God-Given Diosdada Fernandez
I hated my name, which means God-given, until God gave me my life back. I live in Cuba, and although my mother claimed to be a Christian, I grew up not believing in God. Then in 1996 I learned that I had rectal cancer. The doctors operated, then they began radiation treatments. But the treatments did more harm than good, and I was in incredible pain. Doctors gave me morphine for the pain, but I became afraid to even eat. I lost weight and paralysis was slowly setting in. The doctors gave me little hope that I would survive. While I was still in hospital, a fire in the hospital set off a severe asthma attack. I coughed so hard that I tore out my stitches and fell to the floor. When nurses rescued me, I could not breath. X-rays showed that the fire had damaged my lungs, but worse, I also had lung cancer from heavy smoking over the years. Doctors operated to repair my torn stitches, but they stopped midway through surgery, thinking I was dead. I awoke to see a beautiful city and a bright, shinning being. I felt peaceful and well, and I began to talk to the beautiful being. Doctors heard me and stared in disbelief, thinking I had died. They quickly completed the surgery and took me to recovery. Just hours after surgery I felt better than I had felt in months – years, even. I got out of bed and walked, where just a day before I was paralyzed and could not walk. It was as if superhuman strength poured through my body. A hospital worker asked my son, a doctor, if I was a believer, and he told the man that my only loves in life were women, tobacco, and alcohol. Then the worker told my son I had been quoting Scripture to them, though I had never read the Bible. And when breakfast came I ate hungrily for the first time in months. Clearly god was working wonders, miracles in my life, though I did not yet know him. My recovery from cancer was so rapid that doctors were amazed. Just hours after my final surgery, I was out of bed visiting other patients. Soon doctors could find no reason to me longer. When Christians had come to visit me in the hospital, I had made fun of them. But when my Christian niece came to see me, I was thrilled. She brought me a Bible, and I begged her to stay and help me understand it. I wanted so much to find out what God had to say about what had happened to me. My niece stayed for there days to help me begin my journey to God. We spent hours talking about God and His word. I asked her how to become a Christian, and she prayed with me while I accepted Jesus as my Saviour. Then I asked forgiveness of all the Christians whom I had ridiculed while in the hospitial. I made a promise to God that I would tell others what he had done for me wherever I had a chance. So I began walking to churches throughout central Cuba giving my testimony to all who would listen. But I still did not have a church home of my own. Always there seemed to be something about the churches I visited that did not seem quite right. Then an Adventist man invited me to come to his church to give my testimony. In that little Adventist church I found something different, something special. The members’ humility and love touched me deeply. As I listened to the sermon I sensed that I had found the true church, the one that followed all of God’s teachings. After the service I asked the pastor how I could make this church my home. Before too long I was baptized. God has given me a ministry among the sick, and I rejoice to know that God is using me as his vehicle to pray for people who were then healed. I cannot thank God enough for all He has done for me. He healed me, saved me, and sent me out to share my blessings with others. And my name, Diosdada? Now I understand why my mother chose that name. For God has given me everything! Diosdada Fernandez lives in Camaguey, Cuba, where he shares his faith will all who will listen.
