November 16, 2023 • 24 mins
Check out this bonus episode where we share the story about an Elijah Rising presentation that went horribly wrong! Our Executive Director, Micah Gamboa, experienced cardiac arrest during her presentation at Celebration Church of The Woodlands. Amazingly, God worked a miracle, and Micah was able to recover in just a few days with no lasting effects. Hear the story from Pastor Frankie Mazzapica on what it was like to walk through this experience, and the amazing testimonies of how God is using this testimony to bring healing to others!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the Elijah Rising podcast.
Today we have a bonus episode,and I'm joined today by Frankie
Mazepika, one of our goodfriends.
You lead a church calledCelebration Church of the
Woodlands.
We've known you for about fiveyears and our story begins
probably whenever I died on yourstage.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, it's so funny because your listeners are like
oh, that's a figure of speech.
No, no, you died.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
So we will share that story today.
We love to use bonus episodeskind of around some of the
backstory of Elijah Rising,things that happened not
necessarily behind the scenes,but just things that you
wouldn't you know the public maynot get a chance to hear the
real life stories life inministry.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
This is what you get.
Yeah, so many people want to bein the ministry until they find
out what's going on.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
We joke that, like the Elijah Rising book, is going
to be called demons andsinkholes which is a whole
nother story.
But there's all of yes, exactlyministry life.
So why don't you tell us fromyour perspective?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
How you died.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
How we got to know each other.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah, okay, so let me start there.
I was.
I was in my kitchen and Iopened up my laptop.
I was having lunch.
I saw on the Fox News page,which is my splash- page.
It says Elijah Rising stopsCanadian company from bringing
robots to open up a sex robotbrothel.
(01:39):
I'm like what in the world.
So then I find out that you'rein Houston, okay, and we're in
the woodlands, and so that's.
You know.
I mean, what do we?
You?
walk across the railroad tracksand you're in Houston, right,
and so I'm like, okay, I got toreach out, so I call you guys up
and we talk over the phone.
(02:00):
We ended up meeting and onceyou come to our church and we're
going to just raise a wholebunch of money for Elijah Rising
, bless you guys, because I'mlike anyone who just shut down a
robot brothel which is theweirdest thing I've ever heard.
We want to bless you guys, andso we had two services, and so
(02:21):
we bring you on the stage andthere was a round table and I
was sitting on one side, youwere sitting on the other and I
said okay, micah, you know,introduce yourself.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Wait a minute.
I have to back up because Idon't remember anything about
this event.
But my husband was there and hetells me some of these things,
so we had only met one time,that's right, so we didn't
really know each other.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
No, no, no, I think we showed up to interview you
and then I mean it was a realquick interview.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
It was and you wanted to like, make sure you know.
Come to the facility, see thesafe home.
Yeah, Are you guys legit, orwas that just like?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
who are you guys, and so I remember we had it.
We brought a team with us tointerview you, and so it was
real quick.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
I mean, we were just bang bang.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
And I think we introduced ourselves to each
other.
It felt very professional.
Right it was just kind of likeboom.
And then I was like, okay, seeyou next month Sunday, the
whatever it was.
And so when you came I wouldguess I'd call you know my
relationship with you and David,acquaintances, I suppose.
(03:32):
And so I said, hey, micah, goahead and introduce yourself to
the church.
And my goodness.
So you said well, first of allI want to say thank you for
inviting.
And then you dragged out thatword inviting and all of a
sudden I look at you and youreyes like I've never seen this
(03:57):
in my life.
It's like the life went awayand your eyes just rolled back
in the back of your mouth, Imean not in the back of my mouth
.
They just rolled backwards, yeah, and you started slipping out
of the stool and I was like, oh,my goodness.
And so the only thing that cameto my mind was, okay, she's
(04:17):
having a seizure, okay, and, andso I went around and I caught
you because you were slippingout of the school.
Yeah, you're welcome.
So you know, I lay you down onthe ground and I don't know much
about seizures, but what I doknow is that they know what's
(04:37):
happening around them, but theycan't stop what's happening to
them right.
And so I just said, hey, Micah,you know, relax, yeah,
everything's okay, and little doI know that you are going into
full cardiac arrest or likeright before my eyes, and and
(05:03):
and.
So I look up and we thank theLord we had a doctor and she
works in the emergency unit.
And then we had a guy who was hewas in the military for several
years, who worked in Iraq,right.
So I looked over there and inboth of them kind of were
(05:23):
looking at me like hey, do youneed help?
