Unshakable Faith: Paralyzed Rugby Player's Remarkable Purpose Through Tragedy | Alwyn Uys

0:00 Little did I know that that was like a moment of my life where everything changed. Life as I knew it changed completely. Owen Ace, it's great to have you here on Charisma to be able to share your story of how God has using you in a unique way. And I know we've just talked before recording here about some of your travels where you are in South Africa right now. That's where you're from and you've traveled to the United States and you have some difficulties getting around. We'll talk about that in just a moment. But you still do it and you do it for the Lord. So welcome to Charisma. Thank you, John. So good to be here. Yeah. So Owen, I want to let people know that one of the things that I first found out about you was you're basically your second channel, I think, is what I saw at first, where you were kind of showing everybody your trip around the United States. That's kind of where I first started hearing about you and just seeing that you are in a wheelchair and you're ministering and you're going to different places as the Lord's calling you. So let's talk about your ministry and what God has called you to. Yeah. So recently, well, actually I come to the U.S. quite often. And I think in the past two years, I've been there about five times or six times. So God has definitely opened up a door wide open and I'm really enjoying it. I love America. I love traveling there and also doing ministry there coming from South Africa. It's a little bit

1:35 different than what we are used to in a good way. But it's awesome to see what God is doing in different locations. Same Holy Spirit ministering these people. And yeah, it's just awesome. So I'm grateful for every opportunity and every open door that the Lord leads us through. Yeah. How would you describe the ministry that God has called you to or the style of ministry or the main message? Yeah, the main message I love, you know, when I read the Gospels, I'm always reminded of the compassion that Jesus has for his people. And I love seeing the Lord move amongst his people in compassion, meaning healing and talking to them through prophetic ministry and also, you know, bringing deliverance to them. So when I think of how God uses this ministry, I always think of those three pillars is prophetic healing and then also setting the captives free. And that's also what I have a huge passion for is not just seeing those things happen in ministry, but also training, teaching and equipping people to walking in their complete freedom, in their identity, you know, in Christ, who God has called us to be. And at the root of it, that is what prophetic ministry is, is calling out that gold within someone and, you know, letting them know, how does God see you? How does God see your situation? And what does He say about

3:06 that? Yeah. So I got to ask you, you mentioned healing as a part of your ministry. And I know that you are, you're in a wheelchair. And so you have, I'm sure there could be some confusion for some people, but first off, how are you dealing with, with that feeling, being in a wheelchair while you're preaching healing and you're not seeing yourself being healed yet? Yeah. Just tell me about kind of that journey that you've been on with that. Yeah. You know, John, I think it's, God works in, in mysterious ways and interesting ways as well. So I see it, it's kind of twofold and I'm going to be super transparent with you. After every, like, let's say meeting that we see people being healed and we get testimonies back of people being healed. And I've seen some amazing things, people with literally having cancer, going back to the doctor and it's completely gone, tumors disappearing and you know, these kinds of things happening right in front of us. So every time that I get back, I'm excited about it because I see God moving amongst his people.

4:17 But then that question comes and saying, Lord, how can I see this? But I'm still in a wheelchair and I can't help, but you know, also Lord, Lord, when is my time? When is it going to be me? When am I going to be healed? But why I say that God works in interesting ways is because, because of my condition, I have a greater compassion for people that struggle with similar things because I have also been through the mill when it gets to, you know, physical health. So I don't know the ultimate plan, what the Lord is doing through this. And by that, I mean that I know that he is going to heal me, but there's a process involved in it as well. And when I think back of the day that I got paralyzed 10 years ago, if I got healed on day one, I don't think I would have had the same level of compassion for people with, you know, physical disabilities and people needing healing.

5:15 So God uses certain situations in our life to, let's say, get us in the flow of the calling of our lives. So it's been an interesting journey and I'm just being super transparent. But at the same time, John, the one thing is the more healings I see, the more my faith grows because I've seen too much. I've seen too much to not believe that God can do it. And it's that double edged sword, you know, God, when is my time? And Lord, I know that you can do it at the same time. Wow. So I like how you describe that where something that could be a handicap and is a physical handicap is actually causing you to have some basically a superpower of compassion.

