by Deborah, Member of International Christian Fellowship, Vietnam.
In April 2019, I shared a prayer testimony with the International Christian Fellowship. In that testimony, I shared that at one of our praying times, God spoke of my father's complete healing and becoming Christian. Today I want to testify about God’s indescribable faithfulness in keeping His promises to His children.
My father first got to know Pastor Leslie and Aunty Linda when Pastor officiated our wedding for Dan and I in 2018. Pastor and Aunty intentionally befriended my parents and helped to preach the gospel to them without any words. At the same time, they encouraged me to put my trust in Jesus to claim my parents’ salvation by praying for them regularly. Through this friendship, my father allowed Pastor to pray for him whenever they met when he was going through his chemotherapy in the city.
A month prior to the 2021 Lunar New Year, my father’s cancer got worse. He coughed out blood for almost two months. The diagnosis confirmed that cancer had spread to lungs. The doctor was surprised that the cancer was spreading so fast. In the previous CT scan, his lungs looked well and showed no sign of spreading. He started experiencing severe pain in his lower back bone. Pain increased every day, and so many days he wanted to give up. My mother was always by his side and supported him in everything he needed. We tried to video call him every day to encourage him, talk to him and comfort him. There were days when it was so hard for him to endure, all he wanted was to die. Despite the worsening condition of his health, my father seemed to be more open with Jesus. Whenever he came to HCMC for check-up and chemo every three weeks, we saw a change in his attitude. He slowly let us pray for him, said “Amen” after praying, looked forward to being prayed for. There was a time he told me he believed in God. We were joyful to hear that from him. Pastor Leslie told us to continue to pray and challenge my father to confess what God he believed in; was it the Lord Jesus Christ? However, he had not made that confession at that time yet. Therefore, I longed and kept praying for that day when my father would truly believe in his heart and confess with his mouth that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Saviour. I knew Jesus had been touching my father’s heart and would make his life a testimony of God’s amazing grace and mercy. I believed my father would be saved, but when would that day be?
On 27 January 2021, I went back to my hometown with my parents after my father's last chemotherapy. He felt better the first couple days but soon the severe pain returned. During the time with him, I read him the Bible, prayed for him, and had spiritual conversations with him. My father knew about Jesus Christ when he was young because his religion worshiped Jesus as a person, a saint. He viewed Jesus wrongly and I tried to explain to him that Jesus Christ is God and we can only be saved by believing in Him. In one of my conversations with him before I left to visit my husband’s family in another town, my father got upset with me because I kept on insisting only the Lord Jesus Christ can save. He said that he believed in all the high power above and if Jesus didn’t save him, other gods would save him. I busted into tears because I thought my father was ready to receive Christ, how come he was still so stubborn and far away from wanting to accept Christ? I was reminded if not by the work of the Holy Spirit, no one can say Jesus is Lord. The Holy Spirit showed me Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” I sent this Bible verse to my father and prayed for the Holy Spirit to convict him. What I cannot do, I know my great God surely can.
Two days later, while I was still in Dan’s hometown, my father was rushed to the hospital because the pain was unbearable. My parents-in-law, Dan, and I quickly travelled back to my hometown. We wanted to be able to share the Gospel to my father again when there was still time. I was scared, worried, yet hopeful. In the car, Aunty Linda, texted me that she had a vision that my parents-in-law would lead my father to Christ. I told Dan and our faith was strengthened. I could not express how grateful and hopeful I was when receiving God’s revelation in such a distressful time. We eagerly anticipated to see how God would bring to pass this vision. We did not tell my parents-in-law about the vision; we just kept praying, worshiping God, and thanking Him for He is great and will do great things more than we could understand.
It was four days prior to the Lunar New Year of 2021 and it was the difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam. Hospitals only allowed one care-giver to take care of the patient, no other visitor was allowed. My mother was waiting outside the hospital when we arrived. By regulation, only one person could get inside the hospital by my mother’s card. How could my parents-in-law get in to see my father? We didn’t know how but the vision we received was that my parents-in-law were there with my father; so we prayed and trusted that God would open the door. I took my mother’s card and went to see my father first. Then a friend of my father who was taking care of his mother was there and was able to let Dan borrow his card to go in. Dan and I were able to get in to see my father but my parents-in-law were not able yet. We thought of bringing my father downstairs in a wheelchair so my in-laws could see him through the fence but my father’s condition was not good. Sitting in the wheelchair already made him tired, going downstairs would be a problem. Unexpectedly, Dan found a nurse who asked him what he needed and told him she could help him in a better way. The nurse went down to the back door and took my mother and Dan’s parents upstairs to the balcony where my father was sitting in a wheelchair waiting. When I saw all of us were present with my father, I knew the vision was going to be fulfilled. Through the sharing of my parents-in-law, my father indeed received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour that afternoon, 8 February 2021. What an amazing grace God has given to my father! Just two days ago, he had argued with me and refused to accept the Lord Jesus Christ. I thanked God for the Holy Spirit had softened my father’s heart so that he was able to receive Jesus as his Lord and Saviour.
My father was discharged from the hospital the next day. The next nine days was a journey of God’s mercy for my father and my family. At this stage, every breath was very heavy for him. He could not sit up for so long, talking was minimal, and no walking beyond our house. Every morning when he woke up, he would pray. At meal time, he would pray. Sometimes, I saw him take a long pause before praying. I asked him why, he said he was going to pray to the Mighty God, he needed to arrange his word and be reverent before Him. I’m deeply grateful to see my father’s faith. Then the test came for him when my mother prepared food for idols at the year-end celebration and invited my uncles and aunties. My father chose to sit and eat with Dan and I where the food was not offered to the idol. He told my uncles and aunties that he thanked Jesus for saving him. By the leading of the Holy Spirit, my father had chosen to honour Christ. The Lord Jesus sustained my father so that he was able to celebrate the Lunar New Year with us. On the 2nd day of the New Year, his health declined so quickly. He was admitted to the hospital in the morning of the 3rd day of the New Year and on the 6th day (17 February 2021), he went to be with the Lord. My father had received his complete healing in the arms of his Saviour.
Only nine days on earth to live out his faith for his Saviour, but God knows best and the best plan He has for my father is to be with Him forever. During this journey we were constantly in touch with Pastor Leslie and Aunty Linda. Through the church’s prayers, our family received comfort and strength from God. When we were in doubt, we received encouragement. When we did not know what to say, we received word of wisdom. When we did not know what to do, we received vision. The church had journeyed with us every step of my father’s salvation until his home coming to our Heavenly Father. We could not see this beautiful story unfold without our leaders and family of God. God has fulfilled His promise to His children in His way and in His time. We humble ourselves because the God we serve is awesome and mighty! There is nothing too hard for Him and whatever He promises, He will fulfil. Our faith is rooted in His Word, and by faith we receive His promise in His time. There is no other greater news then the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has won my father’s heart and I believe my mother and my siblings will subsequently be saved. There is healing, there is life; there is mercy, there is grace; there is love, and forgiveness; all is found in Jesus Christ. Thank you, Lord Jesus! All glory to God alone!
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Dear Deborah, Thank you for sharing your faith journey. It was challenging. Indeed, we give thanks to God for His healing grace and especially the manner in which your father was ministered in a special way. Praise God that he accepted the Lord as his Saviour and that he was able to experience His love, grace and goodness. May the Lord continue to be your Source of comfort and peace as you entrust your father to God's loving Hands, and continue to walk in His ways. Shalom.