What began as a life-saving double lung transplant quickly turned into a life-or-death battle for Mike Olsen. During the procedure, a complication caused him to bleed out on the operating table.
“The doctor took the clamp off too early after a double lung transplant, and I bled out,” Olsen recalled.
Doctors rushed to stabilize him, placing him on a heart-lung machine. What happened next, Olsen believes, was nothing short of supernatural.
A Battle in the Spirit
While heavily sedated, Olsen said he became aware of voices speaking against him.
“I heard a voice just saying… ‘You’re not good enough,’” he said. But Olsen responded with authority: “I said, ‘You can’t talk to me like that. I belong to Jesus. Shut up.’”
The voices stopped immediately.
Moments later, Olsen said he began to rise from his body—and realized he had entered eternity.
‘I Was Home’
Describing heaven as filled with light and peace, Olsen said he instantly felt free from all sin and pain.
“I felt so free… I felt like I was home,” he said.
In that moment, he thought of the person whose lungs had saved his life. As he expressed gratitude, something remarkable happened.
To order Randy Kay’s new book, Heaven Encounters, visit Amazon.com.
“Jesus and the organ donor appeared right beside me,” Olsen said.
Then came the words that changed everything: “Mike, these are your new lungs. Receive them.”
When Olsen agreed, he said he was immediately sent back into his body.
Confirmed on Earth
Even more striking, Olsen’s wife said she sensed he had gone to heaven before he ever told her.
“I wouldn’t have believed you, but I knew beforehand,” she told him.
This moment of confirmation strengthened Olsen’s belief that God speaks not only to individuals, but through those praying for them.
Living Through the Battle
Since the transplant, Olsen has endured repeated hospital visits and more than 100 procedures. Yet through it all, his message remains unwavering.
“Angels are always around us… ministering to us in our time of need,” he said.
Even in suffering, Olsen chooses joy.
“Put on the spirit of joy because the joy of the Lord is your strength,” he said.
Heaven Is Real—And So Is Hope
Olsen believes stories like his are on the rise for a reason.
“I think the Lord is showing people heaven is real,” he said.
His message is simple but profound: trust God completely.
“Trust me,” he said, recalling the words Jesus spoke to him in heaven.
In a world filled with uncertainty, testimonies like Olsen’s serve as powerful reminders that God is still moving—still speaking, still healing, and still revealing eternity to those willing to listen. Scripture reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Whether through miraculous encounters, divine protection or supernatural peace in suffering, one truth remains: heaven is not a distant hope—it is a promised reality. And for those in Christ, the invitation still stands today.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
