Fight Like a Girl

June Summers, Ed. D. Suffragan Bishop Charlotte Petty Charlene Edmonds

PROPHETIC DREAMS CHANGED MY LIFE

By June Summers Hairston, Ed.D.

I am a dreamer, and sometimes my dreams are prophetic. In March 2012, I woke up feeling very troubled about the night’s dream, in which I saw myself in a large sterile operating room laying on the table, on my right side in a red dress. As I reasoned in my sleep, I thought that I was dead. I was so emotionally overwhelmed. I remember embracing my body rocking back and forth.

The next morning while pondering the dream, the only thing I could surmise was that I was about to experience a life-threatening situation, that would result in being in the hospital. Laying on my left side made me think, the dream would be a turning point in my life. The experience would be serious and life-threatening, but I would survive, and thrive. This dream stayed with me for weeks as I continued to ponder its meaning.

About a month later I had another dream. In this dream my Mom and Dad came to visit me in Seattle. At the time, both of my parents had been dead for 16 years. In the dream, my Father greeted me with such joy and exuberance stating, “Hi June!” My Mom, on the other hand pointed her finger at me and said very tersely, “How are you doing, June?” The tone of her voice was so strong, I thought she was reprimanding me. Suddenly, I woke from the dream.

That morning as I reflected on my second dream, I started sorting through a stack of mail, that I had neglected opening for months. I noticed a letter from my health care provider, reminding me to schedule my mammogram appointment. Graduate school kept me so busy, I missed getting my mammograms for at least four years. However, because of the two dreams, I immediately called my doctor’s office to schedule an appointment. To my surprise, I was told the previous caller had just cancelled her appointment, and I was offered to come in that same week. I took the appointment and had a routine mammogram experience.

A week after my appointment, the doctor asked that I come in for an ultrasound. I was told, it was nothing serious, they just wanted to get a clearer picture. After the ultrasound, I was asked to return the next week for a biopsy. By now, I was getting a little concerned with these backto-back appointments. I delayed going back the next week, due to my Women of Grace’s Retreat, which was scheduled the same week. I didn’t want to go to my retreat carrying a gloom and doom report. Besides, I needed the faith and support of the sisters, whom I knew could get a prayer through. I shared the news and the sisters rallied around me, by putting me in the middle of the circle and prayed the prayer of faith for a returned negative report. When we finished praying, a huge rainbow appeared in the window for all to see. We rejoiced and believed that GOD had given us a sign, that he heard our prayers and all would be well.

When I went for the biopsy, the doctor pointed to the image on the projected screen, and said, “See that there – it needs to come out.” I thought, I didn’t have time and wanted to delay, but the doctor insisted that I take care of it immediately with surgery, and follow-up treatments of radiation and possibly chemotherapy, depending on the results of my oncotype score. If the test results from my tumor presented a score of ten of more, that would mean chemotherapy. Thank the LORD, to the doctor’s and nurse’s surprised my score was “ZERO”. They all said, they had never seen a score of “ZERO” before. I had the surgery and hardly experience any pain. By the end of the week, I was feeling great! Thank the LORD for healing!

After surgery, I went back to Snoqualmie Falls to meditate and pray. Listening to the mighty waters cascading 270 feet down to the riverbed was very comforting. I took a picture of the falls, and a bright rainbow appeared in my picture. I believed it was another sign that GOD heard my prayer, and sealed it with a promise, that he was with me.

JESUS healed me! He used several dreams to get my attention; the Snoqualmie waterfalls, and the sound of its mighty waters to calm me; and the love and prayers of my husband, (Bishop Hairston) who spoke life over me, my family and friends who believed with me for a MIRACLE in the name of JESUS.

I keep the picture of Snoqualmie Falls on many of my digital platforms, as a reminder that GOD worked a MIRACLE for me and gave me a second chance in life! For this, I am truly thankful!

HEALED OF STAGE 4 OVARIAN CANCER

Suffragan Bishop Charlotte Petty

In January of 1984, a few days after my annual physical exam, I received a phone call from a medical specialist. He told me that I needed to come to see him. I was sitting on the exam table when he came in and asked me, “Did Liz tell you that you have cancer?” Liz was my regular doctor and she had not spoken to me about cancer. I received this news at approximately 2:00 p.m.; I remember the time because of the devastating news. I lived in Olympia and was an administrator for the State and had some afternoon assignments. As I left the clinic, I had two choices: the first was to go home and “cry my eyeballs out;” the second was to return to work and complete my assignments as if I had never heard the report. Because I chose to return to work and completed my assignments for the day, this marked the first step to my recovery. If I had chosen to succumb to self-pity, I would not be here 37 years later telling this event of my life. After a second opinion, I learned that my illness, stage four ovarian cancer had a three-to-five-year life span and the doctor told me that he did not know how much time I had left.

On the day that I first received the news, that evening, when I got home, I immediately called my parents, who lived in Holly, Michigan; they prayed for me and assured me that I would recover. I also called my older sister, Dr Addie Davis, who lived in Seattle; she prayed for me and called a friend in Canada to pray. The friend called me and told me to begin thanking God for my healing. At the age of five I was baptized in Jesus’ Name and at the age of seven I received the Holy Spirit and had an exciting relationship with the Lord.