And I looked at them and I waslike yeah, I, you know, come up
here.
So they come up there and youknow, at that point I'm a couple
feet away from you and I'venever like obviously, but I
can't explain this to anyone andcommunicate it well, unless
(05:48):
they've seen it.
But you're looking, I'm lookingin your eyes, trying to
determine how well you are, andthe life just goes away Like
you're gone, you're not here,right, and so you know, when you
go to a funeral and you walkpast, the casket and everybody
always says the same thing right, they're not here.
(06:12):
But to see someone like in asecond, like you're there and
you're gone, it was like I can'teven explain.
Like, oh my goodness, likeshe's not here and I don't want
to get like too graphic, but Ido want to paint the picture.
David, the guy that served inthe military, he was like doing
(06:37):
like pumping on your chest totry to keep your heart beating
and because you had already gone.
Okay, blood was coming out ofyour mouth and it was coming out
of your nose and he had thewherewithal of hey, if we have
any chance of saving this girland nobody knew what was
(06:59):
happening we got to keep herheart beating until the
paramedics show up and, lookingback, had he not done that, we
would have lost you Totally.
Like there's no way.
Then we find out later.
You know what happened.
You went into full cardiacarrest, which and you know more
about this than I do, clearly,because you've you've learned a
(07:19):
lot more but full cardiac arrestis when your breathing stops,
your brain stops and your heart.
So all of that, is that correcta die word?
That while?
Yeah, and so if someone goesinto partial cardiac arrest, one
of the three or two of thethree, well, in your case it was
all three you're gone no brain,no heart, no breathing,
(07:40):
breathing that's called dead.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
It was like the first service, the first.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Yes, and, and so you know.
So someone called 911.
Thank God right.
The paramedics come down theaisle and as soon as they get
there they said who's the pastor, and I was like that's me.
You need to get everybody inthe sanctuary out of here.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yeah, all like 400 of them are what all of you guys
need to get out, right, get outof here, okay.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
So, and so they all leave and they're in the lobby
like praying, okay, and and andthen after that I'm sitting on
the front row and I'm sittingnext to the doctor at this point
and she's giving me aplay-by-play, right, they're
hooking you up, they got IVs,and, and you're just laying
(08:32):
there like you're gone, you're,you're dead, and I'll never
forget.
Your husband was calling people.
I'm so glad he had thewherewithal to do this.
He was calling people andsaying hey, look, I need you to
pray and it hang up with him.
Call the next person.
Yeah and so I'm not a doctor,right, but I am familiar with
that sound where you knowsomebody, you can hear
(08:54):
somebody's heartbeat you know,beep, beep.
And well, yours was like beep, Imean.
I mean, it was just so eerie.
And our second service Was muchlarger than our first service,
and so they need parking Right,and so Attendance-wise it's just
(09:18):
much larger, and so they'retrying to get in, but the people
in the first service don't wantto leave, and so it was just a
madhouse.
I didn't know what washappening out there.
I could have you know, I waskind of thinking about it and
and so about 15 minutes went byand I remember watching the
(09:41):
paramedics say okay, you know,it's time to pack up.
And so they start packing upand they had like IVs in you and
stuff like that, and theystarted taking out.
The last thing that they weregoing to take off is what was
keeping your heart right,telling them what they, how your
heart was doing the machinethat was going beep Right.
(10:03):
And so they had packed upeverything and then all of a
sudden it starts going beep,beep, beep.
And so I look at the doctornext to me and she looks at back
at me and we're like big eyesand we're like, oh, my goodness,
like what's going on here?
And so I heard one of theparamedics say okay, we got a
heartbeat.
And so they throw you on thegurney and they throw the
(10:26):
blanket around you and but it'snot over your head, Right?
So everybody knows, Even ifyou're not a doctor, if it goes
over the head it's, it's, it'sover, right.
And so we're like, okay, it'snot over her head.
And so they start pushing youout.
And so the doctor sitting nextto me and said, look, we got a
long road ahead of us because,just because she's breathing,
(10:49):
her brain is not working.
And she's not, she's, herheart's not working.
Okay, the only thing.
No, her heart is beating, buther lungs are not, and neither
is her brain.
And so you know, and it's been15 minutes- yeah, yeah.
And so they, they put you in theambulance, they, they, they run
(11:09):
you off, and and so I'm tryingto wrap my head around what to
do now, because there's blood onour stage.
