when he 01:38 was fourteen years old, 01:40 a traumatic experience. 01:42 And it happened one evening 01:43 and from that moment on, 01:45 everything absolutely 01:46 changed in his life. 01:47 So, Neil, thank you for 01:48 joining us on 01:49 It Is Written Canada. 01:50 >> Yeah, thank you for being 01:51 with us, Neil. 01:53 So, Neil, can you please tell 01:54 us about what happened that 01:57 fateful evening when you were 01:58 fourteen years old? 02:00 >> Well, I remember 02:03 at that time I was by myself 02:05 in the house 02:06 with two of our residents 02:08 that we were taking care of 02:10 and my mother and 02:12 father were actually attending 02:14 a Revelation and Daniel 02:16 seminar in Vancouver. 02:18 And so at that time, we had 02:21 Jolly's mother and father 02:23 living with us. 02:24 She was only five months old 02:25 at the time. 02:27 And her mother was like an 02:30 auntie to me. 02:32 She took care of me, 02:32 she babysat me 02:34 and so we grew very close 02:36 together and she would come up 02:39 and just make sure that I was 02:39 doing OK. 02:41 And I remember the last time 02:43 that I saw her, she came up 02:46 and she had a cut on her hand 02:48 and she asked me, 02:49 "Neil, do you have aloe vera?" 02:51 And I said, 02:52 "Oh, sure, Auntie." 02:54 "The aloe vera's in the" 02:55 "kitchen, you can just go grab" 02:56 "it and you can put it" 02:58 "on your hand." 02:59 And she said, 03:00 "OK, thank you so much!" 03:01 "I'm gonna be heading back" 03:02 "down now." 03:03 And so it was quiet 03:04 for a while. 03:06 I was just sitting in the 03:07 living room watching TV 03:09 and it just seemed like, after 03:12 a couple minutes or maybe 03:13 thirty minutes, it started 03:15 getting loud downstairs. 03:17 Now, you have to understand my 03:19 Auntie Belia, that's her name, 03:23 she's a very loud person. 03:25 Not that she's angry or upset 03:27 with you, it's just 03:28 that's her volume. 03:30 And she doesn't mean to say 03:33 mean things to you, 03:35 it's just who she is. 03:37 And so I started hearing loud 03:39 voices, getting louder between 03:41 my aunt and my uncle and then 03:44 it became more of a commotion, 03:46 a discussion. 03:48 I sat there, I said, 03:49 "Oh, I've never heard" 03:51 "this before." 03:52 "I've never heard my uncle..." 03:54 who is now very soft-spoken, 03:55 very gentle, very quiet, 03:58 a good person, 04:00 all of a sudden he started 04:01 raising his voice even louder 04:02 than my aunt. 04:04 And I'm sitting there 04:05 and wondering, 04:06 "Wow, this is a first." 04:07 "I've never heard my uncle" 04:08 "be this upset." 04:10 And I sat there wondering, 04:12 "What is going on?" 04:14 Then finally my aunt's voice 04:17 went even louder and louder 04:19 and higher. 04:21 And then she started to say, 04:22 "Please, Dad, no!" 04:24 "Please, Dad, no, no, no!" 04:27 "I'm sorry! Please, Dad, no!" 04:29 And I began to think, 04:31 "OK, this is really serious." 04:34 "What is going on?" 04:35 I was thinking of going 04:36 downstairs, but out of respect 04:38 for my auntie, I said, 04:40 "You know what," 04:41 "I'm just gonna leave it." 04:42 "They're just gonna work it" 04:43 "out and I'll just go check" 04:45 "on them later." 04:47 But it just began to get 04:49 louder and louder. 04:51 My uncle began to say really 04:53 mean stuff to my aunt that I'd 04:56 never heard him say before. 04:58 Some of them were curses in 05:00 Ilocano, the dialect that they 05:01 speak up in the 05:03 Northern Philippines. 05:05 Some of them were just mean 05:06 and I said, "Wait a minute," 05:07 "this is not my uncle." 05:09 "What is going on?" 05:11 "Why is he so upset?" 05:13 But I just decided to stay in 05:14 the living room and stay there 05:16 quietly because I didn't want 05:18 to disrupt what was going on. 05:19 >> And what about Jolly? 05:21 Was she crying at this stage? 05:23 Because she was only 05:24 five months old, right? 