Pray for Grace and Topista

[Dordrecht]

This is a very urgent prayer request...

Please pray for Grace, a deeply commited follower of Christ. She has been a member of TLC Global Missions almost since our inception. Pastor Grace has a true shepherd's heart and a burden to reach out to the people in her area. She Pastors deep in a village in the Mubende District some 25 or 30 miles off the beaten trail. Pastor Grace has had a very hard life. Her husband, who was a Pastor at one time, was violent with her and left her several years ago for another woman, leaving her with four kids to raise by herself. She assumed the responsibility of pastoring the church that they had planted in the village and has continued faithfully even up to this day. There are no reports of anything funny or negative about her and she has a good reputation in her village.

Four days ago Pastor Grace had to come to Kampala with her 22 year old daughter whose name is Topista. She is just the sweetest thing if you could ever meet her.
One month ago, Topista began to discover some lumps forming on her head. Yesterday when we went to Mulago Hospital to see her, her head has grown several large tumors, the right eye has grown to three times normal size, and the head is now about 35% larger than normal. We had to pay to get a Doctor to come and give us an independant opinion. He believes it is malignant cancer by the aggresive nature of the tumorous growths on her head. Tomorrow she will be getting a biopsy done and more blood tests and CAT scan to determine what the tumors are. I have not included any photos of Topista as they would not be dignifying to her.

Topista is using the equivalent of a 222 for pain relief and is suffering a lot of pain obviously.

The most obvious observation that Lynn and I made is that this poor girl has not too much time to live. Even an operation would likely leave her retarded or incapacitated to some degree, if an operation is possible. But nothing is possible here till the first step is fulfilled....money. So far, Pastor Grace has encountered almost $500 of costs and we helped her out yesterday with money but to be honest we need more to help her. At this point I cannot tell youhow much but will do so as we find out.

Money is just the part that we can do but in all honesty my friends, Topista needs much more than that. She needs a miracle so we are asking you to pray for that and if you wouldnt mind perhaps you could have your church prayer groups pray for her please. Pastor Grace will also need prayer for strength and comfort. As of yesterday, the doctors hadnt told her the obvious and she wasnt seeing it herself. The doctors will apprise her of Topista's status as soon as all the tests are assessed. It will take five days after the biopsy is taken tomorrow to give the results so she wont know till next week.

Pastor Grace has labored faithfully under adverse poverty conditions that you can only imagine. Her kids all serve the Lord, the church that her husband abandoned years ago still thrives, she managed to support her family under very adverse circumstances. She is a faithfull woman of God. Perhaps someone would like to bless her in a bigger way or even consider some monthly support for her? I wouldnt recommend her about this if we were not sure of her character.

Thanks for taking the time to read this email and thanks in advance and in behalf of Pastor Grace and Topista for your prayers for this serious situation. I will keep you informed of any developments as they become known to us.

Ron and Lynn in Kampala

TLC Global Missions
PO Box 4455
Quesnel, BC V2j 3J4
Canada

[Sister Alvear]

praying for her in Brazil.

[Cindy]

Praying.

[Sherri]

Praying for Sister Grace.

[debbyh55]

Praying for Grace and Topista

[Dordrecht]

MONDAY JUNE 29

Hi and thanks to all of you who have been praying for Topista.

On Friday the doctors in Mulagao Hospital altered their strategy and decided against a biopsy and instead took a blood sample from the tumored sites.
Yesterday they told Pastor Grace that they didnt have the knowledge oR exprertise to operate on her daughter. They have put her at the top of the list for
treatment when the 'muzungu, (white) doctors come from US in about a month.

This is the easy way that they have chosen to deal with this situation just as we had even predicted they would do. Not to indict all doctors here, but there is
a common attitude that runs throughout varoious sectors of Ugandan society...."there's more where they came from" So when the challenge is great, run and hide
is the course of action often taken. But on the other hand to be fair to the doctors, (one doctor for 20,000 people in Uganda), it is obvious even to a layman's untrained eye that this is a very serious situation that is above their ability, their equipment and facilities to deal with. So it is easy to understand that they would opt out and leave the girl waiting for the doctors to come in a month to treat her, the other option being that she won't be alive by then and the problem then goes away by itself. The second option is the most likely one given the extreme aggressive nature of the tumors already shown.

Another problem surfaced on Saturday. The girl's natural father suddenly appeared after many years. Remember, he was the "Pastor" of the church at one time before abandoning his wife and family for another woman. He is insisting to now take the girl to witchdoctors. Folks anything and everything is possible here. Our Western minds cannot comprehend many of the things that are related about witchcrafts in Uganda. I am not accusing the father cause I have no proof. BUT, it is completely and entirely plausible that he may be the one who went to the witchdoctor in the first place and had his own daughter cursed. Now he can come along and take her back to the witchdoctor and have the curse removed. Why would a man do this?? In Uganda it is useless to try to logic many of these things out because they defy logic but happen every day across the country. I have occasionally forwarded an unusual story from the local newspaper to some of you about some crazy thing that has happened here so you will understand what I mean.

Topista is 22. She is still of sane mind. She is a Born Again Christian.

Apostle Deborah Kisakye is one of the Directors of TLC. At the moment of writing this email (Monday morning) she is at Mulago Hospital with Topista with clear objectives:

1. To make sure the girl is ready for eternity without any doubts.
2. To persuade her to stand against and refuse her father's efforts to have her taken out of Mulago to go to the witch doctor.
3. To encourage her to know that there are hundreds and even thousands of people who are praying for a miracle for her.
4. To pray again for her miracle to manifest. Apostle Deborah has had many miracles occur through her ministry in Africa. She is fearless against any witch doctors.

How you can continue to pray.............

1. Continue to pray for the miracle. (She wont be here in a month waiting for white docotors to arrive)
2. Pray against witchcrafts. In case this is not a comfortable area for you just pray #1. If you are OK with it, I remind you to first pray protection for yourself and your family and
put yourself under the Precious and Powerful Blood of Jesus. You will be OK, that's a promise. (I found it in Luke 10:19)
3. Curse the tumors right to the ROOTS. Order them to wither, shrivel, and evaporate.

Bind all witchcrafts and sorceries in Jesus' Name and order them to bow to the Name of Jesus Christ
Rebuke any assignments of evil that have been set against this girl and command them to be loosed from her and to NEVER return again.
Come against and command any curse, vexation, or evil prayer that has been lodged against her to leave her and return to the head of the sender.

Many of you have friends and prayer chains praying for Topista. They may not be comfortable with the area of witchcraft at all. Please feel free to remove references to it if you think it wise. We just appreciate all the prayers for healing we can muster for this girl and realize that some areas of prayer are not everyones 'cup of tea'.

Thanks to those who have commited financially to Pastor Grace and Topista. Your love gifts are so encouraging to them. You will only know in Heaven how much it means to them and gives them hope.

And THANK YOU to everyone who has prayed for her and continue to pray for her. While there is life there is hope and with God........"all things ARE possible"!

I will continue to update you as any new developments occur.


Ron and Lynn in Kampala