Reunited with …
One of our first pastors we met was a man by the name of Pastor Caballero. We met many pastors through our stay in Bacolod; many of them I begin crying when I remember their heart for Christ.
Pastor Caballero is a man who lives day-by-day traveling from house to house to lead Bible studies and pray with the people in his congregation. He isn’t a pastor his church sees only on Sundays; he is a pastor who has chosen to walk side-by-side his flock. We had the opportunity to travel with him for two of our days; we spent time meeting and encouraging each household, where weekly studies take place, in a lesson God laid on our hearts, none of the lessons were exactly the same.
At the first house we visited, we ended the Bible study with prayer, so I asked the seven women what they needed prayer for. A lady name Filey, sitting next to me, grabbed my hand and placed it to her chest. She began pushing down on my hand; I didn’t know what I was supposed to feel. And then I felt it… it was a lump in her left breast. She was concerned, yet she could do nothing about it. Was it only a mass? Was it going to grow? Was it cancerous? She was worried. In obedience, I prayed for healing; I trust God will heal her.
My heart sank for her. If it were me, I would go to the hospital, get checked out, and follow the doctor’s order. Filey doesn’t have this luxury, or is it a luxury? She explained that she would like to get a biopsy to find out if it was cancerous or not. If it needs to be removed, ICM will take her under a special case and pay for the surgery to remove the lump. In order for this to happen, she needed 500 Pesos (equivalent of 12USD), which she didn’t have.
As we were leaving on the third day, I wanted her to have a peace of mind that things would be ok – and have the opportunity to remove the mass. Trusting Pastor Cabaellero, I handed 600 Pesos to him to cover the biopsy and transport to the hospital. I didn’t know if I would ever see them again, so I prayed for her and knew that our God is a healer and will always take care of her.
The last Saturday in Bacolod our team participated in CELEBRATE JESUS, another celebration with 5,000 people – similar to the one the week before. This one was different. We looked around the crowd and began seeing faces we knew. Faces we worked with during the month. Faces we knew the story behind their smile. As I looked out in the audience, my eyes were scanning the crowd for Filey. As I look in the distance, I see a lady waving her arms at me – it was Filey! I thanked God that we could reunited. During a break, she came to find me – before I had a chance to run to her. She told me she received the results from the doctor that confirmed she has cancer but not yet a stage. Pastor Caballero is helping Filey apply under a special case of ICM, so they will cover the surgery; however, the cost of the medication is up to Filey. I am trusting that the money will be provided.
I was so thankful to be able to meet Filey; she is a joy to my life, and a person who lives day-by-day trusting God to heal her.