Yeah, I know Right, there'sblood on our stage.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
And you have people like filing in yes.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Filing in and I remember because I was trying to
move you around for the doctorsand so I had blood like in my
finger.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Oh my gosh Frankie.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And so I'm like I have to go upstairs and and I
got to wash my hands and I'mlike I can't believe this is
happening.
Um, but you know, it's sointeresting I think I gave it to
you.
I know that sounds kind ofweird, but I saw a needle that
they had in your IV and theyleft it on the stage.
(11:56):
They took everything, but theyforgot to pick that up.
And I picked it up and I waslike, if a miracle happens, I'm
going to want to remember thismoment.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Yeah, yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
So so, uh, I know that sounds gross, but it was
significant at the time, Right.
And so I, you know, I just putit in my pocket or whatever.
And so I go visit the hospitaland obviously, you know, I'm
dropping every single title Ican think of.
I get a Goldbastard, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Nobody cares, You're notgetting in there to see her.
And then, uh, I went to homeand I have a friend of mine
(12:30):
there's another friend of mine,he's a doctor and he said, look,
you know, brace yourself likeget your head together, like I
think it's like she.
She had a 4% chance of gettingto the hospital alive, right?
Uh, when people go into fullcardiac arrest, there's a 96%
chance that they're dead by thetime they get to the hospital.
(12:53):
And so he's telling me look,you know, just brace yourself.
And then he said this this wascrushing too.
I'm like, man, you are not thebearer of bad news, I mean good
news.
And he said and if she lives,she's not going to be who she
once was.
And he goes I don't know what'sgoing to be different.
(13:14):
I don't know if it'll bephysical, I don't know if it'll
be mental, emotional or all, butshe's not going to be the girl
that she once was.
And so I'm like.
And so I said well, what if?
What if she lives?
And what if she has no residualeffects?
And he said don't let your headgo down that road.
(13:37):
And he goes that's not gonnahappen.
Yeah, and I said, well, justwhat if?
Like what if?
And he goes, look, if thathappens, I don't wanna stand
anywhere close to you or yourchurch because lightning just
struck.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
You're like your church.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was like Ithought it was our church.
No, it's your church.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yeah, I was like, okay, he goes.
God just did something thatI've never seen before in the
medical world.
And you know, I don't know ifyou know, this lightning just
struck and so, anyway, I finallyget an opportunity to go visit
you.
Like four days later, I walkinto your hospital room and I've
(14:25):
talked about this so many timeswhen I travel around the
country, or whatever I walk in,david's in there, he's in a
chippy mood.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
My husband, yeah, your husband, david, he's in
there.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
He's in a chippy mood , he's happy.
I look at you you're in yourbed eating pudding, Pudding and
you looked at me and I'll neverforget what you said.
You go.
I'm really sorry, I messed upyour service dude.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
And I was like she just called me dude.
That's the most awesome thingI've ever heard of my life.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
And I'm looking at you and I'm like what in the
world is happening?
And they kept you for like acouple more days or whatever,
for like.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, cause it was the week of Thanksgiving and
they couldn't like get thedoctors, you know, to come in or
something, and I'm like thisgirl could walk out right now.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
They kept you for a couple of more days and they
were like okay, you can go.
And then we, you know, theysaid there's no reason for this,
you don't have it in yourfamily tree.
You're healthy, you're strongyou're young, this should not
have happened.
(15:40):
And I'm like, okay, I just sawsomeone die and come back to
life Like this is and I say thisall the time whenever I tell
the story.
But I can't not tell the storyand leave this out.
When you were on the on thestage, you got blood coming out
of your mouth Like it was sointense.
(16:01):
I felt the Lord just speak tome, not out loud, just like
right in my heart.
He told me two things.
He said hell hates this girl.
And then, just like, a fewmoments later, I felt him again
say they are at.
They meaning you and yourhusband, your ministry, elijah,
(16:22):
rising.
They are at the tip of thespear.
And you know, and I knew whatthat meant.
You know in the church world,you know the church is the bride
of Christ and so people, youknow they're supposed to go to
the temple to worship the Lord.
Next chapter two but, um, youguys go to them, you guys go to
(16:49):
the brothel you go into thedarkness and um wow.
that's why you guys are at thetip of the spear.
And then from that moment itwas so um, it was like okay,
we're, our church will be asupporter of Elijah rising
forever.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
It was it was obvious .
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Okay, and what's crazy?
What's so crazy is.
Our church started experiencingpeople getting healed.
You know blind eyes open ears,cancer and uh.
Every time we pray for youpeople, people get healed.
Ever since that day.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Not everybody gets healed that we pray for.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
But ever since that day.
