The bad news hit me like a lightning on a peaceful uneventful day. During a routine physical checkup last October, the doctor announced that he discovered cancer in my body. I was advised to go through a ten-hour operation that included a special procedure of administering chemotherapy inside my body. It was to be a complex and intricate procedure even the feasibility of which was to be confirmed with a specialist. I was totally unprepared for this, and the news caused my emotion to plunge. I felt quite helpless. My emotion started a roller coaster of a journey for the next several days until I finally was ready to accept the reality. I braced myself to face the surgical treatment. I even made plans in case I did not make it through the operation.
It was at that juncture that I recalled reading somewhere that Herald Cancer Care offered the caring service for cancer patients. I called them to see if they could help me. My thoughts were filled with worries about what might happen to my wife and my children should I succumb to cancer. Who would take care of them? What was going to happen to me? Is my life going to just evaporate into the thin air? Am I totally out of control of my own destiny? I received a call from a volunteer who invited me to go to his house. He listened to my situation and shared with me his experiences and counseled me to calm down my fears. He also addressed some of my questions on practical issues facing my treatment. He told me that he is a Christian, and offered to pray for me. I agreed, and he prayed for me on the spot.
On my way home, I felt very cared for, and I felt very grateful for this volunteer’s caring for me. I was eager to know if God actually heard his prayer for me. Another Herald Cancer Care volunteer came to my house the next day to visit me. I asked him if I could go to church with him and he agreed. I started going to church with him. There the other members were very caring, and they prayed for me. I even started to learn to pray for myself. Every time when I went to church, or when I prayed, I felt I had joy and peace inside.
At the consultation, the specialist assured me that the operation was feasible and I was scheduled for the procedure. I was very glad for the decision that there was hope for a cure. I also knew that many Christian friends were praying for me. Moreover, I knew that the Lord would be with me to take me through the operation. When I was wheeled into the operation room, my heart was filled with peace, hope and faith. The operation went as planned. I came out of the anesthesia in an hour still hooked up with tubes, but I felt fine, like waking up from a long sleep. The operation was deemed successful and my recovery came along really well. After my recuperation, I resumed going to church, participating in worship services, reading the Bible and in praying.
God continued to watch over me to care for me. I asked God to guide me to a more experienced doctor to consult on the matter receiving post-operation chemotherapy. He opened the door for me to get an appointment with an experienced oncologist who actually advised me to skip the debilitating procedure, sparing me from a lot of suffering. Through this, I really experienced that this God is real and He is a living God. I am eternally grateful for the Christians who led me to know God. I am deeply grateful for their caring and for their personal testimonies assuring me the truth of placing my faith in Jesus Christ. I thank God for granting His power and His love to even me. I only regret that I did not come to God sooner to start living a fuller life, but the Lord did not pass me by. The moment I repented and was willing to accept Him, He was there for me and took me in. I am willing to devote the rest of my life to following the Lord and be forever thankful.
