Dear Tine and Jayjay,
Through the years I am grateful for the special friendship that we have. God allowed our lives to intertwine as mentors and friends. We have celebrated successes, exchanged notes on our challenges with business and family and have grieved for our family losses. In this season of your life, I thank God that he allowed me to be there praying for you.
From the time those insect bites appeared – the Holy Spirit prompted me to start praying for Caitie. It was in January that I vocalized that I was willing to be your prayer warrior and if you were willing to go through family deliverance. I took this assignment because I really believed with all my heart without a doubt that God was going to do a great miracle.
When no one could diagnose yet what Caitie had – I took a record in my prayer notebooks of our win in the prayer battle. I also made sure that we had networks of prayer warriors through text, fb chats and viber to pray for Caitie on real time basis. I remember when we were praying for her lesions to disappear and for her liver and spleen to subside. It all happened. When the doctors were trying to find what making her blood reading off – a week after our deliverance prayers – the team of doctors still puzzled, ended up shaking hands saying “Caitie is malignancy free.” I remember that we were just concerned at the time of her bowel movements to regularized. From every 2 hours LBM, God again made it up to every 6 and even 8 hours! Remember how we prayed and how you monitored it? There was so much sweet victory praying every step of the way. I felt the hands of the Lord go before you and I saw that God was really orchestrating the healing. Miracles were happening almost everyday!
I thank God for one quick open window to pray for Caitie just a few hours before you went to Singapore for the nth opinion. God granted you favor and safe passage in all sides. So many embraced you with food, shelter and even gifts, clothing for Caitie. Can you see the handprint of God? You kept asking why there was so much money being poured out to you. I remember you saying, “I don’t need the money. I need prayers for Caitie’s complete healing.” You humbled me with that statement because your hearts were in the right place. But you see before you arrived there, God wanted to assure you that He will provide all your needs without ever worrying. There was a growing desire for people to help but it was your growing desire not to waste this giving by giving these generous people a real gift of hearing the gospel of Jesus. Everything was used for God’s glory: concert, movie showing, dinners, photo marathons and even all the blogs and interviews. God raised an army of beautiful people who were so organized and creative to do the Mission Courageous Caitie campaign. That viber group sends over 500 messages a day finding ways to raise money and to pray for her condition. I was so blessed to be behind the scene praying day and night and rooting for Caitie and for you guys.
As you said you had your fair share of roller coaster emotions. One of the dark moment was when the doctors finally came out with a diagnosis. Through viber exchanges I know you wrestled with the separation from Ethan, wrestled with giving up everything in Manila and fight the battle in Singapore nor the possible set up of you being physically separated as husband and wife. You wrestled, yet I saw you take the leap of faith every time. I want you to know those hard moves encouraged me to pray harder because your faith was genuinely evident. I remember that at one of the lowest point you kept asking questions if God’s promises were real and what happened to everything we prayed for. I had no answer except that I know God chose Caitie. He gives the best assignment to his strongest warriors. God knew your family would bring him Glory. God also wanted to take your deeper in your faith walk. So despite of all the affliction – the hope of a strong finish was always my blind faith perspective for you guys.
My prayer was always for an open window of grace for your family. And God made those windows wide open for Caitie. Remember your Singapore Zoo treat? Or when Caitie was able to bike again? Caitie painted a whole lot. Just when you thought Caitie was down and losing appetite, we prayed and lo and behold at very odd hours of the early morning she would eat a whole lot. God is good. Because every window Jesus opened was hope for Caitie and for all of us praying for her.
Then came yesterday. I was in prayer mode for Caitie when your distress texts came. But during my prayer time I was crying because the Spirit led me to pray for you two. I was anguished in my spirit… Lord you’re not taking her right? This is not how the story ends. You will give us the victory promise because she carries your banner Lord, I pleaded. I asked a friend to pray with me because I felt for the first time that I had no more strength to pray – and during that prayer time I settled with comforting words “that may God be glorified in all of this.”
Then you sent that unexpected viber message “she is gone.”
My spirit was crushed, As a prayer warrior, I’ve never felt so defeated. I was so tempted to ask God –Why did it have to end like this? The enemy was shaking my faith. For the first time, there were doubts coming in my mind: was all our prayers in vain? I once again rebuke the thought and came into prayer as I processed everything. I was really hurting for you guys.
During my prayer time, God reminded me that He loves Caitie more than anyone can. That our perspective should always be focused on eternity not just on this life. This world is not our home. We are just passing by. God did answer our prayers. Caitie received true healing yesterday. She is no longer in pain. All the prayers were not in vain. Every favor, open window and victory was God’s doing to strengthen our faith in Him. Her life and her death brought many to Jesus. What a victory story indeed.
Prayer allows us to see things in God’s perspective. So I am praying for you, Tine and Jayjay. Just like the cross of Jesus, everyone thought it was a defeat – but the real miracle is that He resurrected! Caitie is with the Lord. It is a painful loss, but there is that resurrected hope to know one day you will see her again. Keep your eyes on Jesus my friends, you will rise again from this affliction, stronger and full of faith. God’s story is not done. He will still use both of you mightily.
May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding be with you at this time. Thank you for the privilege of praying for you and with you. You have made a beautiful mark in my faith walk.
Love you guys.
When I think about Catie’s suffering – I can’t help but ask why does it have to happen to such a innocent, fragile, little girl? When I think about parent’s losing their child- I can’t help but ask why does it have to be to parents who would do anything just to keep their children alive?
John, thanks for writing this post. Your faith in Christ is amazing. Lucas’ faith in Christ has been inspiring on so many levels. God has been very clear in his words that He wants us to go forth and spread the Word. Catie, you didn’t die in vain. The last few days since following your journey, has got me to asking if there truly is life after death. I pray that I may walk by faith just like you did, Catie, in your earthly life.