BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

One night, she heard Buz calling her name as he rushed across the parking lot. “Mary! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! I’m glad I finally found you.” I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I finally found you…. The words echoed in Mary’s heart and she remembered how the Lord had described the husband He had chosen for her. Lord, You can’t mean Buz! she thought. Soon after, Mary learned that Buz’ real name was Don Colbert. Pieces of a Puzzle The next time they had a conversation, Mary asked him questions. “How tall are you?” He was 6 feet, 3 inches tall. “Do you play the guitar?” He loved playing guitar. While Buz stayed at school that summer, Mary accepted a job as youth pastor at a local church. When she planned events for the group, he often joined them. “We became fast friends over the next year, but it was nothing romantic,” said Mary. The following year, Don asked her out. A few months later, he proposed. They married during Don’s first year in medical school. Meanwhile, Mary had dropped out of ORU and graduated from Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, becoming a licensed minister. “During Don’s third year in medical school, he suffered a heatstroke while running a race in 100-degree heat and humidity,” Mary recalls. “He was admitted to the ICU at City of Faith with acute kidney failure. His legs had shrunk to smaller than the size of his arms. A biopsy of his muscles showed he’d suffered massive rhabdomyolysis—the breakdown of muscle fiber that damaged his kidneys. His doctors gathered at his bedside and reviewed his biopsy report. ‘You’ll never walk again,’ they told Don. ‘You’ll be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life.’” Furious, Mary fired them all. “What have you done?” Don asked. “Those were my professors!” Mary, however, had a word from the Lord. 'He will run and not grow weary. He will walk and not faint.' Together, she and Don stood on that word, refusing to be moved by their circumstances. After three months, Don was discharged from the hospital. He left in a wheelchair. Arriving home, his legs flaccid, Don pulled himself up two flights of stairs to their apartment. Mary followed with the wheelchair. Three weeks later, Don was home alone when the Lord spoke to him. 'Get out of bed and walk.' Mary returned home to find him standing. Later, Don walked back into City of Faith and asked to see the doctors who had read his biopsy report. Not only were his muscles restored in his legs, they were a full inch larger than they’d been before the stroke. This, the doctors agreed, was a creative miracle. That year, Don not only graduated with his class, he walked to receive his diploma. Following medical school, Don and Mary moved to Orlando, Fla., for Don’s residency. Afterward, he started his practice there. Oral Roberts had just featured Don’s miraculous healing from heatstroke in his ministry’s magazine, when Don and Mary attended a new church in the area. There were 300 people in the service when the minster called Don out. “Aren’t you the man featured in Oral Roberts’ magazine?” he asked. “I want you to know that you’re my doctor!” That man was Benny Hinn. Divine Connections When Pastor Benny dedicated the church, Kenneth Copeland attended the service. Don and Mary had begun following Kenneth Copeland’s ministry when she was a student at Rhema. Later, when Oral Roberts asked Mary to sit on his board of regents, Mary would sit next to Kenneth during board meetings and their friendship began to grow. “A year after Benny met Don, he asked Don to help with his healing crusades by verifying miracles,” Mary remembers. “Don agreed to do it but wouldn’t take any money. He worked in his office Monday through Thursday. Thursday evening, we flew to Benny’s crusade. Don would determine which healings were verifiable miracles. We did that for 20 years.” In March 2015, Don had finished examining one of his patients, Mark Taylor, when he called Mary into the room and handed her a folder. “This is a prophecy God gave to Mark in 2011,” he said. “Would you read it?” Back in her office, Mary read the prophecy aloud. She recognized the rhythm and the way the Lord spoke. Rushing back to Mark and Don, she said, “This is the voice of God! Donald Trump will be our president!” Three months later, Donald Trump announced he was running for president of the United States. “Lord,” Mary prayed, “I believe the word Mark received was from You. But would You give me independent verification?” 'Watch the races at Churchill Downs. I have a message for you.' The morning after the race, the headlines said it all: Creator Wins by a Photo Finish! Afterward, the Lord told Mary to get people praying. From Labor Day weekend in 2016 until the election, she held a conference call every day for 65 days, inviting guest ministers to lead prayer. Thousands of people joined in. Today, everyone knows the outcome of that election. God did what He said He was going to do. Mark and Mary have since told their story in the book titled "The Trump Prophecies," which was published in 2017. They were both surprised to later learn that ReelWorks Studios, a Charlotte, N.C.-based film company, was working with the cinematic arts department at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., to produce a feature movie adaptation of the book. Titled "Commander," the film is scheduled to be released in October 2018. An Assignment From God Following a full day of cooking and celebrating Christmas with family, Mary fell into bed that night. As soon as she put her head on the pillow, the room lit up and she heard a loud voice: 'Mary, you’ve been summoned by Me.' The voice sounded like Kenneth Copeland, but Mary knew it was the Lord. 18 : BVOV

• Cover