5:58 You know, there's a super grace for compassion for people that you have. And I'm sure that as you're ministering, you're seeing just you're seeing through Jesus's eyes a little bit clearer than that probably the average person because of what he's called you to go through right now. Can you tell me some stories of healings that you've seen? You've mentioned, you know, tumors or cancers being, you know, verifiably, you know, removed by the by the Holy Spirit. What other testimonies can you share? Yeah, so a few come to mind and it's it's different ways, shapes and forms that actually took place. And a few notable ones that really stood out to me, there was this one lady that had, I think it was a growth on her ovaries, and she was actually unable to have children. And they messaged into the ministry a day before she went for a checkup. And we just prayed for her over a voice note. Okay, so I literally just recorded something praying for her and just said, Hey, wherever you are, just put your hand on your heart. And I just want to pray for you. And the next day she went back and the doctor couldn't find the tumors anywhere. So it was completely gone. I never saw the woman I've never seen her in my life. It was literally just over a voice note. And you know, your faith just goes through the roof when these things happen, because someone literally just went out and say, Hey, I'm desperate for healing. I know God can do

7:30 it. And we weren't even there. No one laid hands on her nothing. It was the prayer of faith over a phone. There's another instance where someone also messaged in, they emailed us. And this person was also in a wheelchair. And they sustained first degree burns, chemical burns on their legs. And they were in hospital and these these wounds just weren't healing the infection just isn't going away. And they're just not healing. They've been that way for a few months now. And after we prayed for them, the healing process started immediately, like literally the next day, the infection count went down, the skin started healing. And that healing process took a few months. And they, they were so faithful in sending updates constantly sending photos. So I literally saw these wounds being healed. And something that stood out to me about that is that oftentimes, and we see this in the Gospels as well that when Jesus healed the blind man, some of them weren't immediately healed.

8:37 Sometimes it's a process. And we see that in the ministry as well. We pray for people and healing starts from that day, it starts the process. So it I've learned that, you know, even when we pray for people have faith that when the person leaves there that that Jesus is doing something, that there is a work of the Holy Spirit behind the scenes, even even though I cannot see it, even though that person cannot see it or did not feel anything specific, God is still working behind the scenes in his, you know, sovereign timing. A last one that that was really, you know, interesting for me to see, there was a lady that we went to her house and we were praying for her. She had stage for brain cancer. And as we as we prayed for her at her house, and she was just passing through town, right. And we were praying for them. We left there, I didn't hear anything, you know, about them, again, nothing. A few months afterwards, I had a meeting in a town nearby, where they live. And I didn't know the people even live there. Right. And after the meeting, a lady comes up and she just introduces herself and comes and says hello, but she comes to me in a way almost like, you know, kind of like running to to the front. And I'm like, who is this person? Because she's clearly recognizing me. And I'm like, I have no idea who this person is. And, you know, she tells me her

10:09 name. And I'm like, Do I know you like, because you know, when someone talks to you in a way that they they talk to you in a way that you know them, and that you should know them, you know, and we're having this conversation, I'm like, I'm sorry, but I don't remember you like, where do I know you from? And she said, you prayed for me a few months ago, I'm the lady with brain cancer. And the healing process started after that day, that she got healed through a few months through that process. Once again, the some kind of count just went down in her body, and she started getting better. And I didn't even recognize her. She looked completely new, her hair started growing again, she gained weight again. When we saw her, she couldn't even walk, she was with a walker. So just like this total transformation. And I don't know, like my my mouth was just like hanging open. So you never get used to it. Honestly, you never get used to it. God just keeps on moving and surprising. And it's it's just awesome to witness. And with that said, when I when I see these kind of things, I get excited, you know, because here is someone with cancer being healed and Jesus touching them. So it gives me faith for my healing as well, whenever that is in God's timing. So, yeah, you mentioned your healing. And the stories that you've just been telling, as I love testimonies, because they increase our faith, you know, and faith comes by hearing and

11:40 hearing the word of God. And so later in our conversation, I want to give you the opportunity to pray for people that are watching and listening, that they would receive their healing. So just kind of that's that's going to be coming later. But can you tell us your story? Because I know you had you mentioned 10 years ago, you had this this accident, this incident, that happened to has left you paralyzed. What what was your life before that? And tell me about your relationship with the Lord through that. Yeah, so john, 10 years ago, I was in a car accident, a motor vehicle accident. But before that, I used to be a professional rugby player. Now, rugby in South Africa, think of it kind of like NFL, that's how you know, it's serious, it is the culture here in South Africa. And that's kind of like what I wanted to do and become is a professional rugby player.