05:25 >> Yes. Yeah. 05:26 >> Was she crying or was she 05:28 quiet during this? 05:29 >> I think what had happened 05:31 was when they were arguing 05:33 downstairs in the living room 05:34 and then when they moved into 05:36 the room, then I started to 05:37 hear Jolly. 05:39 And she was crying and I 05:41 started to really worry about 05:42 her because I said, 05:44 "OK, this is not good that" 05:45 "my aunt and uncle are" 05:47 "fighting and yet the baby" 05:48 "is there." 05:49 Then it got really intense 05:51 because now my aunt was not 05:53 only saying, "No, Dad, no, Dad!" 05:55 "Please, I'm sorry!" 05:56 She then said, "Not the baby!" 05:59 "Not the baby, I'm so sorry!" 06:00 "I'm so sorry!" 06:02 And then I said to myself, 06:04 "Oh, Lord, what is going on?" 06:05 "Please, Lord, help." 06:06 "Help in this situation." 06:08 "This is really serious." 06:10 And this whole time Jolly is 06:12 crying and I'm sitting there 06:15 shocked, didn't know 06:16 what to do. 06:18 So then again I hear commotion 06:19 and I finally hear my uncle as 06:22 if he's moving things and 06:24 things are being thrown or 06:26 being moved and a sound like 06:28 as if something was being 06:30 pushed and then my aunt's 06:32 voice went from a high pitch, 06:34 alert to more of a-- 06:35 going down to a faint cry 06:37 saying, "Please, Dad..." 06:38 "No, Dad." 06:40 And then Jolly stopped crying. 06:43 It was just very quiet 06:44 and very silent. 06:46 And I said, "Oh, dear." 06:47 "What is going on?" 06:49 Now I still stayed upstairs. 06:51 At that point I was scared. 06:53 I was scared, I didn't want to 06:56 go downstairs, I said, "Lord," 06:58 "please be in this situation." 07:00 So then finally I could hear 07:02 my aunt fainting-- 07:04 her voice fainting and I heard 07:06 a little bit of Jolly crying, 07:07 but very quietly 07:09 and then all of a sudden, 07:11 she-- my aunt no longer spoke. 07:13 It was very quiet. 07:15 All I could hear-- 07:17 The door was open to the room 07:19 and then my uncle walking 07:21 back and forth pacing from 07:23 the kitchen downstairs 07:24 to the room. 07:25 I could hear the footsteps. 07:27 And again, I'm worried, 07:30 Jolly's being quiet, I'm not 07:31 sure what has happened. 07:33 So then I sit there for what 07:35 seemed eternity, 07:36 for a long time. 07:37 Then I hear footsteps 07:39 coming upstairs. 07:41 and I said, "OK, my uncle's" 07:43 "coming up." 07:45 "I'm just gonna sit here and" 07:46 "just remain calm and pray" 07:49 "and hopefully he's" 07:50 "not upset..." 07:51 Because clearly he was upset 07:53 and then what caught my 07:55 attention that really changed 07:56 my mind, what really brought 07:58 fear in my heart was when my 08:01 uncle came up, his eyes were 08:03 bloodshot red, he had-- 08:04 really looked very agitated. 08:07 He was wearing a white shirt 08:08 but on that white shirt was a 08:10 stain of red. 08:12 And I said, "OK..." 08:15 Then as he's moving up the 08:16 stairs, you see his arms now 08:18 and there's also stain of red, 08:20 but what really caught my 08:22 attention was Jolly was in his 08:24 arms, on his right arm 08:27 and then he had a knife 08:29 on his left arm. 08:31 It was stained with blood. 08:33 Then it really clicked in my 08:34 mind, I said, 08:36 "Oh my goodness." 08:38 "This is more than just" 08:39 "serious, this is life--" 08:41 "Life threatening." 08:42 And so again, I... 08:46 I didn't want to make him 08:47 more upset or agitated. 08:49 I just sat there and continued 08:51 to pray very quietly, 08:53 asking the Lord to be with me 08:54 to be with Jolly, 08:55 to be with my aunt downstairs. 08:57 And then he was pacing-- 09:00 Now he was pacing from my 09:01 living room to the kitchen. 09:06 And at that time, I was taking 09:08 care of the residents. 