United States of America
My father passed away suddenly three years ago. I have been pretty numb since then, having had a very complicated relationship with him. I loved him and miss him, but it’s been difficult to grieve. In looking back over the last year with him, it was amazing to see how the Lord orchestrated our last days with him.
The first thing I noticed in hindsight was that he spent a weekend with my daughter Brittney in Asheville in August of 2022. They had the best time together, so much so that she made a point of telling me how fun it was! My dad could be moody but the entire time he was happy and carefree and she noticed and was so filled in her soul with love for him.
The second marvel was that he spent Christmas with my family in December. We had not had a Christmas alone with him since I was 5 or 6 years old. All our holidays were spent with our stepmother and their children and were not fun to say the least. That Christmas was amazing! He was so grateful to be with us and we were amazed at how wonderful our Christmas was!
In February, one week before he died, my sister had a 50th birthday party for herself in Florida. My dad was not planning on coming but changed his mind at the last minute. The entire weekend was incredible!! There was so much laughter, love and joy! The whole family was there, except for Brittney, who couldn’t make it because of work. During the weekend, I noticed him talking a lot with my father in law, who is a devout Christian and I learned what they talked about a week later. I also marveled at the connection he made with my great niece, his great granddaughter. As I watched him playing tea party with her and giving her gifts, the love between them was so beautiful that it made me tear up as I took pictures and I had the faintest thought that this was the last time he would see her. On the last day of the weekend, we all went out to breakfast. As we were eating my dad felt overwhelmed with emotion and stood up and gave a speech…it was his goodbye but we didn’t know it. There was not a dry eye when he finished.
One week later my father had two massive strokes and passed away in hospice care on my deceased brother’s birthday.
During that time, my father-in-law told me what they had talked about all weekend. My dad was confessing his sins and Joe was ministering to him about heaven and assuring him that he would be going there when his time came.
I can’t even explain the goodness of God in the chain of events leading up to my father’s passing but it has kept me during this time of grief and it helps greatly to know that God orchestrated it all for one last year of restoration and healing with my dad and for my sister and I to know that he was with Jesus.
Jodi
South Africa
She was larger than life. People either loved or hated her. Vivacious, energetic, creative, loud, volatile, quick to forgive and forget, and oh, so giving.
As a young girl, Olga Eisner rebelled against her father’s drinking, which was always followed by abuse, and she left home to board elsewhere for high school. She became a teacher even though her heart yearned to be a social worker. She was good with the children, being firm, consistent, and caring. Her classrooms had enchanting nooks where children’s poems were created in art forms. Many were drawn to her lively dance classes, and she orchestrated the best school concerts.
Her first marriage was a rebound, which she said should never have happened, as he was such a kind and gentle man who didn’t deserve that. Having been told she’ll never have children, it was a surprise when she had her only child. As she was a creator of children’s stories that played on the radio, with all the creatures having the most interesting names, of course, she created a name for this creature of hers and named her Emra. She remarried when this little girl was a few months old, leaving her with her father, and reclaimed her three years later. Little Emra fearfully watched her mother’s explosive spirit rise up towards her new sister, the daughter of her stepdad.
It wasn’t long before the bonus dad, Pappie (Afrikaans for Daddy) Dykhorst, got a brain tumor with not long to live. Olga prayed and said “God, if you heal this man, I will search for You till the day I die”. That instant he came out of his coma and was healed. A miracle.
Emra became the witness of seeing God make what seemed impossible, possible. Not just the healing of Pappie, but in the decades that followed, the transformation of Olga’s person. She kept her promise to God, till her early death at age 65. She studied every religion and developed a relationship with God that seemed like breathing, it was so natural. You could see her up in the early hours of the morning, walking and talking with Him in the garden. Her restless nature, arguing with Him, questioning, pondering. Then into The Bible, digging for answers, debating with theologians. “Fanatical”, she was labelled. She didn’t mind – she was all in, had made a promise.
God healed her spirit from its hurts and pain, broke down her pride, tempered her anger, quietened her voice, gave her the gift of poetry and a passionate love for Him. When she unexpectedly left this earth, in 1996, Olga Dykhorst no doubt was worthy of the welcome, “Well done My good and faithful servant”. She pioneered the way for her child to love and live for God, to create for Him – how could Emra not be this, having seen the reality of God so tangibly.
Emra
United States of America
I have this painting of Indian women picking mussels on Durban beach in South Africa, which has always been part of my mom’s art collection. For many years, I was not too joyful when it was handed down to me. Now, it is a treasure that speaks to an impossible story God made possible. One of the most powerful stories to me is how He changes our hearts!
