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This has got to be the scariest but by the same token, the most powerful chapter of my life demonstrating our Heavenly FATHER's Amazing Grace and Love.


Feb. 24 this year, my husband Adrian had the second open-heart surgery to replace the defective mechanical mitral valve that was placed on him almost three years prior,which was his first open-heart operation.

The days that followed were such of 'seemingly endless' agony, very strong mental and emotional torment which were extremely fiery darts from the devil.  (Above all taking the shield of faith,wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the devil. Ephesians 6:16)

It wasn't a single dart or mental attack and I wish it was, they were 'darts',  and they weren't even simple darts. They were fiery in the most extreme sense that lasted almost seven months, that had not my GOD upheld me in the inside I wouldn't be here 'penning' this , to testify of HIS faithfulness to HIS WORD. HIS Love. HIS Grace. And until now, I'm learning to clutch with all my strength to HIM. To abide by HIM, HIS WORD.

(I didn't have the courage to take his photo up-close because of how painful his appearance was.He stayed in the Intensive care unit for about three months.)

I confess, it had not been easy to stand my ground in the face of opposing physical sights.

My husband, after the third open chest surgery in less than a month, felt like giving up. And indeed, I know he has a story that he has died, as he recounted about floating above his body, and the medical staff in the ICU treating him.




That time, each day, questions and pain filled my mind, anxiety and depression for what seemed an eternity.

Where do you run for help? What can you do? What can you say ?

 
Yes, we know the story of the four hebrew children who were thrown into the fiery furnace heated seven times more. Daniel 3:24-28 . We may go through the fire, we may suffer, against the will of my Loving FATHER, but HE IS With Me, with us.



Barely  a week after they opened him up, the doctors told me and my sister in-law,  that he had internal bleeding and they found a form of embolism and formation in the wound and so operated on him for the second time.

Then, barely a week after this event, they announced again that he developed an infection of the sternum where they previously operated on. So they had to open him up again for the third time and this time though, they left it open for a week , exposing the scary sight of an open chest covered with some sponge that sucked the bacteria that caused that last problem.

 The last operation done on him was to remove the calcium deposits that solidified due to months of intravenous feeding and a host of drug medications,without possibility of drinking or eating orally.

The last cause of his stay in ICU was due to acute bronchitis which left him with barely a thin slice of air, that every single word  he uttered left him gasping for dear breath. He also suffered from Hepatitis. He was pierced (holes) almost everywhere, in both his sides, for drainage, on his neck, on different parts of  both his arms, every week, everytime a surgery was performed on him, he had to be connected to tubes that caused to be unconscious for two straight days, that I also began to question the doctors if it might cause brain damage, not to mention the large amounts of drugs they administered on him. He could not eat nor drink for three months because his vocal cords which were damaged, caused food and liquid intake to be directed to his lungs or heart.

I clung to HIS Faithfulness to HIS WORD, by Which HE established everything. In tears and sleeplessness and depression, anxiety and just about every mental and emotional torture the devil was throwing at me, my/ our Only and constant Deliverer was our Lord JESUS. Although nobody came to visit my husband, but me and my sister in-law and her family and friend, in all the six months he was confined. I don't really mind, as long as my Loving FATHER GOD IS our Stay and HE IS Perpetually with me and our family. This is all that matters to me. Only JESUS. Only my JESUS. Our JESUS.


And my Loving FATHER also used a wonderful family who took care of  my daughter every single day while I was in the hospital with my husband  and, I lift them up ( A. Estioko family) in prayers to our Lord JESUS. They were the most tangible help from my GOD during those times. GOD BLESS them Tremendously, as I would always pray.

I thank our friends, other Christian ministry prayer warriors and churchmates in ICFRome who held Adrian up in their prayers.

