Testimonial

Hi Bethel Family,

My Wife and I have been on a very long journey over the last 25 years, and God has been in every leg of that journey.

Our testimony started with getting married in 1994, with God’s blessing but not many others. We are in Australia by the way.

We lost our first child to a miss carriage and a very painful time, once again with little comfort from the church around us. We had our first son in 1998 and found out 3 years in that he had Autism, ADHD and mild intellectual impairment from a traumatic childbirth for both him and my wife. The advice that was given to us, 'he just needed a go hiding’. As to the advice of interpretation of Focus On the Family, but this was incorrect we found out later the strong willed was about encouraging the positive behaviours.
Our second child was born in 2001 and presented with Autism, ADHD, Epilepsy and sensory impairment this we were told ‘she was a spoiled brat’, putting it on.

Our Third child was born in 2008 once again with medical conditions and complexities.
So, my wife and I placed our lives on hold including our calling to be full-time carers. In the last 2 years God has taken each of us through a journey of discovery that we as a family are more than Autism, Special needs and medical conditions. So, when my wife and I listen to the sermon by Chris on the 5th of January 2020 it resinated in so many ways.

I personally have gone through 3 cycles of a 21 day detox by Dr Caroline Leaf this is after being diagnosed with server complex PTSD and after 5 years of counselling that my core belief was that, 'I was a waist of breath' this was the lie and every night I just wanted God to take me home. I seriously just wanted to die because of the amount of physical and emotional pain and torment.

Then as I did the detox God through the Holy Spirit began to challenge the lies, I had believed even in my Christian life since I was 17 years old. Our throughs are being placed at the feet of Jesus and now I am halfway through an MBA. That is not the miracle it’s the value I personally finely saw in myself, the world and God needed me to see my value so the world can eat and see the Lord is Good. We are the fruit, Revelations 22: 1-2.

So where does Bethel come into this you may ask, well in the last 12 months my wife and I have been going onto YouTube, and search worship songs to return back to our heart we were in a worship team together before marriage and lead worship with children church and public evangelism.

We found the heart of worship that we have known throughout the last 25 years in Bethel worship, we have known that place and have been drawing into the presents of God and now into our home, into this time now. God has used the worship of Bethel to bring us into the positioning where He can walk with us through our everyday journey and He can change Us maybe not our circumstances. With humour, the Word and Worship we are ready to step into our today and Bethel has been and will continue to be part of our journey.

One day I can see we will be able to thank you for your faithfulness and obedience in person until then we are with you in spirit.

Our family to you in Christ

Raymond and Joanne Ward