17 April 2013 by Timothy Tai CM –
When Sarawak-born Chris Wong met Mandy Shih from Taiwan, it was love at first sight. After a 4 year courtship, they got married on 2 June 2012 and lived happily ever after… Until they started planning to have a baby, that is.
After spending Chinese New Year 2013 with Mandy’s parents, Chris returned to Malaysia while Mandy stayed back in Taiwan. As a precaution to make sure everything was alright, she went for a medical checkup on 25 February. She thought it would just be a routine checkup but she received very distressing results: the doctors found a tumour on her right ovary. Mandy and Chris were completely shell-shocked.
Hoping that there had been some sort of mistake, she went for another test but it only served to confirm her worst fears. There was no mistake. The second scan clearly showed that the tumour was definitely there and it was in fact 7cm long (which is almost the length of a credit card). Her doctors told her that it was serious and that if it wasn’t removed, it would lead to more grave complications such as further infection. The greatest and scariest risk of all was that she might lose her right ovary altogether.
Their hearts sank and the newlywed couple plunged into despair. It was a harrowing time and it was made all the more difficult by the fact that they were in different countries at the time. The doctors scheduled Mandy’s operation for 20 March and Chris made plans to travel to Taiwan so he could be by his wife’s side. As if they didn’t have enough problems to deal with, money was also very tight for them.
Their faith in God was put to the test. Since the tumour was first discovered, they had been praying for God to supernaturally heal Mandy. However on 4 March, Chris and Mandy decided to press in for God’s healing by praying and fasting for two weeks. Skipping two meals and only eating once a day was not easy though. As Chris laughingly recalls, “That was my biggest challenge bro! Well, praying is not a problem but fasting? Look at my tummy! What is the child inside me going to eat?!”
They fasted and prayed fervently as Mandy prepared herself for surgery in Taiwan. But as her surgery date drew closer, she struggled with loneliness and was plagued with fear and insecurity. She was at a loss and confused as to what to do.
That was when God spoke to Chris through Mark 5:25-34. It was about the woman who suffered from a bleeding condition for 12 long years. The woman determinedly pressed through the crowd of people to touch Jesus’ cloak, thinking that “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” The woman was desperate but she was healed by her faith as Jesus told her in verse 34.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” – Mark 5:34
Chris shared the passage with Mandy and Mark 5:34 became the anchoring verse that would help them weather the storm that they were going through. Not only that, two of Mandy’s colleagues also came up to her on separate occasions and gave her the very same verse. It was a revelation that encouraged Mandy to push on and persevere. Something inside Mandy started to change and she was no longer scared, lonely or insecure. Instead, she started singing praises to God and drew closer to Him and cultivated His presence, believing that she was healed.
Meanwhile back in Malaysia, Chris’ church and life group members generously blessed him with money and he flew to Taiwan to be with his wife. Not wanting Mandy to go under the knife due to the risks involved, the pair continued praying and fasting. Then on 16 March, just a few days before her operation, Mandy went for another scan and lo and behold, there was no tumour to be found! Initially they didn’t believe it themselves.
“How can a 7 cm tumour go missing if it wasn’t for God who took it away?” Chris declared, “So we asked the doctor whether Mandy still needed to for the operation and the doctor said ‘No!’”
They excitedly told everyone the astonishing news but as word travelled, it was met with skepticism and disbelief. Except for Mandy’s parents and the people praying for them, many others were doubtful and didn’t believe that God had removed the tumour. They thought that the doctor had made a mistake and urged Mandy to go for another scan. Before long, even Mandy and Chris were influenced by the skepticism of others and they too started questioning if the doctor had done a bad job.
Looking back, Chris said “You see the enemy was trying to tear our faith apart. When God is at work, the enemy is also actively sowing disbelief.” But thankfully God soon intervened. They felt the Lord saying to them, “Which is more important? My promises to you or other people’s opinion? I am the healer, not them. Stay focused.” So they stopped dwelling on the lies of the enemy and focused instead on the faith that God had given them and on the healing that took place. This time, another verse came to them:
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:11
It was Chris and Mandy’s earnest desire to testify of God’s healing to people so that others would know that they could receive His healing too. “We were so sure that this tumour was crushed by the blood of Jesus,” they remarked. So on 18 March 2013, Mandy went for yet another scan at a different hospital. In fact, they ended up going to the same hospital that the President of Taiwan went to and the second scan revealed what they already knew to be true: The tumour was well and truly gone.
In Chris’ own words, “Two doctors confirmed that the tumour was gone and that Mandy didn’t need to go for the operation. All because one Big Doctor said ‘By my stripes you are healed.’ And guess what? Even the unbelievers praise God for it. I am going around telling this testimony, encouraging people that there is still a God who heals and He wants to heal you so badly. But God can’t do it if we are not willing to walk this healing journey with Him.”
To God be all the glory and praise!
For those of you who speak Mandarin, you can also watch the testimony that Mandy gave at her church in Taiwan:
Note: Timothy grew up in Kuching and worked in KL before jumping off the corporate ladder in 2006. He moved to New York City where he served at an inner-city kids ministry for almost 6 years. He has since returned to KL and has just married his Irish fiancee Sarah.
Dear Viewers in Christ, if you find this article edifying to you, please share with your friends or loved ones by using the social media plugs (Share, Email to this article). The Lord will surely bless you as you bless others. May the Lord’s peace and love be with you. Amen.
References for pictures:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7fJMkav_2o/To-cvOBNU5I/AAAAAAAAAuo/JyeoTgFH1f0/s1600/praise.jpg
This is surely the Lord`s doing and it`s marvelous in our eyes!!!