Elsie's Story...

“Why is God ‘One God’ but He is three people?”

“If God was making a perfect world, why did He make Satan?”

“Does God know me?”

“Why did Jesus have to die?”

“If the Holy Spirit is so powerful…do you think he could help me?”  

Even at an early age I remember looking up at my mother, who was busy with her chores, and pelting her with these questions. “If I die what will happen to me?” This last question prompted my mother to gently lead me in a simple prayer, which I said with great conviction. “Jesus, please come into my heart and make Satan leave my room!” He did leave the room and I was quite satisfied with the peace that filled my heart. From that moment on I knew that I was safe. This was my first encounter with the Living God.

At the age of eight I knew that God wanted me to be an artist and that I was to tell people about His love for them. But first, I had to find out about His love for me...

I was not the most pleasant child by any means, suffering from a bad case of ill temper! My mother called them “flares” which actually meant, “Watch out my child is in a bad mood!” Often I would retreat to my room feeling angry or sad. One day in particular, I called my brother a bad name at the dinner table. As punishment, my parents sent me to my room to be alone with my thoughts. As I sat on my bed feeling sorry for myself I became aware that Someone was listening. I poured out my heart to Him and soon began to feel something change in my heart. Suddenly I wanted to run downstairs and ask my family to forgive me. I wanted to tell them that I loved them. I could actually feel this love…it was pouring into my little spirit. The Father’s Love was finding me and it was changing me. This encounter also introduced me to the power of His love. I knew then that the Holy Spirit was real and that He wanted me to know who He was.

During my high school graduation year, I had another profound encounter with the Holy Spirit. This one changed everything. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and He stole my heart away! I felt His tangible Presence and was ruined forever! I just wanted more of Him. I was hungry to know this person who loved me unconditionally. I was about to embark on an incredible journey into His heart.

The ensuing years were crucible years as I went through a school of the heart. He was faithful to sculpt His nature and character into me by taking the knowledge I had of him in my head and forming that in my heart through the experiences of life. He had to remind me of how Christ responded to offenses as I became subject to the same! The first lessons came through an on-fire church that became cultic. I had to learn how to respond to betrayal, control, manipulation, deception, spiritual abuse, rejection and abandonment, the fear of man and loss of hope. These lessons required that I pass the test through confession, repentance, forgiveness and blessing.

The next few years were spent in aloneness as I searched to find my centeredness in Christ. During this season I suffered from severe depression that threatened to take my life on many levels. I buried myself in His chest everyday. His words were so precious and I hung unto Him for dear life. I will never forget how desperate I was for healing. I had almost resigned myself to living with this illness…and then another encounter!

One morning in 1997, I woke to His beautiful voice speaking Psalm 107:20, “I’m sending you my word to heal you!” That day changed my life! As I embraced His word, the life flow of His Spirit poured into me and I experienced supernatural healing and deliverance by the power of His love. Jesus Christ became my salvation from the power of darkness and I was completely set free. I have not had one day of depression since that time. Thank You Jesus!

In 1994 I was attending Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship along with thousands of other hungry believers. The Father Heart of God was being revealed through His manifest Presence. People were being healed and set free just by lingering in the atmosphere of His love. I was so in love with Him and He with me. For the first time in my life I realized that I was not a workhorse for God…but a Lover! Lovers will serve with all of their hearts…and He had my heart.

Years earlier He had told me that I would be going to the nations with the good news of the Kingdom…now it really was good news! He filled me with the Fire of His love and renewed my vision to reach out to the lost and broken…I had been lost and broken and His love had chased me down.

In 1999 I met my future husband as we stood beside each other on the prayer lines at TACF. We were married in 2002 and joined our hearts and vision for reaching the nations. We have had the privilege and honor of going to the lost and broken with the message of being found and made whole by Abba’s Love. I never tire of the core value messages that we are commissioned to teach and uphold…The Father’s Love, Intimacy with God, Restoration of the Heart, and Extending the Kingdom of God!

We look forward to meeting you along the way!