The Gathering of Saints

You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation--I don't want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God's deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part.

2 Corinthians 1:11

Katy came into the offices of The Neighborhood Center yesterday for what she must have thought would be just a short visit.  She had finished with some important chemotherapy appointments.  She came through the downstairs into the area where The Lost Boys of the Sudan have their community center.  They surprised her with their delight; they were seeing her for the first time since hearing of her brain tumor.  Oh, she was greeted as if this sister belonged just to them, their sweet loved one who they have been crying out to the Lord for.

What is going on here is more than compassion and concern.  It is the Spirit of God knitting hearts together across all sorts of boundaries for His purposes.  He has a lot to teach us, together, through Katy and her sufferings.  “Try to see it”, I could feel my heart grappling, “try to understand this.”  We prayed together, this supernatural gathering of saints.  These “lost boys” who have lived through barbarous human indecency now part of this “Katy” rescue operation.   

I have spent the day thinking about who we are.  The ones God has gathered to intercede for Katy and her healing.  A supernatural gathering of saints.

Our family continues to pray for Katy.  In fact, our daughter, Anya, has dedicated her dance this past weekend to honor Katy and pray for her healing.  As with most Native American customs and traditions, there is a story behind each dance or song, an the jingle dress dance is said to have originated when an Ojibwe man, who had a very ill daughter, dreamt that if he made her a jingle dress and she  danced in it, she would be healed.  The legend goes that he did this and his daughter was healed as she danced in the dress he made her. 

While our family knows that all healing comes from the Creator, our daughter realizes that while she is dancing it is good to lift those who are not well up in prayer and pray that the Creator heals those with infirmity.  Anya will dance again this weekend and our family will continue to pray for Katy's healing and strength to endure the treatments that she will go through.

katy, espero que te recuperes muy pronto sentimos mucho que estas enferma y deseamos que pronto estes bien .Para que venga a la ga porque los ninos la estranan mucho !!!!!QUE sabemosque us!!!!!!
de Maria perez

 

Hello dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

i have got your prayer request for our sister Katy and i will pray for her with everyone in our church in Uzbekistan i know that our Lord Jesus Christ hears our prayer.

my name is Nona i am 34.iam a teacher .

Let Gog bless you .

My English is not good but i know for sure when we will be in the heaven with our Father we will use one language and i can see Katy tell her that i love her very much and thankfull for everything she is doing

Love Nona Petrosyan

Hey Katy-
As I read through each post here, I got all teary with each one, with the news that people from all over are praying. Just to let you know that all of us down at Monday Nights will be praying also for you tonight. That's over 350 kids!
Love you Katy, Sarah Leon

“The whole world seems to be praying right now”

 

Praying saints …

the Christian group on campus from Tucson, AZ, Women of Worth bible study group, Sandy and Gary from Bosnia, a brother from Scotland who is also a missionary, Grand Rapids, MI, Atlanta, GA, the small "Charlie Team" prayer group, Wash, DC, a host of people at St. Luke's UMC, someone rallied every Christian this side of the Mississippi in prayer for you, Texas, what feels like the whole city of Indianapolis, Indiana, someone’s church back home in the OC and college friends from APU …

 

Hi, do you remember me, Christopher Rodriguez? I was in your first grade class at Ocean View. I'm in 4th grade now at Ocean View in Mrs. Scott's class. I am so sorry you are sick and pray you get well soon. Think happy thoughts and know many of us are thinking about you. Christopher Rodriguez, Whittier, CA

 

 

The Bible study group at Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV), my church Trinity United Methodist of Palm Beach, Florida praying for you and I put a prayer request in at CBN, everyone from TAB, Faith Lutheran in Louisville, Kentucky, Houston, Times Square Church, N.Y., “we have passed this on to our friends here and elsewhere around the world”,Escondido, CA …

 

