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JESUS CHRIST THE SAME YESTERDAY, AND TODAY, AND FOR EVER
He saves sinners, heals the sick, and He baptizes in the Holy Spirit
all those who believe in Him.
I thank and glorify God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, for the opportunity
He gives me to witness through this newspaper, all the wonderful things
our Lord gracefully performed to me, the least of all the saints.
I was born to Orthodox parents in 1924 in a Cypriot village called Aulona.
When I was 12 years old my father died. Since that age I loved God and
I attended regularly. From all the verses, I heard in church, the one
that had impressed my mind most and had produced a Godly fear in me,
was the one saying: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain
the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26.
This specific verse was always invoking Godly fear in me and I was always
wanted to start studying religious books and the life of the holy men
of God, for I had no idea about the Holy Bible.
In the end, among the many books I had already read, I happened to read
a book with the title: "Salvation of the sinner". I was 23
years old at the time. After having studied that book carefully, I concluded
that it was impossible for a man to be saved while being in the world.
According to that book I had to leave the world to lead a secluded life
in a monastery. After serious consideration I decided to leave my house
secretly, so that my brothers and my mother would not hinder me.
On 10.1.1948 I entered the Staurovouniou monastery. I stayed in it for
three months obeying its rules, in watchings, fastings, and studying
many religious books found in the monastery. But all this labor produced
no benefit to my soul, because I was always felt the heavy burden of
my sins and I could not find any satisfaction. "I was there among
so many good things as a dead man" Isaiah 59:10.
"Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in all worship, and
humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying
of the flesh." Colossians 2:23.
After having been was disappointed by this environment I returned to
the world feeling an emptiness in my heart. In 1950 I got married and
I settled in Nikosia, where I worked as a confectioner until 1953. The
desire to find God, though, was never quenched in my heart. I was always
looking for the truth and for the assurance of Salvation in my heart.
I could see light nowhere until the blessed time came when God sent
someone from the Church of God of Prophecy who preached the truth of
the Word of God to us. The pastor of the church was brother M. Kounas.
25 June 1950 was a blessed Sunday, when, at 16 p.m. we heard, the preaching
of the new birth and Salvation for the first time. At the end of the
sermon the preacher asked his audience: "how many of you desire
to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?" "Because
as many as received Him to them He gave authority to become the children
of God." John 1:12.
My wife and I accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and the brethren prayed
for us. "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;" Ephesians 2:19.
Alleluia!! Glory be to Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Now I am really happy
and I rejoice at the assurance of Salvation in my heart. We study the
Holy Bible day and night, because the Word of God is the food of our
soul. "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of
God." Matthew 4:4.
Now I would like to share with you briefly of three situations in which
I was miraculously healed, through prayer, without the use of any medication.
In March 1953, while I was working as a confectioner, I started coughing
up blood. I didn't know where the blood was coming from, because I was
not feeling any chest discomfort, only a sensation in my throat and
initially I presumed that the blood was coming from that place. For
this reason I didn't go to the doctors at once but I sent a letter to
the brethren in the village of Kato Dryos, asking them to pray for my
healing since I was seriously ill. By that time I didn't know the nature
of my disease. The coughing of blood went on; especially during the
nighttime and after three days I visited the doctors. After I described
my problem he sent me to an ear-nose-throat specialist to find out whether
the blood was coming from the throat or not.
The doctor examined me and found that the blood was not coming from
the throat. I returned to the first doctor, J. Meleagron, who ordered
for a chest X-ray. After he examined it he told me: "Odyssea, the
upper lobe of your right lung is severely affected by tuberculosis and
this is the place where the blood is coming from. You must stop working
at once and to start treatment because this is a serious condition.
The treatment cannot be carried out in your house but you must go to
the General hospital to find doctor Mike Konstantinides. He is in charge
of the Cypernountas Sanatorium and he will help you, because he is an
old friend of mine" So I went to the hospital and I found Dr Konstantinides.