People have been getting healedsince 2018.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
So thank you for taking one for the team.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
You had to pay the price, and we all benefited from
it, so thank you for taking onefor the team.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Well, it's one development strategy that I
don't recommend.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Nobody volunteers.
They all died, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
And it's like you were like okay, well, can either
go either way.
You're like okay, I never wantto see that girl again.
Or you're like okay, now we aretogether Together forever.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Now I mean, we're going to be old and raising our
kids and giving our ministry toour kids if they want it, but we
will be partners forever.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
And I love I have seen you.
Know we didn't know you toowell before that, right, but I
have seen the trajectory ofcelebration church and just the
incredible testimonies that havebeen coming out.
I mean, I've sat there in thechair when someone's blind eyes
were open and I'm like what ishappening you?
(18:35):
know it's been really excitingto watch and I just think that
y'all I mean your church, youguys have y'all have really paid
the price, in that it there'snot a lot of people who would
have stayed there and believedfor a miracle.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Who would?
Speaker 1 (18:49):
have believed for healing and been like, okay, I'm
not going to give up.
And and then invited us back.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
You know like that is the real test it was so funny
is is that we, I think,attendance wise that we're in
the lobby.
They were standing in theparking lot.
Everybody wants to see the deadgirl that came back you know it
was so good.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
They were like I prayed for you, I prayed for you
and actually when I remember Ican't I think it was the first
time I came back and spoke withyou Um.
Some gentlemen came up andshook my hand.
He was like hi, I'm Bob, orwhatever his name was and he's
like I actually, uh, I'm a CSIcleanup guy and I cleaned up all
the blood on this stage afteryou.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Oh, my goodness Wow.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Thanks to you know.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
I forgot about that.
We had to bring in professionalcleaners.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Yeah, he was like I just had the stuff in my car.
I was like, okay, well that's alittle wacky.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
you know we're not going to go.
Yeah, thank you for yourservice.
Who walks around with thatstuff in their trunk.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
I know it was so like the way that the Lord had
orchestrated it, because eventhe the, the doctor and the
military guy, I mean, theyweren't even supposed.
They were like we weren't evengoing to come this morning.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
No, they don't even go to the first service, right.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
And they're like something compelled me to.
They had these differentsituations that happened, if
they weren't there, you wouldn'tbe here.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
It'd be a different story.
Yeah, oh, yeah, For sure, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Um, and so, yeah, I'm just and this is such a
testimony to of I didn't doanything right, um, but it was
the people around me who prayed.
Yeah, and just to tie it in,like, you've written several
books, one of them has been onthe power of God to see signs,
wonders, miracles, but then yourmost recent book has been about
prayer.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Yes, so ignite your life 14 things that happen when
you pray.
And I talk about this wholesituation in that book Um, it
might have been in the firstbook um, your divine invitation,
I don't know, but I've toldthis story in so many churches I
can't even count.
Because, you're right, thepeople in the first service,
(20:53):
they didn't leave, they stayedin the lobby, in the hallways,
praying, yeah, and so, um, yeah,that, that whole incident, I
think that's what we call it.
Right, the incident, the wholeincident, uh, changed so many
people's lives, have changedthat, like you said, changed the
(21:15):
trajectory of our church.
But nobody is ever the sameafter that.
When, when you see, and andwhat was really cool is one of
the mentors in my life, dr RandyClark, he said well, if you've
seen someone die and come backto life, you can believe God for
anything.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Now, they're, you're like okay, the bar just got a
little higher.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yes, yes, like that.
Interesting that was wow.
It was a wild, wild experience.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Well, it's just another day in the life of a
ministry I know we could sharelike a dozen more stories.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
We can find one that can top that one, though that's
the crown jewel right there.
I.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Love, I love it and I'm believing that the Lord is
gonna give us some moretestimonies that maybe don't
have us so close to the Centermaybe we can be nice, right,
that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Let's have some testimonies that, yeah, it's not
your me Well.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I've loved, just kind of recapping I've let.
We haven't shared this on thealligarizing platform at all.
There's so much more to thestory that the Lord you know the
nuance of how the Lord did that.
But yeah credit.
You know, all the credibilitygoes to Jesus.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
I'm so glad we did this, because I don't think I've
talked about it on on stagesbefore and or in front of the
camera you have, you know, butwe've never talked about it
together.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
This was fun, and then people when they invite us,
they're like just, can we justnot?
I've loved it.
Thank you so much for sharingour story on this podcast.
I hope people enjoy it.