09:09 One is blind, deaf, and mute 09:12 and the other one has the mind 09:13 of a ten-year-old 09:14 and so I needed to make sure 09:15 they were OK. 09:17 And I also had a small dog who 09:19 was also whimpering and 09:21 wondering what's going on. 09:23 So here's my uncle pacing 09:24 back and forth 09:25 and finally he looks at me 09:29 and he asked the question: 09:31 "Neil, where is your mom" 09:33 "and dad?" 09:35 And I said to him, 09:37 "Well, you know, Uncle," 09:38 "they're not here." 09:39 "Remember, they're attending" 09:41 "a Revelation and Daniel" 09:43 "seminar in Vancouver." 09:44 "They won't be here" 09:45 "for a while." 09:47 And so then he looked at me, 09:49 breathing a little 09:50 bit heavier. 09:51 I think he was thinking of 09:52 what to do next. 09:54 But then he stood there, 09:57 then he approached me. 09:59 And I remember when he first 10:01 took his couple of steps, 10:03 my mind clicked and said, 10:05 "Oh man, I might be next." 10:08 I don't know what's gonna 10:09 happen and so I really prayed 10:12 like I never prayed before. 10:14 And I remember thinking to 10:16 myself, you know, 10:18 all these flashbacks of all 10:19 these wonderful memories, 10:21 they do come back, you know, 10:23 of all the good times I've had 10:24 with my family, but now in 10:26 this situation it's going 10:28 through my mind so quickly, 10:30 but at the same time 10:31 I'm now praying, I'm like, 10:32 "Lord, please protect me." 10:34 "Please, I--" 10:35 "Whatever happens now Lord," 10:37 "I give my life to You." 10:38 "It is up to you." 10:39 "And I put my trust in You." 10:42 And that was tough. 10:43 And so then he approached me. 10:46 I was sitting by the couch 10:49 on the left-hand side 10:50 and there I looked up at him, 10:52 he looked down at me 10:54 and I went like this, he said, 10:57 "Neil, please take the baby." 10:58 So then I put my 10:59 hand up like this, 11:01 he had Jolly on his right hand 11:03 and he had the knife here. 11:05 So then he bent down 11:06 and I kind of tilted my head 11:08 to the left 11:10 'cause I was getting ready 11:11 for whatever was gonna happen 11:13 and I prayed again, I said, 11:15 "Lord, please protect me" 11:16 "and protect this baby." 11:18 "Be with this situation." 11:20 And he was paused there for 11:22 maybe a couple seconds 11:24 and then he looked at me, 11:25 he said, "Neil," 11:26 "I want you and your family" 11:29 "to take care of this child." 11:31 "It is your responsibility" 11:33 "to take care of Jolly Grace." 11:36 I said, "OK, Uncle, we will." 11:39 "I promise you that." 11:41 "Thank you." 11:42 And then, I mean, 11:44 it was so amazing. 11:45 It's as if-- 11:47 I really believe God 11:48 intervened because he stood 11:51 back up, he looked at me, 11:53 he said, "I'm gonna go back" 11:55 "down now and" 11:57 "you just stay here." 11:59 And I just said, "OK, wow..." 12:01 you know, so he went back 12:02 down, I'm holding Jolly Grace 12:04 and I'm wondering, 12:05 she's very quiet. 12:06 She's not even saying-- 12:07 crying our anything. 12:09 And then I say another quick 12:10 prayer, I'm like, "Lord," 12:12 "please be with Jolly Grace." 12:13 I hoped nothing happened to 12:15 her because she was also 12:17 full of stained blood. 12:20 And then finally she cried 12:22 and it was such a relief 12:24 to know that she was OK. 12:26 >> So you thought she had 12:26 been stabbed. 12:27 >> I thought she had been, 12:29 you know... 12:31 that her life had ended there. 12:32 >> Oh my. 12:33 >> And so then she cried, 12:36 phone calls were coming in, 12:37 because people were calling 12:38 downstairs to try to get 12:39 ahold of them. 12:41 I picked it up, and I said, 12:42 you know, "Auntie's not" 12:43 "available right now." 12:45 "She'll call you back" 12:45 "when she can." 12:46 Trying to put a brave face 12:48 to the situation, but knowing 12:51 what just transpired. 