Through Forgiveness Testimonies
85 stories of God's work from believers across 74 locations.
Transformation that came through the practice of forgiveness: forgiving others or receiving God's forgiveness.
Doxa is where Christians record what God has said and done, and return to remember it.
All 85 Testimonies
Genocide Survivor Forgave Her Torturer — Now They Serve Together
2010•🇰🇭Phnom Penh, Cambodia
A Cambodian genocide survivor forgave the Khmer Rouge guard who tortured her — they now serve together at a memorial, telling their story side by side.
Forgiveness Play After Apartheid Made Enemies Embrace
2024-03•🇿🇦Cape Town, South Africa
A South African playwright wrote a play about apartheid forgiveness — audiences from both sides wept together and strangers embraced in the theatre lobby.
Louis Zamperini's Journey to Redemption
1949•🇺🇸Los Angeles, California, United States
Olympic runner Louis Zamperini survived 47 days at sea and brutal POW captivity in WWII, then found complete transformation from PTSD and alcoholism...
Immaculee Ilibagiza: The Holy Spirit Gave Her Power to Forgive the Man Who Killed Her Family
2024•🇷🇼Rwanda
Immaculee Ilibagiza survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide by hiding in a 3x4 foot bathroom with seven other women for 91 days. Through prayer, the Holy Spirit gave her the power to forgive the man who murdered her mother and brother — face to face.
Widow Forgave Drunk Driver at His Hospital Bedside
2021-10-20•🇳🇱Utrecht, Netherlands
A Dutch widow visited the drunk driver who killed her husband and forgave him at his hospital bedside. The driver found faith in prison.
A CEO Who Could Not Forgive His Father Until the Holy Spirit Broke Through in a Board Room
2024•🇺🇸United States
A CEO who had built a successful company while carrying thirty years of rage toward his abusive father had an unexpected Holy Spirit encounter during a quiet moment in his office. The forgiveness that followed healed his marriage, his health, and his relationship with his own children.
Forgiven by Christ After Guerrilla Past
2026•🇨🇴Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
Andrés, a former FARC commander in Colombia, experienced a life-changing encounter with Jesus during a reconciliation meeting in Caquetá. After surrendering to Christ, he now dedicates his life to helping others find forgiveness and purpose through faith.
Isabelle Knockaert: An Anxiety Disorder That Stole Everything — Until Jesus Revealed the Roots and the Holy Spirit Pulled Them Out
2024•🇧🇪Belgium
Isabelle Knockaert in Belgium developed a crippling anxiety disorder that made flying, trains, elevators, and daily activities impossible. After every spiritual approach failed, Jesus revealed the hidden roots through inner healing prayer — and the Holy Spirit addressed each one until the anxiety lost all power.
A Friendship Destroyed by Betrayal — Until the Holy Spirit Convicted Both of Them on the Same Day
2024•🇦🇺Australia
A five-year friendship ended when one friend betrayed the other's trust. They had not spoken since. On the same day — without coordination — both felt the Holy Spirit convicting them. Both reached out. Both were met with grace.
She Forgave Her Husband Killer — Adopted His Orphans
2022-09-01•🇵🇪Arequipa, Peru
A Peruvian woman forgave the man who killed her husband, then adopted his two orphaned children. She told him in prison: "Your children are safe."
Stolen Generation Elder Forgave — Healed a Community
2005-03-01•🇦🇺Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
An Aboriginal elder from the Stolen Generations forgave those who took her from her family.
Genocide Survivor Looked Killer in the Eyes — Forgave
2006-06-01•🇷🇼Kibuye Province, Rwanda
A Rwandan genocide survivor faced her family's killer at a Gacaca court and publicly forgave him. She now leads a reconciliation ministry in Kigali.
Colin Mason — The Boy Told to End His Life, Now He Helps Others Heal
Contemporary•🇬🇧London, UK
Colin Mason survived abuse, domestic violence and racism, and was told at 13 that nobody wanted him. Years later he met God in a small house group, and forgiveness set him free to heal.
Faith Amidst Persecution: The Karen Story
2021•🇲🇲Kayin State, Myanmar
Karen Christians in Myanmar demonstrate unwavering faith through decades of persecution, including military attacks on churches and homes, finding...
