I kept facing one big struggle in my life: a desperate need for encouragement. This happened especially after I started my home group. This need continued throughout my life and into our church planting days. It stemmed from the lack of encouragement I received from my parents and siblings. I craved someone to say, “It’s okay Leonie, you are doing well. Go for it!”

 

Even if I didn't always get it, God knew when I needed encouragement the most. There was always a lesson in it for me afterwards. I recall having a terrible dream about two ladies in our church. I only knew them by name and didn’t have any relationship with them at that time. The dream was horrifying, filled with evil and fear, and I vividly remembered other people in it. If I could draw well enough, I would have sketched them.

 

I felt strongly that I needed to share this dream with the ladies as it seemed like a warning. I know that God uses dreams to communicate with us at times, but this situation felt different, and it was a first for me. I managed to get one lady's phone number and called her—I'll refer to her as Kay. During our light conversation, I casually asked how the second lady from my dream was doing. She immediately sensed that I knew something and urged me to share it with her.

After some time, I told Kay about the dream. She confirmed several images I described as facts, wanting to know how I had come to know them. As I described others from the dream, she identified them. She explained their relationship to her friend. In the end, she believed it was a stern warning from the Lord. She urged me to share it with her friend, too. She also said her friend would likely not listen. But, I shouldn't be discouraged by that.

 

I wrote a letter to her friend, explaining that I was not judging her but felt compelled to share the dream. Later, I heard back from Kay; she said her friend accused her of confiding in me about all her secrets. The friend reportedly tore the letter to pieces, but the memory of what I wrote lingered in her mind. Kay took the dream seriously. So, she distanced herself from her friend and their troubled friendship. Sadly, everything unfolded as in my dream. Her friend left the church to join a new group of friends.

 

It showed me the importance of dreams. It also warned against dismissing them.