12:53 And so my uncle's 12:54 downstairs now, 12:56 Jolly's crying a little bit 12:58 and then finally I hear him 13:00 walk and this time he walks 13:03 outside the front door 13:05 with a phone in his hand. 13:06 And then that's when I 13:08 realized, when the police 13:10 showed up 'cause I was 13:11 watching now from the window, 13:12 carrying Jolly, 13:14 that's when I realized that he 13:15 had made the phone call. 13:17 He had snapped out of whatever 13:18 happened and then the 13:20 ambulance came, I called my 13:22 mom and dad, they drove as 13:24 fast as they could to get to 13:26 us and then, sadly, we found 13:29 out that her mother had passed 13:32 away because of the stab 13:34 wounds that she received, 13:36 but also trying to 13:37 protect herself. 13:38 And she had passed away 13:40 on the way to the hospital. 13:42 And so from then on, 13:45 it was this whole-- 13:46 because I was the only 13:47 witness, I had to write down 13:49 every detail, 13:50 what had happened. 13:51 My mother cried out when she 13:53 found out she passed away on-- 13:55 Jolly's mom passed away on the 13:56 way to the hospital. 13:58 And it was very difficult. 13:59 And it took us 14:02 a lot of time to recover and-- 14:05 but what we decided as a 14:07 family is we wanted Jolly Grace 14:09 to be looked after. 14:12 We didn't want her to go into 14:13 the system, because at that 14:15 point of time, the next of kin 14:17 was in the Philippines. 14:19 And legally in that situation 14:22 Jolly Grace should have gone 14:23 into foster care 14:25 and get a social worker. 14:27 And she did for a while and my 14:29 parents fought really hard for 14:30 her to stay with a church 14:31 family, which she did. 14:34 For me, I struggle with this 14:36 whole idea, two years after 14:38 that, that how do I then-- 14:42 How it made an impact on me so 14:44 negatively that I questioned 14:46 my faith, I questioned my 14:48 belief 'cause I said-- 14:50 I was angry. 14:52 I was angry at myself, 14:54 I was angry at my uncle, 14:56 I was angry at the situation, 14:57 I was angry at God. 14:59 And at fifteen-- fourteen 15:01 to sixteen-year-old, 15:03 I was asking the Lord, 15:05 "Why would you do this?" 15:06 "Why would you take away" 15:08 "someone who loved me," 15:09 "who cared for me?" 15:11 And also, "Why would You" 15:12 "allow a daughter to grow" 15:14 "without parents?" 15:15 "How could you allow a" 15:17 "husband to do that to" 15:18 "his wife?" 15:19 And so my dad, you know, 15:20 saw that I was changing. 15:22 I didn't want to go to church, 15:23 I was being negative. 15:25 I always try to put a smiling 15:27 face in front of everyone, 15:28 naturally that's who I am. 15:30 I try to put a smiling face 15:31 as if I'm strong, but during 15:33 those two years it was tough. 15:36 Then finally my dad came to me 15:38 and he said, "You know, Neil," 15:40 "I think the greatest thing" 15:41 "that you're struggling with" 15:42 "right now is that" 15:46 "you went through a tough time" 15:47 "but you're not allowing God" 15:49 "to heal you" 15:50 "and in order for that" 15:51 "healing to start," 15:53 "you need to forgive." 15:55 Now when I heard that, 15:56 I was upset with my father. 15:59 I said, "How could you" 16:00 "say that, Dad?" 16:02 "You weren't there" 16:03 "that night it happened." 16:05 "You don't know how many" 16:07 "questions of--" 16:09 "Auntie's best friends have" 16:10 "questioned me saying that" 16:12 "I could have done more." 16:14 "I could have run out" 16:16 "and helped." 16:17 And I thank my mother for 16:18 stepping in whenever people, 16:21 members of the church or 16:22 people would ask why didn't I 16:23 do more, she would say, 16:25 "I'm a nurse." 16:27 "You don't know what trauma" 16:28 "does to you." 16:29 "My son experienced trauma" 16:31 "that night and you do not" 16:33 "have the right to question" 16:34 "him or even say these things" 16:37 "when you yourself have not" 16:38 "experienced it." 16:39 And so my mother protected me 16:41 and she let them know. 16:42 And so then... 16:46 What ended up happening was 16:47 two years went by, 16:50 I prayed about it, 16:51 I read more scripture, 16:54 sang songs, I tried to be more 16:56 active in the church, 16:57 but it was tough. 