Katrina's Testimony
Greetings in the Sweet Name of Jesus Christ,
Karen and I have just returned from the high school. Katrina Engle, one of our closest missionary friends, shared her testimony there today. I heard it for the first time and was brought to tears. Hers is the type of testimony one hears on the radio program, Unshackled.
She grew up in Chicago, living upstairs from the bar her Mom and Dad owned. By three years of age she was being sexually abused by her Dad. She was serving men drinks when she was 6. By 13, she was heavily in to drugs. By 16 she was in the psych ward of the local hospital, having tried to commit suicide. When her Mom found out she was contemplating suicide she simply said, “Try not to make a mess when you do it.” At age 18, while attending a Black Sabbath concert, she approached the stage with her 9 foot-long Burmese python wrapped around her shoulders and neck. Statutes of dragons with glowing red eyes spewed out fire on either side of the stage. A man dressed as the angel of death complete with sickle paraded about the stage. She stopped to shout out with all her might, “God I hate you!” Suddenly the snake began to choke her. She looked to left for help. The man next to her was shaking so violently he wasn’t even aware of her presence. She looked to her left to see a man dressed like a woman smiling at her with an evil glare. She thought, “I’m going to die right here in the midst of 50,000 screaming people and no one is even going to notice!” “Jesus! Save me,” she cried out. The snake relaxed its grip on her throat. “I’ve got to get out of here,” she thought. She ran for the exit. Once outside in the empty parking lot, a Hispanic man approached her with a tract. He explained the way of salvation to her and she received Jesus as her Savior right then and there. To this day she isn’t sure if he was a real person or an angel.
Soon she was in a rehab program at Teen Challenge. There she had a vision. She saw three young brown children. She was teaching them, loving them, comforting them. Within a couple of years she was here in Honduras living in the rain forest working as a nanny with an American missionary family. She knew she was where God wanted her to be. She nearly died in a plane crash here a few years later. While recuperating in the States, she met her husband Roger. He too had been delivered from drugs in a Teen Challenge program.
Katrina is one of the most humble, loving servants of God I’ve ever met. She cannot help loving the little children she takes in. Most are deformed, many have been abused, and all are malnourished and full of intestinal worms. Her life is filled with miracle after miracle. She has learned to trust God for everything.
As she finished with her testimony, she told the kids how she was asked to speak a recent conference two weeks ago. In attendance were the President of Honduras’ daughter who had served as the First lady during her father’s first few years in office since was unmarried, generals, doctors and other leaders. Since she only had 15 minutes, she decided to share her testimony. When she finished, the President’s wife sought her out and with tears in eyes said, “I want to thank you for what you are doing for the people of Honduras.” Katrina finished by saying, “I came from nothing. I never went to college and barely finished high school. My life was empty and meaningless. But God told me He had a plan for my life. He has given me a purpose, a plan that I cannot deny. There is no higher calling than to serve the Living God—Jesus Christ! Thank you Lord, for saving me.” At this point she was crying. “I know the Lord has plan for each and every one of you, just like He did for me. “ Ask Him to be your Savior today.”
I went up front, crying as I went. I had noticed a couple of young girls sobbing as she shared. The presence of the Holy Spirit was powerful and I told the kids that. “There is no doubt in mind whatsoever the Holy Spirit is moving on many of your hearts right now. Today is the day of salvation. If you feel the Lord is calling you, I want you to pray with me. Just close your eyes and repeat after me—not out loud but in your heart, with sincerity.” I proceeded to lead them all in the sinner’s prayer, crying as I spoke under the anointing. A just few lines into it, many began to pray out loud with moaning and conviction. Soon nearly everyone was crying out to the Lord. I was crying, Karen was crying, Katrina was crying and many of the kids were crying. Blessed be the Name above all names—Jesus Christ! Thank you Lord for your mercy! Thank you for your compassion! Hallelujah!
I would love to see Katrina sharing her testimony at Calvary Chapel and with our friends from Living Word. I know the saints would love her. It would be so wonderful if the saints had a chance to meet her. I have asked her to pray about this. Would you join me in praying about this? I told her I would pay for her ticket from Florida up to New York. She will be alone in the U.S for most of February before returning here in early March.
To God be the Glory forever and ever. Amen!
