Hi, my name is Johann Winterbach but my friends call me Hanno. The testimony I am about to give is true and many people can testify to that. Before I tell you my testimony about how Jesus became my Lord and savoir, I first need to exclaim that I have been saved through my Lord Jesus Christ’s mercy and not (never) through my own deeds.

If that was the case Jesus died for nothing and everyone would be able to justify their own sins. I believe that is what I did; I justified my sins before I knew Jesus. Sometimes I still do it only to realize it was of mere reluctance to accept my weaknesses and because of my lack of knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Since I can remember, my parents either send or took me to church. I can’t say they were the model parents when it came to going to church. I specifically remember when I got accepted (when you complete Sunday school – wow big thing in our tradition) there was a big fight in our house regarding alcohol (my father was an alcoholic). At the end of the day my mother took me to church and told everyone that my father was working and unfortunately couldn’t make it.

I knew Jesus since I was young and completed eleven years of constant Sunday school classes, with only missing a few exceptions. My final exam for this Sunday school thing was something like naming all the books of the New Testament, which by the way you can learn within ten minutes (not really something to learn in eleven years). OK so since I was a young boy I knew about Jesus almost the same way you probably know the Queen of England (and hopefully my assumption of not very good is spot on). Anyway Lucifer and all his followers also know Jesus and are the hell scared of HIM, ha. Before I go on, you can know Jesus personally because He can live within you. Joh 15:4 "Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.

So I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus even though I knew him, and since I was about seventeen till about twenty one the words church, Jesus, bible and God didn’t cross my mind more that three times. And looking back now that was the probably period in my life when I, and possibly also some of my relatives actually needed Jesus Christ more than ever.

During this time I was staying in a small little flat in the city and met a girl named Erica whom I fell in love with, she was a true believer of Jesus Christ and very much wanted me to believe in him as well. I tried to stop smoking all the stuff I were and went to church and went to cell groups etc. all for the wrong reasons, her. That was the wrong thing to do and after about three months I got out and ditched her as much as possible and went back to my old ways.

Things turned a bit since then and during September 2001 my finances got drained, the university wanted their money and 9/11 happened, I had to move back to my parents in order to pay my studies, and also because I was scared that our city will get bombed. I didn’t see Erica much after that.

On the farm everything was going OK, and I kind of liked it. Open spaces, swimming, walking, playing, basically freedom. I still occasionally smoked dagga and drank. I however hated the fact that my father was drinking again and that really got to me. About six months after I moved back to the farm, I missed my old ways and didn’t like the long drives everyday and asked my dad to pay for my studies, and if I could please move back to the city. He said yes, on one condition that I will visit regularly. Of course was my reply, but I wanted out because the reality of my fathers drinking, the parties I used to have and my friends was in the big city.

To cut it a bit short, I moved back to the city about three months before my twenty first birthday and once again started partying, drinking, smoking dagga and hey, now more than ever. The chances of me going to church, pray and worship Jesus was really something unheard of and the only thing I was interested in was party.

My studies were second priority and occasionally I did some effort to try and pass a few subjects. One evening while I was really drunk and busy at a braai (BBQ), my phone rang… It was my mother and she asked me to come and help her because my father was trying to assault her. I drove through, asked my dad to back off and let her get her stuff to go to her sister. (This was not the first time this happened.)

About a week later my sister, with long-time arrangements, moved to a small place of her own. Within a period of a few weeks my sister, my mother and I moved away from the farm leaving only my father and the servants behind. I partied as usual but with a kind of unease. One morning, my flats phone rang… It was my mother and I couldn’t hear what she was saying but I knew. My father committed suicide.

I went with her to our farm and it was terrible. I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked, almost dropped out of the university. My friends supported me, and I believe that a lot of people prayed for us. Jesus himself I believe had a soft spot for us during those dreadful days. Even after this I still didn’t realize that if I would die at that very moment my life would be spend in hell. I just couldn’t fit the pieces together. I moved back to the farm. And my life was so upset and turmoil and chaos. Even life after what I thought I figured out was once again spilled and spoiled on the rocks. To make things worse the question why occasionally came. But I couldn’t answer that, and often dimmed the question with dagga.

The rest of that year I stayed on the farm with my mother and a friend and studied hard. I finished all my subjects plus those I previously flunked and completed my degree within the minimum three years. The next year I studied my honors and again moved back to the city. Three times I moved back and forth. I once again started my pattern of you know what, but this time my little adventure was cut short by Jesus. That sounds selfish but I do not mean like that.

About five months into that year, May 2003 my mother asked me (yes you guessed it, my phone rang) to go to church with her. Even though I went to that church previously and even sporadically, that one Sunday evening was different. I stood up to sing and pray with all the other people, and then the Holy Spirit came upon me and it was as if Jesus Himself told me: “I am real”. I couldn’t believe it and asked Jesus to prove to me.

Jesus said how: “I asked him to give me a better job for which I already went for the interview”. This verse up: Joh 14:13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

True to his word, I couldn’t believe it, the people phoned me the very next day while I was walking (because I broke my car while I was drunk - racing) the very moment I passed the church on my way back from university. I said to Jesus, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son and because he was faithful to his word, I would start a “Jesus” group at the college I was going to work at.

Wow, Jesus was graceful – I mean I still sinned, in fact I remember evenings when I would go out with friends to bars (because they had specials) and would stay there till four o’clock in the morning, and then try to preach the word of God the very next morning. Man that was wrong and I felt like an idiot – no sorry I was an idiot. I worked there for about six months and then opened up my own computer business. I had to open up my own business because the college wouldn’t contract me for the next six months. I thought I disappointed Jesus, but he said: I am love.

With my own business I went through some difficult times and some months were a bit tough financially. Gracefully and thankfully I had the opportunity to grow closer to Jesus and only now realize that those times were there for a reason. It was also during this time when I met one of my now, wonderful friends and brothers in Jesus Christ. Jimmy. Jimmy became like an older brother and father figure to me and we both grew in our relationship with Jesus Christ and each other.

Since I returned to my heavenly Father, God and my savior His son Lord Jesus Christ I have met many beautiful Christian’s brothers and sisters that also went through some tough times. I also met the girl I believe Jesus pre-ordered for me (the girl of my dreams) ,Zelda, and I thank God and Jesus for the many ways they have abundantly blessed me throughout the past few years. I have been baptized (in our tradition you get baptized when you are small) about a year ago and are now a baptized, saved, born again, filled up, blessed, believing child of our Old Mighty God and His son sitting at his right hand Jesus Christ.

I hope this testimony encourage you to stay faithful to Jesus, and if I may ask: “Please pray for me”. May our Lord Jesus Christ, our Father and the Holy Ghost our helper be with you and give you peace. Amen.

My favourite verse: