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EP 11 From Heart Surgery to Finding God · iRefresh Podcast

• 0:04
  After a decade of gathering women together for prayer, we are inspired to bring our words of encouragement to you. This is iRefresh. Hi, my name is Michelle, and I'm a part of iRefresh Ministries. And this is my special friend, Visa. And today we're gonna tell the story of how God brought her into my life, and she has a beautiful testimony. And so she's here to share that today.
• 0:31
  She came to our home about 10 years ago through a ministry called Samaritan's Purse. They have a program called Children's Heart Project, and they find children in countries where they don't have the opportunity to have heart surgery. So they find kids with heart defects, and then they find hospitals in the United States that will do their surgery at no charge, and then physicians that are willing to work along with them.
• 1:00
  So someone in our church asked us if we were interested in hosting families to do this, and we agreed to do it. Again, that was about 10 years ago. And so she came to Tulsa to get her heart fixed at St. Francis. Dr. Rainey and Dr. Kimberling were doctors, the surgeon and the cardiologist involved. And she came with another girl from Kosovo.
• 1:27
  They're both from Kosovo. They're moms and an interpreter. An interpreter is a believer. And her, both families are Muslim. And, you know, the hope is that we could share the gospel with the families while they're staying with us. And really just show them the love of God. And so, would you like to kind of share from there just how it was when you came? Yeah. So, when you're living in a Muslim country, you are...
• 1:56
  offended by Christ. You don't like the cross, you don't like Jesus, you don't like any of that. So I was like that before I came at your house. And I remember one time we had this Catholic magazine, I don't know how it ended up in our house, and I was just so tired of seeing it everywhere in my house, I just took it and I destroyed it and I threw it in the garbage because I didn't want to see anything about Jesus, because that's how I grew up
• 2:26
  That's what I knew. But then I come to your house and the Lord just does something in my heart. Because I think it was the way you just all loved me and my mom. And what I saw, I had never seen anything like that, the love you gave us. And that changed my heart. So I go back home a different person. And I go into this Muslim family and I'm surrounded by Muslim traditions,
• 2:55
  I'm like, no, this Jesus, he's going to help me. So I would just keep on praying to him, even though I didn't understand a lot. I didn't understand the power of the cross or what he means to me. But I just said, he's real because he did something in my heart while I was there. So I just did that. And yes, the interpreters, they were Christians. So we kept in contact with them.
• 3:19
  And for a few years, I didn't go to their church or didn't do any of that. So I just, for like two or three years, I just did the same thing. I didn't have a Bible, didn't know much, but I would just be praying to Jesus. But because I had that Muslim mentality, I think, I thought that whenever I would pray, I just wanted to go in my room and just be alone with Him. But I thought that that's wrong. I thought that I needed to...
• 3:49
  go and pray in public when people can see me, but I just didn't feel it in my heart. I wanted it to be personal. And so I would just, I felt guilty for like three years because I was praying that way. And one time I just, I just said, God, I feel so guilty that I'm loving this. I'm loving to pray in private and then just open my heart to him. And then I just,
• 4:14
  I finish my prayer and I just get up and by this time I had a Bible. So I just go and open my Bible and I just open it. And it opens in the book of Matthew. And my eyes are reading verse 6 which says, But you, when you pray, you go into your room and close the door and the Father who sees what's done in secret will reward you publicly. And I was like, wow!
• 4:38
  Like, what is this? Because, like, to live in guilt for such a long time and then to just find out that you were doing exactly what pleases God's heart. So that brought so much peace to me. And I just, like, I went from there. And then the interpreters, one night, they invited me if I would like to go and be part of this Christian conference, which was...
• 5:06
  happening in a country near us? And I said yes, that was the first time I ever went back to a church or a conference besides me when I was here. So I just go there and I spent three days there and I'm learning so much more about Jesus and what he means to me and for my life.
• 5:27
  And the pastor at the end, he said, like, is there anyone in here who would like to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior? And I knew in my heart that I just had to stand up and say me and let him lead me to the prayer of salvation. Even though I had accepted Christ while I was at your house. But I just, I never remembered that part.