Every single time, when the doctors left a question mark on wether he would make it through the infection, or bronchitis, or other issues, I would run to my GOD (where else? who else can overturn this situation?) Then, my Loving Heavenly FATHER delivered my husband from every single attack of the devil to his physical body. There is no other explanation for the physical survival or recovery of my husband but HIS Divine healing. GOD Loves me, as much as HE loves you.
My GOD turned our mourning to dancing. The test into testimony, a mess into a message of HIS Grace, Mercy and Love through our Lord JESUS. Hence, this testimony of our Loving FATHER 'S Amazing Love and Grace! Praise The LORD in JESUS Name Amen!

This morning is the first of a 5-day English Summer School Program offered freely by my home-church, International Christian Fellowship;whereas the same program costs as much as Eur 150 per week, per child in a regular school. I wanted to enroll my daughter in a regular catholic-sponsored summer school in our area so she wouldn't get bored but she had been looking forward to ICF 's English school because she had bonded (so) well with many kids. So, this morning it had been easy to make her get-up, she was even singing inside the shower, (she tie-coiled her hair on both sides like the star-wars lady and slept on them the night prior) and she did her hair on her own. When we got to the church,I observed how excited she was as she sang and jumped up and down to the gospel songs which she was already familiar with. At home she was ecstatic as she related their activities and was even jealous that somebody drew better than her.

The main point is that,she was always the one demanding that we go to church otherwise I would get blamed.This is the second year our daughter is attending the ICF summer school program.

Now, flashback to October 13, 1983 the day I was born again,my spiritual birthday. I signed my personal covenant with GOD  in a southern baptist or fundamentalist church in Manila's (Philippine capital) university belt area. I learned so much about GOD and the greatest hymns, and supporting my faith through good works.my first steps in my Christian walk. But then it wasn't long before I left the church due to indifference among the members which is comprised of mainly young students, even though I enjoyed the Pastor's style of preaching.Then I learned that there had been a break-away group and the Pastor that I liked started a full-gospel church which I eventually joined. Then I found my first job which afforded me an independent 'single' life and mixing with happy go-lucky people that,meant backsliding for me. In short, since my spiritual birth, I jumped from one church to the next, hampering my growth and relationship with my Lord JESUS for many years. Then GOD led me Italy where I started from scratch, with no job, no money,nobody for a friend, no means to almost anything. But I/we met a family-clan of fellow-Filipinos who hosted us,fed us and helped us for many months until we were able to stand on our own.Year 2002 I found International Christian Fellowship,about the same time that I met an Italian man who eventually became my husband.ICF became our homechurch up until we had our first and only child,who on her third month of life 'played' the baby JESUS in ICF's 2006 Christmas Nativity scene. Since then, yes there had been a few minor and negligible problems such as bickering,indifference,pride and other forms of immaturity,in this church which challenged me to change church yet again.

Now GOD made me realize that, every church is made up of imperfect people like me, trying to live out the mind of CHRIST. GOD showed me that  the church I'm looking for ,will only begin to exist as soon as we change this corruptible bodies to an incorruptible one. I believe it is GOD Who has planted me and our family,here in this church.

The first time that I stayed so long with one church, not necessarily of my own choice. Personally,I find some church-mates who are not exactly 'like-feathers' with me or vice-versa, but I know in spite of our differences,that GOD understands where each of us is coming from,especially me.In the same token, there are also many members here who make ICF church worth attending. Each of us is different and the best thing we can do is not look to each other but Only to JESUS.
 I remember when Peter was curious and wondered (or made a comparison?  about John, in John 21:21) JESUS told Peter 'What is that to you? You follow me.'  As if emphasizing, not to bother about others' business, but our 'business' is exclusively with CHRIST only.

We know that the church is the House of The Father, where HE meets us HIS children. Where HE mainly houses HIS corporate blessings.Where our children are taught GOD's ways and blessed above all.Needless to say, our Heavenly Father loves each of us, and likewise as HIS church, unconditionally.

So having 'said' all, I conclude that; we will have to either (with)stand or celebrate each other's differences until JESUS returns, and praise GOD that HE made each of us unique in HIS Own image.GOD BLESS us all Tremendously in JESUS Name Amen!