He was very friendly with me. He examined me, he took another chest
X-ray and after he established the seriousness of my condition, he prescribed
an initial treatment and ordered me to return after eight days when
he would be able to secure a place in the Sanatorium for me.
After I left the hospital, I visited with my wife brother M. Kounas,
the pastor of the church and we asked him to pray for us, after we explained
the whole situation. He anointed me with oil, in the name of the Lord,
and prayed for my healing according to the Word of God (James 5:14-15).
I decided not to return to the hospital because I believed that the
Lord would heal me, as He had already healed so many others" Surely
he hath borne our grief's, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem
him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement
of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-6
Indeed after eight days the doctor informed me that I should go to the
hospital since he had secured the place for me. As I have already mentioned,
I had decided not to return to the hospital hoping that the Lord would
heal me. The pressure from my friends and relatives was so intense that
in the end I decided to go to the hospital. We prepared the necessary
things for my long stay there and we left to take the bus for the Sanatorium.
Just outside the bus station we met brother Siakalis, who was bringing
us a letter from the brethren in Kato Dryos. You may recall that I had
asked them to pray for my healing. Among other things the brethren were
writing to us: " Dear brother in Christ, Odyssea. We received your
letter and we were very sorry to hear that you are so seriously ill.
We prayed to the Lord and the Lord disclosed the following through His
prophets: "You are suffering from tuberculosis (notice: they didn't
know the diagnosis) but be not afraid because your disease is for the
glory of God. I do not want you to go to any doctors, but to give your
heart to Jesus Christ completely and to have absolute faith in Him,
and I will heal you without any medication, while you are sleeping in
your room".
I had either to believe that this was a divine revelation, or to continue
my way to the hospital. We were about to take the bus, when I decided
not to go. I told my wife: "It is better not to go. Let us go to
the brethren in Kato Drys to pray with them.
We went there indeed and we prayed together for five hours. The Lord
revealed through His prophets Panaiwta Sergi, Panaiwta Koutsakou and
Maria Apehi, mysteries to us, which I cannot describe in this limited
space. In the end the elder anointed me with oil and from that moment
on I threw all the medications for cough suppression and hemoptysis
away. Glory to Jesus Christ our Redeemer! Alleluia. "He took all
my sins sicknesses and diseases upon the Cross, and has given me peace."
We bid our brethren good-bye and walked on foot the five miles distance
to my wife's village, Lagia, carrying our 3 years old child too. That
night I slept for the first time without coughing up blood. Next day
we went to Nicosia. The doctor had been waiting for us in the Sanitarium.
After two days had passed without us showing up he sent a nurse to our
house to see what had happened.
I firmly believed that the Lord had healed me. To cut a long story short
when the authorities asked me to bring them a health certificate to
allow me to continue my work I went to the same doctor and asked him
to examine me. He drew blood for analysis, he took a new chest X-ray
and he told to return after eight days for the results.
Glory be to God, after eight days, when I returned to the hospital,
the doctor was excited and told me: "the blood tests are quite
normal and there is not any sign of infection in the chest film. What
has happened to you is a genuine miracle, because normally your disease
would require 3 to 4 years of treatment. It would never be cured in
15 days and without any medication." After we told him of the Glorious
doctor and our Savior Jesus Christ, we left the hospital happy.
Many years after this first incident the Lord healed me from serious
nephritis, that is loosing protein from the kidneys. I spent two years
in a very strict diet with no result. In the end I threw everything
away and I received my healing through prayer and faith in the Lord.
After that I was healed from dermatitis affecting my hands and feet.
I had used many kinds of ointments, only to see the dermatitis spreading.
I exercised faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. After I prayed the elders
anointed me with oil in the name of the Lord, they prayed for me and
I threw all the ointments away. After a few days I saw that any sign
of dermatitis had disappeared.
I invite all of you, by the Word of God, to accept the grace of God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ. As is written in the Word of God: "Ho,
every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no
money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money
and without price". Isaiah 55:1
"I was brought up in a large family home. It was haunted my mother
was an alcoholic, and my father and mother lived in separate ends of
the house, quite clearly not getting on. At eight years old I decided
that there was no God. Fear and insecurity raged inside me. While at
boarding school in the same term two friends from home committed suicide.
