“In August of 2017 my brother in law, Pete, and my sister were visiting from Alaska. Pete had set up a visit to the doctor for an exam for the artery in his legs in which he was having discomfort. One doctor told him to just do more walking. Pete wanted a second opinion and that doctor did more investigating. They found that Pete needed a stint put in for better circulation. Surgery was set for September 7th, on one side and September 15th for the other side. Surgery on the 7th went fine. He only had to stay in the hospital overnight for observation. On the evening of the next day, after we had all gone to bed, I heard a tap on my bedroom door and found out that Pete was having pain in his chest and he said he thought he might be having a heart attack. We rushed him to the hospital and he was! He ended up having 4-way bypass surgery.

Heart surgery went fine and recovery was going well until he started getting fluid in and around his lungs. He had to have drainage tubes put it and he was having difficulty breathing. He was in ICU for a few weeks when he started getting better he was able to start physical therapy and he was on oxygen to help him breathe, but the tubes were removed. Just days later he was back in the ICU because of fluid build up again. This happened three times and scar tissue had built up around one lung from all the fluid, so breathing was even more difficult. Pete was getting weaker by the day.

He was open to me praying with him and for him, but I felt he needed more, so I contacted the prayer support team at the Vineyard and people came to pray for him. I knew he didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, so Pastor Brian came an explained the process and Pete said Yes. He wanted God in his life. Brian lead him in a prayer for salvation. How cool is that!

Pete slowly began to get better, no more fluid filled up in the lungs and he was eventually able to go to rehab and after three and a half weeks, he was able to get back to my house. He was still quite weak, but determined. After a couple of checkups and an x-ray on his lungs, we found that his lungs look clear.

As of January 2018, Pete’s son came to take him and his mom to his place in Washington and after two weeks there and a couple check-ups, Pete is finally back home in Alaska. He said I could share his story with you and his gratitude for all the prayer. He said there were a couple times in the hospital that he really thought he was going to die. In fact, I recall when he would tell me this and we would tell him that God had a plan for him.

Pete is very thankful for the prayer support everyone has given him including the healing team’s visits and prayers during his time here in Minnesota. As of now, Pete is enjoying visiting with his many friends and family and working on getting some strength back, because he still feels very week. I want to thank everyone who was involved in his recovery through supports of their prayers and their visits.”

—Carolyn