Shalom,
Br. Ed
Karen and I have just returned from the high school. Katrina Engle, one of our closest missionary friends, shared her testimony there today. I heard it for the first time and was brought to tears. Hers is the type of testimony one hears on the radio program, Unshackled.
She grew up in Chicago, living upstairs from the bar her Mom and Dad owned. By three years of age she was being sexually abused by her Dad. She was serving men drinks when she was 6. By 13, she was heavily in to drugs. By 16 she was in the psych ward of the local hospital, having tried to commit suicide. When her Mom found out she was contemplating suicide she simply said, “Try not to make a mess when you do it.” At age 18, while attending a Black Sabbath concert, she approached the stage with her 9 foot-long Burmese python wrapped around her shoulders and neck. Statutes of dragons with glowing red eyes spewed out fire on either side of the stage. A man dressed as the angel of death complete with sickle paraded about the stage. She stopped to shout out with all her might, “God I hate you!” Suddenly the snake began to choke her. She looked to left for help. The man next to her was shaking so violently he wasn’t even aware of her presence. She looked to her left to see a man dressed like a woman smiling at her with an evil glare. She thought, “I’m going to die right here in the midst of 50,000 screaming people and no one is even going to notice!” “Jesus! Save me,” she cried out. The snake relaxed its grip on her throat. “I’ve got to get out of here,” she thought. She ran for the exit. Once outside in the empty parking lot, a Hispanic man approached her with a tract. He explained the way of salvation to her and she received Jesus as her Savior right then and there. To this day she isn’t sure if he was a real person or an angel.
Soon she was in a rehab program at Teen Challenge. There she had a vision. She saw three young brown children. She was teaching them, loving them, comforting them. Within a couple of years she was here in Honduras living in the rain forest working as a nanny with an American missionary family. She knew she was where God wanted her to be. She nearly died in a plane crash here a few years later. While recuperating in the States, she met her husband Roger. He too had been delivered from drugs in a Teen Challenge program.
Katrina is one of the most humble, loving servants of God I’ve ever met. She cannot help loving the little children she takes in. Most are deformed, many have been abused, and all are malnourished and full of intestinal worms. Her life is filled with miracle after miracle. She has learned to trust God for everything.
As she finished with her testimony, she told the kids how she was asked to speak a recent conference two weeks ago. In attendance were the President of Honduras’ daughter who had served as the First lady during her father’s first few years in office since was unmarried, generals, doctors and other leaders. Since she only had 15 minutes, she decided to share her testimony. When she finished, the President’s wife sought her out and with tears in eyes said, “I want to thank you for what you are doing for the people of Honduras.” Katrina finished by saying, “I came from nothing. I never went to college and barely finished high school. My life was empty and meaningless. But God told me He had a plan for my life. He has given me a purpose, a plan that I cannot deny. There is no higher calling than to serve the Living God—Jesus Christ! Thank you Lord, for saving me.” At this point she was crying. “I know the Lord has plan for each and every one of you, just like He did for me. “ Ask Him to be your Savior today.”
I went up front, crying as I went. I had noticed a couple of young girls sobbing as she shared. The presence of the Holy Spirit was powerful and I told the kids that. “There is no doubt in mind whatsoever the Holy Spirit is moving on many of your hearts right now. Today is the day of salvation. If you feel the Lord is calling you, I want you to pray with me. Just close your eyes and repeat after me—not out loud but in your heart, with sincerity.” I proceeded to lead them all in the sinner’s prayer, crying as I spoke under the anointing. A just few lines into it, many began to pray out loud with moaning and conviction. Soon nearly everyone was crying out to the Lord. I was crying, Karen was crying, Katrina was crying and many of the kids were crying. Blessed be the Name above all names—Jesus Christ! Thank you Lord for your mercy! Thank you for your compassion! Hallelujah!
I would love to see Katrina sharing her testimony at Calvary Chapel and with our friends from Living Word. I know the saints would love her. It would be so wonderful if the saints had a chance to meet her. I have asked her to pray about this. Would you join me in praying about this? I told her I would pay for her ticket from Florida up to New York. She will be alone in the U.S for most of February before returning here in early March.
To God be the Glory forever and ever. Amen!
Shalom,
Br. Ed
posted by Eric Stephens at 23:59
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