I decided to delay any medical treatment and try natural resources. I asked a friend, Glynnis, to go to a health food store, tell them about my predicament and get some information for me. One of the most important things that I needed to do was to change my eating habits; this was not easy, but I did it. I invested in a juicer and began drinking fresh vegetable and fruit juices. I also became a vegetarian who ate only uncooked vegetables. This was a fun adventure because of the recipes in the Uncooked Cookbook. Wheat grass juice and Par D’ Arco Tea was important to my healing process.

1.During my illness, the Lord inspired my nephew, Nate J. Davis, Jr., to invent a healing supplement “Juice Works” with excellent results. to beg God for anything. Whenever anyone would say they were going to pray for me I would tell them how I wanted them to pray. I would ask them to pray a prayer of thanksgiving: “Thank God for my healing, don’t ask Him to heal me, that is already happening.” The cleansing process was not only natural but also spiritual. I made sure that I maintained a forgiving attitude, had a rich prayer life to include positive affirmations. The nourishing process also included having only positive conversations with family, co-workers and friends. The healing process for me included the total person, body soul spirit and affairs. I also told the Lord I did not want people to give me messages from Him. I wanted Him to talk to me Himself.

It was April 1984 as I awakened. I said out loud, “I am healed” and it seemed as if an electrical shock went through my body. Went to be examined and the doctor found no cancer. As advised by Evangelist Iona Locke, Addie and I traveled to El Paso, Texas, to consult with an Iridologist and Nutritionist. She examined me and found no cancer.

July presented another challenge and in August 1984, I was hospitalized for major surgery and the Lord reassured me that He was the Healer. The most exciting day for me was when the doctors came to my bedside and told me that my faith in God or my own process had worked; they found no cancer. I also returned to regular eating, and in April 1996 I was blessed with my husband, Trustee Clinton Petty who loves to cook nutritious meals.

I am so grateful for Divine intervention, Jesus Christ, family, friends, and co-workers who walked this journey with me and since April 1984 and August 1984 I have lived a healthy life.

Charlene Edmonds

First giving honor to God, who is the head of my life, and to my late Bishop Lawrence R. Robertson who taught us to strictly have faith in God. I also want to give honor to my First Lady, Dr. Lillian Robertson who inspired me through my journey with cancer. I love and appreciate you.

In 2013 while giving myself a breast examination I felt a lump the size of a dime. The lump felt like a navy bean that was moveable, it was something I had never felt before. While waiting for a doctor’s appointment my lump doubled in size. This is when fear decided to raise its ugly head. I remember having a vulnerable moment thinking to myself, man this could possibly kill me.

I found out I had progressive stage 2 breast cancer while I was at work. The woman who called me had no empathy at all. She was very quick to advise me I had cancer in two places in my body. I knew when I left work I had to tell my family. As a mom of seven children, three grandchildren, and a wife, this was not going to be easy. I told them my diagnosis; I cried, they cried but then something rose in the room. We began to pray as a family and decided we were going to trust God with the process.

I live in a small community, so my First Lady who is an obstetrician suggested that I seek treatment 45 minutes away from home. I was so blessed to be given that advice because there were so many skilled doctors who came up with a plan to treat my case. After praying and having unwavering faith, it was discovered at my next cancer scan that my tumor shrunk from a stage two to stage one.

Though my tumor shrunk, I still had an aggressive treatment plan. I had to do chemotherapy for about six months. Chemotherapy is rough. You

literally feel like the poison they are injecting in your body. I remember feeling drained, nauseous, having a metallic taste and mouth sores. At first, I didn’t expect to lose my hair but by the second treatment, my hair started feeling like a Brillo pad and started falling out in lumps all at one time. After chemotherapy I elected to have a double mastectomy. I remember feeling like a freak after seeing myself the first time in the mirror. After the double mastectomy I had to complete months of radiation. The radiation was so bad that it caused second degree burns where my breast use to be. I will still say with all of this, without God I would be nothing. During my cancer battle God assigned a group of people I needed. I want to shout out my friend Julie who gave up time, money, and constant companionship for one whole year. I am also thankful to have had a supportive husband, church family and Pastor because they did not allow me to give up on myself. Cancer is scary but with an untimely faith it can be beat. God had a purpose for my life. My purpose in life is to uphold as many women as I can. To pray and speak into as many people as I can. And to win as many souls as I can for God’s kingdom.

If I could encourage anyone who may be going through cancer, remember who your Father is and you are covered under the blood of Jesus. Lastly, make sure to have the right team for your medical needs. They need to listen to you; remember you are the patient. Remember your diagnosis is not a death sentence. Continue walking in the will of God, and pray that His will to be done. Pray for others who are battling cancer, even during your weak times. Be affirmed that you are a child a God, and remain Charlene Edmond was a born in North Carolina. She has been married for 32 years. She has eight children, and six grandchildren. Charlene has worked as a community activist for 34 years. She has attended Emmanuel Apostolic Church for 35 years. Charlene has been cancer free since 2014.

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