• 5:49
  But I didn't. I didn't stand up. But when I went home, I just went into my room and I said, Yes, Lord, please come into my heart and be the Lord for my life. So then these interpreters, we get even closer together, and they invite me more to their churches and to the project that we had. So I would just go and just learn more and more and grow more and more. And during this time...
• 6:15
  We didn't have a whole lot of communication. I don't know if it was maybe through Facebook, but I had communicated some with the interpreters because we had become friends as well. So I was encouraged in knowing that you were going to church and getting involved. And so that was a huge blessing for us to know that. And I guess as the time went on, her heart...
• 6:44
  things weren't going well. Her blood pressures were skyrocketing, and she was going to need another procedure done. And when she was here, they had told her that she probably would, because as you grow, your blood vessels grow, and she needed things enlarged. And so between
• 7:02
  the time she was here and the time that all these problems were going on and she was in the hospital, things had kind of changed here in Tulsa with the hospital and the doctors. And that door was no longer open for her to be able to come. Um, and in my heart though, I just knew that she was supposed to come. And when she, she started instant messaging me at that time and she had reached out to me because she said, I'm in the hospital, you know, my blood pressure's, um,
• 7:32
  200 over, you know, 100 and something. And she was having, you know, um, I mean, you can stroke when things get to be to that point. And I am kind of a laid back person. I mean, I, I love to pray for people. Um, I'm, I'm just not one of those that, um, sometimes pushes through things probably like I should, but for some reason I just felt like, no, she needs to come. And so
• 7:58
  In October of 2016, she contacted me with all this that was going on with her physically. So I just started praying. We started communicating. And I reached out to the cardiologist here again. And at that time, he's like, there's not anything I can do. I reached out to other physicians that I knew. And nothing was really working. But as we were instant messaging back and forth,
• 8:24
  God would give me a scripture each time. I would tell her what was going on, and some of it sounded a little bleak, but I was like, but this is what God says about you. But this is what God says. And so it just seemed like God started opening one small door after another, and it was amazing.
• 8:45
  it was like we got in to see the cardiologist. I talked to him face to face. All this paperwork needed to be filled out. And then the paperwork would get lost. And then I wouldn't hear from the doctor in a month. He's on vacation. And so finally, from October to May 22nd was the day that she had an appointment made to see the doctor here in Tulsa. So, I mean, I wish I could,
• 9:15
  just share every conversation that we had, because God was so in that and doing so much in your heart. And would you share, like when you were in the hospital, what was going on when I was giving you this message? Yes, I will try and, you know, see what I can do here, and then, oh no, this isn't working out. Just the trust that you had in the Lord at that time. Yeah, so I'll just go back to the first time when I came at your house, because I did not have an easy childhood time.
• 9:45
  Because when you're living with heart problems, you're so limited, you just can't know everything that other children do. And I never understood why did I have to get born with heart problems, why did I have to go through that. But once God just brought me here to Tulsa and I hear about the gospel and I hear about him,
• 10:05
  I just remember that the moment I just heard about him and just accepted him in my heart, I just knew that the reason I was born with heart problems is because that was just my way of salvation. And to me, those heart problems are my greatest blessing because it was just how I was supposed to get saved.
• 10:27
  And I always knew that time was really hard, those seven months when I just started feeling really bad and nothing could be done for me in Kosovo. I...
• 10:38
  It was very scary, but I just always remembered that, that how God has always used my heart disease, my heart problems, to just keep me closer to his heart. So that was one thing that I always remembered. And I just told God, I don't know what door you're going to open. I don't know what you're going to do. But I told him, I would love if I could go to the States, because I know I want to see again these people. I don't want to just go in a country where I would just get...
• 11:05
  healed and that's it, but I want something from you. I want to grow more. I want to understand more. But I just left it into his hands. But yeah, my blood pressure was so high and I...
• 11:17
  I missed my school. I couldn't go to college. I was stuck in my house all day. It would go so high, it would scare me. But God was just like speaking to me during that time. And one thing he just gave me is, I was reading this devotion and it says, when you are praying, are you giving your worries, your burdens to God? Or are you transferring it?
