When God Showed Up,

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My Faith Is My Reality.         Pastor Victoria Atte-Valour Peters .

I recently had a most interesting chat with Pastor (Mrs.) Victoria Atte Valour-Peters, and the amazing story she shared, of how God delivered her from the clutches of a life threatening ailment, inspired me, and I thought to share with you all. Often times, we take our good health for granted, just like we take a lot of things in our life for granted, as if we deserved those things. But when you have been through some life threatening situations, you would be forced to acknowledge that really, there is a God in Heaven, Who rules in the affairs of men. Please read this wonderful, true life story and be encouraged that, no matter what the situation is, no matter what reports you get from your doctors, there is a God, Who is more than able to surmount those situations. Have a nice/inspiring read, I did.

SCHOOLS ATTENDED:  Federal Government Girl's College, Onitsha, University of Uyo (Economics).



MARITAL STATUS: Married for 15yrs to Pastor Valour Peters. We have 3 sons aged 14, 11 & 9.

OCCUPATION:Co -Pastor, House On The Rock,Ibadan. CEO, VAVIE After School Care.



HOW IT ALL BEGAN:

Pastor Vickie and her sisters
My mum was diagnosed with and treated for Breast Cancer in 2006. She lived with us through out her treatment so I saw first hand the perils of cancer. It made my sisters & I become conscious of it so we all had periodic checks.

About a year later, I noticed a small lump in my left breast, went for a Mammogram at University College Hospital & was told it was benign (not cancer).Instead of shrinking it kept growing bigger & about 6months later, the same hospital told me it was cancer. This was in March 2008.

REACTION TO THIS BOMBSHELL:Hmmm. I had to wait for 3weeks  to get the results. After I got it, I drove home in a daze. Walked up to my room, and  sat on a chair still in a daze. I was afraid to react because, I didn't know how I would handle it. A few hours later, my husband came home. As soon as he walked through the door, I felt to the floor screaming.‎​ After the initial outburst, my husband tried to comfort me. He stayed with me. That night after everyone had gone to bed, I went downstairs and just broke into worship.

DEALING WITH THE FEAR OF IMMINENT DEATH:Fear came, especially at night, but being one who knows not to let the devil have the last say, I never got tired of rebuking negative thoughts and of speaking words of faith. Sometimes I did it fifty times in one day but I made sure, the devil's suggestions were never the last thing on my mind. I always had the last say! The thought of death crossed my mind many times, but I never let it dwell. I'm human. So I didn't pretend like there was no fear in my heart. When you get the news about a terminal illness, fear will surely come. But I constantly and consciously didn't let it dwell. I knew that letting any negative thought dwell- even once, was all the devil needed, so I was constantly on guard. I can't stop him from flying around but I won't let him perch and  build a nest on my mind.

I'm a very realistic person. My Christianity is my life. There is no me without Christ. My Faith is my reality. I don't believe that Faith denies the presence of a problem. I'm the first to admit when I have a problem. I prefer to call it a challenge. Through my Faith, I acknowledge the problem first and then choose what my focus will be. Whether on the problem before me or on the possibility power within me. So I teach my kids that crying is good. It doesn't make you any less of a man. But don't stop there. Look beyond the problem to the power (of God) within you that is just waiting to be activated!After the diagnosis, my consultant told me he would have to take off my breast (mastectomy)  and I said "Oh no!!! I'm too young to go breast less!!!"

STEPS TAKEN TO HANDLE THE DISTRESSING SITUATION:My Dr. in church asked me this, "Pastor Vickie, how do you want to handle this- by faith or by medicine? I  responded that, both were given by God. I choose both because, I needed both!My husband and I prayed for God to send us an angel. He  led us to South Africa, to a God fearing angel called Dr Benn. After some tests, she came into the room and said to me, "Vickie I won't cut off your breast!" I began to argue with her, then my husband tapped me and said, "Isn't this what we've been praying for?"She decided to reverse the process & give me a 10-dose Chemotherapy treatment, shrink the lump and then do a lumpectomy instead.

