This Is My Testimony
"Humbly Submitted"
During our adolescent days as a pupil in school we were always told to pay attention to the lesson because testing time would come. During the summer of 2008 while in consecration God gave my Pastor, (Elder Willie R. Hunt) a song. The words of the song were based on the scripture Isaiah 53:5,
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.
After our Pastor received this song as many as received it were blessed by the Power of God. As Pastor Hunt consistently sang it, the words began to enter into the hearts of the members of New Community Church of God In Christ including the children. In the following months each time that my six year old son would say he didn't feel well I would tell him to quote Isaiah 53:5.
On Thursday November 20, 2008 I was returning from a business trip in Baltimore, Maryland. I received a call from my wife saying that my six year old son was in pain and that I needed to come home quickly. When I entered the house my son was in terrible pain in his abdominal area screaming for me to help. I told him every time the pain comes to call on Jesus. I immediately dressed him and rushed him to Civista Hospital in La Plata, Maryland. All the way there my son was quoting Isaiah 53:5 as he cried. At the hospital doctors ran tests to determine what was wrong. My son was given morphine so that he could rest and a CT scan revealed that he had acute appendicitis. The doctors stated that my son needed to be transferred to Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC to have his appendix removed. I notified my Pastor and Chief of Staff and they compelled the saints to pray.
My wife and I accompanied my son as he was transported to Children's Hospital by ambulance. The doctor's stated that after reviewing the CT results they weren't convinced that my son was experiencing problems with his appendix. My son was then given an ultrasound which confirmed the acute appendicitis. The doctors agreed that surgery would be required. They explained that my son would be sedated and placed on a ventilator. As the saints pulled on heaven through prayer, my wife and I kissed my son as he was taken into the operating room. While my wife and I were going through this I was encouraged by a testimony I heard my Pastor share. His son was once injured and taken to the hospital. When my Pastor's pastor arrived he said he began to cry. His Pastor told him to pull it together because his family was depending on him. Through this I understood that my family had to maintain a temperament of prayer and faith in God.
While my son was in surgery my wife and I saw children in this hospital in all kinds of conditions. While in the elevator my wife met a lady with carry out food from Pizza Hut in her hand. It seemed to be too much food for one person to consume. The lady said I can't believe my daughter is going to eat all of this. As we reached the lady's destination my wife asked, If her daughter was pregnant? The lady responded by saying no, my daughter is a 17 year old cancer patient. This entire floor is for adolescent cancer patients in the hospital. My wife and I began to Thank God that we didn't have to make the trip to that floor. We immediately were reminded of a message we once heard entitled, It Could Be Worse.
Within about three hours the doctors told us that the surgery was a success. Considering the fact that many have entered surgery on a daily basis and don't make it out this was a miracle from the Lord. The Glory belongs to God for bringing my son through. The bible says in I John 5:14,
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Even as we were going through, God gave us hope through his word. With this hope comes faith and effectiveness. The measure of an effective ministry does not lie in the numbers. The effectiveness exists in the ability of the members to grasp the vision of the visionary.
Humbly Submitted,
Edmund and Jennifer Rhynes