If you've liked this episode,you can obviously like,
(23:04):
subscribe and then share withyour friends and you can Check
out Frankie's other episodes onthe alligarizing podcast
wherever you get your podcast.
Thanks for joining us and wewill check you out next time you
.
Welcome back to the Elijah Rising podcast.
Today we have a bonus episode,and I'm joined today by Frankie
Mazepika, one of our goodfriends.
You lead a church calledCelebration Church of the
Woodlands.
We've known you for about fiveyears and our story begins
probably whenever I died on yourstage.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, it's so funny because your listeners are like
oh, that's a figure of speech.
No, no, you died.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
So we will share that story today.
We love to use bonus episodeskind of around some of the
backstory of Elijah Rising,things that happened not
necessarily behind the scenes,but just things that you
wouldn't you know the public maynot get a chance to hear the
real life stories life inministry.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
This is what you get.
Yeah, so many people want to bein the ministry until they find
out what's going on.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
We joke that, like the Elijah Rising book, is going
to be called demons andsinkholes which is a whole
nother story.
But there's all of yes, exactlyministry life.
So why don't you tell us fromyour perspective?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
How you died.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
How we got to know each other.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah, okay, so let me start there.
I was.
I was in my kitchen and Iopened up my laptop.
I was having lunch.
I saw on the Fox News page,which is my splash- page.
It says Elijah Rising stopsCanadian company from bringing
robots to open up a sex robotbrothel.
(01:39):
I'm like what in the world.
So then I find out that you'rein Houston, okay, and we're in
the woodlands, and so that's.
You know.
I mean, what do we?
You?
walk across the railroad tracksand you're in Houston, right,
and so I'm like, okay, I got toreach out, so I call you guys up
and we talk over the phone.
(02:00):
We ended up meeting and onceyou come to our church and we're
going to just raise a wholebunch of money for Elijah Rising
, bless you guys, because I'mlike anyone who just shut down a
robot brothel which is theweirdest thing I've ever heard.
We want to bless you guys, andso we had two services, and so
(02:21):
we bring you on the stage andthere was a round table and I
was sitting on one side, youwere sitting on the other and I
said okay, micah, you know,introduce yourself.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Wait a minute.
I have to back up because Idon't remember anything about
this event.
But my husband was there and hetells me some of these things,
so we had only met one time,that's right, so we didn't
really know each other.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
No, no, no, I think we showed up to interview you
and then I mean it was a realquick interview.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
It was and you wanted to like, make sure you know.
Come to the facility, see thesafe home.
Yeah, Are you guys legit, orwas that just like?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
who are you guys, and so I remember we had it.
We brought a team with us tointerview you, and so it was
real quick.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
I mean, we were just bang bang.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
And I think we introduced ourselves to each
other.
It felt very professional.
Right it was just kind of likeboom.
And then I was like, okay, seeyou next month Sunday, the
whatever it was.
And so when you came I wouldguess I'd call you know my
relationship with you and David,acquaintances, I suppose.
(03:32):
And so I said, hey, micah, goahead and introduce yourself to
the church.
And my goodness.
So you said well, first of allI want to say thank you for
inviting.
And then you dragged out thatword inviting and all of a
sudden I look at you and youreyes like I've never seen this
(03:57):
in my life.
It's like the life went awayand your eyes just rolled back
in the back of your mouth, Imean not in the back of my mouth
.
They just rolled backwards, yeah, and you started slipping out
of the stool and I was like, oh,my goodness.
And so the only thing that cameto my mind was, okay, she's
(04:17):
having a seizure, okay, and, andso I went around and I caught
you because you were slippingout of the school.
Yeah, you're welcome.
So you know, I lay you down onthe ground and I don't know much
about seizures, but what I doknow is that they know what's
(04:37):
happening around them, but theycan't stop what's happening to
them right.
And so I just said, hey, Micah,you know, relax, yeah,
everything's okay, and little doI know that you are going into
full cardiac arrest or likeright before my eyes, and and
(05:03):
and.
So I look up and we thank theLord we had a doctor and she
works in the emergency unit.
And then we had a guy who was hewas in the military for several
years, who worked in Iraq,right.
So I looked over there and inboth of them kind of were
(05:23):
looking at me like hey, do youneed help?
And I looked at them and I waslike yeah, I, you know, come up
here.
So they come up there and youknow, at that point I'm a couple
feet away from you and I'venever like obviously, but I
can't explain this to anyone andcommunicate it well, unless
(05:48):
they've seen it.
