Nicole, daughter of Yolande and Fernand Saint-Louis, was born in 1962.  She was the second of their three children.  She endeared herself to others because she was sensitive to their needs.  She was generous by nature.  She loved the Lord and testified of her faith in Jesus Christ.

 

At age twenty-three, she discovered she had cancer.  Doctors told her she might live only a few weeks.  In spite of her painful ordeal, she remained strong in her faith in Jesus Christ and witnessed to others about her Savior, touching many lives throughout the whole country.

Dad:        Hello Nicole.

 

Nicole:     Hello Dad.

 

Dad:        How are you today?

 

Nicole:     I’m fine thanks!

 

Dad:        I wish I could give you an accolade... It is a bit difficult... I will do as they do in the movies: (Dad, gives her a kiss on the hand). 

 

Nicole:     (Laughs)

 

Dad:        For you, Nicole, TOUTE LA BIBLE EN PARLE (TV program referred to as TBP from this point on) is not unknown to you, since formerly you were part of the team and that you helped us. Could you tell us what you did, many years have passed-by, within TBP?

 

Nicole:     The year was 1972, when you began taping the television programs?

 

Dad:        Yes, that’s right, it was at that time a children’s program.

 

Nicole:     I was 10 years old and my sister France was 9. You told Bible stories and we would sit on each side of you during the program. Later-on, I did the puppet’s voice: Binette was her name.

 

Dad:        Yes, we did have this special program for children for some five years or so. Then next, you helped us with this regular one-half-hour TV program entitled TBP.

 

Nicole:     Yes, I helped as Time-Controler. I’m sure it was less complicated than it is now. (Laughters... ) Since then, your team has grown tremendously and also as Monique took on the baton.

 

Dad:         If you allow me, we’ll go right into the subject of things that relate to you today. First of all, let me tell you that it is truly a great pleasure for me to have this interview with you at this time. Your friends doubtless will be very interested to know how you happened to be in the hospital and in a wheelchair.

 

Nicole:      It all started with a very bad back pain. I worked for more than 2 years as a hairdresser. Especially when I bent down at the washbasin to wash hair, it gave me great aches and pains. Then, I consulted an acupuncturist in order to minimize pain, but he said: Miss, you have something broken or moved and unfortunately I cannot help you . Next I saw a chiropractor, but the more he tried to place things together the more I hurted. With time, I could not sleep my nights anymore. Then, I began limping while walking. My pain grew more and more. I consulted a neurologist. I had no more reflex in one leg where I have terrible pain. The next day, the doctor ordered me to go through several medical exams and tests. At first, the doctor thought that I may have had a disk hernia. I was so afraid to be operated... If I had known then... Something worse was foreseen unfortunately. Next, I got a Catscan and it is with it that they discovered that I had a chondro sarcoma, a bone cancer at the hip. When the doctor came-in to my hospital room, he sat on my bed to instruct me of the results of my scan. He said I had a very bad and aggressive cancer. I smiled thinking that he was not being serious. I said: Doctor, are serious? Yes, I am serious he said... (Tears... Bowing her head... Her hand placed on her mouth...)

 

Dad:       (With emotions... Dad reaches over to hold her hand, tears... in a broken voice:) Let us try to continue the interview, if you feel we should go on with it, ok?  (Nicole nobs ... ) You, Nicole, you grew-up in a Christian home. When did you recognize the importance to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?

Nicole:     My youth was spend attending Christian camps along with you my parents who would help and serve at camp. There was always beautiful singing at camp, during the meetings and also at the camp fires. Before noon each day, someone related to us young people a missionary story and each camper could identify himself or herself with the story characters. And you, Dad, as director at camp, you would guide us along and you would also give the biblical Gospel stories during the evenings. For instance, you would make an application to the plan of Salvation and invite us young people to accept the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior. Then you would explain how the sky speaks of the Creator and how we should be living a life pleasing to the Lord. At first, I learned that Jesus the Son of God is my Savior... He saved me from hell and from the consequence of my sins. After that, He became my Lord. Well you see quite often, people stall at the word Saviour, they invite Christ to be their Saviour which is very important of course, but it is also very important to invite Christ as Lord of their life, as the One who must direct our life. I like very much to insist on the difference of the two expressions: Saviour and Lord ! Growing up, I did not take any risk, at the invitation to receive Christ as Saviour, I would come forward and rededicate my life to the Lord many times over! (Laughters...)

 

Dad:         It is certainly better to rededicate you life to the Lord 10 times than not at all, isn’t it true?