• 11:45
  And what I had been doing that whole time with my fear was me just giving it back, giving those worries to him. But as soon as my blood pressure went high, I was just getting all these worries back. I'm like, I'm so worried. I don't want to get a stroke. I'm scared. And I was very scared because we don't have very good medical access there. And I just didn't want to die because they can do nothing for me.
• 12:09
  So that spoke to me and that night I just made a decision that, God, I will just give you all my fear, I will give you all my worries, I will give you all my burdens, and I will transfer those to you and when I transfer those to you, I know I cannot get them back. So whenever the next time I would get high blood pressure, I said,
• 12:30
  I will not worry about a stroke. I will not worry what's going to happen with me because I know you take care of us. I know you take care of me. I know you've promised that you're going to heal me and you're going to make a way for me. So I just said, I'll just take my medicine and I'll let you worry about
• 12:48
  my strokes or anything else that I can get. So that brought so much peace to me. And I just, in the beginning it was really hard to wait, but he was just speaking to me and just telling me to let me carry your burdens and be free and just trust me. So at the end it was like, I love waiting.
• 13:08
  because like you were just messaging me and you were like, God is opening doors for you. And I was like, wow. And I just, I was so, I was filled with so much love to see how, how the Lord was just coming through for me like that. And just opening this door. And it was just like a miracle. And yeah, yeah, it really was. And when she came, um, to the U S you hadn't seen, I hadn't seen her since she was a little girl. And, um,
• 13:39
  I know you don't feel like you were maybe that deep in the Lord when you came. You were just hungry. You wanted to learn more of the Lord. But she was deep in the Lord. I mean, she just had just like she was a ray of sunshine. And I know at that time, I feel like I've always been a willing vessel, but not like a biblical scholar or not someone with great words. I'm a picture person.
• 14:05
  So anytime anything that comes out of my mouth that is full of wisdom, I'm like, that was not me, that was God. This whole time that she was with us, which ended up being a total of two months, it was like God had downloaded into me so much. And we would sit out on the back patio, and just so many things from the Lord spoke through me. I felt like a mom, almost a spiritual mom to you.
• 14:31
  And it was such a blessing to me because I was like, wow, where did that come from? So that was a very special time for us. And I know you were growing in the Lord. We got to come to iRefresh. And that's one thing that I forgot to mention because that was so crucial in that seven month period of getting you here was coming to my prayer group on Tuesday mornings and just asking for a prayer for Vasari and.
• 14:57
  praying through that. And, you know, then we'd see one breakthrough and we'd be like, praise God. And then we'd run into another obstacle and see another breakthrough. So God just worked through so much through prayer and anyway, getting you here and then having you have the opportunity to meet with these ladies too and pray with you. And do you remember
• 15:22
  There were some words spoken of you at one of the meetings. Do you remember when you were prayed for? I don't remember if it was at the small Bible study or at the big iRefresh when you were prayed for. Did God give you a word? Yes, he gave me a lot of words, but one that just...
• 15:44
  stuck with me was in Romans 12 where he said present your life as a living sacrifice for me because that's your proper way of living. Because all this time I had lived as a Christian but I didn't talk much about it because like they don't receive that well back in my country and I felt so guilty that I didn't have the strength to just stand in front of people and tell them I love Christ and I don't care what you think. But
• 16:14
  So he gave me that first, but I just knew that he would use this time to just speak to me and keep his promises. Because when you live like that, as the only Muslim in your family, when you're going through difficult times, you wish you could just have a parent who just knows the Lord, and you can sit and talk with him and have a parent who will just fill you with the...
• 16:42
  Word of God. And I didn't have that. And I missed that so much. Because I was going through difficult things. And I just thought that I would get that one day when my mom would get saved. Because I believe she's gonna get saved one day. But then I come here in the States and then he gives me that through you. Because you are indeed my spiritual mom. And I'm like, he's so amazing how he takes care of us like that. So I get that now.
