In the fall of 2002, my wife Teresa started experiencing some pain symptoms in her back that we could not find an explanation for. Over the next few years, it spread over her whole body.  After going to many different doctors, she was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.  The diagnosis was confirmed by more than one doctor.

Fibromyalgia has different levels of severity in different people.  My wife’s condition was particularly severe, and her health deteriorated to the point where she was only able to walk about 50 feet or so, and she could only be on her feet for about 90 seconds.  The pain was getting worse and worse.

Three years later, in December of 2005, she was struck with another condition in her arms that was eventually diagnosed as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (also known as RSD).  Because of the intense pain, she lost use of both arms and hands, and was no longer able to care for herself at all.  Her arms hurt so badly that it was painful even for air to blow on her skin sometimes.  Over time, not using her arms, and not being able to walk very well, she became weaker and weaker, and her hands actually started to close up into a fist.

It was a very bad situation, and that is putting it lightly.  And, it was getting worse day by day, month by month.

The next year, in August of 2006, I found out about a prayer email list at the company I work for.  I joined the list, and sent out this email:

—–Original Message—–

From: Neal

Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 11:07 AM

To: *****

Subject: Prayer Request

 Hi everyone.  I have a prayer request.

Over the past four years, my wife Teresa has developed some chronic pain conditions that have baffled many doctors.  The pain has become increasingly debilitating, and has left her very limited in what she is able to do physically.

God has faithfully brought us through it this far, and sent many people to help us along the way.  He has blessed us in many ways, and we are very thankful.  He has also led us to some good physicians, and we hope and pray that she is on the road to recovery.

I would like to ask you all to pray for her complete healing, and that God would use our testimony to bless others.

Thank you

Neal

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Someone replied to that email inviting me to a lunchtime study in one of the conference rooms at work.  It was a study on divine healing.  It was being led by a man named Bill Alsop.  I came to the study.  After it was over, I spoke to Bill briefly.  He didn’t know me, but I asked him about praying for my wife.  He invited me to his home that Friday night, August 25.

So, that Friday after work I picked up Teresa and we drove to his home.  On the way there I remember that I was somewhat excited, and I was expecting that we would receive encouragement and strength to go on.  There had been many people praying for us over the years.  We had a few times where people came by to pray with us, and there were other times when we had gone to different places for prayer.  I know there were lots more praying for us that we were not always aware of.  It always helped us to keep going, and that was pretty much what I was expecting.

When we arrived, we talked with Bill and his wife Cathy for a short while, and then we started praying.  Teresa was actually lying down on the floor at this point, and we were all praying in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Some of the time they were praying in tongues, some of the time they were praying in English.

After a few minutes, he told my wife to stand up.  He took her to the front door, and he told her to walk to the end of his street, turn the corner, walk up the hill to the mailboxes, touch one of them, then walk back.  He told her to talk to God while she walked.  (Bill later shared with us that the Holy Spirit had instructed him to do all of that in a vision he received while they were praying).

In my mind, I was thinking “What? She can’t even make it to the end of the driveway”…but before I could say anything, she took off walking out the door and down the street.  I knew that unless something supernatural happened, she would collapse within two minutes of walking out the door.

However, before I had time to object, Bill turned to me and said this: “You have been praying to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.”  That shocked me because I had not mentioned anything about that, even though it was absolutely true.  God was getting my attention…to help me believe.  He succeeded.  I stood up, Bill put his hand on my chest, and I began speaking in tongues for the first time…just like they did in the Bible.  I received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit right there in his living room, while at the same time my wife was walking down the street receiving a miraculous healing from God.

For a few minutes as I was speaking, I was somewhat overwhelmed in a flood of God’s presence, and I forgot that Teresa had gone out walking without me and without her wheelchair.  Before long, I looked towards the door and she was standing there talking to Bill.

She made it!  She walked all the way to the mailboxes and back.  That is about four blocks.  She was healed as she walked, and it was a miracle!

Bill told us to go buy her some walking shoes, and to go walking every day.  We talked a little while longer, and then drove home.  On the way home, I remember feeling like I just came out of a whirlwind, and wondering to myself “what just happened to us…”  The pain was gone from Teresa’s body.  She made the comment in the car that she was able to “feel her skin again.”

We got home and went for our first walk together in years.  We walked halfway to the end of our street and back, and she made it with no pain.  The next day we walked farther and still no pain.  No more need for the prescription pain medications for Fibromyalgia…and she has not taken one of those since then.

We continued walking farther and farther each day, and she was regaining her strength now that all of the terrible pain and fatigue were gone.  After about a week, she was able to walk for a mile.  Not long after that, it became two miles.  We donated her wheelchair to charity.  She was able to use her arms again, and feed herself and dress herself and everything else you do with your arms and hands.

She had a previously scheduled appointment coming up with the main Fibromyalgia doctor, and we decided to keep the appointment and tell him the good news.  After that appointment, I sent this message to the prayer email list:

—————————————————————

From: Neal

Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 3:06 PM

To: *******

Subject: Testimony Update

Hi everyone.

I am the person who sent out the testimony back in August about Christ healing my wife Teresa from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (FM/CFS).

I just wanted to send out a little story that I hope will build your faith. This is a story about what it is like to tell a doctor that Jesus healed you.

Last Wednesday, I took Teresa back the specialist she has been seeing for FM/CFS. His name is Dr. Charles Lapp, and he’s in Charlotte, NC. He is one of the top experts on for that condition in America, and he is absolutely the finest medical professional I have ever dealt with.

Teresa hasn’t been back to seen him since God healed her on August 25, so we were very excited to tell him what happened. The last time he saw her she was in constant severe pain. She was only able to stand up for about two minutes before feeling like she was going to collapse, and even sitting up was difficult.

This time was a completely different story, because now she walks about a mile or two for exercise every day, and all the pain and suffering is gone

Here’s how the appointment started:

Dr. Lapp: “You look great! How are you doing?”

Teresa: “Have you ever heard of someone getting healed from Fibromyalgia?”

Dr. Lapp: “No I haven’t. (he looked surprised and excited).”

Teresa: “Well, I have a story to tell you. On August 25, God healed me…”

Then she told him the story of what happened. He looked to be both amazed and excited at the same time.

He did all of his tests on her, and he just kept laughing because everything was negative. He said he had never seen anything like this before. We said “we haven’t either, but it sure is awesome!”

Then, he gave her a hug, told her how happy he was for her, and wrote up his report. Here’s what he wrote at the end of the report…and I quote:

“Assessment: CFS/FM – miraculously resolved!”

There’s nobody like Jesus.

I hope this will help you to believe that God is still doing miracles, and healing people.

—————————————————————

And now, years later, Teresa is an athlete.  She is at the gym every day doing some extreme workouts that would would put most men in the world to shame.  She is one of the most physically fit people that I know, and that is not an exaggeration.

The experience we had the night she was healed started us on a journey.  We began learning more about the Holy Spirit and how He wants to work through natural people to do supernatural things…and set people free from whatever conditions are holding them back.

The rest of the writings on this blog are mostly a collection of things that we have learned over the last few years as we began stepping out in faith and ministering to others.  I hope this blesses you and brings encouragement.  God loves you!

Neal