Sonrise Magazine

By Rick Michels

After getting my phone call requesting an interview, Leona Hansen set down her payroll work for Major League Pizza, the restaurant she owns with her husband Andy to describe her life prior to coming to Sonrise and experiencing her miracle. It’s a life to which many of us could relate:

“I was not raised in church. When I was a little girl, maybe four years old, I went to Sunday school, and that was about it. So… I don’t know how to do church.”

“Throughout my life, I always believed in God and I believed in Jesus Christ. It was there, but I wasn’t real formal about it. But I have always, always believed in the power of prayer. God has been working in our family…slowly but surely. But one thing that I noticed is that I, like I say, I don’t know how to do church, and I haven’t been doing church. And one of the prayers I prayed is that, okay, I want a church. I want a church.”

Learning to Pray at Safeway

In time Leona found her church, meeting Colette Fleury, in typical Colette Fleury fashion.

“Last spring,” Leona recalled, “I was at the gas pump at the Safeway store at Smokey Point, and driving up next to me was this big old black SUV blaring its music.

“I was thoroughly annoyed as one could possibly imagine. And this gal steps out and she says, ‘Hi everybody. I am so sorry for playing my music loud. Soon as it’s done, I’ll turn it down. But I love this song. The Holy Spirit is just talking to me.’

“And I was like, ‘oh my gosh.’ “

And there, at the pump station outside Safeway, Leona began to learn how to do church…

“And then, we started talking,” Leona continued, “and…and right then and there, she prayed.  She said a prayer thanking God for meeting me, and for a glorious day, and she was thanking the Holy Spirit…and the next thing I know,” Leona said incredulously,  “I’m saying a prayer, thanking God for bringing this lovely lady into my life!

“She prayed. And never, never in my life have I ever been in public and have I ever said a prayer cuz I don’t know how to pray… and all of a sudden , I found myself saying a prayer for her, and I went, ‘Oh my goodness gracious. What the heck is happening’?

“And then I asked, ‘by the way, do you have a church that you go to?. And she says, yes, but it’s south.

“I said, well, that’s okay. And so she told me Sonrise.

Colette Fleury

“Well, it took me a couple of weeks and I didn’t go because I didn’t know anybody. And my son challenged me and he said, “When are you gonna go? What’s wrong with this coming Sunday?”

With a bid of trepidation, Leona took the plunge, and found Sonrise that coming Sunday.

“So I went to Sonrise Church and I walked in through the door and I was like, whoa! I can’t describe it, but there’s a feeling. And the first two people that came walking up to me were Pastor John and Pastor Dan.

“I said it was my first time here. And I said, ‘I don’t know where to go’ and they were cracking up, and said, ‘Well, right through these doors. Here you go.’  And I was kind of looking around and thinking, ‘Well, maybe I’ll see Collette…

“…I was looking around and the next thing I know some just lovely, lovely people who came up… ‘Oh, hi. You look new.’ And then there was one gal and she said she was just a few rows up. And she said, ‘well, why don’t you come and sit up next to me and my husband?’ Wow. I said, ‘okay.’

“And that’s where I sit ever since. She’s been kind of guiding me. And when they said,  “if anybody wanted to receive the Holy Spirit, come up front,” she said, “You can go up. Here, I’ll take you up there. And so she’s been helping, kind of guiding me as to how you do church , Cuz I didn’t – know –how- to- do- church,” Leona said with a laugh.

Leona (center) enjoying a Mothers Day/Birthday tea with “my girls” Neiba Salcedo (left) and daughter-in-law Rebecca Hansen

Leona added that one thing she noticed about doing church is the power of worship, and how it moved her so powerfully, and just about every Sunday. She brought it up with Pastor John Hammer after a service:

“I said, ‘The one thing that I have a tough time with is that the songs just really get to me. The next thing I know, I’m just breaking out in tears. I always take my handkerchief with me, and it’s always getting wet!

“A couple of Sundays ago, walking up on stage…It’s like, I don’t belong up here.  This is Pastor John, this is Pastor Dan….and those that are playing music. And I’m sitting there and I’m thinking… ‘Darn it, but it’s your music that’s making me cry!‘ .“

The Miracle

_{December 4, 2022 at Sonrise}

Below, Leona shares her incredible healing, but for the full experience, hear it in her own voice by clicking here and enjoy a surprise ending not included in the text below.

“I work part-time,” Leona explained. “My husband and I own a restaurant in Everett (Major League Pizza), and I work there part-time.

