April 2022
JESUS HAS OUR BACK BEFORE WE THINK WE NEED HIM
“It was a normal morning. The kids were jumping on our bed,” Tammy Hebert recalls, “so when I walked into Kienan’s bedroom and couldn’t find him, I checked every place in the house I thought a three-year-old would hide. My heart started racing; we couldn’t find him anywhere.”
“Within a few hours, thousands of people were involved; police dogs, helicopters, and experts in child kidnapping cases admitted to us the brutal reality that it is virtually unheard of for a child to be returned to his parents unharmed,” Paul Hebert remembered. “So, we prayed and watched God do the impossible.”
Tammy confessed, “Although I was filled with lots of emotions, I hoped for a miracle.”
Three-year-old Kienan, one of Paul and Tammy Hebert’s eight children, was abducted from their home in Sparwood, BC, and on the fourth day after the kidnapping, when his father went on national television requesting the kidnapper return their son to a safe place, within hours they found Kienan in their house, curled up in his blanket on the living room floor—calm, unharmed, and happy to be home.
Later, Paul Hebert sat down with the kidnapper and forgave him.
What was that conversation like, and how had God been preparing Paul and Tammy to deal with this crime in a way that caught the attention of people around the world?
Looking back to the years prior to the kidnapping, Paul remembers, “I was a tough guy, in the Canadian Armed Forces, and I didn’t need anybody, but when Tammy and I separated, I was in a pretty dark place. I was addicted to alcohol and pain medication. My family and friends were upset with me, but I found that when there was nobody there, God was there for me. I knew He loved me regardless of who I was; it was either Him or suicide. I had nothing to live for: the world never gave me anything; it just took everything away. In the meantime, Tammy found God, and she was baptized and was praying for me during our separation. I’m a stubborn man, so it took a long time for God to chisel through the rock to get to a soft heart.”
“Caleb, Kienan’s older brother, was born with half a heart, and we saw God perform a miracle at that time,” Tammy expounds, “so our faith grew, and that prepared us to depend on God when Kienan was kidnapped. We surrendered everything, trusting God to work another miracle if that was His will.”
“So, we prayed for the search and rescue teams, that Kienan would be found unharmed, and for the kidnapper to be convicted that what he was doing was wrong.” Paul recalled.
“When we found Kienan alive and unharmed in the house, we just melted.” Tammy wept, “My legs were like Jell-O, and I grabbed Kienan and wouldn’t let him go.”
“My heart was racing when I went to meet with the kidnapper,” Paul acknowledged, “so I prayed with an RCMP officer, and when I walked into that tiny interrogation room, a calm came over me, and I was able to forgive him. Our questions and prayers were answered. All the officers were choking back tears as they sensed the divine presence. It was so beautiful!”
Thanks to your generous contributions, It Is Written Canada’s film crew was able to visit the Hebert family and capture their story.
You can watch Paul, Tammy and Kienan’s entire story, and how their “Servant’s Heart Initiative” is giving hope to hundreds. Their experience will be televised on CTV, 3ABN, Hope Channel, Yes-TV, Miracle Channel and many other networks across Canada and around the world this month. Or you can simply go to itiswrittencanada.ca or It Is Written Canada’s YouTube or Facebook videos and click on the program entitled: “Jesus Has Our Back before We Think We Need Him.”
~ Mike Lemon
Upcoming Episodes
April 2: Freedom’s Journey – Part 3
Join us in this final episode of our series with Jacob Hiebert as he shares God’s unmistakable guidance in his faith-building story of divine care.
April 9: How Do You Find True Love?
Pastor Darrell and Lise Beaudoin share their personal journey of how they found True Love, and how you can find it too.
April 16: Jesus Has Our Back before We Think We Need Him
Following the abduction of three-year-old Kienan Hebert from his home in Sparwood, British Columbia, Kienan’s father, Paul Hebert, was able to sit down with the kidnapper and forgive him. See how God had prepared Paul to deal with this crime in a way that caught the attention of people worldwide.
April 23: From Extreme Brokenness to Extreme Repair
After Sandra and Ken Murphy faced one trial after another, they went to their Father in Heaven for help. They were totally unprepared for the abundant outpourings of love and support He sent their way.
April 30: Warm and Healthy Homes in Peru
This week, ADRA Canada shares the results of their heart-warming mission work in Peru.
From Our Viewers
“May the good Lord sustain you with His unfailing love as you bring His precious truth to people by television across Canada.” – Maria
“I’ve been watching your programs and have experienced lots of blessings.” – Simon
Prayer in Action
We would also like to pray for you, so please send us your personal prayer requests, and we will add you to our prayer list here at It Is Written Canada.
Ministry in Action: Update on Bags of Love Project
We are so pleased to inform you that this project has been so rewarding and worthwhile. With your help, more than 700 children were able to receive their very own Bag of Love.
We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making this possible, we could not have done this without your donations. Thank you!
If you wish to continue supporting this project, go to: itiswrittencanada.ca/donation/ and select “Bags of Love” under Designation.
You can also call It Is Written Canada at: (905) 404-6510, or send your donation to:
It Is Written Canada
Attention: Bags of Love
Box 2010
Oshawa, ON L1H 7V4
THIS MONTH’S FREE OFFER – When Heaven Pauses, by Kurt Johnson
When you cry, God stops and listens.
What do you do when life tears up the rule book and throws the pieces in your face? In this book, author Kurt Johnson suggests that when you’re facing a crisis and you don’t think you can go on—Heaven stops what it’s doing and takes an immediate interest in your needs.
When cancer strikes—or a heart attack. . . Heaven pauses. When your spouse decides the marriage is over and walks out the door. . . Heaven pauses.
That’s what this book is all about—a God who cares and understands, a God who can help you with every issue you’re facing—at this very moment.
Health Nugget
“Kind, cheerful, and encouraging words will prove more effective than the most healing medicines” (Adventist Home, pg. 217).
SPRINGTIME TABOULI SALAD
Ingredients:
● 1 cup quinoa (dry)
● 1 ½ cup water
● pinch of salt
● 4 firm Roma tomatoes, very finely chopped
● 2 cups shelled fresh garden peas (or substitute with shelled edamame, radishes, cucumber, snow peas or even spring greens)
● 3 spring onions – thinly sliced
● ½ cup fresh chopped dill
● ½ cup parsley
● ¼ cup slivered toasted almonds
Dressing:
● ¹⁄₃ cup olive oil
● zest from 1 lemon
● ¹⁄₃ cup fresh lemon juice (1–2 lemons)
● ½–1 teaspoon salt
● pepper to taste
Instructions:
● Rinse the quinoa and place it in a pot with the water and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and allow it to simmer on low heat for 12-15 minutes. Turn off heat, and let sit covered for 5 -10 minutes, then uncover, fluff with a fork, and let it cool.
● While the quinoa is cooking, blanch the peas in salted boiling water for just a few minutes, until bright and tender. Rinse under cold water.
● Place the cooled quinoa and blanched veggies in a bowl. Add the Roma tomatoes, spring onions, dill, parsley, and almonds and give it a toss.
● Add the dressing and stir again. Add salt and lemon to taste.
● Serve with optional avocado and sunflower sprouts.
Notes:
If making this ahead – be sure to taste it right before serving and adjust salt and lemon once more -because quinoa tends to soak up all the flavor! Wait until serving to add sprouts or avocado, so salad looks beautiful and fresh.