12:40 And I was playing semi professional rugby at the time. And I had a shoulder injury that hindered me from playing. And while my arm was in a sling, so I was actually recovering from an injury. I had a car accident on my way to my girlfriend. And just to comment on like my relationship with the Lord, so I got saved, I got born again when I was 17. But because I was in this rugby sports culture, I was one foot in the world one foot, you know, in the church, I knew Jesus, I believed in the Lord, I was born again. But my life didn't have that fruit. I wasn't I wasn't living a life sanctified to the Lord. I was still pursuing, you know, these these worldly things and everything that comes with it. And when I had my accident, I literally was driving to my girlfriend, and I just took my eyes for a second off the road. I just didn't focus where I was going. I was driving about 40 miles an hour. So it wasn't even speeding or anything. And lost control of the car had an accident waking up next to the side of the road. And I remember the first thought when when a guy found me, he touched my shoulder and he's like, just lay still. You hurt your back really bad. And I was like, how does he even know that I hurt my back? And I tried to get up. That was my first response.

14:05 So I didn't feel any pain, nothing. And I tried to get up. And I remember, like, my my upper body was working. But the moment I told my legs to start moving, there was just like nothing. It was just like the message just wasn't going through. And I was like, you know, what is going on? Maybe I'm just in shock. So I immediately lay still and I just lay back on my side and then waited for the ambulance to come. And little did I know that that was like a moment of my life where everything changed, like life as I knew it changed completely from someone that was a semi professional sportsman to being paralyzed at the age of 24. It's it's life changing. It's flipped upside down.

14:49 Right. And then I got into rehabilitation. And that's kind of like when when this new life began for me. And at the same time, I always say it's it was the worst time of my life, the worst season of my life, this uncertainty, this heartbreak, you know, this physical broken body and emotionally broken. It was also one of the best times because that was when my my seeking and desire to know God more intimately began because I was seeking answers. OK, I was like praying every day. I was like, Lord, can you just please just help me here? Just tell me what's going on. Like I need I need you right now. And I was crying out to the Lord and I was seeking him. I was going back to church.

15:36 I was reading my Bible again. I was really pursuing the Lord, obviously, to get answers out of this and to get healing out of this. But the beauty is when when you chase after the Lord, even in your despair, you will find the heart of the father. And that's exactly what I found. My relationship grew with the Lord. And that's really when I came back to the Lord. So through this difficulty, through this trials, I really drew near to him and I cultivated a relationship with him that I don't know if it would have been possible if the accident didn't happen. I wouldn't know. But to be honest, this is something that really like shook me, took me by the shoulders and shook me and says, Hey, you know, you got to come back, come back in line. God has something else for me. And it was it was this spiritual awakening that I really went through. So my body was broken, but my spirit just got revived at that moment. And that's also around that time, it took me about a year to get back into doing life, just managing life again. At that stage, I was still working. So I wasn't in ministry yet. But that's kind of when the ministry also began, I started sharing my testimony, I started preaching at schools in South Africa, we can actually go in schools and share the gospel in certain schools. I started doing that kind of stuff. And it, it was this transition into what I

17:07 believe truly is what God actually called me to do. I think sport was just a byproduct, it was just something I was good at. But I really feel that God actually called me to preach the gospel, to share his word. And that that's where my heart is. So it was just this getting back in line with what God has really made me for and called me for. And he's using what he definitely did not make this happen. I want to make that very clear. But he's definitely using it. Okay, and people are getting saved, people are getting healed, and ministry is born out of this. And I believe at the end of the day that yes, my time will come and my healing will also come.