 

Nicole:     At the end of the two weeks at camp, at Bethel Camp (Sherbrooke, QC), you would ask us to come to the microphone, on the last evening of camp. Young and old alike, would come to the mike to say a few words of testimony on how they had accepted Jesus as their personal Saviour. At that time, each camper would weigh their time spent at camp. ''Was it worth spending time here. Can I truly say that the Lord spoke to my heart? Who is the Lord for me? Is He my Saviour? Is He my Lord?''  And it was often time, at that very moment, that you asked yourself the question, whether or not you had really invited Christ into your life. It is necessary to really speak to God in a word of prayer and invite Jesus to save us from our sins. I remember how that time a camp was so wonderful and an opportunity was given to testify to the other children that they had been born again, had become children of God. I would come forward myself, often, to give again my life to the Lord. I had already received the Lord as Saviour, but as I said earlier, even though I was already saved once, I wanted Him also to be the Lord of my life. I am now 24 years old, and even now, I ask Him again to be the Lord of my life!

 

Dad:       Yes, it does happen to me also, when I hear a good Gospel message, I thank the Lord that He is such a wonderful Saviour to me, but also, that He is the Lord of my life!

 

Nicole:    Yes, exactly, that’s what I mean.

 

Dad:        Do you ask yourself sometimes, Nicole: "How is it that a dedicated Christian can get sick?''

 

Nicole:     Eh! - I do not think that there is necessary a link ... One can say, as it is often generally said: ''It is life. It is "mother nature", etc''.  But I believe it is the manner in which sickness is accepted, that really matters... It is how you see God therein. If I wasn’t saved and that I did not have this relationship with the Lord, how could I rely on the Biblical promises and all that? I could offend myself and say: ''Ah! God, do you really exist?''  But I know He exists, then I do not say that. I could say: ''Ah! God, You do not listen, You do not hear me, you are not at my side, present with me''. But I know He is, then I cannot say that no more. Do you yourself have some thoughts on this?

 

Dad:       No, I believe that what you have just said is very important. It is very beautiful! My next question is almost insignificant, but I put it to you nonetheless. Are there days or moments, where God seems so far from you, or even absent, considering the width of this test that you presently live?

 

Nicole:    No never! The farthest I went, at a given moment, was when I wept and I said to God: ''Are You there? Are You really listening to me?''  It was not: ''You are not listening to me''. I never expressed objections, never. That, I am positive about. I never said: ''Ah, why me?''  I never said that, because I have put my confidence in the Lord. The Lord did not wish that people get sick... The trees grow, people get sick... Why is it that this one is in good health and rich all his life? Why is it that a good person be struck down with cancer? I do not know!

 

Dad:       The disciples of Jesus put a similar question to the Lord, in John 9:2 ...his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  

 

Would you show us the beautiful greeting cards that you have self-made while on your hospital bed?

 

Nicole:     I will show them to the camera... I make greeting cards with dried flowers and I sign them: Nico. Every card has its own envelope. I make small ones and big ones.

 

Dad:       They are very beautiful!

 

Nicole:    Thank-you! Friends bring flowers to me and I dry them by putting them in a book or in my Bible. This beautiful card that I am showing right now, was dried up in my Bible... This special card I will not sell...!  But I do sell or give away many smaller cards.

 

Dad:       You kept yourself so busy while here in the hospital!

 

Nicole:    Yes, this has been my hobby. People bring flowers and I turn them into lovely greeting cards.

 

Dad:       Would you tell us about deep feelings that you may have in face of your painful sickness? What are some other things that you would like to share with us at this moment?

 

Nicole:     I wonder only what will happen to me...? What's next? Just that. Since it is impossible for me to know, then I live in the now, in the present.

 

Dad:       Yes this is true, this is something we have all learned together as a family.

 

Nicole:    We do not choose... Since we do not know the future, we wait trusting the Lord for everything that may come our way.

 

Dad:        It is important that we live every single day, that which the Lord has given us.

 

Nicole:     Yes, I have lived through something difficult, without really knowing what would happen to me. This is the reason why I was so surprised when the doctor told me the results of my examinations. One never knows what his life will be like. In His will something wonderful could happen... I could be healed.

 

Dad:        Yes, there are all kinds of cures that could happen ... not only bodily cures!

 

Nicole:     Yes!

 

Dad:        We still have a couple of minutes remaining for our discussion. The time flies so quickly. I would like to ask you to read to us something that you found in the Word of God and that you would like to share with us before the end of our discussion.

 

Nicole:     I have here two beautiful verses that I would like to read. The first one is located in Psalm 143.8: Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way in which I should walk; for I lift up my soul to thee.

 

The second verse is located in Malachi 3.10: ...put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.

 

Dad:       Amen!

 

Nicole Saint-Louis’ testimony on TV in October 1986; interviewed by her Dad Fernand Saint-Louis on the one-half-hour program entitled : Toute la Bible en parle. Nicole entered into the presence of the Lord on Tuesday Evening, February 3rd 1987 at 6:50pm.  She had been born April 26th 1962.