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Brent Youzwishen

Have you ever been at a point and thought life could never be better? Well that was the way it was for me 25 years ago. We were on our western tour with the Teen Challenge Choir and were on our way to the place I grew up and lived for 28 years of my life.

When we arrived in Edmonton, my mom had planned a big party for my 30th birthday. What better way to celebrate than with my Teen Challenge family and my family I grew up with.

That day of the party, many of my relatives came, and Teen Challenge swarmed the building.I couldn't believe my eyes. God was at work through this faithful group that I was involved with. What I had prayed for was now coming true, the gospel being shared with my loved ones. It was an amazing day. When we left Edmonton, I knew good things had happened and I was on such a high, and so grateful to the Lord for the things He had done

The weather was warm and beautiful when we left Edmonton but as we traveled it became suddenly cold. Rain gave way to ice, which gave way to driving snow. I knew the terrain but this storm felt strange. I had left my seat, and went up a few rows to talk to a friend.

I remember sitting on the armrest and looking out the window thinking, 'I can't see the road out the front window, and I can't see anything out the side, I hope the perspective is different for the driver.' At that point, underneath my feet, I felt a rubbing like the tires were turned but we were still going straight.  Then all of a sudden, the whole bus shifted and we started to slide down the highway. I was hoping that it would just come to a stop but it didn't.

All of a sudden the bus felt like it was starting to angle downwards, and sounded like rough terrain underneath. Then an abrupt collision with a culvert and we were starting to flip. I remember thinking in a quick moment, 'I'm going home, and I'm in the center of God's will for my life', there was such an amazing peace at that moment. The next thing I knew, we were airborne and then smashed against the ground on the roof of the bus and slid for a short distance. As we stopped, there was a complete silence, and I thought 'I hope nobody died'. Then, I thought of my seat partner Becky (she was 8 years old and her mom and dad were the directors of our group). I had clothes all around my head and I couldn't see anything, but I heard Becky start to cry. It was the only noise that I heard. Laid out on my back, I started to move the clothes and saw a window. I was able to wiggle towards it and kick it out.

When I got out of the bus, I went back a few rows, found an open window and returned to help Becky. I found her long blonde hair strands trapped between the top of the seat and the ceiling of the bus. It was a miracle that she hadn't, or for that matter nobody had died that day. I was in shock, and Bernie Sr. (Becky's dad) came in right behind me. At this point, I realized that there was something seriously wrong with my ribs as I tried to move the chair to free Becky and realized I was not going to budge it. Becky's dad came to the rescue at that point and was determined to free his girl as he started drawing out her hair strand by strand.

 

BRENT TESTIMONY I grew up in Edmonton and had a love for music at a young age. I started to play in bands at the age of 11, and at the same time, also started to consume alcohol. As the years went along, the drinking, (and pot) started to consume every area of my life, and gradually became totally out of control. After trying to get cleaned up through numerous programs, I then heard about Teen Challenge. After the 4th attempt (trying to run from God), I finally completed the 4 month induction center in Calgary and then moved to London, Ontario.

There I completed the, in total, 14 month program. I stayed on to continue to grow in the Lord and served with the Choir for another year. After that year, my fiancée Tammy and I got married. We ended up moving to Niagara Falls region where she was an classroom teacher with a Christian Women's drug center. After her 2 yr. commitment, we moved to Hawaii and helped restructure the T.C. center in Oahu. Through the years, the Lord has provided ministry opportunities to me in the disguise of work! Right now I'm in my second year in a Practical Nursing program and look forward to each day to see what the Lord is going to do. I've loved following the Lord and watching Him do amazing things over the years, but I thank God for Teen Challenge because it was there that it gave me the foundation to live free from the drugs and alcohol and be free through Christ who gives me the strength. One of the greatest gifts God has taught me is that He never does leave me and never forsakes me, and for that, I owe Him my life

There were so many miracles that happened that day:  everything from the people that stopped to help, to the saving of each individual. I'll never forget that day or that tour. God did something amazing through this group of sold-out soldiers for Christ. I know He did something in me. He showed me how real the battle is, and how the kingdom of God is won. It really does suffer violence, but the violent take it by force. God has shown me over the years how to lean on Him, and continually take it by force wherever I am.

YOUZWISHEN FAMILY UPDATE

We are now 25 years closer to His return, and the battle rages on. More than ever, as we see His word being fulfilled right before our eyes, we need to be like the championship marathon runner. Even when he feels exhausted, he sees the finish line and knows, in Christ, he can do all things.

One of the things I look forward to is, when we see Jesus, and we've been there a few years and are settled in (ten thousand years!), I want to ask Him if we can review the tapes and see from His perspective what really happened,...what a day of rejoicing that will be.


Brent Youzwishen

Hey Bernie,

Finally able to get back to you here, have a moment of breathing room. Busy week, papers due exams, all that fun stuff! you asked if I am still singing and playing my saxophone. Yes I am still hammering away with the sax, for an audience of one most of the time. I've had the opportunity to do some special music at a couple of conferences down in Toronto and jam alongside the worship teams, and besides that, I do some special music for Tammy's recital's with her singing students.

We love you,

Brett

 

We have a music room in our basement with drums, congas, keyboards, guitars and the sound system. Enough to keep our love up for it. Always have had great opportunities over the years to continue to worship our King through music...

Our song that we did in the malls, Wish You a Merry Christmas, if you go on my profile of facebook, I think I have a video that Tam recorded a few years ago of that song, when doing it, we always thing of you and mom. Anyhow, must get going, early morning tomorrow.

Always impressed how God continues to make you a blessing. Keep fighting the good fight!

In His Love,
Brent

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