About Ilene

Hollandale is a small town in the southern part of the state of Minnesota. It was here that Ilene was born and raised in the early years of her life.

This little community was mostly Dutch settlers. Her dad, Herman Ravenhorst was the first generation from Holland born in America. Her mother Darlene married Herman when she was only 16 years old.

At the age of 10 the family, her brothers and sisters, Marge, David, Sharon, Patricia, and John all moved to Rochester, MN. And then several years later down into Iowa City, IA where she graduated from high school.

In 1971 she was married and moved to Colorado with her new husband. She was blessed with two sons, Tim and Mike during her seven-year marriage. After the divorce (1979) she moved to Anaheim, CA.

Reverend Blanche

She worked in marketing for a chemical company, was in real estate, and later became a stockbroker with Paine Webber Jackson and Curtis in Orange, CA as she worked to raise her two small children.

It was in the mid 1980's that Ilene ran into some wild charismatic Christians. God began tugging on her heart to return to the Christian roots that had been planted in her during those childhood days in Hollandale Sunday Schools.

In the year 1988 she received a spiritual visitation, several prophetic encounters and the call from her Lord Jesus into the full time ministry. He spoke to her of television, which seemed out of the picture in her mind.

But in spite of her doubts, the Holy Spirit persisted and led her to a small television studio in Santa Ana, CA where she produced her first program called, "The Message of Love".

The studio was connected to a local college known today as Santa Ana Community College. After taking two and a half years of intensive training and classes she graduated and is certified in TV/Video Communications.

Twenty-one years later she moved back to Minnesota (June 1, 2000) where she re-established her ministry and brought into being Rivers of Living Water Christian Center.

Ilene is an ordained minister with the Association of Faith Churches and Ministers - www.afcminternational.org.