A Different Plan

The biting pain of dozens of cuts and bruises from a relentless shower of canes are only parts of young Johannes Adendorff's life. He is punished daily for no offense other than existence, at the mercy of his high school classmates. Boarded away until he graduates, surrounded by his peer bullies daily, Johannes must simply survive. Apartheid in South Africa plucks Johannes from everyday life and thrusts him into the military, where he finds the Parachute Battalion, an elite group of soldiers who often drop down into dangerous war zones. Faced with the reality of life and death every day, Johannes develops an addiction to smoking, women, and alcoholalong with an addiction to adrenaline. After completing his time in the military, Johannes attempts to find something to satisfy the ever-growing hunger inside of him for adrenaline and challenge. Introduced to skydiving, Johannes chases his newfound passion to America, where he pursues the sport at a professional level. Unwilling to stop there, he becomes one of the top skydivers in the country. Yet even with the constant drip of adrenaline, Johannes still feels completely alone, searching for the right answer to fill the emptiness that grows inside him despite his success. Relief comes in the form of an American church. For the first time in his life, Johannes finds Jesus through church and renews his faith, overcoming his addictions with the help of the Holy Ghost and determining to become a better man, despite the challenges along the way. Soon Johannes finds himself back in South Africa, compelled to return through a message from God. He lives on his parents' farm in loneliness, despite having a fruitful job as a software engineer in addition to his faith. South Africa is a tumultuous country in light of recent political troubles, and Johannes is in the midst of the battles when the farm is robbed. Through a perfect sequence of events, the robbers are averted and caught, and Johannes realizes just how powerful God is in his life, having saved him and his family from being shot. The works of God only increase in Johannes' life from there, teaching him more about himself and about the life he needs to live. Although he still prays for a lifelong companion night after night, God promises him in a dream that he will have a wife, and Johannes clings to this hope, praying that there is someone out there for him. When the opportunity arises to go to Germany for the company he works for, Johannes takes it, feeling that it is the will of God for him to travel there and putting everything in His hands. In Germany, Johannes struggles as he tries to adapt to what he perceives as harsh behavior from the German community. His job takes him to Brazil and back, and afterward Johannes is compelled to go to a church in Germany which helps him realign and become closer with Christ again. Soon thereafter, Johannes meets three new attendees at the church. Here he meets Birgit, a woman from Germany who has recently given her heart to Jesus. Almost immediately, Birgit realizes that Johannes is meant to be her husband. Upon hearing Birgit's convictions, Johannes is astonished to find that God has finally answered his lifelong prayers of a permanent companion. After much prayer, the two decide to marry and walk in the way of Christ. As Johannes attempts to settle into his roles as German software engineer and husband, tragedy strikes. He is diagnosed with lung and bone cancer. Throughout his treatment, Johannes must overcome sickness, troubles, and complications. Keeping his faith, Johannes looks at the diagnosis as a gift from God, rather than a curse. Despite the situation, Johannes comes to believe that everything happens for a reason, committing himself to sharing the faith.