Elijah Challenge Basic Training in the Pacific Northwest | May 2009
Testimonies from the Heavy Rain Conference, Seattle, WashingtonRegional Elijah Challenge Affiliates
Other Elijah Challenge events with Vietnamese churches
Seattle, Washington
Testimony in the aftermath of the ConferenceDear Pastor William,
Thank the Lord...Thank you God...Thank you heavenly Father!!!!
Thanks to God for the opportunity to listen, learn, and practice God's truth words over the weekend through your teaching. It was so wonderful. I was so grateful that God led you to the Pacific Northwest and to the Vietnamese Churches in Seattle in particular.
My husband was able to attend the Friday, Saturday evening, and full day services on Sunday. He worked on Saturday so he missed the 3 sessions. But, I bought a set of DVD as a family library resource. In the evening, my husband and I watch DVD again to review your teaching. Thanks God for your ability to demonstrate his words so alive, so effective, and so clearly to his people over the weekend. Thanks for his miracles in bringing many lost souls to see light again. I have seen so many people flood inside the small room to accept God as their savior after your Sunday service. It was so amazing to see the power of God at work. I thank the Lord for that and thank you for your kindness and your teaching. It was a hard job, teaching in a sanctuary with a room full of people in a hot day without air conditioning, but everyone was so concentrating on listening to the word of God through you that we forgot to complain how hot it was. It was so amazing.
My mom, husband and I all laughed that we could sit from 9 am through 10 pm on Saturday to listen to your teachings but did not feel tired. After Friday session, I couldn't wait until Saturday to come back. After Saturday, I couldn't wait to come back for Sunday worship. I felt time seem to pass so quickly. We have been blessed with honest teaching. We received and learned so much. I wished we had 5 days of revival instead of only 3 days. Pray that God will bring you back to Seattle again in the Pacific Northwest among the Vietnamese people. Our church is Seattle Vietnamese Christian Community Church. My family and I attend this church. This past weekend was my first ever experiencing the word of God so alive. I have never seen how powerful God 's words though I have been sitting in the church for over 20+ years.
How God healed my right armI had pain on my right arm since January due to moving furniture in the house by myself. My husband asked, "How did you get that piece (heavy chest) from that place to this place over here?" I moved everything in the family room by myself. I brought a semi-sofa from the basement up to the family room by myself too. I moved an upright piano to a position that I wanted and rearranged everything in this room. I had no idea how I did it but I did it. I am very active. Two men had trouble moving the chest in the past, but I managed to finish the job by myself. Well, I ended up having pain in my right arm the next day. The pain was not too bad; I thought it would go away in a few days. A few days, then a few weeks, then a few months, the pain got worse. The pain by now has spread and widened up to my shoulder and my head. I had terrible headaches. I complained and my friend told me, "Becky, you got to see a doctor. The nerves may have damaged.” The next day, I went to a chiropractor for treatment for three weeks, three times a week. The doctor used a needle poking the back of my hand toward the index and pinky fingers. I felt nothing, and he said it will take some time to correct the nerves since they may have been damaged. After two weeks of treatment, I felt better with my headache and shoulder but arm. I quit seeing the chiropractor for a week because I didn’t have time. On the second week, the headache came back; this time I asked what's wrong with my arm? I thought of seeing a physical therapist for treatment for my arm. The doctor was going to recommend one in the next few weeks if his treatment does not help me to improve.
Due to my busy schedule, I stopped getting treatment even though my arm still was in pain. Two weeks later, my headache came back terribly; the pain began in the middle of my head and spread downward to my neck. I took no medication. After Wednesday, May 13th, I went back to my family medical doctor. She examined me and then prescribed a pain-killer. I refused and told her that I don't like to take medication for pain. So she recommended seeing a physical therapist or a massage therapist for regular treatment. My plan was to visit the physical therapist after the Heavy Rain Conference on May 15-17th [where you were the speaker]. Friday evening on my way to the conference I complained to my husband about the pain in my right arm. My biggest problem has always been that I am very active and always find things to do around the house. I don't like any strange pain in my body preventing me from moving, working, doing things that I love to do. Thus, after over four months of pain, I couldn't stand it anymore.
During the Friday evening session, I had faith that I would get healed. I got up when you called for demonstrating God's power and authority. Two sisters put their hands on my arm and commanded healing. The first time I got 50% healing; the second time I got 80% healing; the third time, I still had about 10% remaining. By this time, healing from my headache and shoulder pain I could not confirm because the headache and shoulder pain came and went in the days prior to the event so I couldn’t say. I went up to the stage to witness the healing in front of everyone. I told everyone the pain in my arm was improved of 80% or more. I came down but was not satisfied. On Saturday, there were occasions during your teachings; you lead us to practice healing with the given power and authority of God. I prayed earnestly. I put my left hand on my right arm and commanded many times thoughout Saturday and Sunday. I still had 1-2% left. I was not satisfied. The healing must be 100% in order to confirm God does exist and your teaching of God giving power and authority to his people. For me, I must see. I must experience to believe.
My prayer to GodYesterday, Tuesday May 19th, 2009, on my way taking my three children to school, I spoke to God.