That set me off on a search "What is death". I had to leave
school early to have an operation on my leg, and return to a governess
at home for one year to have lessons. Back to the haunted house and
alcoholic mother. After the year still in my teens I became a trainee
nurse, during which I became involved in occult things, my whole life
fell apart, and I was committed to a psychiatric hospital, violent,
morbidly depressed, obsessed by death. I was diagnosed "severe
mental illness" prognosis long-term hospitalisation. I was under
lock and key, 36 tablets a day, all treatments tried, still no improvement.
After several years I was moved by escort to occupational therapy where
I escaped, got involved with black market drugs, reached 4 stone and
arranged (after repeatedly attempting suicide) to meet some drug pushers
to take an overdose. They did not turn up! So I tumbled in, (in order
to escape the police as I was on section Certified) on a Christian meeting.
These Christians prayed for me after my return to the hospital, in fact
my first visitors. They said a simple prayer "Lord Jesus, Please
heal this girl's mind" at which He did. As a result of Jesus healing
me, the knowledge that He had moved me from darkness into His light,
the knowledge that I had been ill, it was not everyone else. A vast
improvement took place, a reduction in tablets. I asked Jesus to come
into my life, the joy, the peace, the knowledge that I would not be
in hospital for life, the awareness that the sick would be made well,
all overwhelmed me. I do Praise God for what He has done for me, and
wants to do for others either mentally sick or physically sick.
Today I am actively involved in evangelism, and go out by invitation
giving my testimony and praying for those with needs.
About 17 years ago I hit my head on a thick timber board. As a result
of this I had continual headaches during the next three weeks. The following
week the Lions Club held a night where people could have their eyes
tested for glaucoma. The Lions and the local doctor told me that I did
in fact have the disease. I then went to a specialist, who confirmed
the report. I told him that I would pray about it and that God would
heal me. He laughed and said that I would not be healed, but the following
week after having prayer the specialist re-examined me and told me that my eyes
were perfect. He would not believe it and insisted that I return for
re-examination six months later. Again he told me that my eyes were
perfect and he was amazed. He wrote on my medical report "healed
by prayer". I still continue to have no problems with my eyes.
Praise the Lord.
Brian Allen
Amanda Moore was born into a spirit filled family. In 1986, when just
8 years old she herself received the Holy Spirit with the Bible evidence
of speaking in tongues. That same year she became very ill and was diagnosed
as having a rare and sinister form of leukaemia (Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
- A.M.L). The treatment for this was still experimental and the doctors
gave Amanda a 20% chance of survival to her tenth birthday. She underwent
an autilogous bone marrow transplant. Sixteen months later she had a
relapse and became gravely ill. She was 14 ½ weeks in intensive
care, fighting for her life. On the 5th of January 1989 the specialists
said they could not give her anymore treatment and sadly told Amanda's
parents that she would not see out another summer. "We have done
all we can," they told them, "We can't perform miracles."
Amanda and her family knew God could perform miracles. They trusted
fully in God's healing promises and never doubted that Amanda's health
would be restored. Three weeks later she returned to school, strong,
healthy and full of the joy of the Lord. Since 1989 she has had no further
treatment. This amazing turn-around has confounded the specialists.
Amanda praises God for her life and His unfailing promises. She has
no fear of what tomorrow brings, and looks forward with great joy to
Jesus' soon return.
Amanda Moore
Just over seven years ago Phil Phillips needed to be led around by his
wife, feeling his way with a white cane. At this time he was gradually
getting over the trauma of being blinded by a virus almost five years
earlier.
"I was very difficult to live with. I could find nothing to laugh
at or live for." At the invitation of the secretary of the Guide
Dogs for the blind, his family attended a meeting of the Darwin Revival
Centre and a week later, after asking an array of questions, Phil sought
the Lord for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. He recalls this moment.