But you're looking, I'm lookingin your eyes, trying to
determine how well you are, andthe life just goes away Like
you're gone, you're not here,right, and so you know, when you
go to a funeral and you walkpast, the casket and everybody
always says the same thing right, they're not here.
(06:12):
But to see someone like in asecond, like you're there and
you're gone, it was like I can'teven explain.
Like, oh my goodness, likeshe's not here and I don't want
to get like too graphic, but Ido want to paint the picture.
David, the guy that served inthe military, he was like doing
(06:37):
like pumping on your chest totry to keep your heart beating
and because you had already gone.
Okay, blood was coming out ofyour mouth and it was coming out
of your nose and he had thewherewithal of hey, if we have
any chance of saving this girland nobody knew what was
(06:59):
happening we got to keep herheart beating until the
paramedics show up and, lookingback, had he not done that, we
would have lost you Totally.
Like there's no way.
Then we find out later.
You know what happened.
You went into full cardiacarrest, which and you know more
about this than I do, clearly,because you've you've learned a
(07:19):
lot more but full cardiac arrestis when your breathing stops,
your brain stops and your heart.
So all of that, is that correcta die word?
That while?
Yeah, and so if someone goesinto partial cardiac arrest, one
of the three or two of thethree, well, in your case it was
all three you're gone no brain,no heart, no breathing,
(07:40):
breathing that's called dead.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
It was like the first service, the first.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Yes, and, and so you know.
So someone called 911.
Thank God right.
The paramedics come down theaisle and as soon as they get
there they said who's the pastor, and I was like that's me.
You need to get everybody inthe sanctuary out of here.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yeah, all like 400 of them are what all of you guys
need to get out, right, get outof here, okay.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
So, and so they all leave and they're in the lobby
like praying, okay, and and andthen after that I'm sitting on
the front row and I'm sittingnext to the doctor at this point
and she's giving me aplay-by-play, right, they're
hooking you up, they got IVs,and, and you're just laying
(08:32):
there like you're gone, you're,you're dead, and I'll never
forget.
Your husband was calling people.
I'm so glad he had thewherewithal to do this.
He was calling people andsaying hey, look, I need you to
pray and it hang up with him.
Call the next person.
Yeah and so I'm not a doctor,right, but I am familiar with
that sound where you knowsomebody, you can hear
(08:54):
somebody's heartbeat you know,beep, beep.
And well, yours was like beep, Imean.
I mean, it was just so eerie.
And our second service Was muchlarger than our first service,
and so they need parking Right,and so Attendance-wise it's just
(09:18):
much larger, and so they'retrying to get in, but the people
in the first service don't wantto leave, and so it was just a
madhouse.
I didn't know what washappening out there.
I could have you know, I waskind of thinking about it and
and so about 15 minutes went byand I remember watching the
(09:41):
paramedics say okay, you know,it's time to pack up.
And so they start packing upand they had like IVs in you and
stuff like that, and theystarted taking out.
The last thing that they weregoing to take off is what was
keeping your heart right,telling them what they, how your
heart was doing the machinethat was going beep Right.
(10:03):
And so they had packed upeverything and then all of a
sudden it starts going beep,beep, beep.
And so I look at the doctornext to me and she looks at back
at me and we're like big eyesand we're like, oh, my goodness,
like what's going on here?
And so I heard one of theparamedics say okay, we got a
heartbeat.
And so they throw you on thegurney and they throw the
(10:26):
blanket around you and but it'snot over your head, Right?
So everybody knows, Even ifyou're not a doctor, if it goes
over the head it's, it's, it'sover, right.
And so we're like, okay, it'snot over her head.
And so they start pushing youout.
And so the doctor sitting nextto me and said, look, we got a
long road ahead of us because,just because she's breathing,
(10:49):
her brain is not working.
And she's not, she's, herheart's not working.
Okay, the only thing.
No, her heart is beating, buther lungs are not, and neither
is her brain.
And so you know, and it's been15 minutes- yeah, yeah.
And so they, they put you in theambulance, they, they, they run
(11:09):
you off, and and so I'm tryingto wrap my head around what to
do now, because there's blood onour stage.
Yeah, I know Right, there'sblood on our stage.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
And you have people like filing in yes.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Filing in and I remember because I was trying to
move you around for the doctorsand so I had blood like in my
finger.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Oh my gosh Frankie.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And so I'm like I have to go upstairs and and I
got to wash my hands and I'mlike I can't believe this is
happening.
Um, but you know, it's sointeresting I think I gave it to
you.
