Stories from our field
Medically unfit, but not unfit for God’s work
“I want so much to spread Your Word, Lord God,” prayed Julia Balfoort from the Netherlands. The prayer changed her life, that took a totally different turn: a turn she would never have chosen herself, but for which she is intensely grateful. “For me, being able to share the Gospel through the internet is a miracle from God.”
In 2016, Julia had a well-paying job as a financial assistant at a plastics supplier. She loved her job and did the work with passion and a sense of responsibility.
“Yet it was ultimately not fulfilling,” Julia says, looking back on that period. “I was making money for someone I didn’t even know, because the parent company was based in Italy.” Julia decided to ‘earnestly pray’ about the growing sense that her life was missing something. “I prayed to God, ‘Lord, I’m sitting here making money every day and that’s fine. But there is something in my heart that I would much rather be doing, and that is proclaiming Your Word. Right now, I’m unable to, because I need to earn a living.’ I added, ‘If only I could evangelize a few hours a week online, that would do.’ I then let it go – I thought: the Lord God knows and He has seen my heart.”
Not long after, Julia fell ill. At first she thought it was the flu. Her family doctor diagnosed a severe pneumonia and prescribed medication. “After finishing that it was supposed to have cleared. But it didn’t go away, not after a week, not after a week and a half.”
Finally the fever subsided and Julia went back to work. But after about three days she suddenly deteriorated. Julia: “The fever returned in full force. My family doctor decided to call an ambulance; I had to be hospitalized. It then transpired that I had open tuberculosis and pneumonia. In the middle of the night my husband received a phone call: he and the children had to come to the hospital, because I might not make it… My life was hanging by a thread.” To make matters worse, she had a hemorrhage in her lung. “That was very dangerous. But my husband started praying and the bleeding stopped. God was there!”
In all, Julia was in hospital for six weeks and subsequently declared ‘medically unfit’ for work by the Occupational Health Service. “Shortly after, I noticed an ad on Facebook for becoming a chat operator with GlobalRize. I thought, ‘Oh Lord, this is it! Hallelujah!’ I was trained to converse with people reaching out to GlobalRize online for answers to life questions. This was work I could do for a couple of hours a day! What an answer to my prayer.” Recollecting the situation, she says, “Look, I didn’t ask to get sick. But God is using everything in my life to accomplish His purpose with it.”
Julia set to work with passion. Several hours a week, she now sits behind her computer and ‘speaks’ to people from all over the world. “They have all kinds of problems: physical, spiritual, financial, social… I get to pass on God’s love to them and pray with them. It’s such wonderful work.”
Unfortunately, this initial period of illness wasn’t the last. In 2020, Julia had to go to the hospital for a check-up. “I went there pretty relaxed, it was just for a checkup, after all. But after two days we received a phone call: the scan results had shown the presence of nodules in the lungs, liver and lymph glands. We had to rush to the hospital and were confronted with a large team of doctors.” Julia sighs: “It turned out I had lung cancer. At that word, my world seemed to crumble. We were all completely upset: my husband, my children and myself.”
What followed was a period of appointments, examinations, but also confusion. “On one occasion I withdrew to have some time alone with God. In my heart I cried out to God: ‘Why?!’ All kinds of voices raced through my mind, including mean little ones saying things like: Haven’t you been through enough yet? Why does this have to happen now? Then, suddenly, I heard a gentle voice: ‘It will be alright.’ It sounded so clear that I looked around to see if I was alone in the room. “Lord, is that You?” I asked in amazement. I was overwhelmed with peace and tranquility. Confidence for the future grew within me.”
Julia was offered immunotherapy, which worked very well for her. “I prayed that I would be spared one thing: chemotherapy. I had seen people who were undergoing that treatment and getting so terribly sick from it … But I couldn’t get out of it. The doctor announced that chemotherapy was necessary, after all. Oh, I was sick, so sick… I wouldn’t wish chemotherapy on anyone.
