I felt my face flame when I read about a Brazilian healer who has healed thousands of ailing pilgrims in his home at Casa de Dom Inacio in Abadiana. His name is João Teixeira Faria. He is also known as João de Deus or John of God.

A shiver went up my spine when I heard that a famous Brazilian healer was coming to Atlanta this spring.

Some years ago I read about an uneducated Brazilian peasant who diagnosed and cured the diseases of millions of people before he died in a car accident in 1971. John Fuller wrote a book about him called "Arigo, Surgeon with a Rusty Knife" and said he used no anesthetic, stopped bleeding on command and spoke fluent German when treating patients. Although highly respected physicians and scientists documented Arigo’s successful removal of tumors via film, photos, observation and testimonials I was skeptical. I was also fascinated. To believe Arigo could really heal the sick I wished to witness the miracle myself and was disappointed to learn that he had died.

I felt my face flame when I read about another Brazilian healer who has healed thousands of ailing pilgrims in his home at Casa de Dom Inacio in Abadiana. His name is João Teixeira Faria. He is also known as João de Deus or John of God.

My heart gave a thud when I realized I would get my wish. John of God was coming to Atlanta. I knew I had to see him.

I read with interest that millions of people from every race and religion have come to see John of God at his home the past 30 years. His healing work and a daily bowl of soup is free. Many volunteers also support his work.

Like Arigo John of God is uneducated, came from abject poverty and does not take credit for his astonishing miracles. In fact John of God has no knowledge of what he says or does. "I heal no one God heals," he insists. Nor can he say that everyone will be healed if they visit him. He says, "That is between you and God." Many of the lame walk at his home and there is a room full of wheelchairs.

People report that the scraping of cataracts from eyes, the removal of tumors and other surgeries are painless. Yet afterwards they feel as if they have had an operation.

I found some information about a February 10, 2005 ABC News Special about John of God on the Internet. John Quiñones, the news commentator, reported that John of God says he does not remember being with patients. Quiñones likened John of God’s state while with patients as being unconscious or asleep. ABC’s "Primetime" followed the healing of five people who sought help in Brazil. All five had positive results.

Since it is against the law to practice medicine without a license in Brazil John of God has been charged, fined and even jailed briefly for practicing without a medical license. The authorities released John of God as he insists it is God not him doing the work and his patients all report positive results. Some of the authorities began to bring their ailing loved ones to see him too.

Although the conference was for three days I decided to spend one day with John of God.

I was surprised to learn there was a fee. However, I did not mind as the conference was sponsored by U.S. and German volunteers to raise money to enable John of God to help people for free at his home in Brazil.

While seated in a large conference room at a hotel in Atlanta I gazed at a sea of 2,000 men, women and children clothed in white praying and meditating. We were asked to wear white as a symbol of purity. We were all waiting to see John of God in another chamber.

To my surprise tears of joy kept welling up in my eyes and slipping down my cheeks. It was also embarrassing as I had to keep blowing my nose and feared people might think I was in pain.

I was stunned when I suddenly felt total love and acceptance of others and myself—especially since I usually feel stress in large groups. Being a perfectionist makes me hard on myself. Nothing I do is good enough. I began to sob when I realized my self-criticism and negativity was gone.

I launched out of my seat like a torpedo when those of us who had never seen John of God were called. About fifty people shuffled in a line through a second room filled with volunteer clergy and other individuals who were praying and meditating to create a "circle of love."

We finally arrived in John of God’s room. A number of men and women stood or sat next to him. Others sat in rows of chairs in another part of the room. John of God’s dark hair and gentle demeanor made him stand out. I could not get my breath or pull my eyes away from him. The participants ahead of me walked in front of him before briefly holding his outstretched hand. Some people bent over to say something, others gave him a piece of paper with a picture or name of a sick person. Some individuals even stooped to kiss his hand.

My hand automatically reached for his as our eyes met. His touch was as soft and gentle as a feather. Time and space went warp in his presence. I felt weightless like my body was floating.

I felt a part of a much larger universe as I sat in prayer and meditation with my group in another room to receive a blessing.

A friend brought her daughter, who is in her late 20s, to see John of God after she was diagnosed with a life threatening disease. She had almost died during a hospital stay six months earlier. We were stunned when John of God called the daughter up twice for invisible procedures. Since John of God is not a physician he agreed to only perform invisible surgery in the U.S. and Germany. The daughter slept in her motel room after the invisible surgery as John of God recommended.

A woman told me over lunch that she had flown in from Oregon to be with John of God. Although she had not seen him before she said she had fibroids removed from her uterus by a psychic surgeon in the Philippines. She said not only was her surgery a success but her attitude became more positive. "I used to be a negative person," she laughed.

We later listened to some moving accounts from individuals who described how they were miraculously healed at John of God’s home in Brazil. A woman from Atlanta with multiple sclerosis said she was able to walk again after years in a wheelchair.

A movie about John of God titled "Miracle Man: John of God" warmed my heart. He spoke intently with each person and clasped his or her hand. However I felt queasy when the movie showed graphic footage of him removing something from a man’s arm and a tumor from a woman’s breast.

For the remainder of the day I felt as if I was in touch with something Holy.

Back at home I felt incredible grace. It was shock to realize that the pain from my past was gone. I felt more awake and alive and I had so much energy I felt like I was plugged into an electric circuit. I put the energy to good use visiting with family and friends and finishing some chores around the house and garden.

I now believe that at least once every century someone appears on our planet that creates so many miracles it can’t be denied they have a gift from God. I feel blessed to have been in the presence of such a person.