Becoming Perfect
May 16th, 17th and 18th were days filled with the care of Sister Vickie. The tumor still attached to her body had begun to change. What was once solid and firm was now becoming soft and squishy. It had started seeping blood but Sister Vickie had amazingly stopped bleeding after 9 years. Janaun describes those days as "a terrible race between Mom and her tumor." The changes in the tumor gave them all a glimpse of hope but some swelling in her tummy was causing much concern. Sister Vickie in her already weakened state was fighting day in and day out to hold on to life.
As our Brethren do during times like this they each came one by one to pray and visit with Sister Vickie and her family. When I asked Janaun if her mother was afraid she said "as a matter of fact she was very peaceful. She was so peaceful that she would fall asleep while brethren were talking and visiting with her." She said that she spent a lot of time apologizing for falling asleep. I'm sure the Brethren were over joyed at her falling asleep in their presence. It is often said that when the sick or injured are prayed for that they often fall into a very peaceful sleep. Ive seen this myself. It is quite amazing and very comforting to see. I'm immensely glad for that that the Lord does for us in our times of need. The joy and peace you feel when you have called upon the elders or the Lord himself has sent one of his servants to your side to pray and the one being prayed for falls asleep just after or before the prayer is even through.
May 19th brought with it some great improvements. Sister Vickie became strong enough to roll over on her own. The swelling in her tummy that had concerned them was begining to go down. It was encouraging to those around her to see some improvement after so many days of struggling. These improvements along with the changes in the tumor and the ceasing of her flow of blood were all very encouraging.
On May 20th during a break in the line of concerned visitors Sister Pam Nation and Sister Vickie's husband Brother Larry decided to closely examine the tumor that had now been attached to Sister Vickie for 9 days. Sister Pam carefully unwrapped the tumor. Brother Larry examined the tumor. He felt of the attached stalk and even squeezed it a bit. Janaun had said and written in her mothers journal that when he felt the firm thick leaders that ran through the stalk and into the tumor how strong and absolute they were that the hope drained from his face. Brother Larry and Sister Pam talked about ways to cut of the blood supply to the tumor. Sister became worried about the effects that might would have on Sister Vickie. They had already tried alcohol on the bottom of the tumor hoping it would dry things out a bit. It made that part of the tumor very leathery. They wondered what effect hydrogen peroxide might have on it. Sister Pam carefully applied the hydrogen peroxide to the tumor taking extra care not to get any on Sister Vickie. Sister Vickie declared that she was able to feel the tingling of the peroxide. Sister Pam and Brother Larry exchanged looks and asked where? She made a circular motion around the tumor. They had just confirmed that the tumor was indeed alive and the connection between it and Sister Vickie was secure. Sister Pam and Brother Larry were distraught at their discovery. They had hoped that the tumor was becoming weaker and that it would soon be loosed. That appeared to be not at all the case.
With a car driving up the drive way the flow of company started again. Sister Vickie was covered and quickly made presentable. The visitors slowly and laboriously making there way up the driveway were Brother Mark and Sister Caroline Gallegos along with Carolines sister Sister Ruthie . Brother Mark had been rendered nearly immobile from congestive heart failure. His trip to the Pfister house, up the driveway, to the front door and across the house was a great deal of effort and strength for him. The Lord had laid it upon his heart to come and pray and his own dire illness was not going to keep him from his fathers work. When the three arrived at the bedside of Sister Vickie they all prayed for her. Brother Mark had prayed for her in tongues. Janaun had said that it was one of the most beautiful prayers she had heard. When he had finished praying, he patted Sister Vickie on the shoulder and said "I'll see you on the other side." As they made their way out Sister Vickie said to her daughter "I wonder if he will cross over before me?"
Brother Larry escorted the Gallegos out and as he did he became overwhelmed with the spirit of the Lord to Pray for Brother Mark. There in the gravel of the driveway he prayed for him naming him "a mighty man of valor." When Brother Larry had came into the house he peeked in on his wife. The Janaun Pam and Kara were busy properly cleaning and wrapping the tumor. Being overcome by the feelings Brother Marks visit had had on him he called his father to visit with him about it. While he was on the phone Sisters Pam, Kara, and Janaun finished the cleanup of Sister Vickie. Sister Pam finished up on the wrapping of the tumor. Kara and Janaun talked as Pam carefully wrapped the last bit of tumor, when suddenly, and miraculously the tumor came off in her hands. Silence filled the room as Pam, Kara and Janaun's brains tried to process what their eyes were seeing. Pam slowly held the tumor away from Sister Vickie and in an awestruck voice proclaimed "It's off." Kara and Janaun then looked at each other as if to confirm that the other had saw it too. Janaun then went running and sliding across the hard wood floor of the Pfister home. She swung open the door to where her father stood visiting with his father on the phone. Her eyes met his and she shouted "It's off!" As they talked to Sister Vickie they told her "It's off" the tumor is off. "Mom it's off." She replied in a weak shocked voice "It's off?"
On this day, all that she had hoped for, dreamed of and believed the Lord for had came to pass. She was commanded to be made whole and she was. The tumor that was so solid and full of life a mear 20 minutes before had let go. Brother Mark hadn't had time to get back to the highway before the Lord acted and Sister Vickie was loosed of the tumor that had slowly grown in her belly for 9 long years.
A miracle.
The story of Sister Vickie is not yet finished.