Prior to April 1st, I had not known anything about you. I've now read small scenes of your story and the impact you have had on what appears to be hundreds of children and families. I've seen a photo of you and am drawn to bring your face, stories, and your need before our Jehovah Rapha. I find I'm not sure what to say to Him. It seems so incomprehensible that one who is impacting the kingdom's most loved and treasured, one who is so young, so beautiful, so full of life and faith, would be called to suffer so much. But, that often seems to be the exactly the ones called to suffer to greatest. In brining your face and stories before God, I know our Intercessor speaks all that is necessary. My heart has been touched by the life you offer and I'm saddened by all that is known and unknown. I printed the email originally sent out by Kit which has a photo of you and have it on our refrigerator so that I'm reminded often to stop and bring you before God. May His peace truly surpass all understanding in the midst of what cannot be comprehended.
May God's hand guide every move the surgeon makes on Wednesday. May the day of your birth that will be celebrated tomorrow not only honor you, but cause many that may not be believers, to wonder and ask what has caused so many to come and celebrate you. For it is in celebrating you that God is celebrated. His Image is clearly upon your face.

 

… A fellow worker in inner city mission—(with a heart for injustice and the poor), “it has been such an encouragement to hear of your work”, Scott Reitano asking for prayer for you from all who are in his men's bible study, Bethany House (Gospel Rescue Mission in Tucson) …

 

More than mere human compassion, I think it must be our oneness in Jesus Christ that would reduce me to reading this blog through my tears, although I've never met Katy or any of the family. Yes, God is good, all the time, even when the news is bad or, as it seems to be in this case, mixed.
Lord, I know the unseen portions of Katy's tumor are not unseen to you. I know you have the power to shrink the tendrils, any part that was not removed. I believe you have good things to bring out of this, that will glorify you. And in the process, You are being glorified through all of Katy's family and friends who spread your love in that place. Thank you for taking care of Katy, at all levels.

… “I read about you on a prayer partner request”, Whitton Ave Bible Church Family, my whole church actually, two churches, "Richfield Community Church" Yorba Linda and Living Hope In Dana Point, Andres is praying in Ethiopia, our daughter, Melissa Shaw at Mentor Kids, sent us your prayer request and I am sharing it with some of my favorite prayer warriors and our church here in Marion, IL, Tulsa, Oklahoma, also our entire family prays for you each night …

 

 

Elliot broke the silence. "MOM! MOM!" "yeah, Elliot?" "Mom, you know our friend Katy, well her head it's gonna get aaaalll bedder. She got an ouie right now, but she gonna get aaaaall bedder. Jesus He just fixeses us and makes the ouie go away and no more bandaid on Katy's brain." That was Elliot, so matter-of-fact. Then rollin' in my Grand Marquis, the first song that blared out was 'My God is So Big. So strong and so mighty. There's nothing my God cannot do.'

 

 

 

 

…I heard about you through a gal I met from neighborhood ministries as I shared with her about the ministry I am involved in called YoungLives, Fullerton, Ca, Greenwood, IN, just about everyone at Oceanview Elementary, someone from Ethiopia working here with Samaritan's Purse, the entire Indiana Divison of The Salvation Army is praying for recovery, greetings from Georgia, many dear friends from Biola …


 

sometimes it's difficult, if not impossible, for us to comprehend the reasons that certain things happen. but despite the tragedy and shock of the news we've all been dealing with since Sunday, God has used this; your situation and you, Katy, are causing this immeasurable explosion of love and prayer, spreading at a furious rate throughout our community. it's insane. it's beautiful. God's will and His reasons may often be difficult to understand, but the results are always the same: Love.

if the spirit of love and prayer were physically visible, there would be a fantastic, radiant glow over Phoenix right now.


 

…deployed overseas with the AF and received word from my parents, San Diego, UNIQUE Learning Center, Washington, D.C.,ASU West, the staff at my school is praying, the members of First Presbyterian Church in Kokomo, IN,  I have shared all of this with a good Christian friend in Seymour, IN, New Jersey, Victory Outreach has asked for a double-portion of God's healing virtue to be upon your life and heart, a little Bible study my friend leads at a senior living facility is praying for you and asked for a copy of the blog entries so they can feel more in touch to pray for you …

If anyone is interested in becoming part of a fasting prayer team for the duration of Katy's treatment, please let me know at laurelieone@hotmail.com.  I'm looking for 30 people to join so that every day, someone is fasting over Katy and asking the Lord to move mightily that day. Even if you've never fasted before or find it odd, you're welcome to contact me for more information.