"This bridge is located just ¼ mile from our main center and is traveled hundreds of times by many of our students and staff as the main route to the Northeast metro area," he said.

"I have heard almost a dozen stories from employees and students who were on this bridge just minutes before it went down. I want to share three of the most powerful miracles," Scherber said in an e-mail obtained by ASSIST News.

"First, Jessica our admissions supervisor, told me in tears how at 6:00 last night she was ready to enter the I-35 Bridge over the Mississippi. The Holy Spirit spoke to her very abruptly to turn off the freeway and go a different way home. She obeyed the Holy Spirit, arguing with him all the way. Since she takes this same route every day and her commute home takes almost an hour, detouring from the freeway and not crossing over the bridge didn't make sense. Shortly after she detoured from I-35, the bridge went down. Jessica most likely would have been on that bridge."

The second testimony was told to Scherber by dozens of Teen Challenge students.

"Every Wednesday night for the past three years our buses and vans are loaded and a caravan of vehicles transport our men over the I-35 bridge to a local church. They leave our buildings at 6:00 and cross over the bridge at approximately 6:10.

"As the caravan of vehicles left the building, a staff person, who normally drives the bus, stayed back with a group of sick students. He called one of the drivers to say that it might be best if 'just tonight' they didn't go over the freeway bridge and instead took an alternative route. When the students arrived at the church and heard what had happened, the vast majority got on their knees and wept.

"Lastly, my daughter, who works at the University of Minnesota and is on that bridge every night at around 6:10 p.m., just happened to ask for the day off work. She also could have been on this bridge."

Authorities say that over 50 cars are lying near or under the bridge on the bottom of the Mississippi River. They believe that most of these vehicles have fatalities.

Regrding the 'near misses' experienced by those involved with his program, Scherber said: "Thank God for His divine protection! Please pray for our city!"

Scherber mentioned that before the collapse of the bridge the ministry had Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan and members of the Minneapolis City Council in attendance at the ministry's chapel service.

"It was a powerful time, and at the end we prayed together for our city and for God's wisdom on our leaders and law enforcement," he said. "Little did we know that just hours later our city would experience the greatest catastrophe in Minnesota's history. Please keep us in prayer."

According to the ministry website, Minnesota Teen Challenge is founded on firm moral principles grounded in the Bible, believing and promoting these principles as put forth in the Scripture, as the basis and foundation for healing, restoration and life recovery.

The mission of the program is to assist teens and adults in gaining freedom from chemical addiction by applying Biblical principles in establishing a chemical-free lifestyle, enhancing social skills, improving work habits, building supportive relationships, and growing in personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

MN Teen Challenge
1619 Portland Avenue South,
Minneapolis, MN 55404-1598
Phone: (612) FREEDOM (373-3366)
Fax: (612) 333-4111

** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Lake Forest, California. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in September, 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. His weblog appears at: Michael's Wor(l)d BLOG