Dennis Gyamfi 22yrs

SAVED Battersea

UK

In January 2010, I was given the news that caused my life to turn 360 degrees around. No Joke! However, before this situation occurred, my life was sweet, I was really happy and I was going places and winning national awards for working with the youth (something that I passionately did in my community). At this period of time, I remember that I started having some pains in my back but I kept ignoring them. When the pain left, I started to develop some lumps on my neck area and had no clue what it was. However, one day my grandma came to visit me and after she saw the state I was in, she always encouraged me to go to the

hospital to have a check-up. A week after my conversation with her, I went to the doctor and got the news that changed my life forever. In fact, when the doctor came through the door with my results, I realized something was wrong. He looked me straight in my eyes and said calmly, "You have cancer." WOW! I walked away from the hospital room confused, thinking to myself “I’m young. Why me? What did I do?” I began to seriously question God.

Consequently, I had to return to the hospital for another appointment. When I arrived, I was taken into a room where I found that they had already made up a bed for me - I was to stay over. I thought I would return home the following morning but ended up staying in the hospital for almost a year! It was very difficult because before this I had never been in a hospital bed before. I went through a lot of pain. At the beginning of my treatment, they had to put a tube down my chest, needles into my back and arms, and I lost all my hair. I was even told that because of the treatment it would be very difficult for me to have children. The doctors told me, "You will be lucky if you survive a year." But to be honest, I wouldn’t say that I was scared or afraid, because I didn’t believe in what the doctors were saying about me. I decided to put all my trust in the Lord and believe in Him! I believed I was healed in the name of Jesus! Yet still, through all this, I was worried for my family, as I could imagine the worries they were having.

My lowest point I would say was when I felt that I had been neglected. I could handle physical pain, but it was painful when I thought people had forgotten about me, and didn’t seem to care. Not many people came to visit me while I was in hospital. I was very lonely! This was the only thing that made me cry, and I don’t usually cry! I felt that nobody understood what I was going through, and didn’t even seem to care. My close friends were nowhere to be seen, those who I had gone out of my way to help before did not even call me. I had become very bitter out of the hurt, but did not show anyone. I used to tell people I was fine, when deep within me I was crumbling. Moreover, I missed being the very active lifestyle I lived before. Now I was bedridden and all I did was a lot of thinking. I could not even go to the shops, let alone travel all the way to church, I felt like my life was flickering before my eyes.

During this ordeal I found strength in reading, I had so much time on my hands that I spent a lot of it reading. I started to read a lot about God and the purpose for which Jesus came. I was into the Bible like never before, reading everyday and everywhere. I received so much revelation and learnt so much. I also began listening to Hillsong as well! I can remember my mum would visit me every day and call me night and day to see if I had survived that day. She became annoying to me, but just her presence was an enormous support, even when she called and didn’t have much to say. In my reading, I came across the story of Job, and surprisingly began to relate with him as I felt that I was going through similar issues (and even worse). This was a massive encouragement and I started to realize that no one could do anything to make me happier or healthier but God.

Even though the doctors didn’t know why this had happened to me, I believed God allowed this to happen to me for a reason. Previously, I was doing well at work as a young businessman, just about to land a contract that would have given me a lot of opportunities and wealth. But, I do not think my lifestyle was pleasing God. I knew the truth of the Word of God, but I wasn’t living it completely. I had been in church for some years, but the reason I was there was not 100% God-centered. There were many different reasons to why I came including friends etc. I was a Christian but I hadn’t submitted my all to God, and I knew it. Also I knew that things I was doing outside of church were destroying the Lord's name.

Now as I am writing this, I am out of hospital, but still receiving treatment and by the grace of God I am much better, to the astonishment of the doctors! My hair has even grown back and I feel comfortable without a hat. But I am careful about the people I am with, and stay away from people who have colds, coughs or other illnesses because the slightest infection (I have been told) no matter how small, could have consequences and put me back into hospital for months. But thanks to God, I can now go church and be around my family regularly.

The most important thing I have learnt through this experience is that Jesus is real. He lived and died through LOVE. I have now come to understood that though he was whipped, tortured, mocked, hated, betrayed, disappointed, let down and so much more by those that He loved, healed, and helped, those closest to him, he forgave them. I felt all those things, but by God’s grace, I have forgiven all the people that forsook me and do not blame them.

My views on things have now changed. I have learnt that life is not to be taken for granted! I do not have time to waste at all. I cannot afford to wait for people to make decisions for me, I have to move. However at the same time I have also realized that I have to spend some time resting and just being with my family, without an agenda. My view on God is that HE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE WORLD! "If you were to give birth to a child, it is you that will be the most important person to that child, and the child should always follow you". It is likewise with God. I also have a deep insight to church because think about it "You cannot be a soldier if you don’t go training camp". In the same way, you cannot really fulfill God’s will if you are not going to His training camp: church. It is that important. Church is where you go to get trained to know more about God, to worship Him and work for Him.

In all, if I was to give a word of wisdom to anybody, it would be this: "No matter what life throws at you, just keep your head high and your chest down’. That means be as humble as possible but at the same time keep your composure. A word of warning as well is to make sure the only reason of you being in church is because of God, otherwise you may be surprised!

Finally, I would like to thank God greatly for my life. I give special thanks to my Pastors (Pastor William and Reverend Michael) my SAVED Teacher, Christopher Ekwuruke, the person who first invited me to church, and also to my family as well as my brothers Olayi and Michael.