17:01 What made it possible for us 17:03 to go see my uncle who was now 17:05 in the psychiatric ward, 17:08 he pleaded guilty to insanity 17:11 and so they brought him into a 17:12 psychiatric ward to recover. 17:15 He put, on the names of 17:17 people who are allowed to 17:19 visit him, 17:20 he put "the Peraltas." 17:21 No one else. 17:22 Not even his own cousin, 17:24 not even his own family. 17:26 He only put our names on there. 17:29 And so my mom and dad would 17:31 frequently go visit him to 17:32 check how he's doing, 17:33 to see how he is. 17:35 And finally, my dad said, 17:36 "Neil, we're gonna go visit" 17:38 "your uncle." 17:39 "Are you ready to go forgive" 17:41 "him and meet with him?" 17:44 I said, "OK, fine I'll go." 17:47 "I just need to get this 17:49 "over with," 17:50 "I need to learn to forgive," 17:51 "I need to move forward," 17:52 "I need to start the" 17:53 "healing process." 17:55 So then when I went to go see 17:57 my uncle, my mom and dad went 18:00 in first, they said their 18:02 pleasantries, "Hi, hello," 18:03 "how are you? How are things?" 18:05 And then they got me to go 18:07 inside, we were sitting at a 18:10 half-round table, 18:12 he was sitting on one side, 18:14 here's my mom, my dad, 18:15 me in the middle. 18:16 And he looks at me and I was 18:19 ready to just let him have it. 18:22 I was ready to just 18:24 be angry at him. 18:25 >> You were very angry. 18:27 >> I was very upset. 18:28 Very angry, very upset. 18:29 I was ready to ask him all the 18:31 "why" questions. 18:32 "Why would you do this?" 18:33 "Why would you do that?" 18:34 But when I looked at him, 18:36 I felt compassion 18:38 and pity for him 18:39 because he wasn't the same 18:41 uncle that I saw. 18:42 He was shaking, 18:44 he was highly medicated 18:47 and he managed to talk to me 18:51 and express how sorry he was. 18:53 Tears fell from his face. 18:55 He said, "Neil, I've been" 18:57 "waiting for two years" 19:00 "to talk to you." 19:02 "I've been waiting to say" 19:03 "that I'm very sorry and" 19:05 "I was praying that you" 19:07 "would come meet with me" 19:09 "because I'm very sorry for" 19:10 "what happened to you," 19:11 "I'm very sorry for what has" 19:13 "happened to Jolly..." 19:14 And he said, "Can you find it" 19:16 "in your heart to forgive me?" 19:19 I just stood there, stunned. 19:21 I didn't know what to say 19:23 and I finally said to my mom 19:25 and dad, "I have to go." 19:27 It was just too much. 19:28 But before I left, 19:30 I turned to my mom 19:33 and I whispered in her ear, 19:34 "Can you please let him know" 19:37 "that I forgive him" 19:39 "and that I'm very sorry for" 19:41 "what he had gone through" 19:42 "as well." 19:43 And so I left, my mom told 19:45 that and as I was leaving, 19:47 I could tell that he broke 19:49 down and cried even more 19:50 because he just felt that 19:52 relief come over, knowing that 19:55 I had forgiven him. 19:56 And so from that day on, 20:00 we've treated Jolly as our-- 20:01 I've treated her as 20:02 my god-daughter. 20:04 And I know she treats me as 20:05 her older brother and so 20:07 we've kept up, 20:08 we've stayed in contact, 20:10 we've encouraged her. 20:12 Her Auntie Divina who came 20:13 from the Philippines at a very 20:15 young age of twenty-one, 20:18 took on that role 20:19 and it was a big role to 20:21 be there to help Jolly Grace. 20:23 >> So her mother's sister 20:25 came over? 20:25 >> Her mother's sister, yeah. 20:27 >> And became her mother. 20:28 >> And became her mother, 20:29 yeah, and took care of her 20:31 and they ended up staying with 20:34 us and so I'm very glad to see 20:37 that through this tragedy 20:41 we have been able to raise a 20:43 girl as a family although 20:45 we're not blood-related, 20:46 but we're related because of 20:48 the circumstance, but because 20:50 we love each other like we're 20:51 family, we're so glad to see 20:53 now that Jolly has been able 20:55 to grow up in a place where 20:57 she's been mentored, she's 20:59 using God's gift to 21:01 guide and direct her. 21:02 She's a very wonderful singer, 21:04 an amazing singer 21:05 and she uses that talent to 21:07 share her message as well. 21:10 And as her older brother, 21:15 I still stay connected with 21:17 her, I call her... 21:18 >> She sees you as an 21:19 older brother... 