(Photos submitted) The east Texas highway on which Rev. Don Piper's car was hit head-on by a semi-trailer truck in 1989 on his way back from a church conference.

Don Piper has experienced another place beyond this world.

The best-selling author, speaker and minister will share his message of hope and healing, a testimonial, beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 23 at the Clay County Regional Events Center in Spencer.

Don Piper today

Piper's real-life tale took a different turn in 1989, when he decided to take a different route home from a church-growth conference he'd attended. That choice found him driving an east Texas highway back to Houston when an 18-wheeler hit his Ford Escort head on, killing him instantly.

Shortly after the accident, a pastor who'd attended the same conference arrived on the scene and began praying for "the man in the red car."

Four sets of EMTs pronounced Piper dead -- for 90 minutes.

Piper, who describes himself as being at the gates of heaven immediately following the crash, recounts it as a "place of fellowship, singing, praising, serving and learning." All the individuals Piper encountered in heaven were people he recognized; neither young or old, they appeared ageless. The one thing they all had in common, he said, was their "positive spiritual impact" on his life.

"I did not find myself looking toward Earth," Piper relays on his Web site, www.donpiperministries.com. "I was looking out at the most amazing view of heaven. It was as if I was standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

"When at the Grand Canyon, most people look out and take in the vast beauty instead of looking down. In heaven, you are seeing the faces of those who have gone before you, coupled with the beauty and majesty of heaven. The things of Earth no longer command your attention. ... We should take great joy in knowing the people in heaven are eagerly waiting for others to join them there."

Piper's healing testimonial is evoked courtesy the accident leaving his body badly broken. To date, he has undergone at least 34 surgical procedures to mend it.

Piper, who lives near Houston, founded Don Piper Ministries, a non-profit ministry that actively supports missions and churches throughout the United States, as well as many homeless shelters and camps for underprivileged children.

He's also authored three books during his recovery: The New York Times bestseller "90 Minutes in Heaven -- a True Story of Death and Life," "Daily Devotions Inspired by 90 Minutes of Heaven" and "Heaven is Real: Lessons on Earthly Joy, from the Man Who Spent 90 Minutes in Heaven," released in August.

* In addition to his July 23 presentation and book signing in Spencer, which is open to the public and sponsored by Trinity Lutheran Church of Spencer, Piper will address additional Iowa audiences July 19-20 at First Congregational Church in Clear Lake, July 20 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Swea City and July 21 at Lime Springs United Methodist Church.