A Story of Unthinkable Forgiveness
1997•🇺🇸Coral Gables, Florida, USA
After surviving a brutal attack that left him blind in one eye, Chris Carrier found faith in Jesus at 13 and later chose to forgive his attacker,...
From Darkness to Healing
2023•🇺🇸United States
Monica Pyles survived years of physical and emotional abuse, finding complete healing and restoration through surrendering her life to Jesus Christ in a...
Forgiveness Amidst Genocide
2006•🇷🇼Kibuye, Western Province, Rwanda
Immaculée Ilibagiza survived 91 days hiding during the Rwandan genocide, lost her family to violence, yet found the strength through prayer to forgive...
Elisabeth Elliot's Radical Forgiveness
1950s-2015•🇪🇨Quito, Ecuador
Elisabeth Elliot chose radical forgiveness after her husband was killed by the Waorani tribe in Ecuador, returning to live among them and share the...
Faith Unyielded in Sudan's Trials
2013-2014•🇸🇩Omdurman, Sudan
Mariam Ibrahim faced death sentence in Sudan for refusing to renounce her Christian faith, remaining steadfast through imprisonment and childbirth...
Her Husband Was Killed by a Tribe — She Moved In With Her Baby
1958•🇪🇨Ecuador
After her husband Jim was speared to death by the Huaorani tribe in 1956, Elisabeth Elliot stayed in Ecuador and moved INTO the tribal village with her...
Faith Amidst the Jungle's Trials
1950s•🇪🇨Curaray River region, Ecuador
Jim Elliot and four missionaries were killed by the Huaorani people in Ecuador's jungle in 1956, but his widow Elisabeth returned to witness their...
Faith Beyond Tragedy: The Elliot Story
1950s•🇪🇨Quito, Ecuador
After missionary Jim Elliot was killed by the Auca tribe in Ecuador, his widow Elisabeth chose forgiveness over revenge, returning to live among her...
Assaad Chaftari: From Lebanese Militia to Messenger of Peace
2000•🇱🇧Beirut, Lebanon
Former Lebanese militia fighter Assaad Chaftari found Christ's true teaching of love, publicly apologized for wartime violence, and now works for peace...
Forgiveness Among the Waorani
1950s•🇪🇨Ecuador
Elisabeth Elliot chose to forgive and live among the Waorani tribe who killed her missionary husband in Ecuador, leading to their transformation and...
Forgiveness and Faith in Ecuador
1950s•🇪🇨Waorani Territory, Ecuador
After her missionary husband was killed by Waorani warriors in Ecuador, Elisabeth Elliot chose forgiveness over bitterness, returning to live among the...
The Great Awakening in Pyongyang
Jan 1907•🇰🇵Pyongyang, , North Korea
The 1907 Pyongyang Revival transformed a city under Japanese occupation when Korean Christians experienced powerful spiritual awakening.
A Heart Transformed by Forgiveness
1947•🇩🇪Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Dutch Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom discovers supernatural power to forgive a former Nazi guard through prayer, experiencing God's transformative...
I Love Idi Amin: Festo Kivengere's
1936-1988•🇺🇬Kigezi, Uganda
Ugandan Bishop Festo Kivengere chose radical forgiveness over bitterness when dictator Idi Amin murdered his friend Archbishop Janani Luwum, writing 'I...
From Napalm to Forgiveness
1982•🇻🇳Trảng Bàng, Vietnam
Kim Phuc, the girl from the famous Vietnam War napalm photograph, found healing and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ, transforming her from a...
The Pyongyang Great Revival
Jan 1907•🇰🇵Pyongyang, North Korea
In 1907 Pyongyang, a missionary's public confession of wrongdoing sparked a massive spiritual revival that transformed 30,000 lives and earned the city...
Sabina Wurmbrand's Unyielding Faith
1930s-1960s•🇦🇹Czernowitz, Austria-Hungary
Sabina Wurmbrand's incredible journey from Jewish upbringing to Christian faith led her through Nazi persecution and Communist imprisonment in Romania,...
From Unbroken to Redeemed
1949•🇺🇸Los Angeles, USA
Olympic runner Louis Zamperini found complete healing from PTSD and alcoholism after WWII torture when he surrendered his life to Christ at a 1949 Billy...
