Almost drowned: Alicja's Testimony

My mom was 14/15 years old when she went with her class and her teacher to the lake for swimming lessons. The kids were riding by bike in the suburbs near the city of Wroclaw (Breslau), Poland. Alicia didn't know yet how to swim. She learned how to swim when she was 19 years old.

All children were in the water. Alicja decided to distance herself walking in the water away from the group. It was right then when she fell into a deep hole. She started drowning, water got into her lungs, she was paddling for her life but not knowing how to swim she couldn't hold herself up. She thought to herself she was going to die in the first moment but in the next one she cried out to God to save her. In the same instance she felt strong, manly hands on her hips that were moving her in the water where she felt ground. She wiped away the water, she looked around to thank her savior but no one was there. The water was muddy, so she waited thinking her savior would eventually come up to thank him. She was astonished when no one ever came up. Realizing that her group had not even noticed her disappearance, Alicia realized that it was God who had saved her life. Until this day she testifies to remember the sensation of these strong hands on her hips as if it just happened yesterday.

My mom's testimony forever shaped my life. Growing up I would hear it numerous times. The burning in her eyes - at times with tears -, the fervor and reverence in her tone, and the shaking of her hands would never leave me with a doubt that her story wasn’t true.