Living Epistles of ODCT - Testimonials
God Broke The Coffin
I was trying to be a Christian and navigate life in the world at the same time. Eventually, you lose your balance and realize you need to pick a side. On September 12, 2020, while at home cleaning my bike, I received a call from my friends asking, "Hey, you want to go for a ride?" I eagerly agreed and called my younger brother, who also has a bike, to meet me in Randolph. After a quick shower, I hopped on my bike and rode off. Unfortunately, I found myself in traffic, positioned behind a car. As I attempted to pass, the driver unexpectedly turned right, and I collided with the door. It happened in an instant. I was thrown up in the air a few feet before crashing down onto someone’s concrete steps. For a minute, I lay there, struggling to move. As I removed my helmet, a lady came out of her house, yelling, "Don’t move!" At the same time, I felt an overwhelming thirst. I asked her for water, but she told me she couldn’t give me any. I insisted, saying, "I really need that water." Thankfully, she offered me a small sip, which I gratefully accepted. This experience is now part of my journey of faith, and I often share such testimonials as church testimonies to help others understand the importance of faith during difficult times.
Now the ambulance came, and I had my vest, my helmet, and my gloves on. After they asked for my name and other questions, they started to remove my vest and helmet. Despite my faith stories and church testimonies giving me strength, I still couldn’t feel my leg. Right after they put me on the stretcher, the pain hit me, leaving me confused about what was happening.
When I arrived at the first hospital, they did an x-ray and discovered I had broken my spine in three places, as well as my leg and hip. The hospital couldn’t handle my injuries, so my wife insisted they transfer me to Brigham Hospital.
At Brigham, they performed the same tests and stated, 'He needs surgery right away.' They couldn’t see my spinal cord; everything appeared dark on the screen, adding to the uncertainty of the situation—a reminder of how quickly life can change and why I share these testimonials about faith and resilience.
Before the surgery, we called my pastor, Brother Edmond. Together, the doctor, Brother Edmond, and I prayed, sharing our faith stories in that moment of uncertainty. After the surgery, the team came in and said, “This is a rare case, we’ve never seen this before. You broke up here and your spinal cord was twisted. One little move and it would’ve popped.” Four or five medical staff entered the room, looking confused, and commented on the situation, attributing it to luck. But for me, it was not luck; it was a testimony of faith that underscored the power of prayer and community support in moments like these.
They put 12 screws in my back and two rods, and they sent me to rehab so I can start walking. Rehab was a depressing place, especially during COVID when no one could visit. I didn’t turn the TV on at all; instead, I thought, 'This must be the time that God wants to talk to me.' I listened to The Message, to Christian songs, and I sang. While I was there, many memories surfaced about what the Holy Spirit had revealed to me. I felt God and I had a moment where I’d sit and listen. These reflections echoed in my mind: 'Hey Keemo, I’m the one keeping you alive.' Throughout my life, especially when I was out there doing my thing, there were many times I could have gotten killed. What God said was true because I realize now it’s not that I’m simply keeping myself alive; I can’t do that on my own. This experience feels like a powerful part of my personal faith story and aligns with the church testimonies I’ve heard. My journey is truly a testament to the incredible power of God’s grace.
But God kept His Word.
I knew God wanted me here, but I kept running. I didn’t understand why God wanted me, yet He found a way to get my attention.
The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “I broke the coffin.”
Every time I think I want to go back, He allows the metal to hurt me.
I embrace it. I don’t regret what I went through because it led me closer to God and has become a part of my faith stories. Now, I can return to God and share that testimony in church when I'm in need.
- Bro. Keemo White
God, Took Care of the Problem Once and For All
My testimony began in July of 2021, when on July 4th, I experienced severe abdominal pains that wouldn’t subside with over-the-counter pain medications. After spending 8 hours in the ER and undergoing numerous tests, the doctors found nothing significant and sent me home, suggesting I might have a ruptured cyst and advising that the pain should resolve in a few days. However, this intense discomfort lasted nearly 8 weeks, and the doctors were perplexed about its origin. Eventually, the pain dissipated, and I returned to normal. At that time, the Holy Spirit, through the vessels at my church, Open Door Community Tabernacle, reassured me not to worry about the illness and encouraged me to continue serving the Lord without fear. He promised that He would encamp around me and support me, saying, 'That’s my promise to you.' I didn’t fully grasp what that meant initially because I felt better by then.
On February 19th, 2022, I began feeling unwell in the evening. My stomach was upset, and I struggled to keep any food down. I experienced fever and chills along with the same severe abdominal pains I had suffered the previous year, which felt even worse. I reached out to my pastor, Bro. Edmond, who was away on a missionary trip. He prayed with me and the believers present, asking God to reveal the source of my illness and resolve it for good. Upon visiting the Emergency Room, I was admitted because my white blood count (WBC) and inflammation markers (CRP) were alarmingly high. A CT scan and MRI revealed abscesses and a mass in my pelvis. Despite starting IV antibiotics, my WBC and CRP levels skyrocketed, leading the doctors to add more antibiotics continuously, yet the infection worsened. The pain became unbearable, preventing me from tolerating even clear liquids. I remained on IV antibiotics and sedation, as the pain was relentless. I felt increasingly weak, aware of my diminishing strength, yet I held tightly to my faith, knowing that the believers were praying for me.