“My husband, bless his heart, he’s there practically 24-7.  But right around Halloween, I had been having excruciating pain in my right foot. To where there were days I couldn’t walk on it (to help out). My primary care said, ‘You probably need to go into urgent care and get an X-ray, and most likely, most of the time, to repair that surgery is required.’

“And I’m going, ‘baloney, (laughs) not me! No, no, no.’ He (the physician) already knows me. So on Sunday, Pastor John, was talking about God and miracles, and, and I’m thinking, you know, dagnabbit, why not!? And Pastor John always says, ‘test him.’ You know, you’re supposed to test God. And when he talks about tithing, and just test God, put him to the test. And I said, ‘okay, why not?.’

“So I just very boldly limped my way (laughs) to the altar. And shame on me. I don’t even have the name of the gentleman that I took my shoe off and he said, ‘Oh, okay. You, it must be your foot.’ I said, ‘yes, I’m in pain. And, and that’s it. He started (praying), and one gentleman (Allan Ice) was so gracious, and he’s helping me stand on one leg, and on the other (bad foot) I tossed my shoe.

“And he took my foot and he was praying. And I just remember, Okay…,yes…I’m expecting a miracle. They say, test God. So by golly, that’s what I want. And the next thing I know, there was no pain in my foot. It was, it was gone. And I, and I’m just thinking, oh my gosh, THIS CAN’T BE REAL!

“And then it’s like, no, Leona, this is real. This, this, this, it’s happening. There were so many thoughts that were going through….it was…oh my gosh. And I just went, oh my God… Oh my God…Oh my God. And that’s exactly right. It was…: Oh…My…God,…You’re here…

“There’s a part of me that’s saying, as much as I was there with so much boldness, and I’m gonna do exactly what Pastor John said, you know, you gotta put him to test.

 “But then on the other hand, I’m not worthy…not me. I, I’m, I’m not worthy. But I put my shoe back on it and I’m walking, and I’m not limping. And it doesn’t hurt. But you could, I could just feel the pain just, it just went away.

“And it was gone….and Pastor John said ‘do you want to go up to the altar stage, and I don’t know what to say…so excited that oh my gosh, that I was, I was given a miracle!

“Me, me, little old Leona that doesn’t know how to do church was given a miracle.

I had a miracle!  Oh my God. And I couldn’t wait to get home and tell my family. I said, ‘you’re not gonna believe’. But they said, ‘We do believe mom…we do believe…we know mom. Yeah. It can happen..

‘And my foot, it’s still, I’m walking on it, still walking on it. Do I need to go to doctor? Nope, nope, nope. I’m putting my shoe on. I’m walking around, And I have to say thank you. Thank you, God. Thank you for this. So I can be here to help my husband. So I’m not a burden on my family. Thank you. I’m still, I’m still in awe, but on the other hand, I’m not. Because they said put Him to the test believe in it.

“I remember one thing when they were praying on my foot, I remember looking up. At the cross. And I loved that cross. And I was being reminded of Jesus. And I was being reminded of God giving his only Son. And I thought, I’ve got two sons. I could not do that – oh my gosh – to give your only son. And then knowing that Jesus, knowing what you know, that He is living amongst us.

“Pastor John had been talking about that, (Jesus) living amongst us. And I’m thinking, and then Jesus, you died on the cross for us, for me. And it is because of that, I have hope. It’s because of that sacrifice that I can feel hope.

“And it just hit me that, I have never felt hope like that before. But it’s like, there is hope.  And the pain in my foot is gone,

“I’ll say it again, I don’t know how to do church, but I know what I feel. When I turn down the (Sonrise) driveway and I’m going, ‘Okay, where’s the parking space? I need a parking space now. Because I gotta get through those doors.’  When you walk through the doors, you just, there’s a feeling that just comes over you.

“And you feel it when you wake up in the morning and you say ‘Thank you, God,’ and you just feel this feeling, and you don’t think it could get any stronger. But then you get closer and closer and there’s something just drawing you and it just hits you. And, and then you start seeing all of these familiar faces, and the warmth in hugs where people are really, really glad to see you.

“I know that gladness because I am so glad to see them. And I can only imagine what Pastor John and Pastor Dan when they’re there on the stage and looking out over the members there. I call it the glow of God.

There is nothing like hearing the testimony from a miracle recipient in their own voice. If you’ve read this far, I’d like to invite you to hear Leona’s recounting in a recording I did for this interview here. And as a special bonus, you are going to want to hear the surprise ending. – Rick

Rick Michels is Editor-in-Chief and lead reporter for Sonrise Magazine. At Sonrise, Rick serves on the prayer team, teaches in the Children’s Church, and runs a Jesus Community in his home with his wife Cheryl.