This past week marked the end of our treatment at MD Anderson, I will return in six weeks for a CT Scan. We are humbled and amazed by God’s continued goodness and grace to us during this battle. There is no question that the Lord led us to Houston and this treatment for a totally different reason than we were expecting. Often in the Bible we see instances of ordinary people having an unexpected faith in a season of great need. For example, Gideon being called out by God in a season of great need for the nation of Israel and Esther being willing to risk her life for her people. In every instance, there are the casts of thousands who pray for, invest in, provide for and walk with each of these ordinary people to see an extraordinary work of God.

In this journey of cancer, I am living proof of the fervent prayers of the righteous that availeth much. Many in the Bible class I teach at Prestonwood committed to pray through the night for me. I asked them to pray specifically that the Lord would be glorified by my lack of side effects and that I would be able to minister while I was in Houston. My Doctor called me “the poster child for Proton Radiation and Chemotherapy”. He said that I sailed through the treatments and the technicians said they were all talking about my case, and how incredibly well I did. To that I say, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in the fire but they did not burn, so that all who saw them would know that their God, whose name is Jesus, was the Giver of this amazing gift of undeserved Mercy.

The money that has been given for my care, and more importantly for the funding of Chemo Church, proves not that I am more valuable than any other soul, but that God is our provider. The many who came and held up my arms in the midst of the battle were the very hands and feet of Christ. They motivated me to stay on mission and not sit and think about myself. The Lord has birthed in my heart a great understanding that I was fearful of many things as I began this journey. God showed me favor and filled me with faith through your prayers, provision, partnership and the Word of God. Many of you sent scriptures at just the right moment that were living water to my parched soul. Each of you spurred me on to do the work God has called me to, whether in the inner cities of the world, or in a Chemo ward with those battling cancer. The Lord sustained me with an unexpected faith because of your faithfulness and His goodness. Please know that each day I am growing more aware of my inability to do anything apart from Christ and the body of Christ. I am prayerful that you will continue to walk with me In this journey of faith called life.

During my second week of treatment, the waitress at a restaurant I go to, told me that she was engaged to a man from Finland and that she was a Christian, I was thrilled for her and gave her a book and a little extra money for her upcoming wedding. She then began to share how her fiancé was searching to know Jesus personally as she did. I asked her to bring him to me so that we could talk. During my last week of treatment, I met him at her restaurant. I had purchased a study Bible for him and placed it in his hands and described how their marriage had to be built on a sure foundation of faith. Shortly after this I had the joy of sharing the Gospel with my new friend who prayed to receive Christ as his Savior. Every two weeks while I was there a soul met Jesus, whether in the hospital, the third ward, or a restaurant. If there is no one you are specifically praying for, investing in, and preparing to share the gospel with then you will miss the joy of seeing souls saved who desperately need Jesus. God has reaffirmed His priority and purpose for His people during this season of Cancer. Can you imagine what would happen if every Christian had one name on their heart to pray for, invest in, and be prepared to share the Gospel with. Revival!

I want you to read an amazing testimony from dear friend, Richard Chamberlain, who is an amazing Chef and owner of two great restaurants here in Dallas. He is also helping Velma fulfill her dream to have a restaurant, “Velma’s Kitchen and Catering” in the inner city, in our community that God is transforming daily through H.I.S. BridgeBuilders.

“Dear Mike, I can’t tell you how inspired your chemo church has been to me and the people I have shared it with. So much so, that the lord led me to speak to a very close chef friend of mine who has prostate cancer. He received Christ on our way to do some fishing this past Sunday. I can’t tell you how thankful I am to you and to the Lord for this incredible blessing. If you are up to it and have time in the near future, I would love to get the three of us together so you can share more about what it means to be reborn. Thank You Brother, Richard.”

We had many amazing encounters in the Chemo ward as we said good bye for now. We are headed back in early June for my test and also to spend more time in the Third Ward. I ask all of you who have been our faith partners in this journey to partner with me in faith in three ways: (1) join our prayer ministry for H.I.S. BridgeBuilders and Chemo Church by sending your e-mail address to manderwald@hisbb.org. (2) I ask you to prayerfully consider funding the ongoing work of Chemo Church by donating through our website at www.hisbridgebuilders.org or sending a check to H.I.S. BridgeBuilders, 2075 W. Commerce St., Dallas, TX 75208 (3) I ask you to pray for the person or persons who are to continue the work in Houston in both the Chemo Ward, and H.I.S. BridgeBuilders.

I am sustained daily by your love and prayers and want you to see the following video. I pray it will encourage you to be blessed with unexpected faith because of your time in the Word daily, your prayers for others and your desire to bring God glory.

After completing my radiation treatment on Monday, I was told that I didn’t need to take any more Chemotherapy and that I could go home after I met with my doctor. There was no way I was going home, after seeing firsthand the tremendous need of the patients in the Chemo Ward. When the Lord brings you through your storm, it is a joy to be a lighthouse for others and show them the way.

