Dimple
"In an early vision I saw myself standing in the sea, water all around me. I was frightened as I cannot swim. When I turned around I saw Jesus standing behind me, right there. I was overwhelmed with emotion, knowing that even though I was afraid of drowning God was there with me, I was not alone and God is real".
Dimple, aged 12 moved to New Zealand from Punjab India, with her parents and 4 siblings. From a Hindu background with Sikh and Muslim beliefs the family attended Sikh temple regularly observing special traditions and offerings. They believed everything was a god and worshipped them all. Dimple says "I was aware of and grew up with these rituals, although once in New Zealand there was more freedom and I felt it was a family reliance and not my personal faith. I could have made many wrong decisions in my life, but I believe God's hand of protection and guidance was upon me from my Mother's womb".
Aged 21, Dimple felt she was ready and agreed to an arranged marriage. After 18 months of telephone calls and correspondence, she travelled with her family in 2015 to Phillaur, Punjab to meet her future husband and his family for the first time, and get married in the Sikh tradition. "He was a humble and respectable man who I thought would love me and care for me. He was the eldest in his family with the responsibility of providing for them all so he was keen to move to New Zealand where there were greater opportunities and start a new life with me". Dimple says "Six weeks after our marriage, I returned to New Zealand alone for my job and began the Immigration process. My husband's Visa came through just 3 months later and we were reunited once more".
"Everything in my life was happy and normal and I was so grateful my husband and I seldom argued. In 2018 when we went back to Punjab for a second visit, my Mother inlaw told me it was time for us to start a family of our own. Lohri [a special midwinter festival celebration of winter solstice and a public holiday in Punjab] was also used to welcome the first grandson into the family , my brothers son. I believe it was at this time with the many traditional sacrifices, my troubles began. On the day of the rituals I became very tired and asked my husband to take me home from the festival. That night although "my husband was asleep beside me I was too disturbed to sleep and in the dark hours saw a white robed woman creeping through the end of our room. The doors and windows were all closed but this apparition was real. My heart was beating so fast and I was crying. My husband woke and could see I was very disturbed and suggested the sacrifices in my Fathers village had upset or attacked me".
When we came back to New Zealand I was troubled to see changes in my body. I was exhausted all the time and all I wanted to do was sleep. My body felt heavy but when I slept I had intense nightmares and would wake up screaming. There was a dark presence hovering around me all the time. My health deteriorated over 18 months. I was afraid to sleep, I was afraid to look in the mirror at my gaunt haunted face, and I was unfit for work. My husband and I were fighting for no reason and it was all too much. I was depressed and anxious constantly and nothing was helping. The Sikh temple told me to read the book daily and offer sacrifices. These did not help.
In desperation my husband phoned my cousin Kamal [see previous testimonies 22 and 23] a Christian, and asked him to come with his Pastor and pray for me. They said as they prayed in the spirit, that could see something had been planted over me. The Pastor suggested we remove from the house all religious idols and shrines. I was against this as my Mother inlaw was staying with us and she needed these in her life. I became so unwell my mother in law suggested we return to India to find someone there who could help me. "A Hindu priest performed rituals on me and said he thought someone had put a black magic curse on me. After 3 weeks we returned to New Zealand but I felt no better. There was such an emptiness in me, like I was living my life but I was not alive. Breathing but not alive".
During another trip to India my husband decided it was time for me to see a neurologist. I went through all the tests with MRI and CT scans, but they found nothing. Prescribed anti depressants, my life was a routine of taking medicines, sleeping, waking up, and taking another dose. I asked my husband if I could return to India and stay with my sister hoping the close relationship we shared might help me. We slept side by side but again the nightmares plagued me and my sister could hear me fighting with something in my sleep. One night I asked if she would sleep in my bed close to me. She agreed and when she slept next to me I was able to sleep, but she was attacked and described the same heavy black presence pressing down and she too was frightened and fighting to breathe. Another night when I could not sleep I got up, but when my brother in law came home from work he slept where I had been sleeping. He too was attacked as he slept. They agreed I was not making this up, it wasn't just in my head. I was so afraid. When I ate I had extreme diarrhea. I had lost so much weight, my skin became so dark, my hair was falling out and I had suicidal thoughts. A witch doctor was consulted and my sister was told someone had done with craft on me. It is not a medical issue and my husband was told he needed to take me to a Muslim witch doctor who gave me some special water which helped with the diarrhea and I felt a bit better.