21:19 >> Yeah. 21:20 >> And you see her-- 21:21 >> As a god-daughter. Yeah. 21:22 >> OK. 21:23 >> I just-- 21:25 You know, listening to your 21:27 story has been really moving 21:28 for me and I know you 21:31 mentioned that fateful evening 21:34 when this trauma happened that 21:35 you were praying throughout 21:37 all of this and it just... 21:40 It just amazes me, 21:42 from listening to your story 21:44 how calm you were, Neil. 21:47 Like, you know, you didn't... 21:50 freak out and... 21:52 >> I'll be honest with you, 21:53 there was a moment where 21:54 I wanted to run out. 21:56 There was a moment 21:57 I wanted to run out. 21:59 And knock at the door of 22:00 my neighbour, 22:01 but then I realized, 22:04 if my uncle is still in his 22:06 angry state... 22:08 what would he do? 22:10 Would he stop me? 22:11 Would he end up 22:13 running after me? 22:14 And so I-- 22:15 that quickly played in my mind 22:17 and I said, 22:18 "I think the best thing to do" 22:20 "is just to allow God to" 22:22 "intervene and whatever" 22:24 "happens, put your trust" 22:25 "in Him." 22:27 "He will take care of you." 22:29 "He will take care of her," 22:30 "the people who are here" 22:33 "and He will protect you." 22:35 And then that's what happened 22:36 that evening and I felt a calm 22:39 assurance even though that 22:42 it was so chaotic and so... 22:46 What do you call this, 22:47 a very edgy experience 22:49 that I couldn't even imagine 22:50 if someone else would have 22:51 gone through this, 22:52 how would they react? 22:54 But in that moment, God really 22:56 calmed me and reassured me 22:58 to just remain calm, 23:00 "I'm here, and whatever" 23:02 "happens, I will protect you." 23:06 The story has been 23:07 really good. 23:08 I don't use it a lot, 23:09 I'll be honest, but I do share 23:11 it when I feel the need that 23:14 it needs to-- 23:15 Especially when it comes to 23:16 young people, and impact, and 23:18 who have been hurt by older 23:20 people, who have suffered loss 23:23 and are struggling with this 23:24 whole idea of forgiveness, 23:26 I share with them that story. 23:27 But again, the story continues 23:31 in Jolly's life and it's 23:33 amazing to see that from my 23:35 situation how now God has used 23:38 our family, her auntie, 23:39 and people around her to be 23:42 able to move forward and grow 23:44 and be spiritually connected 23:46 that way, so... 23:49 >> So, Neil, God has been 23:50 working in your life from when 23:52 you were a fourteen-year-old boy 23:54 and how He's been leading you 23:55 and you worked through some 23:56 difficult times here. 23:58 But now, today you're 23:59 a pastor... 24:00 >> Yes. 24:01 >> And that's a long story 24:02 in itself. 24:03 You were running away from God 24:04 and He found you and He was 24:05 leading you. 24:07 And so all that you've learned 24:09 from the scriptures, 24:10 from your experience with God, 24:12 was this a part of God's plan 24:14 that, you know, your uncle 24:15 take his wife's life 24:18 and you end up with his child, 24:20 all of this. 24:21 Was that tragedy a part of 24:24 God' plan? 24:25 >> No, I don't think it was. 24:27 I think it was a bad choice 24:29 that my uncle had made. 24:31 Like I said before, 24:33 it wasn't him. 24:35 He let his anger out 24:37 and because of his anger 24:39 Satan came in and took 24:41 advantage of that and as a 24:43 result, you know, my-- 24:46 Jolly Grace had to go through 24:48 that, I had to experience 24:49 that, a night of loss from my 24:51 auntie, but I truly believe 24:53 what's so amazing is that it 24:55 wasn't God's plan, but He had 24:57 a plan to intervene. 