"I opened my mouth and this language poured out and I didn't want
to stop; it was as if all the rottenness of my past life was being drained
from me." The family moved to Perth to seek treatment for his blindness,
but when he was examined there, he was told that there was nothing that
could be done. He had received three transplants earlier, which were
without success. The specialist said he could not perform miracles.
Phil however responding with faith in the Lord, said to the specialist
"You can't, but there is someone who can." That very day while
his wife was driving Phil home, his sight was restored. That was on
the 17th of February 1986. Phil is now working with computer programmes.
He sums it up, "I know what I have and what I am, but without Him
I am nothing."
PRAYER, IT'S POWER TO HEAL
I was healed by prayer, quite unexpectedly. Here is the weird but true
situation. I went to a town I had never been to before, to attend a
service at a church, I had never attended before, to hear a speaker
I had heard about, but had never met. The jist is that I had never met
anyone in the church or in the town. When the speaker (minister) began
to pray he asked me to come up and receive prayer, because God had told
him that I had an ulcer. That was more than true, but no one there knew
it. He prayed for me and told me not to worry about specific things,
that NO ONE knew about, and that God would do such and so, which He
did later. Then he simply prayed for my healing and told me to report
to the doctor, later. Tests were run. I was healed. I still am. That
was 15 years ago.
On February 1994 Peter Freeman and his wife returned home from a nine-week
visit to the USA. Whilst there Peter began losing considerable amounts
of weight and was suffering a lot of pain. After medical tests it was
discovered that he was suffering from small cell cancer, where the primary
cancer was in his right lung, and secondary cancer had spread to his
bone marrow and liver. Peter was told that without treatment he only
had 6 weeks to live, and even with treatment that a further nine months
was being reasonably optimistic. The treatment to be provided was chemotherapy,
but this would only contain the cancer, not cure it. To be cured "would
require a miracle", the doctor said.
Peter and his family immediately declared their belief to all and sundry
that they expected a complete healing by the power of God. Shortly after
commencing the treatment, Peter began making dramatic progress towards
health, so much so that the doctors were astounded at his recovery.
On the 16th of May 1994 Peter returned to the oncologist to receive
his final report. He informed Peter that the X-ray, ultrasound and blood
tests all established that there was absolutely no trace of cancer cells
in any part of his body. The doctor went on to say that any medico examining the latest
X-rays and ultrasound film would not even know that he had ever had
the disease. The oncologist's final words to Peter and his wife were, "I know what you have been believing for, and I have to admit it
appears it has happened".
I went to the doctor, and she found that I had elevated hormone levels.
Further testing showed that I had a brain tumor, but since it was small
and on my pituitary gland (the middle of my brain), we waited 6 months
before proceeding. After 6 months, they tested my hormone levels, and
they were even more elevated. That was a very bad sign, but I immediately
asked all my friends and family to pray for me. When I went in for the
next MRI, the tumor had vanished. Praise be to GOD!
Hi, my name is Lee and I am a single mother. Four years ago, one year
after high school graduation, I discovered I was pregnant. I had always
been very much against abortion and had even volunteered at a local
crisis pregnancy centre. However, finding myself in this situation,
I panicked. Without telling my family members, I decided to have an
abortion my reasons being completely selfish. I scheduled an appointment
for an abortion, which was a two-day process. The first day consisted
of tests and counselling, the second day was the actual "termination
of the pregnancy". This appointment was very easy to obtain. I
needed no parental approval or medical forms. All they asked of me was
two separate money orders.
The night before the first appointment, I became very uneasy about my
decision. By morning I had completely changed my mind. I found out later
that on that same night my mother (who had become suspicious of what
I was doing) was intensely praying for protection in my womb!
After this, I was seriously considering adoption. At five months pregnant
I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ, and shortly thereafter the Lord
made it clear to me that I was to become a mommy.
Two months later, on February 14, 1992, I gave birth to two beautiful,
healthy twin boys.