I stopped being a chat operator during that period and went through a valley of deep darkness. But I experienced the truth of Psalm 23: Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. It will be alright.” After the chemos, Julia had to recover, and fortunately, that went well. Radiation treatment followed. “The doctor said, ‘We’re really going for a full recovery.’ That was encouraging as we had something to work toward. And only eight radiation sessions turned out to be necessary, instead of the expected 13. The Lord is with every step we take. He is so good.”
At the time of the interview, the radiation treatment has only just completed. Julia lacks energy, but feels fine. “We have learned what patience means,” she says, ”what waiting on God is. Sometimes I miss those intimate moments with the Lord.” Her husband nods in agreement. “Our children also have their questions: ‘Mom lives so close to God, why did this have to happen to her?’ But you know what: God doesn’t keep problems away, but He helps you through them. With my God, I jump over high walls.”
At the hospital, Julia and her husband Eef were given plenty of opportunities to testify to the hope that is within them. “I had to have a scan done at the hospital. While I was getting the scan, there was a woman in the waiting room with my husband who was crying. He talked to her about Jesus and when I came back, we prayed for her together while all the people were sitting around. People like it when you say you’ll pray for them.” Julia didn’t mince words to doctors either. “I once said, ‘I’m not afraid to die. It’s a win-win situation for me, either way. If I die, I go to Jesus and that’s a win. If I recover, I get to stay with my family and that’s also a win. It’s terrible for my family if I die, but not for me.’”
Since then, Julia has taken up chatting again. “I get desperate people in chat sessions, people who say, ‘I’m going to end it.’ They are broken people, people struggling with addictions or other problems. Growing up, I saw a lot of addiction up close; I know what that does to a person. I want the person on the other side of the screen to know: Jesus is alive. God loves you. When it’s appropriate, I give my testimony. It often silences them for a moment, and then they’ll say something like: ‘What a miracle, thank you for sharing.’ In contact with people in need, I often find there is a Bible text on my mind, which I then pass on. Of course, I also urge people to seek professional help if needed.”
Chat sessions encourage prayer
When asked if there’s been a particular experience that stands out for her, Julia has to think for a moment. “There was a lady to whom I passed on the text from Isaiah 53:
‘With His wounds we are healed.’ I gave her my testimony. We almost felt each other’s tears, there was such a sense of closeness despite the fact that the contact was online. I prayed for her and with her.”
She adds, “Operating chat sessions taught me to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for words. What do you say to a mother who barely knows how to feed her children? I often ask some practical questions first, and then suggest: ‘May I pray with you?’ If the person agrees, I go all out. And sometimes, someone returns to the chat to talk about how prayers have been answered.”
Great longing
Julia and her husband experience that God cares for them. “Eef had an installation business that was doing well, very well in fact. But when I got so ill, he closed the company and became my caregiver. And guess what? We’ve never had it so good as we do now. God provides everything we need and much more.”
Of course, there are moments of anxiety and stress. Julia has also suffered from nightmares. Julia: “Sometimes the cross is very heavy to bear. The second and third treatments were especially intense. Sometimes I thought, ‘Father, how I would love to call You. Or lean against You for a moment.’ One time I was lying in bed and literally felt a hand on my shoulder. I felt such peace in my heart. That experience is etched in the depths of my soul.”
Julia has lost a lot of energy and will need time to recover. “I have a great desire to evangelize online, especially because it is so compatible with my physical limitations right now. I think I have something to tell people, especially in terms of my personal experiences. To me, that I can now share the Gospel online is a miracle of God.”
Join us in prayer and thanksgiving!
- Thank God for Julia’s experience of God’s nearness through all her illness and challenges, and for the opportunity she has to share the gospel with those around her.
- Pray that she will experience complete healing and that the cancer will not return.
- Pray for God’s comfort, presence, and healing for others who are facing illness and difficulties.”