The Healing of Don Juan

Don Juan believes that God healed him. Not only that, but he believes that God healed him in response to my prayers. He has twice expressed his love for me over the past few months.

On Friday February 26, 2010, Pilar Cruz (a.k.a. Don Juan) was in a traffic accident. His truck veered off the road, went down an embankment and collided with a very large tree. The truck had no safety belts. He had a minor cut on the forehead, but the major injury was to his spine. Supposedly an x-ray was taken and later an MRI, and I was told that Don Juan needed surgery to place a pin in his vertebrate to facilitate healing.

I saw him in the hospital after his accident. He was pitiful. He was in so much pain. He couldn't get up. He cried as he reached out and grabbed my hands. The first day I told him that I would be praying for him. The day of his accident and the two days following I prayed almost constantly. Sure, I prayed that he would get better, but more than that I prayed that God would use the situation to draw Don Juan to himself for the salvation of his soul which I thought was more important than his body.

This was in Honduras. I returned to the United States two days after his accident so I did not witness his improvement over the months. I just heard bits and pieces from family members. At first I heard how his son and daughter were trying to get a doctor and a pin and arrange for surgery as well as raise funds. Then I heard they moved him out of the hospital into his son's house. He hated the hospital.

I'll never forget the day I heard that he was walking. Wow! At first I heard that he was walking with crutches. Then a few weeks later I heard that he went home. To get to his house he would have had to walk up a couple of dozen stone stairs because his house is on a little hill. Then one day his wife sent him into town to sell some eggs. They have a lot of chickens. Then I heard he was riding a bike. Today he's not quite back to normal, but he's much much better.

And I had prayed. O how I had prayed. I prayed for everything. I had prayed that God would work in this situation for the good of Don Juan and his family. I prayed that he would get better. I prayed that God would use this near death experience to get Don Juan's attention. His son's wife is a Christian, and his daughter who is also a Christian was living in his son's house to take care of Don Juan so I know that they were talking a lot about Jesus. There was also a rift in the family. Some siblings weren't talking to each other. I prayed that God would use this situation to bring them back together.

More than anything I prayed for the glory of God. Don Juan is healed, and he gives thanks to God for that. Just last week a brother who hadn't spoken to a sister in four years just brought a plate of food to the sister, and the two spent some time talking on the front porch. Don Juan has gone to church since he's recovered. One of his daughters says that he's religious but is not certain whether it's genuine faith and a firm commitment.

Did God heal Don Juan in some miraculous way? I don't know. All I know is that I thought he might die, and now he's better and gives thanks to God for it.