Being a mother has caused a dramatic change in my life. I have now thrown
aside my sinful lifestyle for the glory of walking with the Lord. I
am constantly aware of areas in my life that need changing in order
to be an example of Christ to my children. I love being a mother, and
I am so thankful to God that he used such precious gifts in order to
bring me to my knees. God is so sovereign!!
Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans
to prosper and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope.
AMEN.
On February 1994 Peter Freeman and his wife returned home from a nine-week
visit to the USA. Whilst there Peter began losing considerable amounts
of weight and was suffering a lot of pain. After medical tests it was
discovered that he was suffering from small cell cancer, where the primary
cancer was in his right lung, and secondary cancer had spread to his
bone marrow and liver. Peter was told that without treatment he only
had 6 weeks to live, and even with treatment that a further nine months
was being reasonably optimistic. The treatment to be provided was chemotherapy,
but this would only contain the cancer, not cure it. To be cured "would
require a miracle", the doctor said.
Peter and his family immediately declared their belief to all and sundry
that they expected a complete healing by the power of God. Shortly after
commencing the treatment, Peter began making dramatic progress towards
health, so much so that the doctors were astounded at his recovery.
On the 16th of May 1994 Peter returned to the oncologist to receive
his final report. He informed Peter that the X-ray, ultrasound and blood
tests all established that there was absolutely no trace of cancer cells
in any part of his body. The doctor went on to say that any medico examining
the latest X-rays and ultrasound film would not even know that he had
ever had the disease. The oncologist's final words to Peter and his
wife were, "I know what you have been believing for, and I have
to admit it appears it has happened".
Peter Freeman
MY TESTIMONY At the age of 4 I had a lot of problems seeing and a lot
of problems walking, After a lot of specialists I was unofficially diagnosed
with Marfan Syndrome.
Because of my severe flat feet my ankles turned in, which made walking
difficult, I had reconstructive surgery on my right foot at the age
of 4, I literally went from one hospital to the next, then to have my
tonsils removed. Everything went fairly smooth until I started school.
In the 1st grade I was not allowed to take P.E./GYM because of concern
of an aortic aneurism, I had a Doctors note that I had to sit on the
side, and was eventually given extra credit work all through school.
Then at the age of 17 I had begun to loose feeling in my legs and was
having trouble with my right arm, there was no strength in any of them.
# Weeks later I was paralized from the waist down, not being able to
feel my legs I eventually lost use of them, and them my arm. 4 weeks
later I was diagnosed with a massive cyst, both inside and outside of
my spine, having immediate surgery, it was found that the cyst had pinched
the spinal nerves almost into, the Neurosurgeon was able to repair it,
and it was weighted at just over 12 pounds once removed. I went through
6 months of physical therapy learning how to walk again.
At 18 I was married. By the time I was 19 I had already had my first
miscarriage and was pregnant with my oldest daughter, Crystal Dawn Burns,
(Born August 11, 1990) at the age of 5 she was also diagnosed with Marfans.
The delivery was very bad; I went into Labor that was not able to be
stopped, 5 weeks early. Her lungs were not developed and she had to
be placed in a neonatal ICU until they were. She was 5lbs.13 ounces
at birth we brought her home 2 weeks later, at 5lbs 5 ounces, and is
today a very happy, little girl, unknowing of exactly what she has other
than a name.
By the age of 21 I had another miscarriage and was pregnant with our
second daughter, Deborah Nichole (born June 6 1992) she was in fetal
distress and the placenta was separating. She was born through emergency
c-section, and was 4lbs, 12 ounces at birth 6 weeks premature, she was
flown by chopper to a larger hospital and was released 10 days later,
perfectly healthy.
At the age of 26 I had again had another miscarriage, and was pregnant
with our son, everything was very normal until my 6th month. I was painting
the living room and experienced a sharp, severe pain in my chest, I
did not go to the doctor until 4 days later, passing it off as a pulled
muscle, in the Doctors office I was very nervous worse than normal,
I began to vomit, and to loose strength through my body. With emergency
treatment it was found that my aorta had dissected through an anuerism,
splitting down the aortic root, through the coronary arteries (both)
and through the aortic valve. Not giving my family much chance of my
survival I was flown to a larger hospital, where specialist were waiting
to take me through surgery, after a long surgery, the Doctors still
didn't offer much hope they had called in my family from out of state.
