A Soul for Christ
In 1998, at the age of 30, my daughter Gladys was diagnosed with breast cancer. She began a natural treatment for four months but the tumor grew, so she decided to have an operation. She was well for 2 years so Gladys went back to work and forgot about her healthy eating and lived a life full of stress.
F or three years she attended the church but Satan’s distractions led her to try different paths looking for a happiness she never found for 24 years of her life. Like the prodigal son, I hoped and prayed that she too, would return to the Saviour’s arms, but with a hardened heart she rejected the Lord’s call.
Two years ago, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Shortly after labour, she suffered a severe hemorrhage; leaving her anemic, so she began to drink carrot and beet juices. In February of this year, Gladys began to suffer from strong, headaches, bone aches and it was difficult for her to co-ordinate her speech. I begged her to go to the doctor and get tests done. The results later showed she had cancer of the bones, brain and liver. Brain surgery was conducted removing one of three tumors. The two remaining were too difficult to eliminate due to their small size and one of them had infected half of her brain already. Radiation and chemotherapy were her only options allowing her to feel better for eight months.
Meanwhile, my prayers continued. I asked the Lord that His will be done that if she were to die to grant me the peace of knowing she would pass away with a repented heart. For the Lord says, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
In October, my daughter began having convulsions and lost movement to her left arm and leg. The doctor started treatment once again and decided to perform another brain surgery. Three tumors of the size of lemons were removed, leaving her with only a small tumor. Her health deteriorated from then onwards. She suffered from severe liver pains, constipation, insomnia, loss of voice and blurred speech. The time frame between her breaths grew longer and the movement of her arm and leg diminished further. She was given no less than 40-50 pills daily.
Day and night Gladys cried,’ frustrated and hopeless because everything that was humanly possible was tried to make her well. She only needed to return to the path she had forsaken in her youth. Like the prodigal son who returned to the open arms of his father. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, is the promise of the Lord.
In anguish she asked the doctor to discontinue her medication because she preferred to die than suffer any longer. Seeing her in despair and without hope, I asked her to give herself to the Lord. I told her He would give her peace and: eternal life. I said to her, “the Lord as a loving Father will receive you with open, arms, repent, ask Him for forgiveness and: He will remove the pain of your soul. He will lift you up at His coming and will give you a new body to take you to the new earth where there shall be no more sorrow, nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain.” Five days prior to her death she told me she wanted to surrender to the Lord and have eternal life. I asked her to pray together repeating after me and she did. After the prayer, her face reflected peace and cried no more. I gave God thanks saying, “thank you Father for your love, thank you for granting my petition that for so long I made in faith and hope that my daughter’s conversion would become a reality.
On Sunday the 26th of November, Sr. Kanagarajah, his wife and a few brethren from Hamilton came for the acceptance into membership of my daughter, the foot washing and the Lord’s Supper. Glory to God! Another soul won over to Christ!
On the 28th of November at 11:20 a.m., my daughter fell asleep in Jesus. May God bless sister Teresa from London, brother Joaquin and all the brothers and sisters who prayed with me to gain another soul for Christ, for this brings great joy to heaven.
Brothers and sisters, pray without ceasing and be faithful to God knowing that our hope in Him is not in vain. Do not dismay but continue forward with the Lord for we are not alone. AMEN