He was a young Brazilian backpacker exploring Thailand, living the adventure of a lifetime.
Then, in a hotel room in Bangkok, everything changed.
Michael Alves was hit with crushing chest pain. He couldn’t breathe. His body grew weaker by the minute. Believing these could be his final moments, he picked up the phone and called his parents to say goodbye.
A motorcycle taxi rushed him through the city streets to the hospital. And there, his heart stopped. Not once, but twice.
Doctors fought to bring him back. And Michael says that during those moments, something happened that he will never forget.
He describes an encounter with God. He says he felt himself standing at the gates of heaven.
And then, he says, Jesus spoke to him and told him to go back, because his mission wasn’t Tinished yet.
Michael survived both cardiac arrests, and his story has since been reported by Brazilian media.
What he experienced in those moments is his personal testimony. But the fact that he’s alive to tell it is something he gives God all the credit for.
Every heartbeat is a gift. Every breath has a purpose. And if you’re still here today, it means your mission isn’t over either.
“ I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.”
(Psalm 118:17)