AGWM Personnel in Verona, Italy, Rick and Angela Forker are planting an international church there, reaching out to many immigrants. One of their faithful helpers is Rachele, a woman from Peru. Rachele suffered a great tragedy in her life, but God has worked through it to a wonderful conclusion.
When Rachele's two sons were 9 and 11 years old, her husband told her he was going to take the boys to his brother's house, telling her they would be returning for lunch. Lunchtime came, as did suppertime, but they hadn't returned. By nighttime, she knew something was extremely wrong. Since it was during the holidays, Rachele had to wait a couple of days before she could report their disappearance to the police. During those first few devastating days, she says she traveled around like a zombie, going from one family member to another trying to discover what had happened to her boys. Everyone said they knew nothing.
After a couple of days she found herself at the airport. It was there that she saw her husband's name on a passenger list. His name was listed with two boys of different names and different ages. She fainted as she realized what had happened: her sons had been kidnapped by their father, given false passports and taken away to Italy.
During this tragic time she worked daily trying to get back her boys. She had terrible nightmares about them. She gave up on God and eventually wanted to commit suicide. One day, she gathered a bunch of medicine. Just as she was about to overdose herself, she felt a gust of warm air behind her, and felt someone touch her shoulder and say to her, "Don't do it. Everything will be okay."
From that point on, Rachele turned to God with all her heart. Her faith in God strengthened and she found hope. She was baptized. As the years went on, she knew that somehow she had to get to her sons in Italy for one purpose: to share with them the good news of Jesus Christ.
Eight years after their disappearance God worked a miracle. Rachele was finally able to come to Italy and see her sons. But it wasn't as easy as she had hoped it would be. She and her sons were like strangers to each other. She found a church family in an Italian Assemblies of God church. As she lived out her faith before her boys, little by little, God began to soften their hearts -- towards their mother and towards God.
It has been seven years since her sons have decided to follow the faith of their mother. Since then, many of their friends have also given their hearts to the Lord. Her boys, now 27 and 29, have a story all of their own. Despite all this family suffered during those long years, Rachele and her sons have an unshakable commitment to Christ. They are a great blessing to the Kingdom of God. This family is a living testimony of how God can work out His plan even in an impossible situation.
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