We had lost our son, from all the complications. In ICU the Dr.S told
my husband IF I survive I would be a vegetable, but told him not to
get his hopes up that I would survive. My survival rate at this point
was 6 in 100 or 6%. In order to repair my heart they had to do a double
by-pass removing the vein from my left leg, and installing an artificial
valve to replace the damaged one. After learning of the death of our
son, the pain threw me into labor, (I wasn't suppose to be upset, in
ANY situation) not able to get the labor to stop after 2 days and fearing
the stress on my newly operated heart they decided to induce labor calling
in specialist in the field, Labor was induced on July 21 at 6am, as
soon as the medicine was administered I had an allergic reaction to
it, giving me violent vomiting and running my temperature up to 105
and keeping it there until 9:40 that night when our son was born, at this point he had been dead for 4 days. My Dr's told my husband that
I wouldn't be released from the hospital for at least 6 months and still
perplexed why I was still alive, the Doctor said (He was Japanese) that
there had to be a higher power keeping me alive. I was released from
ICU 1 week later, on the regular floor; I soon recovered being released
from the hospital after 3 weeks.
(My son was buried 2 days before my release the Doctor denied my request
to be released earlier because of the funeral) When I was finally released
I had a 4% survival rate. Once I was home trying to adjust to all of
the new medications, 2 weeks later I was back in the hospital with an
infected Gall Bladder that was also full of stones, which were removed.
Once again being released 2 weeks later. In the summer of '96, I had
to have my right optical (eye) lens replaced because of a severe dislocated
lens, since that has been replaced I have gone from having 20/400 vision
in the right eye to 20/80 vision just 3 weeks after surgery. My left
eye is poor in vision too but they are not going to operate on it until
I can't see out of it. Since then I have had my appendix removed, in
'96. Making 6 surgeries in all from Marfan's.
Today I have a complex stomach infection that keeps recurring, for me
to go get my teeth pulled I have to have a complete physical and be
placed on antibiotics before hand, and will have to be on a large amount
of medicine for the rest of my life. The Doctors to this day still do
not know why I'm alive, but I do, BY THE GRACE, LOVE, and AND SALVATION
OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. The Doctor that the Lord gave the knowledge
to, to save me, was Dr. KEE C. LEE, because of our appreciation; we
named our son, James KeeLee Burns. We later found out once we told the
Dr. of our decision that he had always wanted a son, he has 4 girls.
She explained that she had been hit by a truck travelling in excess
of 60 kph. Before she finished rolling from the impact she was also
struck by a passing car and sustained severe and brutal injuries all
over her body.
When she first came to our Praise Meeting a few weeks previously, she
was supported by crutches and suffering a great deal of chronic pain.
As if by instinct, she made a last minute decision to attend "The
Blood Covenants" weekend of the "Set My People On Fire" seminar.
Without complaint or murmur she sat through a whole day of teaching.
When the call came to receive prayer later in the evening she came forward
to the front.
A few moments after I placed my hands on her head she literally crashed
to the floor. Her face and body began to contort and then to stretch:
writhing in what seemed to be great pain. Her neck lengthened and straightened
out and her arms stretched out like a cross. Then, her hips came into
line with her spine as her legs stretched to their full length.
To the inexperienced observer she looked as though she was in great
pain from the effect of the fall, but in reality Jesus was doing some
Divine Physiotherapy. After a while she calmly stood up and went back
to her seat.
At the end of the session people were asked to share what Jesus had
done for them. She couldn't wait to tell everyone what had happened.
She explained the details of the accident and about the pain and damage
caused by the impact of the truck and the car.
She then proceeded with overwhelming delight, to tell us how God had
just taken away the pain. She said that Jesus had given back the mobility
in her neck, shoulders, spine and hips, which she didn't have until
then. Naturally, all the delegates burst forth with delight and praise
to God when she began to do the Twist as a demonstration of God's healing
power in her body.