As a telephone counselor in my early twenties, many calls came through from Indian men using it as a sex call line. Added to this, many of the sweet young women I worked with in my bookstore shared their hurt and pain from such men using them, deceiving them, deserting them with the gift of various diseases. My blood curled with anger, and without my knowing, a bias toward this culture’s men developed.
In time, we moved to the USA, and I rarely met up with anyone from the Indian culture. All I had was my mom’s painting, which I’d tuck away in the guest room. Until I met Shaillee. Once again, doing work to empower women! We became soul sisters. Two women with hearts of kindness, purpose, and the joy of giving.
And then . . . the invite to go to speak and receive awards in New Delhi, India! Shaillee’s mother was there at that time, in the very home she grew up in. I was to stay with her right there – in the heart of the culture!
What an experience! We served at three underprivileged schools, rode the racing tuk-tuks, and ate her mother’s authentic handmade dahl and roti. Her mom had a sari made for me and dressed me up for our awards ceremony. Together we marveled at the Taj Mahal. I was awe-struck at the customer service wherever we went! An experience never to forget.
God sent this beautiful woman I call my sister and healed what was hidden my heart. The bias uncovered and redeemed! Only God!
Emra Smith
United States of America
In my twenties the deep desire to have a place where women can be restored filled my being after finding an abandoned property near our home. As the winds blew against the dream and I not yet equipped to make it happen, it got buried deep within my soul.
40 years later, after many twists and turns along life’s journey, God resurrected the longing for the place again when we moved to Savannah. These past fifteen years, seeking and finding possibilities, aspects of the dream have materialized, and more are in process.
During the wait, I had to grow personally – heal from life’s hurts, learn greater skills to hear and see others, have a burden for the brokenhearted, and thrive whilst serving others.
Our non-profit, the International School of Story, was birthed with an understanding of the various aspects within it to bring Hope, give light, and life during challenging times for women. Each year, we have added a next step to do so.
For a season, we moved into a physical space, Abode – an aspect of the vision to serve community, startup businesses, and ministries. A place to share gathered stories, and we launched our Publishing House, Marigold Press Books. It is amazing to see this all unfold – impossible tasks, creations, outcomes. There has not once been revenue to step out with ease to accomplish it, yet each time God has made a way.
There is more to come – the picture is still to be completed. We are seeing the greatest miracle of it all – the HiStory Gallery, for the one million one-page stories we are gathering, to display and share, of when God made the impossible, possible. We do dream of a historic Chapel, which was a mere vision given in 2017, not even knowing what it would be for. As for the women’s housing project, this will be a story for another day. We are about to walk through a giant door! I am in awe, a little scared, as we watch this impossibility become possible. Incredible to experience God giving witty ideas to make His plans happen.
My heart overflows with deep thanks, praise, and worship for our Heavenly Father. I am alive, living in the purpose He designed me for and in peace, knowing Him a little better than all my yesterdays, less than tomorrow. What joy lies ahead – learning to love and serve Him and others more!
Emra
United States of America
My husband Roy, 75, has had multiple heart issues, two heart attacks, open heart surgery, seven stents, carotid endarterectomy, whereby the plaque is removed from the artery in the neck. God has raised him, healing him since he was 43 years old! The next procedure was for his chest pain approximately four years ago at Memorial Hospital in Savannah, where his Dr. needed to put in another stent in a blocked artery.
I was in the waiting room with my children, Michelle and Mark, as we were praying, someone from the operating room came to get us to go back to where Roy was having his procedure. We had no idea why.
When we walked in, we found him lying under a bright light and his doctor was sitting and bent over him. He explained the procedure he was trying to do and told us it could cause a heart attack and wanted our permission to move forward. Thankful, Roy was awake and heard everything. He said, “I’m here, you may as well go ahead.” He gave his permission for the doctor to proceed. We were escorted back to the waiting room, where we called, and texted, telling our family and friends what was happening and asking them to please pray for Roy.
Then the three of us there began praying. About an hour later, Roy’s doctor came into the waiting room all gowned up and had a big smile on his face! He said, “I don’t know what just happened, but as I was trying to open Roy’s clogged artery, other arteries all around it began opening up and blood flowed in areas that formerly had been closed. He said, “I have never seen anything like this before!”
It was then that I told him a whole bunch of prayers had been going up for him as he was working on Roy! His expression made it clear he understood! He said, “So that’s the reason all the closed arteries began opening up, and blood flowed in areas I hadn’t touched! Yes, God had just answered our prayers through him, and Roy just had another miracle from God poured out on him. Hallelujah!
Carolyn Plontrich