"After spending 6 months in India during Covid and lockdown, I returned home to New Zealand on one of the chartered flights.
Although I was free from the diarrhea and I was regaining some of the 15kgs weight I had lost, there was still a burden on my mind. I was not functioning and sometimes I would wander off and the Police would find me and return me to my house. I didn't know who I was or where I was. My family was frantic. My Doctor organised counselling. I hade more scans and tests. What was causing this intense pressure? Everything was affected, my whole life. My health. My finances. My marriage. My friendships. My family. I tried to do everything suggested including more regular Sikh temple visits and offerings, crying and begging. I was so lost in suffering every day. No peace".
"Out of desperation I made contact with a Christian Pastor wanting someone to say a prayer for me. 20 January 2021 the Pastor prayed for me and one thing really touched my heart. He held the Bible in his hand and said "this is what God says. I knew Bible was the Christian book but I didn't know anything in it or about it. He downloaded the Bible app on my phone and told me to read the Bible every day. Although I didn't know anything about this I believe the word of God was released over my life. Something happened. Straight away I believed. I had no doubt in my mind and I felt such a peace. I asked him to also pray for me to find a job as I had been too sick to work. 3 days later I received a phone call from an HR person regarding a job and the offered contract was ideal for me. I had not even applied for this job and to my surprise I was offered this position and package. Within a month of beginning to read the Bible and going to church I found I no longer had depression or anxiety. I didn't even know God, but I was so much better".
"There was so much I didn't understand and was so foreign to me, so I said to God 'if this is your word then please explain it to me'. In an early vision I saw myself standing in the sea, water all around me. I was frightened as I cannot swim. When I turned around I saw Jesus standing behind me, right there. I was overwhelmed with emotion, knowing that even though I was afraid of drowning God was there with me. I was not alone and God is real. I had spent my whole life serving the idols but I never had an real encounter with any of them and had never seen them operating".
"For a new believer it was really hard, but God helped me overcome my fear and unbelief. My church entered into time of fasting and praying for Easter. This was my first Easter so it was all new to me. What I noticed was people around me prayed in the spirit and then told the group, what God had shown them or said to them. I said to the Lord 'all I want is to feel your presence. If those people can feel your presence why cant I? I don't want anything else is this fasting prayer, I just want to feel your presence Lord'. On Easter Saturday I arrived as the morning prayer session was closing, but the Pastor asked me to come forward so he could pray for me. While he prayed, I saw a bright light shine and I was filled with the Holy Spirit. I began speaking in tongues. I wasn't really sure what happened to me and I had not even considered Baptism nor did I really understand the implications, but after this encounter I said 'God I am ready to leave everything and follow you'. I was very confused as one Christian friend back in India told me when I shared with him, I should be baptised in Jesus name only. This did not line up with God's word so I prayed to God 'this is very important to me not just a ritual, please help me to understand'. God said to me 'when you finish reading the book you will understand'. I thought this meant the Bible. I was reading the book of Mathew and although I had read it before, Mathew 28:19 jumped out at me. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, Baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." I had my answer and was so excited I started jumping on my bed! I heard directly and clearly from God. I took a screen shot of the verse and sent it to my friend in India. No, this is not a parable. This is what Jesus commanded. People can be wrong, even Pastors can be wrong but His word can never be wrong".
My mind and body healed by God after so many years. God showed me the day before my baptism, a picture of a wedding and I was the bride. I was wearing a white gown and as I went under the water of baptism, many black things were coming out of me. God showed me there would be deliverance even before I was Baptised. I asked God if I could be Baptised on my birthday Tuesday 11 May. This needed to be booked in with a local heated pool and because it was during the week I didn't think this was Holy. I thought it had to be on a Sunday. But with the help of a local church, on my birthday a Tuesday, I was Baptised in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!