Olly Wilmot: A Testimony of Surrender & Calling

What God Can Do When We Surrender

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting – Special Testimony Post

When we fast and pray, we often come to God with hope, asking for breakthrough, direction, healing, or clarity. Sometimes He answers in ways that are immediate and visible. Other times, His work happens quietly beneath the surface. But always, He is faithful.

Earlier this year, just before my wife and I began our personal fast, I reached a breaking point. I prayed a simple but honest prayer—asking God to open the doors He wanted and close the ones I was trying to force open. That was the first time I truly surrendered everything.

Within days of that prayer, God closed a door. I lost my job at the local computer store. It was completely unexpected. I had been working hard as an IT professional and had no plan to walk away from that career. But even as I lost that job, I sensed that God was doing something. I didn’t know what, but I had peace.

A week or two later, just one day before we began our fast, I received a phone call from Bishop Brown. He let us know that we were being considered—along with another pastor—for the pastoral role at Bella Vista Church. I had never desired to be a pastor. It wasn’t something I was pursuing. But out of nowhere, God had stirred something. He was already beginning to redirect our lives.

Then, on day six of our fast, tragedy struck.

Olly Wilmot, a young man studying business at Okanagan College, was home visiting family for the weekend. He went for a walk with his dog across Shuswap Lake,  and when he reached a kilometer in front of our home, he fell through the ice.

We cried out to God to save him and I quickly dialed 911. One daughter ran to get our neighbors, while our other daughter began gathering blankets and supplies.  My wife was the first to run out with a kayak to try and rescue him.  I began a prayer chain.  Neighbors ran to help. We tried with paddleboards, canoes, anything we had, but the ice was too thin and we couldn’t reach him.

What most people don’t know is that Olly didn’t fall through just once. After falling in the first time, he managed to get out and lay on the ice for five to seven minutes. Then he stood up and began walking toward shore for two to three minutes before falling in again. After that second fall, he held on for nearly an hour, calling for help.

We don’t know what he experienced in that time, but I believe Jesus was near. Scripture tells us that as long as we have breath, we have the opportunity to call on Him. I don’t know what choice Olly made in those final moments, but I do know that God’s mercy is real, and I have hope.

One week after Olly passed, Bishop Brown called again. The other pastor they had been considering had accepted another role, and Bishop Brown and his wife wanted to come visit us in person to talk more about the position at Bella Vista.

During that time, God clearly spoke to me. I knew, without a doubt, that He was calling us to Bella Vista. Not just me as a pastor—but with my wife coming to serve faithfully beside me.

Then came May 24—Olly’s birthday. Just two days ago, our family was out on the deck enjoying dinner and games with friends. My wife looked out and saw a group of boys huddled on the beach just below us. She recognized them as Olly’s friends.

She called down to them, and they responded. My wife and I stood there on the deck, talking with them as they stood below us on the sand. And on Olly’s birthday, we were able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. We told them about His love, His forgiveness, and His invitation for them to follow Him. We asked if we could pray for them, and they said yes. So we stood there above them and prayed that Jesus would reveal Himself to them, that the Holy Spirit would stir their hearts, and that they would respond.

We don’t know yet if any decisions were made, but I know that moment was not a coincidence. God orchestrated it. He’s still writing this story.

In just a few short weeks, God closed one door, opened another, and spoke to us through both grief and surrender. He gave me a calling I never saw coming. He used a time of prayer and fasting not only to speak to me, but to realign our family and use us to touch the lives of others.

This is why I’m sharing this during our 21 days of prayer and fasting. It’s a reminder that God moves when we surrender. When we fast and pray, even in seasons of uncertainty or pain, He is at work. He draws hearts. He redirects lives. He writes stories that go beyond what we could hope or imagine.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (Galatians 5:6). So if you’re praying and fasting with us, be encouraged. Even if you don’t see results, Jesus is working. Keep trusting. Keep surrendering. He will show up in ways you never expected.

Blessings,

Pastor Timothy Anderson

Lead Pastor, Bella Vista Church – Vernon, BC