Tonya's Testimony of Joy [Gracie's Story]:

I am writing this with a HAPPY HEART! I can say that is very different than how our lives have been for the last year.
My heart WAS heavy with fear, grief, anxiety, sadness, exhaustion, confusion, and anger.
Our new baby girl was about 4 months old when she was diagnosed with food protein induced enterocolitis.
The doctors could not do anything to help her and we were on our own with a little girl who could not eat any food and was ALWAYS in pain.
She was breast fed, and I was on a diet of only 3 foods by the time she was 14 months.
She did not sleep more than 4 hours a night, and that was a night that I celebrated.

Through many, many hours and days of research trying to find a way to help her I found a group called GAPS that seemed like the right path,
because so many people were Christians, and they were healing their children with this diet. God led me here.
Because of this group I learned about giving our bodies the nourishment that they need with whole foods, the way God made them.

I was able to give Grace LAMB broth with lamb meat pureed into it as a soup.
That was the only thing that I ever found that she could actually eat that didn't give her unbearable pain and diarrhea.
(Now I see that it was only THE LAMB that could heal my sweet Gracie!)

A few months later a new member was added to the GAPS group. Sarah lived very near to us, and had a little girl just a few months older than Gracie.
She also had FPIES. We decided to meet, and have been instant best friends since. That was only 3 months ago!

Three days ago Sarah sent me a text message telling me about this Pastor that has helped people pray and find healing through Jesus.
She said that he was coming over to her house the next night to pray for her daughter. She told me that I could join them if I wanted.
To be honest I was skeptical, but am ashamed to admit that now. I prayed over it and talked with my husband who was in Iraq at the time.
We decide that prayer can never hurt.

Then as the day went by, I realized how crazy that is. I have taken my daughter to multiple specialists,
and have expected for one of them to offer some kind of cure, or even just some relief for my sweet little family.
But I was skeptical to bring her to THE HEALER HIMSELF! Ridiculous!!!
So I packed up the girls and drove an hour to go to the prayer session. This is where my story changes.

We arrived at Sarah's house and are welcomed like we are family. I have a hard time in social settings, but felt no anxiety here at all.
Let me add that I had never met Sarah's husband or other children before this day. Then the other folks started showing up, Sarah's parents,
her husbands mother, and my mom all came to support us and be there for this prayer time. It honestly felt like one big family!

Then Pastor Gregory came. He was kind, and vibrant and full of Gods word. He sat and talked with us for a while, and then started to pray.
He prayed for peace and healing with such power and conviction.

I BELIEVE! He SHALL HEAL, in JESUS NAME, AMEN! These are the words that are still ringing in my ears. Such BEAUTIFUL words!
This was one of the most beautiful things I have ever been through! Then I packed up the girls and headed home.

IT WAS A DIFFERENT FAMILY! Gracie hadn't nursed for 5 hours, and she was content. Before this she would have to nurse ever two hours
or she would be crying and a mess. She dozed off a few time in the hour ride home. We got home and I gave her the normal lamb soup and
she went to sleep. SHE SLEPT! She was only up twice! It was our best night ever!

She woke up happy, no wait, WE ALL woke up HAPPY! I gave Grace food, yes REAL FOOD for breakfast! And lunch, and dinner!
SHE IS NOW EATING FOOD! She still has a learning curve on feeding herself and will gag every now and again (she only has 3 teeth!),
but NONE of her FPIES symptoms have stuck around!! THANK YOU JESUS!

We are a different family. Happy, joyful laughter fills this house now. I can feel the love of Jesus in our house!
I am now able to be the mother that I have longed to be, but have been so burdened, troubled and exhausted by Grace's illness to be.

I am so very grateful... to have been blessed by Pastor Gregory and Sarah's family for them to share this prayer time with us.
Mostly I am overwhelmingly thankful to Jesus for taking away not only our sins, but also our illnesses and curses.
He is all powerful. The devil has no power against all who BELIEVE IN OUR SAVIOR JESUS!