8. My Half Brother Suffered A Stroke Again

                Since the time he had passed my mother’s belongings to me, my half-brother had not called me.  I wondered why, when he had promised to make sure of a time that we could eat together.  When I went to his house, I learned that he had suffered another stroke and was in a hospital.  His daughter had rushed back from America to see him.  She said,  “Aunt, my dad is old.  I am afraid that he cannot make it after this second stroke.”  She cried with my sister-in-law.  I summoned the whole family to confess and plead to the Lord.  I said, “In China, when your father suffered from a stroke the first time, all of you accepted Jesus as your Savior.  The Lord heard your prayers and healed him.  He has also fulfilled all of your wishes that one after another you could go abroad.  Since then you have been busy making money and you did not seek the Lord  to give thanks or to worship him.  Now repent and pray to the Lord.”  How amazing the Lord’s deed was!  My half-brother  was so critically ill that the doctor forbade any visitors.  Then  unexpectedly, he was discharged from the hospital to recuperate at home.  The Lord also provided a special nurse who had been a doctor in Mainland China and had now just arrived in Hong Kong.  At this time my brother could not move about or turn over by himself.  His family did not allow any visitor to go into his bedroom because the doctor had ordered him to recuperate without disturbance.  However, when he heard that I was visiting there, he asked his special nurse to bring me into his room.  As soon as he saw me, he held my hand and said:  “This time I suffered a lot from my stroke.  Fortunately, the Lord Jesus saved me.  I kept on calling, ‘Jesus’.” 

                He recovered so fast that pretty soon he could go out for a walk if supported by his  nurse.  What most concerned him was constipation.  Every time he had a bowel movement, it would be as hard for him as it was for a woman in labor.  He was afraid to push forcefully because a broken blood vessel might result in his suffering another stroke.   I just prayed with the whole family about this worry and asked the Lord for mercy and healing.  The next day at dawn my niece telephoned.  She said, “Aunt, how effective praying is!”  Today my dad had no problem in bowel movement at all!”  I replied joyfully, “It is because our Lord Jesus is a God who is true and alive and listens to our prayers with love!”

                The whole family of my half-brother had been leading a life of vigilance and never dared to bother one another’s business for fear they might get into trouble themselves.  They had experienced many troubles and torments in China.  When they experienced such an amazing grace of God, all were willing to help me to come out of China in the future.  During this period of time, our youngest half-brother who lived in Taiwan came to Hong Kong.  He was the son of my father’s fourth wife, and I had never met him before.  He wanted to meet my elder half-brother.  I was highly recommended to him by my elder brother’s family and they hoped that he would write an invitation so that I could have a chance to apply to come abroad later.  Because of regulations I could not stay in Hong Kong for a long time.  Thanks to the Lord, all things work for the good of God’s children.  Through my half-brother’s illness, God paved a way for me to go abroad.