That evening she discarded her crutches and has since seen her 'Specialist'
who has now ordered a set of tapes on "The Blood Covenants" for himself.
Jesus is Lord!
A miracle happened to me one day, I am not sure why, I was not religious,
nor a particularly good man. I am married with children. A while back,
while working around my house, I had a sharp pain in my hip. As I seemed
to be very tired, I rested for a while, when I tried to get up the pain
was so great I had to call my wife. We went to our family doctor; he
suggested it might be a broken blood vessel. I went to the ER, about
60k away I was given an exam, and it was taking a long time to get the
results. While lying there I overheard a nurse say, "I have never
seen a white blood cell count that high". It was, I learned later,
around 300,000, pretty high when you consider 4000 to 9000 is in the
normal range. I had leukaemia myeloid to be exact. The doctor said,
the prognoses did not appear to encouraging. He suggested I had a life
expectancy from a few months to two years. With two young girls in school
and mortgage and bills, this was a hard pill to swallow. I was sent
home from the hospital, I became very depressed. I just wanted to be
alone. After a few months, I was resting in bed the phone rang, a priest
from a small town about 70K east of me said, we had a mutual friend,
who he had told him about me. This priest's name was Father Phil THIBODEAU.
Fr. Phil said he felt he had to call me; he invited me to visit him
if I were well enough. We met and talked about me, my wife, God and
the way things happen in life. At the end, Phil hugged me (it was the
first time a man had ever hugged me), and invited me to a talk he was
giving to a few people at a local university. I so enjoyed his company,
I said I would go.
The room where the lecture was held was laid out like a large living
room with couches and easy chairs. I was very tired due to high blood
counts. Fr. Phil THIBODEAU ended his talk, I cannot remember what he
was talking about, he then ask for prayers. The people in the room started
to pray, I could hear my wife following along, and I think I fell asleep.
I was told later, Fr. Phil came up behind me, put his hand over my head
and started to pray. I was unaware this was happening, I felt this heat
surge through me, it was when Fr. Phil laid his hands upon my head.
I was startled by the heat and jumped. In fact so did Fr. Phil. I did
not say anything to my wife or Father Phil about this. Father Phil invited
me to a mass he was holding in the city in a few weeks. I said I would
go if feeling well enough. I went alone to this mass; a lot of the people
that were at the talk were there as well. During the mass while Father
Phil was consecrating the host, the people began to sing, softly, I
think I fell asleep again, I think I dreamed, for when I looked I saw
a great light, Father Phil was standing by the alter, the light was
behind him. To try to describe this light is like trying to describe
pure love I have no words except warmth, love and a stillness that comes
over the whole body, words do not do the feeling justice. Father Phil
THIBODEAU looked at me smiled, turned and pointed at the light. I am
not sure how I knew, I just did, and that everything was going to be
ok. I knew that I would not be rid of my cancer, but I also knew that
I was not going to die, at least not for a while. I am not sure how
I knew this, I just had this feeling of peace come over me, and the
knowledge, do not be afraid, just came over me. I did not hear a voice
just feelings. I was scheduled for a test the following week, my blood
count was down and I stopped chemo. I regained energy, I felt good,
no longer afraid. I was alive, in spirit as well as body. Fr. Phil had
me go on a Cursillio and I ended up serving the poor for a few years
I also was able to serve my church and the poor in Spirit. Well that
was 18 years ago. I still have the leukaemia, but I have never been
too sick, every once in while I need chemo, but even that does not make
me too sick. I have not had a bone marrow transplant, I was told I would
not survive it then, now I am not a good candidate.
Was it a miracle, some may say with a high blood count, tired, I had
a dream. Some may laugh and say it was wishful thinking. I know that
it was a miracle, for not only did it keep me alive until I finished
what I needed to do, but I was doubly lucky for I was cured of a hard
heart, think of this Father Phil THIBODEAU is an American citizen who
came to Canada.
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