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How The Lord called me into Ministry...
Late 2006 I felt I had a calling to the Ministry. Not knowing how to get started, I began a Bible Study Group in early 2007. After a year of Bible Study, I felt I wasn't accomplishing much. So... I prayed for The Lord to open and close the necessary doors to begin my Ministry. The first door He closed was the door to my steady business of 16 years. My business came to a complete stop, it did not slow down, it just stopped!
Not knowing at the time, that that was the first door the Lord had closed in order to re-direct my steps, I began to panic and decide to dig deep into the Bible looking for an answer to my financial collapse. I knew the Bible contained many stories with different endings. I wanted to find a story parallel to mine. So I decided to read and study the Bible day and night, non-stop. In addition, I watched TBN, read Christian books and watch Bible documentaries. It seemed to me that the more I read, the more I began to intimately know God. ...The more I got to know Him, the more I fell in love with Him. I began reading the Bible in a quest for the answers to my financial collapse, and instead ended up deeply in love with my creator.
Then in early 2008 I suggested to my Bible Study group to begin a noon prayer to pray for protection to all the ministers around the world. In addition, since I travel frequently, I spread the word to all the Christians I met along the way. So people began to pray in Colorado, Ohio, Mexico, Texas, etc...
We prayed for all the ministers around the world specially for our favorites, mine were; Joyce Meyer, John Hagee, Perry Stone, Grant Jeffrey and many more. We also prayed for the needs of our own families and friends as well as the needs of those who requested prayer from our Bible Study group. Many people began to have faith in our prayer group since 97% of our prayers were answered even cases of people who had terminal cancer.
...Then everyone in our group began to experience immediate, family needs. The first one was Joan, whose husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer, then Judy's husband had a quadruple bypass, but we all prayed and everything went back to normal.
But then... the Holy Spirit instructed us to pray for my daughter Wendy and her children. We were instructed not only to pray, but in addition to fast. This went on for almost three months, until one day while I was visiting a Hispanic church in La Puente, California. On October 5, 2008 at 11:30am, while we were still having service, Wendy's boyfriend mother, gave me the devastating news, she told me she had just been called by the Mobil Home Park her son was renting from. To inform her, that her 29 year old son, Rigoberto Gonzalez, had been savagely attacked by my 26 year old daughter Wendy, and that he in self defense had also injured my daughter. She told me that my daughter had been driven in an ambulance to a nearby hospital, while her son had been air-lifted to a different hospital. I later found out she had the story backwards when I arrived at the hospital and saw that the injuries she had described on her son, were in reality on my daughter, Her son had savagely attacked my daughter and my daughter's life was now hanging by a thread.
My first response after hearing the devastating news on the phone, was to go back into the church building and ask the Pastor to stop the service and have the entire congregation intercede for the life of my daughter and her boyfriend's. For, according to the conversation I had with her boyfriend's Mother. She had informed me that my daughter had attacked her son and he was at the hospital fighting for his life. However, she too did not know the whole story, only what the property manager of the Mobil home park had shared with her.
Sister Gloria, who was one of the ushers that day, followed me outside the building and over heard the entire conversation. After we reentered the building, sister Gloria helped me tell the Pastor what was going on and He and the entire congregation began to pray for us. After almost 20 minutes of prayer with all of the brothers and sisters of the congregation, while I was still on my knees interceding for my daughter and her boyfriend , I prayed for the Holy Spirit to properly direct my prayer. For I knew not what was happening. The Holy Spirit instructed me to pray for my daughter, that her boyfriend was not seriously injured, I then concentrated my prayer on my daughter, and all of a sudden, from the inner most part of my being, a desperate cry for help was utter out of my mouth. I prayed the following prayer; "Jehovah God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth nothing is impossible to you Lord, please save my daughter in the powerful name of your son, Jesus Christ." It was 'till then that I felt a peace over take my whole being. I immediately felt that I could now interrupt our prayer and start heading to the hospital... some 130 miles away. after approximately 5 minutes of that powerful prayer. The alarm on my cell phone went off. I had my cell phone alarm set at 11:55 in order to prepare for my noon prayer. Which tells me that it must have been 11:50am, the time that powerful prayer took place.
On our way to the hospital, as soon as we got into the car, I began to call all of my noon prayer partners and asked them to pray for my daughter Wendy and her boyfriend. Among the first ones to call were sister Ana Maria, a prayer warrior, her church service had just ended and she was able to get some of the members of her congregation to intercede as well. And within minutes there were people all over the world praying for the lives of them both. Not only were there people praying in the States, but Mexico, Germany and Peru as well. Two hours after we arrived at the hospital. As soon as the Doctor came out of surgery, the first thing he told us was that my daughter Wendy had expired at 11:50am and that while he was signing her death certificate, she came back to life on her own. He doesn't know how, for Wendy had multiple stab wounds, three of them being extremely lethal. One of them was to a main artery on her neck and both of her wrists had been slashed, in addition she had multiple stab wounds through out her face and body, she even had the blade of one of the knives still inserted in her abdomen and another sticking out of her mouth.
After Wendy resuscitated she was taken into surgery at approximately 12:00 noon, 22 days later after being declared brain dead, the hospital decided to disconnect Wendy from life support on October 27, 2008 at 12:00 noon. On November 7, 2008 I held her funeral services at 12:00 noon in order to allow family members coming from far away, to arrive on time.
