I was brought up to go to Sunday School and church every week, but never heard that I was a sinner and needed to be born again if I ever expected to get to heaven; was never told I was lost and needed a Saviour.
In the year 1921 a Gospel tent was pitched about a block from our home; Mr. S. Rea and Mr. A. Hazelton were preaching the Gospel every night. I attended a few of the meetings with a girl friend but was not impressed with the word spoken; but I did enjoy the singing very much.
The following year (1922), the tent was pitched on Prospect Street just down from where the Gospel Hall is now. Mr. H. McEwen and Mr. B. Bradford were preaching the Gospel.
I started to go to the meetings every night and soon found out I was a sinner and needed a Saviour, that good works would not get me to heaven.
During the meetings my mother would tell me to "stay home tonight" as there were several things she wanted me to do around the house. I said I would stay home and do them, but when 7:30 came, nothing could hold me; I just had to go to the meeting. I didn't realize at that time that the Spirit of God was striving with me. I now knew I was lost and on my way to hell. I continued to attend the meetings, waiting for a feeling of some kind, which never came. This went on for a time and finally on a Friday night, Sept. 8th, I stayed after the meeting and Mr. McEwen came over and sat beside me and I told him I would like to be saved and know for sure that I was on my way to heaven. He read many Scriptures, then turned again to John 3:16. When he read it , he said "feeling" instead of "believing". He asked me, "Is that what it says?" I said, "No, it says believing." He read it over several times and for the first time in my life my eyes were opened to see that salvation depended, not on my feelings, but on believing what God says.
I got up to go out and as I was walking to the door I saw that the Lord Jesus bore my sins in His own body on the cross, and believing I would be saved. Then and there I accepted Him as my Saviour which is almost 60 years ago. I have never regretted it. I am very happy that this very important matter was settled and I am waiting for the Lord's return.
Mrs. Sadie Zuidema, Written Sept. 1982