"Forget about doom and gloom—there's too many great stories," says Jeffery, referring to the "miraculous events" that spared the lives of many in Mallacoota, including Jeffery and his neighbours. While he is truly devastated for those who lost lives or homes in his small beach town of only 1000, Jeffery is just blown away by all who were saved—including thousands of visiting holiday makers.

Jeffery, owner of the Wave Oasis B&B in Mallacoota, became the international face of Australia's bushfire crisis after being featured on BBC News and SkyNews, as well as the ABC, on January 1. Footage of Jeffery describing the narrow escape from the firewall bearing down from Mallacoota wharf, where thousands of people huddled for safety, has been shared all over the world.

Jeffery was—incorrectly—labelled by some media as the "atheist who turned to prayer" when he asked God to change the direction of the wind as the fire front approached, to push it back away from the wharf. This is precisely what happened, however Jeffery—who has been Christian for more than 25 years- only mentioned his former atheism to show he understands how ridiculous his story may sound to those who don't believe in "the God of the Bible".

But Jeffery believes it's hard to argue that the experience, witnessed by hundreds if not thousands sheltered at Mallacoota wharf, was anything less than a miraculous answer to prayer. "There is no way that it was all just luck," he asserts.

As news of the approaching fire reached Mallacoota in the early hours of New Year's Day, Jeffery and his neighbours were preparing to defend their homes against "an ember attack". It wasn't until Jeffery received advice from a neighbour in the police force and a friend who was a former fire chief that fire balls were a real possibility, that he decided to leave—retreating to the wharf along with guests staying at the B&B and his pets—two dogs, a cat, rooster and two rescue ducks belonging to his two children (who were, thankfully, safe elsewhere).

As the firewall loomed—which Jeffery says was reported to be 60 feet high and moving at 90 kilometres an hour—Jeffery and two older "prayer warriors" (along with many others around the nation) were praying.

"We could hear the roar. It sounded like a thousand freight trains coming at us. Then a huge gust, like someone had opened the door of a furnace, pushed us ... It went black as black. The smoke was so thick it was hard to breathe."

At this point Jeffery, along with many others, thought "we were going to die. If the Lord hadn't answered this next prayer, we would have had 30 seconds."

"I prayed, 'Lord if You don't push this [fire] back now, we need [wind] from the east.' As soon as I said that, it started blowing from the east a little bit. Then I got louder and [the wind] got stronger. Then I got louder again and it got stronger again...

"I felt it change. I noticed that the bolder I got, the stronger [the wind got]. I was yelling, 'In Jesus' name, thank You Lord for rescuing these souls. Push it back Lord, rescue us!'

"It was desperation personified. I did not care who heard me. I knew then that God was then doing what I was asking. Because if He didn't answer then, we were dead"... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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