BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Evelyn was upstairs while Gabriel was in the lobby when he heard someone mention Kenneth Hagin. “Excuse me,” he said, “I heard you mention Brother Hagin. Is he here?” “Yes, they’re having their camp meeting.” “I’ve never heard of a camp meeting.” “It’s Brother Hagin’s big meeting. It’s just down the street. You walk about a block from here.” Gabriel ran up six flights of stairs. “Evelyn! Kenneth Hagin is here holding a meeting! Right down the street!” “Gabriel, this must be where Rhema is located!” They attended the Campmeeting that evening and had never experienced such power. “We stayed for the week and had a witness that God wanted us to move to Tulsa and attend Rhema” Gabriel explains. “We decided to make the move and started looking for jobs. We were at the convention when the speaker told everyone to turn around and greet the people around them. To my surprise, I met the general manager of a car dealership who offered me a job, right there on the spot!” In September 1994, Gabriel and Evelyn moved to Tulsa and began their first year attending Rhema. They loved it when Brother Copeland ministered at the church. Putting their faith to work, they started a real estate investment company. During that time, they went from sleeping on an air mattress to owning multiple properties. After taking a break from school to tend to some business matters, the couple enrolled at Rhema again in 1999 for their second year. That’s when Evelyn got pregnant. Now they were believing God for a miracle. The Manifest Glory “Two weeks after being told our baby died, I was doing what I usually do, worshipping God and confessing His Word,” Evelyn remembers. “During that time, I found that place in Him where you know you have the victory. I was overwhelmed by the anointing. I’d never experienced anything like it before. The power of God rested on me with such a heaviness and heat that I just closed my eyes and basked in His wonderful glory. It was a place of rest and confidence, praise and worship. “As I lay there with my eyes closed, the power of God filled my belly. It felt like someone reached into my belly and made an adjustment. Click. There was such an intensity that it’s hard to describe. I didn’t want to open my eyes because I sensed someone in the room. “Over time, that presence lifted. When it did, I reached for the phone and called Gabriel. ‘It’s done,’ I said. ‘We’re having a baby.’ Afterward, there was no more spotting, bleeding or cramping.” When it was time for her to return for her next prenatal visit, Evelyn and Gabriel waited in the exam room, giddy with joy. When the doctor arrived he asked, “What are you doing here?” “I want to be checked because I’m having a baby,” Evelyn replied. He took out the monitor and started trying to find the heartbeat. There was none. You’re so stupid, the enemy mocked. “Let’s get an ultrasound,” the doctor said. The ultrasound showed nothing. Minutes ticked by until the doctor almost shouted. “Whoa! That’s a baby!” There on the screen was their little swimmer. “Wow,” the doctor said, “obviously God wants this baby on the earth.” Resurrection Power Gabriel Alexander II was born July 19, 2000, weighing 10 pounds, 4 ounces. His father asked the doctor a question. “Is there any way to test and see if this is the same baby? For instance, could there have been twins and one died?” “Yes, of course. I’ll send the placenta in for testing.” Six weeks later, the tests were back. “There was no twin,” the doctor explained. “No dual birth. This is the same baby who died. I’m going to change your records because you’re holding a miracle.” Gabriel and Evelyn graduated from Rhema in May 2000. In 2002, they had a son, Nigel. In 2003, God called them back to Michigan where they started Better Life Church in Eastpointe. In 2004, Evelyn gave birth to a daughter, Adonai. 18 : BVOV

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