Unfathomable Forgiveness
1947•🇩🇪Germany
Corrie ten Boom encounters her Nazi betrayer in postwar Germany and experiences God's supernatural power to forgive, demonstrating how divine love...
From War's Despair to Faith's Redemption
1949•🇺🇸Los Angeles, California, USA
Olympic runner Louis Zamperini survived 47 days adrift at sea and brutal POW captivity in WWII. A 1949 Billy Graham Crusade freed him from PTSD and alcoholism.
From Militant to Peacemaker
2000s•🇱🇧Beirut, Lebanon
Former Lebanese militia fighter Assaad Chaftari transformed from violent extremist to peacemaker through God's forgiveness, now educating thousands of...
From Bomber to Missionary
1944-1950•🇯🇵Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
Doolittle Raid bombardier Jacob DeShazer was tortured for 40 months in Japanese prison. A Bible transformed his hatred.
From Chains to Freedom
2010•🇺🇸Detroit, Michigan, USA
Shaka Senghor's life transformed from drug dealer to murderer to bestselling author through forgiveness found in prison.
Faith and Forgiveness Amidst Horror
1990s•🇷🇼Mataba, Rwanda
During Rwanda's 1994 genocide, Immaculee Ilibagiza survived 91 days hidden in a bathroom through prayer and faith, emerging with a transformed heart...
Faith and Forgiveness Amid Tragedy
1999 and 2012•🇺🇸Littleton, Colorado, USA
Two families found supernatural peace and forgiveness after losing loved ones in the Columbine and Sandy Hook school shootings, showing how faith...
Forgiving the Unforgivable
1947•🇩🇪Munich, Germany
Corrie ten Boom's powerful testimony of forgiving a Nazi guard who betrayed her family, demonstrating how God's grace enabled supernatural forgiveness...
Forgiveness Amidst Tragedy
April 1994•🇷🇼Mataba, Rwanda
During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Immaculée Ilibagiza survived 91 days hidden in a tiny bathroom through prayer. She later forgave her family's killers.
From Napalm to Peace: Kim Phuc
1982•🇨🇦Trang Bang, Vietnam / Toronto, Canada
Kim Phuc, the girl in the famous Vietnam War napalm photo, found healing from hatred and bitterness through faith in Jesus, transforming from a victim...
Forgiveness Amidst Unimaginable Loss
1994•🇷🇼Kigali, Rwanda
During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Catholic Immaculée Ilibagiza found miraculous strength to forgive her family's killers through prayer and Scripture,...
Forgiveness and New Purpose
1982•🇬🇧Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Simon Weston, severely burned in the 1982 Falklands War, found healing through faith and forgiveness, even befriending the Argentine pilot who bombed his ship.
Forgiveness Amidst the Rwandan Tragedy
1990s•🇷🇼Rwanda
During Rwanda's 1994 genocide, Immaculee Ilibagiza and Alex Nsengimana found miraculous strength through prayer and Scripture to forgive their families'...
Corrie ten Boom and Betsie: Friendship Forged in Darkness
1944•🇩🇪Ravensbruck, Germany
Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie maintained an extraordinary friendship and faith inside Ravensbruck concentration camp, where their bond became a...
From Victim to Victor
Apr 1990•🇿🇦Durban, South Africa
Anglican priest Michael Lapsley survived a letter bomb attack during South Africa's apartheid era, losing both hands and sight in one eye, yet chose...
John Wesley and George Whitefield - Disagreement Didn't End Friendship
1735-1770•🇬🇧England, United Kingdom
John Wesley and George Whitefield, leaders of the 18th century Great Awakening, maintained their friendship despite major theological disagreements...
Kathie Lee’s Journey of Faith and Forgiveness
2023•🇺🇸Annapolis, Maryland, USA
Kathie Lee Gifford's testimony of faith beginning at age 12 through Billy Graham's ministry, finding God's strength through divorce and her husband's...
Forgiveness and Healing After Cartel Tragedy
2025•🇲🇽Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Maria from Ciudad Juárez lost her husband to cartel violence but found healing and forgiveness through Jesus. Her journey from grief to peace highlights the transformative power of faith and forgiveness.
From Ex-Combatant to Christ's Peacemaker
2025•🇨🇴Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
Javier, a former FARC combatant from Florencia, Caquetá, found redemption and a new purpose in Christ after accepting Jesus as his Savior. His life transformed from one of conflict to being a peacemaker, sharing hope and reconciliation with others.