17:52 Amen. Amen. We believe with you, brother, I believe everybody that's watching believes that God is going to heal you. I just want to have people to, if you agree with that in the comments, just write Amen. And just believe with us pray for all when his healing to come sooner, then that would be that would be great. But, oh, and I know there's a lot of opportunities to just be bitter. And I just am amazed that you chose to be you chose to be better rather than bitter. And you know, you let your brokenness set you on the right path. And how did you get started preaching because it would be, I think it would be really hard, personally to be in that situation, and be preaching about healing and be preaching about the gospel would be easier to just kind of shell back and not do anything, and just kind of let the system take care of you. But you're, you are out there in the forefront, and you are preaching the gospel, you're seeing God do amazing things. What what would you say to encourage somebody that feels like God can't use me, because I'm too broken? Yeah, john, that's a it's an interesting question. So, I always think about this when when I preach on healing specifically, and I love preaching on healing, it's one of my favorite topics to preach on, I always think of it this way that there is a sense that before I go and deliver a message, and I think that Lord, this is ridiculous, I'm in a wheelchair, and I'm preaching that you heal, that you deliver that you set free, but here I am sitting in a you

19:29 know, this kind of like bondage, you know, in a wheelchair. And the Lord just made something very clear to me one day that my circumstances is is not, there's not a reflection of the truth necessarily, the Word of God is the truth. And whatever we read in the Word of God, whatever God is saying in his word, that is the truth, not what the world is saying, not what my circumstances are saying. And I had to realize that and I had to accept that that what God is saying is the truth, because the Bible tells us that God is not a liar, that if anyone is a liar, it would be man, right? So it's kind of that decision to make that what are you going to believe? Am I going to believe what my circumstances are preaching, or am I going to believe what the Word of God is saying?

20:18 And that's just a decision that I made, that you know what, whatever I read in this Holy Bible, this is the truth, this is the way, and this is what God is saying, not what my circumstances are saying, not what my bank account is saying, not what my marital status is saying, not about any of that, those kind of things. And I made that decision early on in my journey. And through it all, I have seen some amazing things despite my brokenness. You know, I come from a broken family, my parents are divorced. And through this injury that happened, I saw my parents being able to actually speak to one another again, actually reconcile because of what happened, and you know, coming together, spending time in the same room with one another, that never happened in 15 years.

21:13 So if you can see the small miracles, literally the small miracles happening all around us, it's a decision that we make. Or am I going to keep on focusing upon my problem and my thing that I went through, and start focusing on all the other things that God is actually doing? And let me say this, for a long time, I've asked this question, Lord, why is this happening to me? And I think everyone asks that question. Where we go through tough times, it's this question, Lord, why me? You know, we go into this pity party almost. But after, you know, a decade of being in a wheelchair of doing the things that God has used me to do in the sporting world, in ministry, or whatever it may be, I realized that maybe I was the perfect person to whom this should have happened. And these are things that the enemy never knew, but God knew it. And God knew that he can use this, and how I would handle this. Because I asked the Lord a question one day. And I said, Lord, how do you how did you know? And obviously, I know how he knew because he made me. But how did you know that I would not reject you? That I would not become an atheist after becoming paralyzed, and never speak to you again in my life and resent you for the rest of my life? It's a question I asked the Lord. And he said something very interesting. He said, all of them because I made you, and I know what is inside of you. And I know what what I can do through you. And that just kind

22:45 of like put everything in perspective to me that God is for us. It's a teamwork process. God is on your side. And I think oftentimes we play this role of good versus evil, constantly in our life, you know that why is God allowing these things? Why is he doing these things? You have to make up your mind that God is good, and he's a good father. And there's no, there's no two sides about it. Everything is good about the Lord. And the moment that we believe anything else, that's room for deception. That's room for the enemy to lie to us. So these are things that it took me a long time to come to these realizations and make up my mind about, you know, who God is the heart of the father reading the scriptures, believing what God is saying, and living my life according to that, and not according to what my circumstances tell me. Amen. Alvin, that's super encouraging. I love everything that you just said with that. I mean, that's that's so powerful, just your tenacity. As I said, as I introduced you, you're very tenacious person and God knew that you would not leave him.

23:59 He knew that he would actually go in deeper with him through this, through this tragedy. But you you've taken that as a, as an opportunity to triumph and in so many ways, and now you're, you're on fire for the Lord, brother. I'm so encouraged by that. You know, I want to ask you, what is the Lord speaking to you today? What is fresh on your heart that the Lord is revealing to you about himself? Well, yeah, it's, it's actually funny, you asked me that because literally today I was just like thinking about this. And I think this is going to speak to many people, you know, listening just this. And I oftentimes think about it that if, if our lives are in this holding pattern, because many people that I speak to, it feels like they are in like this wilderness, like they're in this hallway period of Lord, why aren't things moving as fast as I want them to move? It feels like I'm stagnating. And I just got this very simple and plain message in my heart where the Lord was speaking into it that you haven't missed anything. Like you haven't missed an opportunity. There isn't life didn't pass you by and that God still has so many things planned for us, for me, for you, for, for every child of God, he has so many things still planned for us.