One day, a couple of months after her funeral, I was thinking about all that had happened to my Wendy... I then, in prayer asked The Lord why did her murder take place, when I was walking the closest to Him, He immediately brought to my remembrance the time of her Surgery, Death and Funeral they all had taken place at 12:00 noon. Same time as the prayer I had started a few months prior. He showed me that the enemy was angered with my noon prayer. Then a few months later he sent to my house a Christian lady who had had a similar tragedy take place in her life, except that in her case, it had been her husband who had been murdered. She told me how the Lord had her pray and fast for her husband's salvation a few months prior to his murder. She asked The Lord, why did he died anyway after all the fasting and prayer she had done for him. The Lord answered her that the fasting and praying had been for her to be able to resist the tragedy. That explained why I too, had had so much fortitude during my daughter's ordeal. ...Well I've decided to continue to send back the enemy a message, everyday, by using my daughter's murder, to witness to everyone I come in contact with. The Lord has allowed me and many of my relatives and friends to win souls for The Lord with my Wendy's murder story. When the enemy throws lemons at you, make lemonade!
While a woman who loses a husband is called a widow, and a child who loses his mother, an orphan. There isn't a word in the dictionary that describes a parent who loses a child. Therefore, my tragedy has given me the right to come up with one. The best way for me to describe the pain caused by the death of a child is tu feel your "Heart Mutilated". Therefore, I will now call a parent who loses a child a "Carmuti" for a mother and "Carmutior" for a father this is a shorten compound word for "Cadio-Mutilation".
The stabbing was done with so much hatred I knew immediately, that her boyfriend had suffered demonic possession. Rigoberto Gonzalez, had murdered my daughter Wendy in front of their own 14 month old daughter as well as Wendy's 5 year old son. Both children witnessed the murder of their Mommy... Only someone who had been demonically possessed would do such a horrible crime in front of his own child.
But this was only the beginning of the Lord's manifestation in my life. A couple of months earlier, I had prayed for the Lord to send me one of his Ministers to let me know if I had the gift to preach and if one of his ministers would ordain me. And that took place at my daughter's funeral. For thanks to all the prayers and fasting I had done prior to the incident. The Lord had placed a super natural covering over my Heart, Mind and Soul, which prevented me from hating my daughter's murderer. And instead I had mercy, love and forgiveness for him and his family.
I only wanted to give my testimony at her funeral and I ended up preaching about God's PEACE that surpasses all understanding. For instead of pain and grief, I felt lots and lots of PEACE as well as JOY, imagine that... JOY instead of sorrow! I was so grateful to my Lord that he had spared the life of both of my grandchildren, that there was no room for grief, pain, sorrow or hatred!!!
The chain of events that took place 15 months prior to the attack, as well as the ones that took place during the funeral arrangements gave me the opportunity to see my Savior face to face. And I too can declare the same comment JOB made in JOB 42:5 My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.
PSALM 91:10-12 10 no harm will overtake you, For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. I felt that I was surrounded by his angels, since the day of the attack. My family, friends and the Lord's faithful servants were my ANGELS
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Being in a small church at the time of her attack, which stopped the service in order for the entire congregation to pray for my daughter ...my church wouldn't have done that. |
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Touching my purse at the same time my cell phone was vibrating with an incoming call from the attacker's Mother. |
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All my praying friends answered my phone call |
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Brian Chavez, attorney at law, fought with the hospital to keep Wendy connected to life support until she accepted the Lord as her personal savior, which took place two days prior to disconnection. Mr. Chavez did this pro-bono through divine connection, for he too had a young daughter die. |
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The funeral home held my daughter's body an extra week free of cost. In order to celebrate Wendy's son's 5th B-day, before telling him his Mommy had past away three days prior to his birthday. |
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My cousins got together and gave a full B-day party for my grandson on October 30th, free of cost to me. |
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Flower shop up-graded floral arrangement for Wendy's casket free of charge. |
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Over 150 friends and family were present for after the burial dinner. |
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My friends Maria Elena owner of "La Charrita" (Mexican Restaurant in Burbank) donated the beans and rice, my friends Rosie and Lupe the salad, Sylvia and Nancy dessert, I only had to provide the Chicken. |
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'Church On The Way' allowed me to use "The Lamb's chapel" for after burial get together. free of charge. |
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All of the sympathy cards I received had 1-3 $100 bills, some were even from strangers, I've never met. |
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For Christmas both of my grandchildren received almost $3000 worth of new clothes from family, friends and strangers. |
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In order to pay off some bills I had sold my Mercedes two days prior to the attack, and since I had co-signed for my daughter's car it became mine after her death. |
The following verses were my rhema during my time of trial... PHILIPPIANS 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me; PHILIPPIANS 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus; JEREMIAH 31:13 I will turn their mourning into gladness; PSALM 91:10-1210 no harm will overtake you, For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
In the book of JOB, JOB questions the LORD for allowing all of his suffering to take place in his life, apparently without a reason, 3500 years later I can answer JOB, that the reason the Lord allowed all that suffering to take place in JOB's life, was in order that his experience would offer me the comfort... that if JOB was able to survive his tragedies, I too can survive mine!
Thank you for stopping by, May God Bless you all!!! Pastor Letty Hawkins