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Update: Your Prayers Answered
Mon., Oct. 23. 2006 12:32am EDT
Sometimes it takes a while for our prayers to be answered, but what a reward it is when they are! About a year ago, we printed an urgent prayer request article for two people -- a fan who'd was fighting for his life after a terrible auto accident (Mike Calhoun), and another friend (and a fan) who'd been rushed to the hospital with severe chest pains (Greg Micher).
Well, we're happy to report that both of those fans were doing well and in attendance at our concerts this past weekend (Mike on Friday in Michigan and Greg on Saturday and Sunday in Ohio). We got to spend some quality time with each of them, and Greg even ran sound for us. We'd seen Greg at a number of concerts over the past year, but this was the first we'd seen Mike since the accident. Here's the email update he sent us beforehand to let us know he was coming:
First off I want to thank you for all the prayers and all the support that you and your fans have shown My family and I. It made a difference. Without the prayers and support that I received during this past year I would not be alive now.
Sorry I haven't written sooner, I know I should have and My wife kept telling to write you, I just didn't know what to say. Most of all I want to say thank you.
My health has come a long way and my recovery has come even further. In fact we will be taking a trip down to lower Michigan to take our son to your concert in Muskegon on the 20th and We would love to have the oppurtunity to meet you in person to show you what your prayers have done for me.
God Bless,
Yours in Christ,
Mike Calhoun
For perspective, here's the original email about Mike's accident that we received last October from Mike's wife, Taghred (Her name is pronounced "Tah-Greed" -- she grew up in Jordan and told us at Friday's concert that her name is Arabic for "tweet tweet," the noise a bird makes. Ironically at Saturday's concert we met another woman who was wearing a "Tweety Bird" sweat shirt.)
My husband is a big fan of your group, he is a Christian comic book artist (that is his ministry!) www.cyberlightcomics.com/wonderdove/
When he draws, he listens to nothing but your CD's one after another to the point sometimes I just want to scream (no offense!).
We were returning home last week from Houghton MI to Gwinn MI when two deer jumped in front of the car we were riding, and the driver hit the brakes, but it was wet and she hydroplaned and rolled the car three times. We all came out with cuts and bruises but my husband, Mike, did not.
He broke his neck and is now paralyzed from the chest down (he still has feeling in his hands) and is now suffering complications from being on the ventalator in the form of pneumonia and ARDS (adult respitory distress syndrome) and is fighting for his life. And above all that he has Multiple Scelrosis.
Mike is truly blessed with love and prayers of hundreds of people across the country and the world, and his strength inspires me and strengthens me. Whenever I am down all I have to do is go into his room and look at him. I am praying and have the faith that God will pull him through this.
I am asking if you could pray for him and if you would be willing to send him words of encouragement so I can put it up on his wall to inspire him when he wakes up. Our email is hounscartoons@yahoo.com
God Bless you,
Taghred Calhoun
Gwinn, MI
Here's an update Taghred sent us almost two months later:
Mike was finally released out of ICU on Monday after spending 44 days there. He is doing much better and will be heading to a rehab hospital in Minnesota on Monday and will be spending an estimated year in their long term rehab program where they will help him learn how to draw again with his disability.
God has worked miracles and has truly blessed us along this journey. Mike has regained sensation in the paralyzed parts of his body, and if it be God's will he may walk again some day. I truly believe that God has a plan for him and I am excited to be able to share it with him.
I want to thank you and all your fans for the lovely emails and the prayers. I have witnessed the power of prayer and know how strong it is, it was Prayer that saved my husband's life, and prayer will get him through rehab.
God Bless you,
Taghred
Mike was in a wheelchair when he came to the concert this past Friday, but he was in great spirits, and his condition is improving. Furthermore, he informed us that he is able to draw again, which is something doctors thought he might never do again. Thank you all for your prayers for Mike and Greg.
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