25:19 You didn't miss anything. There is no opportunity that you missed. And I believe that God is going to bring these things to fulfillment, the promises that he gave you. And even if I think of my healing, I'm like, Lord, was there a moment that I might've missed it, that I should have had more faith, that I should have gotten up out of my wheelchair or gone to a certain conference or a meeting or a healing service or anything. And I just rest in that, that I didn't miss anything. I am perfectly where God wants me. If I keep on seeking him, like Matthew 6 33 says, keep on seeking him and his righteousness and, and placing God and the kingdom before everything else, you did not miss anything.

26:03 All other things are going to fall in place. So that was just something that I had on my heart. Cause I feel that so many people are in this waiting period and they're getting tired of the waiting, kind of feeling like, you know, should I do something? Should I start moving? Because us as humans, we just want to keep busy. We want to do something constantly. We want to keep on moving. And I think waiting on God is a lost art that so many of us struggle with. We just want to do, do, do, you know, I got to make the hand of God move. Um, you know, and I think that the waiting on the Lord is, is such a, a lost craft and I lost art in, in, in our faith.

26:46 Yeah. You know, I'm going to ask you right now, if you would just pray for those that have been watching and listening that, um, they might be in that situation and that season that you've just spoken about, and I just want to release you to minister and however the Lord leads you, whether it be healing or just any type of ministry, but just speak to that person that is watching this right now. And we believe that God is going to move. Yes. So I actually just want to pray that, you know, for anyone that if you are, are feeling like that, if you are feeling in that, that stagnation, that wilderness, that you have been in this, this place for many years, that I want to pray for you that God will first of all, give you peace, give you comfort. And that in this wilderness time, that you will grow closer to the Lord, that you will grow in intimacy to him. And something that I just feel on my heart that the moment that God takes you out of that wilderness, if you look at Jesus's ministry, the moment he came out of the wilderness, the ministry got launched. It took off and we can never go back into that place. We can never go back into the wilderness or you don't want to go back in there so that you may embrace the season that you are in. And that's the reason that Jesus came out of the wilderness. And he was able to come out of the wilderness and embrace this time and use this time wisely to grow closer to the Lord, to get equipped in the wilderness. And I'm reminded of Luke four, I believe it's Luke four, 14 that said Jesus came

28:21 out of the wilderness with the power of the Holy spirit, that when you come out of this holding with a fresh vision, that you will emerge in the power of the Holy spirit and fulfill everything that God has for you. So Lord, we just pray for every single person that feels like they have missed opportunities, that they are in this wilderness period and it's just not coming to an end. So Lord, I pray that you come and give them comfort, speak to their hearts. Father, I pray that you will draw near to them closer than what they have ever felt to you. Father, I pray that they will become your best friend in this time and that this will be a season that they will remember for the rest of their life, that it will be a time that they will remember that this was the closest that they have ever been to you and that they will stay there Lord and that they will do life with you, not go ahead of you and not trail behind you, but do life with you. And Lord, I also pray for every single person that needs physical healing in their body right now. Lord, you know their needs, you know exactly what is wrong in their body and what needs to be touched.

29:34 So Holy spirit, I pray that you will come upon them, that you will minister to them and that you will fill their body with the resurrection power of Christ. Just as you have raised him out of the grave on the third day, I pray that you will fill their bodies right now and bring healing in their bodies, touch every single fiber of their bodies. And Lord, we pray this in Jesus mighty name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Alvin, I just want to thank you so much for ministering to our audience and everybody that is watching right now, you agree with that prayer and you're holding onto that for yourself and you're believing for yourself. Put amen in the comments and we will, we want to agree with you. We want to agree with you and let us know how God has moved in your life and how you've seen that healing unfold. Because as you said earlier in this interview, you know, that some of those healings, they take time, there's a progression, but there was tremendous results as you keep having faith and you don't give up. Alvin, thank you so much for spending time with us here today on Charisma and it's a pleasure to be able to get to talk to you.

30:45 Thank you, John. So I appreciate it.