Cliff Mikkelson helped me wake up to the reality when I was twenty years old to the fact that there were elitists controlling the world and pursuing a new world order that had evil motives. I had little hope that there would be huge numbers of people who could do something about this seemingly hopeless situation, but I never gave up doing my small part to help.

Here is how it happened:

I was born in 1954 in middle American and raised in a middle class family–true story! My dad was a career Navy guy, being gone for as long as 9 months at a time traveling on “tour” over seas. I am pretty sure he was involved in the Korean War, although all I knew was that he brought lots of nice gifts from the Philippines and Japan. He retired after about 26 years when I was twelve, in 1966. He never talked about his service. I do believe he had PTSD and had mental health issues after I was older.

I share this part of my life as I look at how I was raised with kind parents and a wholesome upbringing. But my parents did not really keep close tabs on me. When I was a senior in high school, I had sex with my first long term boyfriend. I was raised in the Methodist Church where they taught half-heartedly the idea of purity before marriage. Yet in a sex education class in the church which was in Southern California, I was taught that “light petting” like kissing and holding hands was okay, not being informed that such things would probably lead to “heavy petting” and eventually sexual intercourse.

I left the church when I was 16 when I saw lots of hypocrisy and I didn’t understand why I needed to “go through Jesus to get to God” which was how I understood the theology we were taught. As an agnostic, I felt free from the moral standards that were half-heartedly taught to me. Somehow, in my first year of college, I adopted the philosophy “if it feels good, do it.” Even though I had a kind boyfriend who was faithful to me, I had no qualms about having casual sex with my volleyball partners, married economics teacher, and anyone I was attracted to.

I need to pause here and take a breath. This whole story needs to be told at some point because I have heard that this kind of immoral conduct is now something that young women are adopting in droves, and I yearn to help them avoid the pain I experienced and continue to reap the repercussions of.

Fast forward to the summer after my first year in college. At age eighteen, I was going in a direction that if continued would have probably ruined my life. But the God I didn’t believe in saved me when I was backpacking in Yosemite with my two girlfriends, Sue and Susan. Camping illegally in a beautiful spot overlooking the Yosemite Valley with the impressive view of El Capitan looming before me, I went to sleep outside my tent because I loved looking at the stars.

Suddenly (I don’t remember if I was awake or awakened) I sensed this message: “Go. Travel. Get out of the United States.”

The message was so clear and strong. Even though the words were not clear or audible, and I had no idea where they came from, the impression I felt was so powerful that I knew I needed to obey. Doors opened up so that I got a job which I loved being a Fotomate at a Fotomat kiosk in Chula Vista, California, and I was able over the course of the next year to save money to travel.

Although I planned to go to Europe, after three weeks I got a new message–this time from my sister who I was staying with in Germany. “You should go to India because it is cheap and exotic.” I thought that advice was sound since the thousand dollars I had saved up was starting to dwindle and my 3 weeks traveling around Germany left me feeling disappointed because it didn’t seem that different from America.

The next year where I spent time in Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, left me with a huge contrast of philosophy. My “if it feels good, do it,” changed to “the only way I will be happy is if I serve and use my talents joyfully to do so.” This message was another revelation from the God I still didn’t believe in, but who I was much more open to believing in.

Returning to the United States was culture shock. Having had my head shaved just before I boarded the plane contributed to me feeling overwhelmed and ostracized when I took the bus to go to San Diego State University where I had spent two very sad years of my life learning nothing except how to be promiscuous and immoral. Okay, I should change that. I did learn how to play volleyball quite well, and my ability to play according to standard team-work rules is a legacy I have left that many people have benefitted by.

Remembering a sign that said, “Garden of Eden, Organic Garden,” was what compelled me to search the grounds of San Diego State to try to find this garden. I had looked before, having a lukewarm curiosity, but I had not been able to locate it. This time I was determined to find it, and my persistence paid off.

I met Cliff Mikkelson in that garden, having no idea that this quiet, skinny, kind of funny looking man with bulging pockets full of unknown substances would within months become my husband and be the main influence in my life to wake me up to a world I had no idea existed.

I was 20 years old, confused as to what my next steps were after my 13 month solo searching in the East to find my niche. I was soon to find out. The Arkansas Ozarks, finding an eastern guru, Paramahansa Yogananda, learning about organic gardening, and about the dark New World Order would lead me to the place I am 50 years later when I am 70 years old in 2024.

Little did I know that I would become a passionate follower of Jesus, have two children, have four grandchildren, be starting a community, and that so many people would wake up to the truth that I knew 50 years ago–and elect a president and a dream team who can fight against this evil system.

To be continued.