Our visitors share how God has touched their lives through the prayers of the Christian Community.
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The following story of the power of prayer was submitted by Edie on May 25, 2003:

In October of 2000 I sent the following email to as many as I could.

My husband was diagnosed with a highly malignant brain tumor. I pray that he will be given the spiritual, emotional, and physical strength for whatever treatments he has to endure.  I pray that the tumor will not return.  I pray that he will see our son married and that he will live to see his grandchildren born - that he will get to hold them, kiss them, hug them, play with them,  and watch them grow.

When he was first diagnosed, our son was six hours away and my husband was obviously worried that something would happen and he would not see him first.  My husband kept asking me to promise I would give our son a message for him.  I tried to tell him that he would be able to tell him himself. But Rich, my husband, was so insistent that I finally said I would and asked what he wanted me to tell him. Rich made me promise to tell our son two words that he must always remember in his life and marriage. They were love and forgiveness.  For the glory of God I prayed that my husband would live to teach those words to all who cross his path.

I am so thankful for the blessings and miracles that I have been given.  My husband made it though surgery, radiation, and 16 months of chemotherapy.  I will be ever grateful for the time I have been allowed with him since his diagnosis.

We have had ups and downs but Rich did attend our son’s wedding in May of 2001. He has been so spiritually strong through it all. I am convinced that he is one of God’s angels on earth and I feel honored that God has chosen me to take care of him.  I feel SO blessed and most times I'm so overwhelmed by that.  I don't know how to thank God enough or what I can do for Him - I owe Him SO much.

On April 4th 2002, Rich had an MRI. It showed no residual tumor, no enhancement, only a hole where the tumor used to be.  And so the neurologist decided to stop chemotherapy to give him a chance to regain his strength.  I had such mixed emotions.  I was elated with the good news.  I felt in my heart that we were experiencing a miracle.  But then sometimes my faith wavered and I was so frightened that the chemo was being discontinued.  I would get overwhelmed with fear that the tumor would return.

Rich has been in and out of the hospital.  Any small illness really hits him hard.  He had 10 months with no chemo.  Then in Jan. of 2003, he began having problems again. An MRI showed a new tumor on the opposite side of his brain. He started chemo again on January 23rd, and he was scheduled for sterotactic radiosurgery.  We took him to the hospital on Feb. 12th for the surgery.  He had the frame screwed into his head, and a CAT scan and MRI were done.  Then we waited while the surgery planning took place.  After a 6 hour wait (Rich had to wait with the frame screwed to his head during that time) the doctors came in and said they had to abort the procedure.  They couldn’t locate the tumor on the MRI and they needed an exact location in order to do the radiosurgery.  They believed that Rich had had a dramatic response to the one round of chemo he had done in Jan. I know it is God who deserves infinite praise!  That only happens in 5% of the population world wide. The doctors suggested that Rich once again continue with the chemo.  He has done three more rounds of it now.  He has not bounced back as well from this most recent round.  He is sleeping so much and is confused and disoriented at times.  I am so frightened that the tumor is back.  He is due to have another MRI on June 5th. 

Please pray that Rich’s tumor will not return, that he WILL see his grandchildren.  Please pray that he will have the clarity of mind to recognize them.  Please pray that Rich will live to glorify God by teaching love and forgiveness to all who cross his path.
And, please pray that someone will find a way to control if not cure brain tumors.  There are so many suffering from this incurable disease.

Thank you,
Edie (wife of Rich)

Thank you, Edie. We will surely join with you in prayer for Rich and all your family. May his message of love and forgiveness continue to touch the hearts and lives of all those that Rich encounters.