24:58 >> Yes. 25:00 >> And it was because He knew 25:02 that at that moment in time 25:04 that I myself needed to be 25:06 protected and I needed the 25:08 reassurance, I needed to be 25:09 calm so that Jolly Grace and I 25:12 would be able to be here 25:14 where we are today. 25:17 >> So, Jolly, welcome. 25:19 You're here with us and we've 25:21 been listening to Neil 25:22 talk about you. 25:23 You're no longer a 25:25 five-month-old baby 25:26 and so we're so thankful 25:28 that you're here with us 25:29 and joining us. 25:31 We've got just a few minutes 25:33 left in this episode, 25:34 but next week hopefully we can 25:36 hear the rest of your story. 25:37 I hope you can stay with us. 25:39 Yes, good sure. 25:41 >> It's wonderful, Jolly, for 25:42 you to be here with us 25:44 face-to-face so this is great! 25:47 So tell us what does Neil and 25:49 his family and his parents 25:50 mean to you? 25:52 >> So Neil is just like an 25:55 older brother to me and his 25:57 parents are more so like my 26:00 grandparents. 26:02 >> And so you had your 26:06 mother's youngest sister come 26:09 over from the Philippines to 26:10 take care of you. 26:12 How did you see her? 26:13 >> I saw her as my mom. 26:15 >> As your mom. 26:16 >> Yeah. 26:17 >> And so she raised you and 26:21 we really want to hear the 26:22 rest of your story and we look 26:24 forward to it next week, so... 26:26 I look forward to hearing it 26:28 and I know Rene does and we're 26:30 going to visit then. 26:31 But we're going to close off 26:32 with a word of prayer and 26:34 thank the Lord for the way in 26:36 which He's been leading in 26:37 your life and for what we're 26:39 going to look forward to 26:40 seeing next week, so 26:41 let's close our eyes for a 26:42 word of prayer. 26:43 >> Let's pray. 26:44 Dear God and Heavenly Father, 26:46 thank You so much for this 26:48 opportunity that we have had 26:51 here with Neil and with Jolly. 26:53 And Lord, it's been so 26:55 exciting to see what You've 26:57 done in their lives and we're 26:59 so excited to hear about what 27:03 You have done in Jolly's life 27:05 and how You've taken something 27:09 that was bad and turned it 27:11 into something that is so 27:12 wonderful and we just want to 27:14 honour and glorify Your name. 27:17 Be with us now and guide us 27:19 according to Your will. 27:21 I pray this in Your precious 27:23 name, amen. 27:24 >> Amen, amen. 27:25 So, friends, thank you again 27:27 for joining us and I hope you 27:29 are going to tune in. 27:31 I know that we are looking 27:32 forward to being with Jolly 27:33 again next week and just to 27:35 hear the rest of her story and 27:37 how God miraculously led 27:39 in her life. 27:41 And I just want to remind you 27:43 of the words of Jesus that we 27:44 can trust as Jesus Himself 27:46 said, "It is written," 27:47 "man shall not live by bread" 27:48 "alone, but by every word" 27:50 "that proceeds out of the" 27:52 "mouth of God." 27:55 >> Next on 27:56 It Is Written Canada... 27:58 >> Now you had to tell her the 28:00 story of the night when her 28:02 mother was murdered. 28:03 >> And so when she first heard 28:05 it, it was very hard on her. 28:06 She did cry. 28:08 >> Have you seen your dad, 28:09 Jolly? 28:11 >> I truly believe that was 28:14 God-given talent to her. 28:15 We are so proud of her that 28:17 she's using it for reaching 28:20 out to other people 28:22 through music. 28:23 >> I can just see that this is 28:25 a very sensitive topic and 28:26 you're being very vulnerable 28:28 and sharing this with us. 28:29 >> I struggled with 28:31 forgiveness, forgiving my dad, 28:33 forgiving God 28:35 and being angry with Him. 28:38 >> Although it was very 28:40 tragic, God was there holding 28:41 me with His right hand, 28:42 holding her. 28:47 ♪You reached out to me 28:53 ♪and gave me my first hope |
Revised 2020-11-18