I know that sounds kind ofweird, but I saw a needle that
they had in your IV and theyleft it on the stage.
(11:56):
They took everything, but theyforgot to pick that up.
And I picked it up and I waslike, if a miracle happens, I'm
going to want to remember thismoment.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Yeah, yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
So so, uh, I know that sounds gross, but it was
significant at the time, Right.
And so I, you know, I just putit in my pocket or whatever.
And so I go visit the hospitaland obviously, you know, I'm
dropping every single title Ican think of.
I get a Goldbastard, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Nobody cares, You're notgetting in there to see her.
And then, uh, I went to homeand I have a friend of mine
(12:30):
there's another friend of mine,he's a doctor and he said, look,
you know, brace yourself likeget your head together, like I
think it's like she.
She had a 4% chance of gettingto the hospital alive, right?
Uh, when people go into fullcardiac arrest, there's a 96%
chance that they're dead by thetime they get to the hospital.
(12:53):
And so he's telling me look,you know, just brace yourself.
And then he said this this wascrushing too.
I'm like, man, you are not thebearer of bad news, I mean good
news.
And he said and if she lives,she's not going to be who she
once was.
And he goes I don't know what'sgoing to be different.
(13:14):
I don't know if it'll bephysical, I don't know if it'll
be mental, emotional or all, butshe's not going to be the girl
that she once was.
And so I'm like.
And so I said well, what if?
What if she lives?
And what if she has no residualeffects?
And he said don't let your headgo down that road.
(13:37):
And he goes that's not gonnahappen.
Yeah, and I said, well, justwhat if?
Like what if?
And he goes, look, if thathappens, I don't wanna stand
anywhere close to you or yourchurch because lightning just
struck.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
You're like your church.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was like Ithought it was our church.
No, it's your church.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yeah, I was like, okay, he goes.
God just did something thatI've never seen before in the
medical world.
And you know, I don't know ifyou know, this lightning just
struck and so, anyway, I finallyget an opportunity to go visit
you.
Like four days later, I walkinto your hospital room and I've
(14:25):
talked about this so many timeswhen I travel around the
country, or whatever I walk in,david's in there, he's in a
chippy mood.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
My husband, yeah, your husband, david, he's in
there.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
He's in a chippy mood , he's happy.
I look at you you're in yourbed eating pudding, Pudding and
you looked at me and I'll neverforget what you said.
You go.
I'm really sorry, I messed upyour service dude.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
And I was like she just called me dude.
That's the most awesome thingI've ever heard of my life.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
And I'm looking at you and I'm like what in the
world is happening?
And they kept you for like acouple more days or whatever,
for like.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, cause it was the week of Thanksgiving and
they couldn't like get thedoctors, you know, to come in or
something, and I'm like thisgirl could walk out right now.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
They kept you for a couple of more days and they
were like okay, you can go.
And then we, you know, theysaid there's no reason for this,
you don't have it in yourfamily tree.
You're healthy, you're strongyou're young, this should not
have happened.
(15:40):
And I'm like, okay, I just sawsomeone die and come back to
life Like this is and I say thisall the time whenever I tell
the story.
But I can't not tell the storyand leave this out.
When you were on the on thestage, you got blood coming out
of your mouth Like it was sointense.
(16:01):
I felt the Lord just speak tome, not out loud, just like
right in my heart.
He told me two things.
He said hell hates this girl.
And then, just like, a fewmoments later, I felt him again
say they are at.
They meaning you and yourhusband, your ministry, elijah,
(16:22):
rising.
They are at the tip of thespear.
And you know, and I knew whatthat meant.
You know in the church world,you know the church is the bride
of Christ and so people, youknow they're supposed to go to
the temple to worship the Lord.
Next chapter two but, um, youguys go to them, you guys go to
(16:49):
the brothel you go into thedarkness and um wow.
that's why you guys are at thetip of the spear.
And then from that moment itwas so um, it was like okay,
we're, our church will be asupporter of Elijah rising
forever.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
It was it was obvious .
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Okay, and what's crazy?
What's so crazy is.
Our church started experiencingpeople getting healed.
You know blind eyes open ears,cancer and uh.
Every time we pray for youpeople, people get healed.
Ever since that day.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Not everybody gets healed that we pray for.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
But ever since that day.
People have been getting healedsince 2018.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
So thank you for taking one for the team.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
You had to pay the price, and we all benefited from
it, so thank you for taking onefor the team.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Well, it's one development strategy that I
don't recommend.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Nobody volunteers.