• 17:11
  the law from my Christian parents. So he's so faithful. He had a purpose in that. And I know, too, you, when you came, we talked about, have you been baptized? And if not, would you like to be? And you said, I would love to be baptized, but...
• 17:31
  I feel like if I do, I have to do that publicly in front of my parents. And, you know, everyone should know. And we told you it was okay if you just got baptized here and it wasn't, you know, publicized. And you were like, really? I can get baptized? Like, my parents don't have to know at this time. And so anyway, she got baptized in our pool while she was here. And, yeah, it was really a special moment. Yeah.
• 17:59
  I think because she was afraid, thinking that if she had to keep it from anyone, that it wasn't okay in God's eyes. And I know there will be a time where you will be able to share that with your family. From there, God did amazing things. She had another procedure, and it was effective.
• 18:20
  And I think Dr. Kimberling was even very surprised at how well you did after that, because all he had to do was go in and enlarge the stent that was already in her aorta. Because back in my country, they were telling me, you're so sick, you need to go to this big cardiac center somewhere in the States, and they're going to need to put this artificial part in your heart and all that stuff, and that really, really scared me.
• 18:47
  So I came here for that last year. I thought that's what's going to happen to me. But no, he was able, the doctor was able to just fix my heart with just a stand enlargement. And he said, this is only going to, like, make your symptoms a little bit better. But you're going to have had the pressure your whole life because you were born with it. You're going to have to have the same symptoms you had.
• 19:12
  you've had, but just less. And that, when he gave me those news, I felt so sad for a little bit. You know, just like, I really don't want to live like that, God, because I want to be able to serve you and not worry about my health. But then she was like, that's just a doctor's report, that's not God's report. I was like, that's right, that's not God's report. So I go and have my procedure, and since the
• 19:39
  since I've had that procedure, I never again had high blood pressure, ever, so God just healed me, because during that difficult time of fear, he just gave me this verse, where it says, I will heal you, I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, and I kept
• 19:57
  that was close to my heart, and I believed that he was going to do that, and he did just that. He has healed me completely. He used all my heart problems to just keep me closer to him and teach me and build me, and I would go through it over and over again. Yes.
• 20:17
  She's back here a year later, which we maybe can talk about that another time. But she saw the cardiologist yesterday, and he told her she could go off all medications and that, yeah, that her heart was beautiful. So, yeah, God has done amazing things. And for me, Vasari has been a real blessing to me in helping me grow and just learn to...
• 20:48
  obviously be a willing vessel, but trust in him to download into me what's needed for the time. Teaching me to push through, to get into his word. And every time I would open his word, it would be something specific for that day. And I was able to share with you so much in the time where we were trying to get you over here to get your heart fixed. Yeah, and so what's great now is when Vasari went back
• 21:18
  to Kosovo after just spending time learning of the Lord more, growing in your faith, she was really on fire for the Lord and was able to reach out to family members. And several of them have actually received Christ. So, yeah, it's a beautiful, beautiful story. I would like to encourage all those who are watching this today that God has created you,
• 21:48
  for a purpose. And, um, it's important not to see what someone else's purpose is and try and measure up with that. But God has created you for a unique purpose. And for me in this story, um, I just wanted to be available. I was available. I wanted to love on people. I'm a nurse. So, um, in the healthcare field, I, um, my heart was kind of to be in that setting and God totally opened a door for that. And Vasari being in Kosovo, um,
• 22:19
  needing her heart fixed, but also being hungry for the Lord and us having the opportunity here to share the word with her and help her to grow in her relationship with Christ. God can use you wherever you're at. And this was such a God connection that I could have never conjured up on my own. And he opened so many doors. And it's so important that we link arms with other believers. And there's power in prayer.
• 22:48
  I'm just grateful for the women I refreshed that came together with me to pray with me and really help make this happen.
• 22:55
  Thank you for joining us for another episode of iRefresh. We hope that you have been inspired by this incredible story from Visa. Be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss another episode. And if you're on Facebook, be sure to like us. Also, you can go to our website at iRefresh.net, where there's a lot of things of inspiration and encouragement in your walk with Christ. Until then, go change your world.