Finally, I was transferred to another hospital. One doctor examined me and indicated that surgery was necessary, but soon after, the chief of the oncology and gynecology department, who wasn’t scheduled to be there, arrived to assess my situation. She emphasized the urgency of my condition and scheduled surgery within two hours to drain the abscess. I called my pastor and fellow believers to inform them about the surgery, and they prayed for me. During the procedure, the doctors discovered that some of my organs were so severely infected that they had adhered to one another. They attempted to separate them, but some had to be removed. Remarkably, this surgeon went searching for the source of the extensive infection and found it hidden behind other organs, a discovery that would have eluded a less experienced surgeon. She explained that this infection had been festering over time, releasing toxins into my body, acting as a ticking time bomb. Had it gone undetected, it would have eventually been fatal. They had previously misdiagnosed it as a ruptured cyst.
Reflecting on my pastor's prayer—that the source of the infection be identified and removed once and for all—I realize how crucial those days were at the hospital, as they allowed for this specific doctor to be available. God's timing was perfect. He fulfilled His earlier promise to encamp around me during my illness, and the masses detected on the CT scans were, by God’s grace, deemed non-cancerous, stemming merely from inflammation. The surgeon also noted a significant abscess close to my spine and expressed surprise that I had not experienced back issues leading up to the surgery. To God be the praise for His Amazing Grace, for sparing my life so I can share my faith story. His promise remains true: in all things, we are not alone, and He fights our battles for us. I shall not die but live to declare the works of the Lord.
- Sister Mercy Mutonyi
HEALED FROM COVID-19
On August 19, during our 2021 annual meetings, the Holy Spirit called out Brother Serge. Brother Earl prayed, “God, send down the fire of the Holy Ghost. Lord, send the Holy Spirit upon this brother. May he receive. You called him out for a reason in Jesus Christ Name. Fill him, Father, with Thy Holy Ghost, Amen. Start praising the Lord. He sure is here. Receive Ye the benefits. You have received the benefits. Keep praising.” The Holy Spirit spoke, saying, “My son Serge. I tell you; you are my son. I called you, my son. You heard me right; you heard me right for you are mine! Oh, I know you did not know it, and I know you doubt, oh, but I tell you, my son, I made you come this night. This is your night. Come in.” Brother Earl then encouraged him, “You ought to be praising God. This is your night. Go forth declaring that God called you up and made you a partaker of God’s benefits. What a thought! Jesus full salvation—not a part of it, but full salvation, full deliverance. Receive, Son!”
I also remember a significant moment from when COVID-19 began. I came to church with my wife and daughters, where Brother Edmond confidently declared that no one would die of COVID-19 in this church. He said we might lose someone, but it would not be due to COVID-19 in our church community.
I am a living testimony that when God makes a promise, He stands by it. I contracted COVID-19—Omicron variant. I endured intense suffering from that virus, which affected every organ and support system in my life. Everything seemed to shut down, but God came down and restored them all back. These church testimonies highlight the power of faith stories that inspire others.
He showed me how proud I was, feeling like I was something, but He made it clear that I was nothing, and He intended to prove this to me. He warned me that He was going to bring me down, leaving only one thing alive: my brain. He left my brain intact so I could remember Who He Is and share with others who He is, and what could happen to them if they don’t believe in me. I was living for His Glory. He brought me to my knees and into His silence for three months because I could not find the strength to be quiet. He wanted me to listen to His Voice speaking to me.
Three months of silence! God is powerful, and He can work wonders in you now. With all the knowledge they thought they had, the doctors witnessed God manifesting Himself in me through my faith story. He reconstructed everything in me. I know that God is alive and present in this church. I was discussing different topics before, but God redirected me to speak about Him, to be part of the chosen ones, to hear this message, and to be the believer I was meant to be. I am here to serve God now. I thank God for my children, who are now here in church with me, and for my wife who stood by my side when I struggled to communicate.
There was evidence even in the hospital. They witnessed Brother Edmond coming to see me, tying the handkerchief on my foot while I was in a coma in the ICU. Despite efforts to stop him, he did not catch COVID/Omicron. When I walked out of the hospital, it was clear there was divine intervention. The doctors could not deny that this was God’s work.
God has continued to work on Brother Serge to show His Glory through powerful church testimonies.
On Sunday, April 3, 2022, after being discharged from the hospital, the Holy Spirit spoke and said, “Watch, for soon he will throw the cane away and proclaim he no longer needs it. Watch closely.”
On May 22, 2022, Brother Edmond called for prayer for the believers traveling to Arkansas, and Brother Serge walked to the front without his cane. The Holy Spirit reminded us, “You see my son Serge, the strength in your body is from Me. Did I not say you’ll no longer need the cane? Look, you are not using it!” While in Arkansas, Brother Serge was actively involved in His Father’s Business.
On May 28, 2022, Brother Earl Martin took him to the river and proclaimed, “My Brother, upon the confession of your faith, I fulfill the Word of God. I baptize you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” His final statement to Brother Serge during the 2021 Annual meetings in Boston was, “Welcome into the Family of God.”