Delivered From Four Years Of Financial Burdens
I saw you on television years ago—I caught just a clip of you at Hillsong—and it quickened my spirit. I forgot your last name until someone loaned my husband your Grace & Favor CD album. He was so moved that he called me and I immediately said, “What’s his last name? That’s him, that’s him!”
It was a challenging season for us but we listened to that CD over and over again. Now, we wake up every morning shouting, “God wants you to reign!” It has become our wakeup call to watch you on TBN or Goodlife 45 here in Florida. Your teachings have changed our lives and the way we read the Bible and know our heavenly Father and His Son.
On 28 July, I was watching your sermon #228 on Mark 11:24 and my spirit just leaped as you spoke on the language of faith. I prayed and wrote down my prayer, believing that I have it. It was specific with a time frame and other requests. I also bought the sermon CD. When my prayers came to pass, I was more excited by the explosion of my faith than seeing the physical answer because like you said, Pastor Prince, my excitement was at the time of prayer, knowing it was answered!
Just briefly let me explain. My husband and I are beekeepers and he wanted to mortgage our two homes and take out equity by a commercial operation and pollinate almonds in California. We did the business plan and would have been debt free again in three years living on a six-figure income.
After the first year, our bees succumbed to Colony Collapse Disorder, and we went from about 800 hives to 80. We lost contracts and began selling everything we could. I was devastated and thought that it was his fault and the end of the world. Lots of other family issues were going on and I was angry, confused and lonely. I didn’t understand what was happening. In the meantime, the housing market fiasco had already begun. I had never had bad credit or shunned debts and we both agreed not to foreclose, short sale or go into bankruptcy.
There is a date recorded in my Bible—28 April 2008. That was the day you came into our lives with the Gospel Revolution. I am so thankful because I believe that we wouldn’t have “survived” physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and especially in our marriage. We were paying the equivalent of four mortgages and at one point, five for a year. Two mortgages, two lines of equity and a rent payment. Just those bills were more than $5,000 a month for us and that was not including other expenses.
We moved our remaining hives to Florida (from our farm in Missouri) and slowly built them up. But my prayer on 28 July 2011 was that the farm would sell by August for a good price. These financial burdens have been going on for almost four years for my husband and me. I believed that God would answer prayers and we would sell the place but it had been so long.
By 28 August 2011, we had a contract for $50,000 more than the buyers’ previous offer! This has lifted more than $2,300 a month from us. Our last home that is next on the list to sell allowed us to pay interest only till we sell. Due to the housing market, we hope to pay cash and be debt free again.
Today, we are in our third year of selling nuc hives to the Midwest and to California because of the huge losses in bee population and the huge demand of the almond growers. Talk about being at the right place at the right time!
And something else, our marriage has become so close and so strong it brings tears to my eyes. Thank you, Pastor Prince. I feel like I know you and your congregation. I love hearing you tell of your country and culture and I love your accent! We don’t need any subtitles! I could go on and on about the miracles my heavenly Father has poured out on us. It is truly exciting.
Now, we are excited and watching to see what our Father has chosen for us in a new home in Florida. And during this housing situation, we can still afford our dreams back home. He is truly amazing and I’m so in love with His love for us. May God richly bless you, your church and your country. Bee blessed!
Florida, United States