"Dear God, my sins may prevent me from getting healed completely. Whatever sin that I have sinned against you, please forgive me. Now, I want to know that you really exist and Pastor William's teaching was justified. I am not satisfied when I am still in pain even though it is only minor pain. This is about my faith. I want to know that you really exist. I want to know that what Pastor William taught over the weekend was right, was justified, and your power and authority can evidently be proclaimed as he taught. I don't want to think this is a coincidence. I am like Thomas. He touched your palms to known that you were real and alive. I want the pain in my right arm to be gone 100% by the end of today, not tomorrow, or not a few days later. I may sin against you by saying that the pain was gone, and it was time to heal by itself, not by your work, not what Pastor William has taught over the weekend. God, please help me to see this clearly. I will never have doubt in your authority and your power again. I want to know that you are real, that the one whom I have been worshiping is real. It's not religion that men made up. What Pastor Willam taught over the weekend was according to the Bible. I can go back and read Mathhew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts and want to experience the living words and know that your words are still alive today and you still do miracles. Everything he taught and quoted was directly from your true words in the Bible. He did not elaborate, so help me God. Help me to know you really exist. Help me to proclaim that Pastor William's teaching was right and was approved by you. He is not making these up to teach us to believe. Thus, in order for me to see the sign, I must witness the healing of my arm 100% by the end of today. I will be your witness of this healing. I will have no doubt but say the truth from my own experience. If it happens tomorrow, or a few days later, it won't count because of my weaknesses---my coming up with other reasons like 'coincidence' or 'it was not God who healed me.'"
After I said that to God, I felt so nervous for the whole afternoon. What if the miracle actually happens and my pain is gone completely today? What will I do? What if there is no healing? What will I do? Will I still trust in God 100%? Or will I blindly trust man-made religion? I kept talking to God everywhere I went yesterday. I cannot accept it if the healing of my arm is tomorrow or a few days later. I just can't. I told God that. I was driving and making deals with God. All the reasons and all the questions kept replaying as if a CD was playing in my head. By 5:30 pm, I said to myself, forget it. It won't happen. God won't make a deal with me. Who am I that God has to make a deal with me? I believe that Pastor William's teaching was right; it was directly quoted word to word, phrase to phrase from the Bible. I still believe in you even if the miracle does not happen today. I said to to myself, maybe I still have sin against God. That was why God did not heal me completely. On the other hand, I was not satisfied. How can I know that the healing was from God as Pastor William taught in past 3 days. Am I still sinning against God? What are my sins? Didn’t I this morning already asked God to forgive my sin? I asked that God would heal me 100% so that I could know that my faith was in the right place. I want to know for sure that God exists and he still does miracles today. Thus, I want my arm healing 100% by end of today, not tomorrow, not a few days later. I cannot accept it. By 5:35 my 2 younger children were in swim sessions and I was also in the pool to swim. I forgot the deal I had made with God.
My older son had a swim lesson at 7:45 PM, thus I waited around in the waiting room. I took my Bible out (I never brought a Bible to this place except for tonight) and began to read Luke 1 and on. I was so concentrating word by word, phrase by phrase, God commanded healings to sick people. God taught lessons to his disciples and apostles. The story took me back to Jesus' time and I was reading stories but it was as if I was watching history replayed movement by movement in Luke so clearly. I tried to put bags, clothes, and snack bag covering the Bible but I heard whistling voices from other parents around me telling their children to keep quiet down. "She is reading the Bible, keep it down." I was completely involved in the stories. I forgot the deal that I had made with God this morning.
After all my children finished their swim lessons, I drove them home at about 8:25 PM. It's about 5 minutes or less from the Lynwood Recreation Center to my home. My oldest son who is 9 years old said, "Mom, look at the rainbow." I looked up and then recalled the deal I had made with God this morning again. Deep down in my heart, I was not satisfied. “The rainbow is so beautiful," I replied.
The miracleAt a certain moment, my right arm felt lightened and I noticed as if something had been taken away from my arm. It was a flash from shoulder to hand. I began to move my arm, lift up, down, back and forth. The pain was gone. I was in shock. I could not believe it was real.
Then my son continued, "Mom, God promised he will never flood the earth again. But there is still flooding. God promised that. How come there is still flooding?" Following up on his brother, my 6 year old daughter said, "yes, there's still flooding, right? But God promised that?"
By now, my arm was completely healed. I shook my head and smiled then I responded to my children and affirmed them "God does keep his promises...." I continued on explaining and answered to them how God kept promises about the rainbow sign. They all said, "I see." By this time, we already arrived in front of our house. It was about 8:30 PM on May 19th, 2009.
God is so real!!! He is so truthful!!! My headache, shoulder, and arm have been healed. I do not need to see a physical therapist for treatment. Thanks to the Lord!!!! I must say this is my testimony of his power and authority and may my word be God’s witness. May my witness confirm that God does exist and that He is still doing miracles today? He is the only One whom we shall all worship to the end.
After attending your teaching over the weekend, I began to read the Bible and understand clearly. The words of God became alive. I started to become interested in reading the Bible. I have been reading about investments and other subjects though I hardly miss Bible study or any church conferences. I attended and read the Bible with other Christians as in group study but I rarely read the Bible at home or alone. Now, I feel I need more time to read the Bible than ever to know more of God.
Once again, thank you so very much for the 3 days of teaching and preaching at the Heavy Rain Conference. I thought everyone should have the DVD set as his/her home library reference to understand about the authority and power the Lord has given to his followers to accomplish his Great Mission.
In Christ,
B. H. in Lynwood, Washington
Luke 10:9 "Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.’"
