Sita

My neighbour is a lovely Chinese gentleman. I often chat to him over the fence, as neighbours do. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that he didn’t look well at all. He looked weak, pale and drawn. When I asked how he was, he said that since returning from a long holiday in China, he’d been suffering from a chest condition, with flu-like symptoms and weakness. Despite several visits to doctors and various herbal remedies he was not getting better. I felt really sorry for him and I remember telling my husband how unwell our neighbour was.

One morning some time later I was getting in the car to drive to the Thursday Women’s group at church. He was in his front garden and I noticed how slowly he walked up the path. As I watched, God spoke to me in my spirit and said ‘You need to pray for him.’ I then drove off to church. I sort of filed away what God has said in the back of my mind.

The meeting that morning was very moving – Rachel Molano was talking about the persecuted Christians she’d met in Egypt. Persecution is a subject very close to my heart. Afterwards I approached Rachel and we discussed ways of helping the people she had talked about. She told me was collecting cash to help one particular family in Egypt.

From the meeting I went to work and on the way home I suddenly remembered what God had told me to do.

‘OK Lord, if that’s really what you want, then give me an opportunity,’ I prayed.

As soon as I pulled into our drive, there was my Chinese neighbour by the fence! I was a bit nervous but I said, ‘I think Jesus wants to heal you. He loves you. Can I come and pray for you?’

Bearing in mind that he is a Buddhist my offer may have come as a surprise, but he was very gracious and said yes! He said he’d let me know when a good time would be. Friday, Saturday and Sunday went by, and on Monday I saw his wife in the back garden.

‘Did your husband tell you about me coming to pray for him?’ I asked.

‘Yes, come over at four this afternoon if you like,’ she said.

So I turned up at four on the dot and I was shown into the front room. His wife didn’t want to be present so she left us. I put a hand on my neighbour’s shoulder and asked the Lord to heal him. I also prayed for his wife, his children and the Chinese earthquake victims. Then I came home, thinking rather nervously, ‘There – I’ve done what you asked me Lord!’

On Tuesday morning there was no sign of my neighbour, but his wife said he’d had a comfortable night. On Wednesday I was doing some gardening and he suddenly appeared by the fence. I was amazed at how well he looked. He was glowing! All the colour was back in his cheeks and the chest condition was gone.

He told me how well he was feeling, then dashed back into the house and returned brandishing an ornate red and gold envelope. He explained that it contained money as a gift for healing him. I was horrified! I said I couldn’t accept money for what God had done for him. He insisted - he’d consulted some Chinese elders, and they agreed that he must offer a gift for his healing, according to their tradition. He even refused my suggestion that he give it to charity. Reluctantly, I accepted the envelope, telling him I would think about who to give the money to.

‘Now,’ he said, satisfied with my reaction, ‘I have this heart condition…’

Later, I prayed about what to do with the money, and straight away I remembered Rachel telling me about the family in Egypt that she was collecting for. I took it to her the next day, Thursday, and told the whole story at the women’s group. As for his heart condition – I told him we would pray for his heart at our church if he wanted to come! He has since come to our church one Sunday and I’m waiting to hear his reaction…