THE SOLICITOR'S letter from the Building Society lay on Linda's kitchen table. Just a few lines of print - but it might as well have been a hand-grenade, blowing her life to pieces.

"After my marriage failed, in 1988, I got myself in a right pickle with debts. I'd got four children to bring up. My priority was always to keep them well-fed and clothed. People asked how I managed so well. Little did they suspect I only achieved this by letting the bills pile up. Now the solicitor's letter was summoning me to appear in court for the repossession of my home."

The days before the court appearance were grim. The only person Linda could turn to was her mother - but she was ill. Linda didn't want to burden her.

"As a child, we lived in Northamptonshire. I went to Sunday school in the village chapel and gained a simple faith. When I was eight we moved to Coventry and in 1969 we heard that God had started to do amazing miracles in the chapel. By 1980, the congregation had grown into a national church - the Jesus Fellowship.

"My childhood faith was very basic. I'd no idea you could know God as a person, let alone as a friend. But the night before the court case I found myself talking to Him. I told Him I was ashamed about the pickle I was in. If He would help me I would search for more of Him until I found Him properly."

The next day, her stomach churning, Linda arrived in court. Her solicitor was called aside and told that the solicitor for the building society had failed to turn up. The clock ticked round to noon and the magistrate called Linda into his room. To her amazement he told her "I'm really sorry for the wait you've had. I'll give you a new date for a fortnight hence. But I strongly recommend you raise the arrears in that time. If you can do that, they will have no case against you."

Going down the court steps, the April sun hit Linda like a blessing. At that moment she realised - God had answered her prayer! Soon came her second miracle - a friend called Phil - who at that time hardly knew her - heard of her need and felt inspired to lend her the arrears money.

"I was amazed how quickly I got organised to return every penny and I learnt far more from my 'right pickle' than how to manage my money! I learnt God is a real person who is really there for you. I started to go to church and gradually my relationship with Jesus came alive. Ten years later, in 1992, friends took me to a marquee in Solihull, where Jesus Fellowship had a campaign. It was good to be with my childhood church again and I went up for prayer."

Linda was amazed when her body convulsed. 'Have you ever been involved with the occult?' she was asked. She explained she'd been trained by a 'white' witch to do 'good' spells 'for health and happiness'.

"As they prayed, it seemed many dark things left me, to be replaced by the glow of the Holy Spirit. All the empty spaces in my faith now felt filled!"

Linda joined the Jesus Fellowship congregation in Coventry and, a few months later, she and Phil were married.

"We've faced many trials together since then - including the awful test of our faith when Phil lost his sight in 1999. But our trust in God is sure. Phil is working on a braille version of the Bible and we're both always looking for new ways of telling people, "Hey! Our God is alive and does miracles!"