Matthew 4:23

Hey, I did a post a while about my friend Christina getting healed, hear is how she put it on one of our St Mary's Students Facebook walls. Wanted to share this with you because she tells it way better than I do and it really is mint:

I know you guys have heard this a million times but this is for the ones who have not :) 

About six months ago, I got diagnosed with a heart condition that meant the valves in my heart were smaller than average and had trouble pumping blood constantly. Sometimes I would get what was called “episodes” were my heart would just give up and I would get a sharp pain from my heart followed by my left arm going dead and being unable to breathe etc. I was on medication to control these episodes but not for the condition itself. 

About two months ago I got told by the doctors that the valves were for some reason shrinking and I would need a heart transplant and they cannot fix my heart and was given up to a year to get one. A month later my condition was worsening so they priority listed me and told me I would have to get the heart transplant within 6 months or I would quite possibly die. The sad part being even if I did get a new heart my chances of living were for no more than another 10 years; being 20 that really sucked. 

I had such a strong support group of people from church and elsewhere who supported me and prayed for me and kept me strong through the whole thing, but it really did seem like the more we prayed about it all, the more ill I was getting; such to the point at I eventually kind of said fine God do whatever concentrated on other aspects of my faith. 

The life course weekend came around; Eastbourne was amazing; I felt like I had an amazing experience with God focusing on everything else except for my health. On our way back on the train I had another one of my episodes and freaked everyone out a little bit :) We came straight from the train station to church. At the end of the service John asked for someone to come up for prayer if they had a tingly sensation in their hand connected to a heart problem, and I conveniently ignored this request because I had been prayed for and not healed and I was too tired to deal with it at that point. 

After a little “persuasion” (did not demand I go to the front whatsoever) from Rach I was prayed for by a number of people including Rach and Jenny. I knew something happened I experienced the Holy Spirit like I had never before and by the end I was convinced I was healed. 

Next morning, I went for my check up as I do every Monday, and my doctor did an ECG said my readings were different from usual and did a sonogram for my heart called and Echo, and turned to me and said, I do not know how to tell u this but there is nothing wrong with your heart. 

There was no medical explanation to what happened, but nothing short of a new heart would make me better and now my heart is as good as new. It came at a perfect time, when I actually stopped slacking and started doing what God wanted in other aspects of my life. 

It has been just under a month now been for three checkups and they asked me to come every three months now because it is a waste of money to see a person who is healthy every week. I am of course off the transplant list. I am well and healthy. 

Sorry this was so long, but God did something truly amazing in my life, from being told I could only live another 10 years if I was really lucky (and knowing I would not be able to have what I have always wanted and dreamt of in life) to be given my whole life back is amazing. I feel loved. God is good he never fails; it is just up to us to be patient. 

Ah, so awesome.

God Bless,

L x

Everything I am for your Kingdom's cause.

Dear Friends,

Term started officially last week. This means I find myself heading over to Hight Street Kensington 3 days a week for a a few hours of lectures, lunch and sleeping on friends beds between class. I'm not going to lie, I probably have one of the easiest timetables going (rest assured mother, if you're reading this, I'm still doing lots of work.)

I feel like I should be blogging about the new and exciting stuff I'm doing in London, sadly, I don't seem to be doing much. I mean, I've done a fair amount (yet not nearly most) of the gallery and museums, I've use borris bikes regularly, I have evening lessons, I've been to a comedy nights, done the markets, I'm going to a philosophical debate (Does God Exist?) by leading Philosophers, become a lab rat for a behavioural research lab, pondered Kensington's Babylon Roof Gardens and in about 20 minutes I'm going to set off to the South Bank centre for the Autumn Cheese and Wine festival - Why not, I have a oyster card and the whole of London to explore.

But right now it doesn't feel enough.

A friend of mine asked me last week: "What is it you want to do in London?" I gave the standard reply - "erm, study, obviously." He went on to tell me about why he wanted to move to London, it was/is more to him that just a place to study but somewhere he can develop his passion. This was, it seemed to me, wishful thinking. Like an actor or actress going to LA thinking it's the place to start their movie career. Even so, I was quite envious of his ambition and he's hardly known for his "ambition." Something about London excites be, but I still feel like I'm not using the city I my advantage yet.

In an attempt to try and write more positively, I'm happy to inform you that I have found myself surrounded by people that I feel more than comfortable with, in halls, in Uni and outside. Which is something that I'm definitely grateful for. When I didn't get into Manchester, I wasn't too upset and that's because it seemed, and continues to seem quite clear to me that it was a "divine intervention."In the months coming up to choosing a university, choosing a course, cancelling my gap year and results day, I found myself constantly in and asking for prayer about what it is that God wants me to do, and where he wants me to do it. So, when results day finally came around, I didn't mind too much that I wasn't going to be spending my next  3 years in Manchester. I'm still trying to work out why God put me in London. I've spent the past few weeks trying new churches and trying to find a Christian community. Which I think has successfully been done in Koinonia and St Mary's.

----------------------------------
----------------------------------

The above was written 8 days ago.

Since then there has been no real change in my feelings towards my Church aspects to my life in London but on Tuesday I went to the Student meeting at St Mary's, and other than indulging in some quality Eaton Mess I had a really sweet night waiting on God and a couple of people had some words for me that I needed to hear so much and I am at ease with not knowing what's going to happen, who I'm going to be friends with and how I cope because it's all in Gods hands. Since Tuesday, which was like two days ago, I have felt a lot more comfortable with being here, I like the people I live with, I like the people I'm at uni with, I have a mint Christian fellowship and, y'kno.. I'm in London, which, though I love Manchester with all of my heart, is a definite improvement on Oldham.

Happy Days.

God Bless, L x