BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Later in 1991, the two were married. It wasn’t long before problems began to surface, Natalie says. With Tim unemployed, Natalie worked to try to help make ends meet. But no matter how hard she tried there was never enough money to support the family. Not knowing what to do, she looked to God for comfort—and help. The Need to Make a Move “There was a book by Gloria Copeland titled 'God’s Will for Your Prosperity' that became my lifeline,” Natalie recalls. “In it, she talked about her and Brother Copeland’s experiences of living in poverty and how, at one point, they even had to cook in a coffeepot. That story, and other things she described, sounded so much like what we were going through that it gave me the courage to step out and try to make something happen.” In February 1996, Natalie and Tim moved the family to Tulsa, Okla., hoping things would change for the better. Sadly, it turned out just the opposite. In preparation for their move, Natalie found a place to live, phoned the owner, explained their financial situation and offered to send money for a deposit. To her surprise, the owner agreed to work out something with them. “He told me not to worry and that he would hold the house until we got there,” Natalie said. “But when we arrived weeks later, he had already rented it to someone else.” Now homeless and with no money to continue to live out of motels, the family was forced to live in their vehicle until they found a place to stay. Adding to their problems, 2-month-old Gabrielle had suffered with a blood condition since birth and was also having respiratory issues, and there was no money to provide the medical care she needed. “That was a really low point, because my baby needed help and we couldn’t afford to take her to the doctor,” said Natalie. Desperate for help, Natalie cried out to God, “Lord, if through my ignorance I have done something wrong then I receive my forgiveness. We’re already in debt, and we have no money. Show me what to do for my child, and my family!” “I consistently spoke God’s Word over her then, the same way I did over her dream [to compete in the Olympics],” said Natalie. “Over the years, I told anyone who would listen that Gabrielle was going to be an Olympian in 2012. Many people told me later that they thought I was kind of crazy. However, now they want to know how we did it!” Over time Gabrielle began to get better, and by the time she was a year old, every symptom was gone, says Natalie. She was still very small, but for the first time in her life she was healthy. ‘We Need Jobs!’ That same year, Natalie and Tim attended a conference at Oral Roberts University, where Kenneth Copeland was one of the speakers. After one of the sessions, Natalie recalled, one of the speakers looked out into the audience and said, “If you are believing God for something, if you’re believing Him to move in your life, get down here right now.” “I was out of my seat lickety-split!” Natalie recalled. Standing in line for prayer, Natalie and Tim were surprised when Kenneth and Gloria Copeland walked up to them. Not giving them a chance to ask for their prayer request, Natalie blurted out, “We need God’s help! We have been through so much! We need a miracle! We need something! Anything God can give us at this point I’m going to be happy for.” “Then, I heard myself say, ‘We need jobs. You got any openings at KCM? We’re willing to come. We’ll clean your toilets. We’ll clean your floors. We just need to take care of our family.’” “I remember Brother Copeland looking at Tim, and then me. He pointed his finger at us and said, ‘Come.’ Then, he said, ‘Give me your name badges. We go a lot of places; I meet a lot of people.’” A Fresh Start? When Tim, Natalie and their four children arrived in Fort Worth, Texas, in the summer of 1996, they went straight to Kenneth Copeland Ministries where they were given an opportunity to apply for work at the ministry. Within a couple of weeks, Natalie had found work at a local financial institution. The couple joined Eagle Mountain International Church, and got their children involved in Superkid Academy, KCM’s children’s ministry. Though Tim was not hired immediately, he eventually went to work in the ministry’s security department. Suddenly, things were looking up. Over the next four years, Natalie fed on the teachings of KCM and EMIC. She also enrolled for a short time at Jerry Savelle Ministries International Bible School, and obtained an associate degree from a local community college, all while working full time. But despite her efforts, the roller coaster continued in a downward spiral. With Tim again out of work, the lack of finances continued to be a problem. 14 : JULY '14

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