TESTIMONY BY WILLMER WILLEMS

I was born on a farm seven miles W.S.W. of Waldheim. I was the fifth of seven children, (four boys and three girls). Born to Ben and Marie (Welk) Willems.

I was born with a handicap, in that I did not walk until I was past two years old nor did I talk until I was well past three years of age and then I stuttered badly. This stuttering hindered me throughout school and teaching. I failed grade three due to the fact I could not read and speak properly. A kind hearted teacher came in September, when asked why I was in grade three, he told me "Work hard after Christmas and I’ll promote you into grade four". While in grade five I became discouraged and unhappy, as people began to call me "Big Ben’s Stupid Brat" (my father being over six feet tall and 275 pounds). It was here that God blessed me greatly and taking me into the upper heights of mathematics, no one in school could add and subtract faster than I could. Although I struggled with the other subjects throughout school, high school and University, mathematics saw me through with great marks, ending one point short of graduating with honors at University of Saskatchewan with my Bachelor of Education with major in Mathematics and a minor in Ancient History. My Minor later assisted me when I completed my Bible School with a major in Pastoral Leadership.

I spent thirty years in teaching profession and seven years with the Saskatoon City Police Force. The seven years in the police force gave me a new outlook on life and greatly assisted me with last twenty years in high school. I also enrolled in a Toastmasters Speakers Course, and completed the course and received my DTM (Distinguished Toast Masters Certificate)

I retired from teaching in 1983, taking the last year as sick leave due to a car accident. Life suddenly took a great change, I was introduced to Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship. I attended a banquet meeting in Calgary January 1984, with President Alex Florence and Buzz Goertzen as speaker. That evening an angel visited me and spoke to me and I have never been the same again. The next month Alex introduced me to the baptism of the Holy Spirit with power and fire. Shortly after I was phoned that I had received my Toastmasters’ award my DTM and outstanding Toastmaster of the year.

In 1995 I was asked to take over the treasurer’s positions for the Saskatoon Chapter, Prairie Regional Convention, Saskatchewan Outreach and Couple's Advance. It wasn’t long before I knew the anointing was where the speaker was and this would pass on to people next to him. The result was that I spent an lot of time with speakers as I was the only retired person available. I completed two years in Bible School in pastoral leadership. I took on the position of Pastor of Children’s Ministry for next 8 to 10 years. FGBMF and Church filled my life. I saw what GOD can do if we give him the room in our life. Children were taught to praise and worship God and in turn He would answer their prayers. It was an exciting thing to see children 8 to 12 years of age pray for adults who in turn were healed. Hundreds and hundreds came to be saved, marriages were restored, people were set free and delivered. Our Prairie Regional Convention grew to well over 2000 adults, teens and children attending. Thousands of people would never be the same again. I also spent one year on the National Audit Committee, which again was a new experience. With all this growth, the Devil was not happy and began as written in John 10:10 the thief is come to kill, steal, and destroy.

February 2006 my life took a sudden change, "the thief is come to kill, steal, and destroy" when I ended in the emergency room. We had been active all weekend and Sunday night I suffered pain in the lung area and was rushed to the Hospital. Result, trouble in the heart area. But unable to have an angiogram for a week or more. As an emergency I was taken to Royal University Hospital and was informed I needed emergency surgery for one blocked artery and four partially blocked arteries. The cause the blocked artery was filled with soft particles for the past week. Normally the heart does not survive complete blockage for a week. I spent the better part of six hours in the operating room with eight to twelve people in white coats. Before surgery I asked Jesus to hold me in His arms and guide the surgeon’s hands to His Honour and Glory. The next morning the Doctor stood at the foot of my bed with a smile on his face saying, "I just do not understand. You have survived the most dangerous and difficult surgery in medical history and here you are smiling and getting colour in your face." The next five days I could sense the presence of Jesus sitting on my bed and we had wonderful talks. His presence stayed beside me until days after I was home, after which His anointing stayed with me.

Friends, yesterday is gone for ever, tomorrow will never come, today is the time that counts. It’s a present from the Lord, DON’T waste it. God has a miracle for you. Let Him take over in your life. "Jesus is come to give us life and life abundantly."

Willmer can be contacted at: wfwillems@sasktel.net