Before we left for SA, we went to see our Parents in the Lord- Pastors Paul & Ifeanyi Adefarasin. I just want to say that I love them with all my heart. God couldn't have given us better spiritual parents in every sense of the word. They took care of me in every way possible. When we were about to leave, Pastor Paul hugged me and prayed for me. He said, "You are at the beginning of a very long journey but as your name is (Victoria), so shall your testimony be (victorious)."  At first I thought he was referring to my 6hr flights. Looking back now, I realize it was prophetic because, the next 2yrs became a long, victorious journey indeed.

THINGS GET WORSE...The story's quite long. I had the first round of chemo in SA and  decided to come home to complete the chemo and then go back for surgery. Two weeks after I came home,  it happened! I woke up one morning with heavy feet and  for almost an hour I sat in the bathroom trying to ease myself but couldn't. My husband took me to UCH. They couldn't tell me what the problem was. By the end of the first week, I could not lift my legs anymore. I was paralyzed! I could not feel anything from my chest to my toes. You could stab me with a knife and I still wouldn't feel it externally but internally, I suffered excruciating pain. It was terrible. I couldn't sit, dress myself or feed myself. I could hardly see and my condition deteriorated rapidly. My husband, my mum-may her soul rest in peace- my sisters, took care of,  and prayed with me. Members of my church, friends and family were constantly fasting and praying for me. One day,  in the third week, I couldn't take the unexplainable pain anymore. I made my peace with the Lord and told Him I was ready to die. When my husband came to see me that evening, I told him what I'd done and that I'd like to see the children one last time. He sharply rebuked me and commanded the spirit of death to release me. I realized that no matter how much love and prayers people gave, just like the bible says, the power of life and death lay within me. It had to be my choice and if I chose to die, no one could save me. In my moment of despair, I had given that power to the devil and I had to take it back. That night, with not much physical strength, I cried out to God in repentance, and began a spiritual warfare with all that I had left- my mouth! By 2am that night, he came to take me. I stopped breathing. I stopped speaking. But my mind kept declaring that I will not die, but live to declare God's glory, just like I'm doing now. I survived. Days later, my husband took me back to South Africa. That on its own, was a miracle because I made it through a 6-hour journey.



The day I left for SA, my consultant told our family doctor that the most I could live for would be till the end of the month. That was in May, 2009! After a few days of treatment in SA, I was told that I had a rare viral infection called ADEM. A severe form of polio and that if it had been caught on the first day, it won't have been so bad but also I was 2days away from a coma! By this time, the paralysis has gone up to my hands so all I could move was my head. I could hardly see. The Dr said I would be paralyzed for life so they would just work on gradually getting me able to sit up on my own so I could use a wheel chair. But I had taken back the power over my life from the devil. I declared there and then that I will walk again and return to singing in the choir. I was sent to a rehab center. A month later, to the amazement of doctors and patients alike, my toes began to move again. Then gradually, feeling, movement returned to my body. People didn't stop praying for me and heaven had no choice but to release my miracle.  I went through countless MRIs, Pet Scans, CT scans, Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy, rehabilitation, blood tests, infections, etc. In June 2010, my husband, family and church -HOTR, Ibadan organized a thanksgiving and birthday service for me. I walked into church, wearing my high heeled shoes, jumping, leaping, singing praises to GOD with my choir. I fully healed & delivered. One day, while on my sick bed listening to Pastor Paul preach, God spoke to my heart: Be still & know that I AM GOD. That was my Rhema , my Anchor, my Word. It kept me through every trial. It's still keeping me now. God gave me angels in form of my husband, my sisters, my Pastors, my friends, my church, the Body of Christ. Being alive today is not just my testimony, it's our testimony and God will faithful complete what He started. He will do much more for anyone who can ask, think or imagine it according to His power working in us!



 ...ONLY TO GET BETTER.I was certified cancer free last august. The kids knew everything I went through. We try to be truthful and  open with them. While I was in the hospital, we sent them on vacation with my sister but I spoke with often. They knew I was ill, in the hospital. They knew about the cancer and everything else. They each wrote me heart wrenching, inspiring letters while I was in rehab and gave me so much motivation to work hard at my recovery. While in rehab, on my bed, I began a small counselling, prayer session for fellow patients as well as staff members. Patients came into my room on their own wheel chairs to hear me sing or talk about God. My Faith is my reality. Through good and bad times. No matter where you are, and what you go through, there's still someone whose life you can touch. Keep your Faith alive. God will come through for you.