Forgiveness in the Face of Tragedy
1999-2015•🇮🇳Manoharpur, Odisha, India
After her missionary husband and two sons were murdered by extremists in India, Gladys Staines chose radical forgiveness over revenge, continuing their...
Nate Saint: Grace in the Ecuadorian Jungle
1956•🇪🇨Waodani Territory, Ecuador
Missionary Nate Saint was martyred reaching Ecuador's Waodani tribe in 1956, but his killer Mincaye later found faith through the forgiveness of Saint's...
Vietnam Veteran's Journey to Peace
1990s•🇺🇸Unknown, USA
Vietnam War veteran William found healing from PTSD, alcoholism, and suicidal despair through God's transformative love, leading to complete restoration...
A Paramedic's Divine Encounter
2020s•🇺🇸Boise, Idaho, USA
Paramedic Dawson Merrick from Boise had a near-death experience where Jesus revealed how unforgiveness blocked his relationship with God.
From Guerrilla to Gospel Messenger
2020s•🇨🇴Colombia
Former FARC guerrilla commanders in Colombia found radical transformation through Jesus, turning from violence to preaching peace and reconciliation...
Healing Beyond the Pain
2022•🇨🇦Canada
Three Indigenous survivors of Canada's residential schools found healing through faith in Jesus, cultural reconnection, and forgiveness, breaking cycles...
Whimsy and Justice in Uganda
2023•🇺🇬San Francisco, California, USA and Uganda
San Francisco lawyer Bob Goff left his successful career to fight injustices against children in war-torn Uganda, founding Love Does ministry and...
Sabina Wurmbrand: The Pastor's Wife Who Stood Firm
1948•🇷🇴Bucharest, Romania
Sabina Wurmbrand found unshakeable faith while imprisoned in communist Romania's labor camps in 1948. She shared the gospel with fellow prisoners.
Faith Through Betrayal: Lysa's Journey
Feb 2016•🇺🇸Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Lysa TerKeurst found faith and healing after discovering her husband's infidelity in their 25-year marriage. She learned to forgive while setting boundaries.
From Betrayal to Healing
2015•🇺🇸Springfield, Illinois, USA
Mark and Jill Savage's marriage was restored after infidelity nearly destroyed it. Jill chose forgiveness over bitterness through faith and counseling.
Bart Millard's Journey of Forgiveness
2018•🇺🇸Greenville, Texas, USA
MercyMe's Bart Millard found forgiveness and reconciliation with his abusive father after the man's life-changing conversion to Christianity during...
Faith in Action: Booker T. Washington
1881•🇺🇸Tuskegee, Alabama, USA
Born into slavery, Booker T. Washington found freedom through faith and education, walking 500 miles to school and founding Tuskegee Institute guided by...
The Pyongyang Pentecost
1907•🇰🇷Pyongyang, Korea
In 1907 Pyongyang, Korea, an ordinary prayer meeting erupted into spontaneous revival when the Holy Spirit moved powerfully, leading to mass confession,...
Faith Unshaken Amidst Tragedy
21 Apr 2019•🇱🇰Batticaloa, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
Six-year-old Elaisha Debbie lost her sight and parents in the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombing.
Joyce Meyer: From Abuse Survivor to Ministry Leader
2023•🇺🇸St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Joyce Meyer's powerful testimony of healing from childhood sexual abuse through God's redemptive love. She later baptized her repentant father.
Forgiveness in the Face of Division
1990s•🇿🇦East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa
South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, demonstrated God's power to heal a nation divided by apartheid...
Transformation of the Waorani Tribe
1950s•🇪🇨eastern Ecuador, Ecuador
Five missionaries were killed by Ecuador's violent Waorani tribe in 1956, but their widows returned with forgiveness, leading to the tribe's...
Forgiveness Amidst South Africa's Revival
December 2025•🇿🇦Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa
In 2025 South Africa, God sparked a powerful revival of forgiveness and reconciliation, healing deep wounds from apartheid as communities embraced...
A Miracle of Forgiveness and Restoration
2011•🇺🇸Fresno, California, United States
After killing Amy Wall while driving drunk in 1992, Joe Avila found Jesus in prison.