They all died, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
And it's like you were like okay, well, can either
go either way.
You're like okay, I never wantto see that girl again.
Or you're like okay, now we aretogether Together forever.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Now I mean, we're going to be old and raising our
kids and giving our ministry toour kids if they want it, but we
will be partners forever.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
And I love I have seen you.
Know we didn't know you toowell before that, right, but I
have seen the trajectory ofcelebration church and just the
incredible testimonies that havebeen coming out.
I mean, I've sat there in thechair when someone's blind eyes
were open and I'm like what ishappening you?
(18:35):
know it's been really excitingto watch and I just think that
y'all I mean your church, youguys have y'all have really paid
the price, in that it there'snot a lot of people who would
have stayed there and believedfor a miracle.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Who would?
Speaker 1 (18:49):
have believed for healing and been like, okay, I'm
not going to give up.
And and then invited us back.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
You know like that is the real test it was so funny
is is that we, I think,attendance wise that we're in
the lobby.
They were standing in theparking lot.
Everybody wants to see the deadgirl that came back you know it
was so good.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
They were like I prayed for you, I prayed for you
and actually when I remember Ican't I think it was the first
time I came back and spoke withyou Um.
Some gentlemen came up andshook my hand.
He was like hi, I'm Bob, orwhatever his name was and he's
like I actually, uh, I'm a CSIcleanup guy and I cleaned up all
the blood on this stage afteryou.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Oh, my goodness Wow.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Thanks to you know.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
I forgot about that.
We had to bring in professionalcleaners.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Yeah, he was like I just had the stuff in my car.
I was like, okay, well that's alittle wacky.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
you know we're not going to go.
Yeah, thank you for yourservice.
Who walks around with thatstuff in their trunk.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
I know it was so like the way that the Lord had
orchestrated it, because eventhe the, the doctor and the
military guy, I mean, theyweren't even supposed.
They were like we weren't evengoing to come this morning.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
No, they don't even go to the first service, right.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
And they're like something compelled me to.
They had these differentsituations that happened, if
they weren't there, you wouldn'tbe here.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
It'd be a different story.
Yeah, oh, yeah, For sure, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Um, and so, yeah, I'm just and this is such a
testimony to of I didn't doanything right, um, but it was
the people around me who prayed.
Yeah, and just to tie it in,like, you've written several
books, one of them has been onthe power of God to see signs,
wonders, miracles, but then yourmost recent book has been about
prayer.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Yes, so ignite your life 14 things that happen when
you pray.
And I talk about this wholesituation in that book Um, it
might have been in the firstbook um, your divine invitation,
I don't know, but I've toldthis story in so many churches I
can't even count.
Because, you're right, thepeople in the first service,
(20:53):
they didn't leave, they stayedin the lobby, in the hallways,
praying, yeah, and so, um, yeah,that, that whole incident, I
think that's what we call it.
Right, the incident, the wholeincident, uh, changed so many
people's lives, have changedthat, like you said, changed the
(21:15):
trajectory of our church.
But nobody is ever the sameafter that.
When, when you see, and andwhat was really cool is one of
the mentors in my life, dr RandyClark, he said well, if you've
seen someone die and come backto life, you can believe God for
anything.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Now, they're, you're like okay, the bar just got a
little higher.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yes, yes, like that.
Interesting that was wow.
It was a wild, wild experience.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Well, it's just another day in the life of a
ministry I know we could sharelike a dozen more stories.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
We can find one that can top that one, though that's
the crown jewel right there.
I.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Love, I love it and I'm believing that the Lord is
gonna give us some moretestimonies that maybe don't
have us so close to the Centermaybe we can be nice, right,
that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Let's have some testimonies that, yeah, it's not
your me Well.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I've loved, just kind of recapping I've let.
We haven't shared this on thealligarizing platform at all.
There's so much more to thestory that the Lord you know the
nuance of how the Lord did that.
But yeah credit.
You know, all the credibilitygoes to Jesus.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
I'm so glad we did this, because I don't think I've
talked about it on on stagesbefore and or in front of the
camera you have, you know, butwe've never talked about it
together.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
This was fun, and then people when they invite us,
they're like just, can we justnot?
I've loved it.
Thank you so much for sharingour story on this podcast.
I hope people enjoy it.
If you've liked this episode,you can obviously like,
(23:04):
subscribe and then share withyour friends and you can Check
out Frankie's other episodes onthe alligarizing podcast
wherever you get your podcast.
Thanks for joining us and wewill check you out next time you
.
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