Years ago in a dream I was walking and climbing in a rocky area.  I had a strong feeling of looking for something.  I then saw Jesus standing in a small clear area.  We were face-to-face.  I knew I was dreaming.  There was a bit more realness than a normal dream.  My thought was this couldn't really be Jesus;  He looks just like I would have imagined.  I think it must be my imagination.  Jesus then transformed into a blinding light.

In the late fall of 2002 two Missionaries came to me.  They were from a church that I had heard of but knew nothing about.  I visited their church.  I found the members and their family values attractive.  I was interested in joining Bible studies.  One of the things this church wants is to have members baptized in their church.  They didn't recognize the authority of other churches.

I had been baptized as a child and again as an adult in the early eighties.  I considered myself Christian, not active in any Christian church, but a Christian.  For reasons I can't explain, the idea of lack of authority of my previous baptisms disturbed me.  I prayed about it and I prayed about it and again I prayed about it.  I prayed to know was I baptized or not.  For days I prayed about it, nothing came to me, nothing at all.  I started getting angry and frustrated.   I knew getting angry and frustrated wasn't going to help, but that is what happened.  I continued to pray.

Early one morning I totally gave up.  Instead of insisting that God tell me what I wanted to know, I asked God reveal to me what He wanted me to know.  That is when it happened.

I was praying face down totally flat, tired but fully awake.  Jesus walked in.  My thoughts were this couldn't be I must have fallen asleep, this cannot be happening.

I wasn't sleeping and it wasn't a dream.  His appearance was as a real man nothing unusual.  He was dressed in what I guess is modern Middle Eastern clothing, no robe.  His skin was fair, lightly tanned.

My thoughts continued, this couldn't be, it can't happen this way.  This is when He told me "You belong to me."   I am writing this, just over a year after this happened, tears come to my eyes even now.

I was afraid to ask Him this, but I did, "How do I know this is real and not just in my head?" I was afraid to ask because I thought maybe I would be blinded or made deaf.  He smiled.

From the side someone walked in.  It was a woman.  It was Mary, Jesus' mother.  It was strange.  I knew who she was, not a guess, as though I had seen her many times before, but I could not remember even one.  She came so close, within inches and I saw her in such detail.  She looked younger than Jesus.  I just looked.  I said nothing.  It was too much.  It just couldn't be, but it was.  I didn't ask again, "How do I know this is real and not just in my head?"  I was too afraid to ask. My thought was who would show up next.  Dumb thought maybe.  After a pause, they both smiled and then walked out.

I didn't tell this to anyone for almost a year.  It changed my life.