Against All Odds: Avia Stols' Journey of Faith
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On JustGospel's Testimony Tuesday with Carlett, Avia Stols shared her remarkable journey from believing she'd die alone with five cats to finding her husband in three months and navigating multiple medical crises with their son Darius—all "against all odds."
The Prayer Warrior
Working at Delta Community Church from age 21, Avia watched friends marry and even divorce while she remained single. "I'm not a lonely person. I don't operate alone," she explained. Moving to Vereeniging into her first flat, the loneliness hit: "Four o'clock you get home and there's no one—not even a dog." She assembled a prayer army from "here to Cairo" asking God: "Where's my special friend?"
The White Horse Vision
On her 27th birthday, Pastor Melinda Rood shared a vision: Avia in a field of flowers, suddenly a man on a white horse stretching out his hand. Shortly after, she met Bertie Stols who came to donate paint for youth camp. When her ride to return a trailer fell through (his car was stolen), she reluctantly asked the "stranger with scars" from a quad bike accident to help.
The Divine Revelation
Driving to her parents' house, Bertie knew he was meeting his future in-laws—God had shown him two years earlier that this short-haired woman would be his wife. After five cups of coffee at 11:30pm, he declared his love: "If you reject me, I'm moving." They met in October, got engaged, and married in January—three months total. Avia turned 28 in February, fulfilling her prayer to be "married by 28."
Carly Arrives
After three years of marriage, they left contraception. Avia fell pregnant the first month. Daughter Carly was born April 16th, now 11 years old. But Bertie's travel schedule separated the family, so they moved to Cape Town.
The Miscarriage
Shortly after announcing their second pregnancy, Avia lost the baby at 12 weeks (the baby had stopped growing at 7 weeks). Sitting in the maternity ward at Christmas surrounded by mothers with babies was traumatic. "You've got nothing and all the moms around you have something."
Darius: Against All Odds
One month later—against medical advice—Avia fell pregnant again. At 12 weeks, the Down syndrome test showed 6 out of 10 chance. The doctor offered abortion, but the ultrasound showed a thumbs up: "This baby's showing you he's okay." The doctor found no Down syndrome markers.
Moving to Cape Town, the new gynecologist repeated: "Three options—abortion, testing, or continue pregnancy." At seven months, Avia's water broke unexpectedly. A vigilant nurse noticed the medication slowing the baby's heartbeat. Emergency C-section at 3am delivered healthy Darius.
The Hip Crisis
X-rays later revealed insufficient blood flow to Darius's hip bone—threatening uneven leg growth or worse. But the specialist said: "I see the concern on X-rays, but when I move this little guy's leg in every direction, I don't see it in him. I see it on paper, but not in him." Just like the blood test versus the ultrasound thumbs up—paper said one thing, reality showed another. God healed Darius.
The ADHD Journey
In Grade 1, teachers identified severe concentration issues. Testing confirmed ADHD. Facing stigma in Christian circles about medication, they chose Ritalin with proper dosage and support. When advised to hold Darius back a year, Avia prayed for Bertie's heart to change. God gave both the same message: "Against all odds." Now in Grade 3, Darius is thriving and passing everything.
The Encouragement
"Never lose hope. Even in darkest times: 'But God.' Don't make choices from emotions—sit with God and ask your next step. Sometimes you need to wait longer for something better."
The Prayer Warrior
Working at Delta Community Church from age 21, Avia watched friends marry and even divorce while she remained single. "I'm not a lonely person. I don't operate alone," she explained. Moving to Vereeniging into her first flat, the loneliness hit: "Four o'clock you get home and there's no one—not even a dog." She assembled a prayer army from "here to Cairo" asking God: "Where's my special friend?"
The White Horse Vision
On her 27th birthday, Pastor Melinda Rood shared a vision: Avia in a field of flowers, suddenly a man on a white horse stretching out his hand. Shortly after, she met Bertie Stols who came to donate paint for youth camp. When her ride to return a trailer fell through (his car was stolen), she reluctantly asked the "stranger with scars" from a quad bike accident to help.
The Divine Revelation
Driving to her parents' house, Bertie knew he was meeting his future in-laws—God had shown him two years earlier that this short-haired woman would be his wife. After five cups of coffee at 11:30pm, he declared his love: "If you reject me, I'm moving." They met in October, got engaged, and married in January—three months total. Avia turned 28 in February, fulfilling her prayer to be "married by 28."
Carly Arrives
After three years of marriage, they left contraception. Avia fell pregnant the first month. Daughter Carly was born April 16th, now 11 years old. But Bertie's travel schedule separated the family, so they moved to Cape Town.
The Miscarriage
Shortly after announcing their second pregnancy, Avia lost the baby at 12 weeks (the baby had stopped growing at 7 weeks). Sitting in the maternity ward at Christmas surrounded by mothers with babies was traumatic. "You've got nothing and all the moms around you have something."
Darius: Against All Odds
One month later—against medical advice—Avia fell pregnant again. At 12 weeks, the Down syndrome test showed 6 out of 10 chance. The doctor offered abortion, but the ultrasound showed a thumbs up: "This baby's showing you he's okay." The doctor found no Down syndrome markers.
Moving to Cape Town, the new gynecologist repeated: "Three options—abortion, testing, or continue pregnancy." At seven months, Avia's water broke unexpectedly. A vigilant nurse noticed the medication slowing the baby's heartbeat. Emergency C-section at 3am delivered healthy Darius.
The Hip Crisis
X-rays later revealed insufficient blood flow to Darius's hip bone—threatening uneven leg growth or worse. But the specialist said: "I see the concern on X-rays, but when I move this little guy's leg in every direction, I don't see it in him. I see it on paper, but not in him." Just like the blood test versus the ultrasound thumbs up—paper said one thing, reality showed another. God healed Darius.
The ADHD Journey
In Grade 1, teachers identified severe concentration issues. Testing confirmed ADHD. Facing stigma in Christian circles about medication, they chose Ritalin with proper dosage and support. When advised to hold Darius back a year, Avia prayed for Bertie's heart to change. God gave both the same message: "Against all odds." Now in Grade 3, Darius is thriving and passing everything.
The Encouragement
"Never lose hope. Even in darkest times: 'But God.' Don't make choices from emotions—sit with God and ask your next step. Sometimes you need to wait longer for something better."