Forgiveness That Heals
2005•🇺🇸Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
A Christian mother in Minneapolis forgave her son's killer after years of hatred, leading to miraculous healing and reconciliation.
Forgiveness Amidst Pain
1996-2003•🇿🇦Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
During South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, families of apartheid victims chose radical forgiveness over revenge, with mothers embracing...
A Marriage Redeemed by Faith
2023•🇺🇸Durham, North Carolina, United States
Kevin and Bri's marriage in Durham, NC was saved from divorce when they cried out to God for help. Forgiveness and prayer restored their relationship.
From Death Chants to Gospel Broadcasts
1979-2001•🇮🇷Tehran, Iran
Iranian revolutionary Hormoz Shariat went from chanting 'Death to America!' in Tehran to founding a Christian satellite ministry reaching millions...
Blended Families Redeemed by Faith
2023•🇺🇸Dallas, Texas, USA
Vanessa and Scott Martindale's blended family found healing and unity through faith, prayer, and forgiveness.
The 21 Martyrs of Libya: Faith Unto Death
15 Feb 2015•🇱🇾Sirte Beach, Libya
Twenty-one Christian men chose death over denying Christ when ISIS captured them in Libya in 2015. Their families responded with forgiveness, not vengeance.
Faith Beyond Fear: The 21 Martyrs
2015•🇱🇾Sirte, Libya
Twenty-one Christian workers in Libya chose death over denying Jesus when captured by ISIS in 2015, declaring 'Oh, my Lord Jesus!' as their final words...
John Wesley and George Whitefield: Friends Who Fought and Forgave
1740s•🏴England
John Wesley and George Whitefield, two of the most influential preachers in history, maintained a deep friendship despite a public theological split that...
Faith Amidst Flames: Afordia's Forgiveness
2025•🇳🇬Gidan Waya, Northern Nigeria
After losing her husband in a violent attack by militants in northern Nigeria, Afordia chose radical forgiveness and unwavering faith in Christ.
Joyce Meyer: From Ashes to Beauty
1976•🇺🇸St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Joyce Meyer overcame severe childhood abuse through God's healing power, experiencing His 'liquid love' in 1976. She later baptized her repentant father.
Forgiveness at Ravensbrück
1940s•🇩🇪Ravensbrück, Germany
Corrie ten Boom survived Nazi concentration camp Ravensbrück through faith, then encountered and forgave her former guard years later.
Forgiveness in Apartheid's Shadow
1990s•🇿🇦Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
During South Africa's apartheid era, Christian leaders like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela demonstrated how faith empowers forgiveness and...
David du Plessis: Pentecostal Catalyst
1905-1987•🇿🇦Cape Town, South Africa
David du Plessis, saved during a 1916 thunderstorm in South Africa, became 'Mr. Pentecost' bridging Pentecostal and traditional churches as Smith...
Forgiveness Amidst Persecution
1970s•🇺🇬Kigezi, Uganda
Bishop Festo Kivengere chose radical forgiveness over bitterness during Uganda's brutal Idi Amin regime, demonstrating God's power to transform hatred...
Mr. T's Faith Journey
1995-2005 (primarily), with ongoing impact to present•🇺🇸Chicago, Illinois, United States
Actor Mr. T overcame T-cell lymphoma and transformed his life through faith in Jesus Christ, finding healing and purpose serving others after...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many forgiveness testimonies are in The Grace Record?
The Grace Record holds 85 forgiveness testimonies. 73 are modern accounts and 12 are historical. The earliest dates from 1735 and the most recent from 2026.
What are some examples of forgiveness testimonies?
Three examples from this collection: Genocide Survivor Forgave Her Torturer — Now They Serve Together (2010, Phnom Penh, Cambodia); Forgiveness Play After Apartheid Made Enemies Embrace (2024-03, Cape Town, South Africa); and Louis Zamperini's Journey to Redemption (1949, Los Angeles, California, United States).
What belongs in the Through Forgiveness collection?
Transformation that came through the practice of forgiveness: forgiving others or receiving God's forgiveness.
God is still doing amazing things around the world
Leave your email and we'll send you real stories of God's faithfulness, encouragement for whatever you're walking through.
Or keep exploring
“I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old.”
Psalm 77:11