When we entered the main hospital we prayed in the lobby for divine appointments and for God to open the door for ministry. The first time I went through the ward no one looked at me, and the door to minister appeared to be closed. I knew our work was not done, so I went through the ward again and, immediately in front of me was a couple from Prestonwood Baptist Church, who are battling cancer. They mentioned how they were trying to find me, but just didn’t know how. We sat and experienced an amazing time of prayer, which changed the entire mood as they encouraged us in our Chemo Church ministry. They went to their car while we were ministering to other families, and brought us a very generous gift for Chemo Church.

Later that day I met a woman who was there with a relative and had recently surrendered her life to Christ. She was struggling with being abandoned by someone she loved, and I had the joy of telling her that our Lord Jesus Christ will never leave her or forsake her. She began to cry when I gave her a book of God’s Promises, that she pledged to read on this new journey with the Lord. We then went to the chemo ward and I walked in just like I was a patient. We brought snacks for the nurses and gave each of them a book for encouragement. One of the nurses told me, “this is fuel for our spirits, so that we can continue to serve our patients.” My last visit was with a lady who has been battling cancer for ten years. She saw us with all the nurses and wondered what the celebration was about. When I shared my story and asked if I could pray for her, she said absolutely. After praying, she looked at her husband and said, “he prayed that I would be restored.” She then shared that recently she had asked God for a word and when she opened her Bible, she placed her finger on a verse that read, “Job is Restored”. She began to cry when I told her the name of our church being planted in the inner city this fall is Restoration Community Church. The more I shared with her, the more the tears fell, as she believed the word that the Lord was telling her, that He is Able to restore her body for His Glory.

I wanted you to read a word from my son Michael as well as from my Mom.

Michael:

In the Chemo Ward this week I had the honor of speaking with a lady from Denver, Colorado, who is battling stage 4 cancer. She had just finished her treatments and was waiting on her daughter to pick her up from the hospital. I could tell she was discouraged as she sat there slumped in her chair, head facing the ground; I could see the look of desperation in her eyes.

As I sat down next to her and introduced myself she looked at me in shock. I’m sure she was wondering why I was sitting next to her. As the conversation progressed and I found out more about this lady, I was blown away at how empty and hopeless she felt. As a believer, it is easy to become accustomed to the peace and grace of God and forget that those without Christ are in such great need of His peace, love, and grace. What a great reminder and lesson this week has been that the world is hurting and in great need of a savior. Most importantly as a believer, it is my job to share the hope of the gospel with these people.

Sandra-Mike’s Mom:

I have always sympathized with Jacob as he sorrowed over his lost son, Joseph; however, I can now also rejoice with him in his son’s restoration. As Mike planned to go to MD Anderson, the LORD told me that He had a mission for Mike in Houston. MD Anderson was the “slavery/imprisonment” God was using to get Mike to the place of special mission. This week God was kind enough to give my faith sight. I saw amazing ministry to staff and patients at the hospital, but even more I was allowed to see the storehouses opened and the famine-stricken residents of the third ward given the God-gift food of hope as pastors, business men, ministry and resident leaders met to plan a new work in Houston. The LORD also gave me a view of His additional plans for Mike as a godly nurse at the Proton Therapy Center prayed over Mike a prophecy and an affirmation: ” Pastor Mike, you are in the right place; God is giving you many more years of additional service for Him.” Take courage the right place for you can be in a cancer treatment facility, it can be in an economic disaster, or even in the sorrow of a broken relationship. “What the enemy meant for evil God means for good.” Our God is an awesome God.

Mike-continues:

Thanks to the generous donations of so many to Chemo Church we were able to buy 30 all day passes to the Houston Aquarium for the children and their parents. The person I led to Christ at the hospital is going to continue to serve the children of Chemo Church when I go back to Dallas. We are praying fervently for the person or Church in Houston that will adopt this ministry as their own, to continue this work.

I cannot describe the joy it brought my heart to see my parents and my son go, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to so many in the cancer ward. There is a bond that cancer patients have that is much like a family. You are instantly placed in this band of brothers and sisters. This week as I walked with my biological family through MD Anderson and the Third Ward neighborhood, it was amazing to see these unique families all come together through the redemptive work of the Lord.

Our time in the third ward this week was beyond belief. The meeting has now grown from one to over 25 people gathering to pray, and ask God to completely restore this inner city community for His Glory. I had the joy to reconnect with a young man I mentored 18 years ago, Josh Allen, because his wife read this blog. He is now on staff of a great church in the Houston area. He actually interned for HISBB’s in Dallas and is very prayerful about how his church can be involved. The Lord opened the door for several amazing, kingdom minded business men to join us, as well as Pastor Cofield, the servant leaders of the community, and the guys from the streets whose lives have been transformed. I have watched as my parents, now in their 70′s, have taken in youth from the streets of San Antonio, and serve weekly in the inner city of San Antonio, and are in the process of taking back an entire block called HIS block for the Glory of God. It was a joy to see all of my children meet our new family here in the third ward. I stand in awe how God has already spoken to several of our friends in Dallas who are committed to the opportunity to serve in Houston and connect us to their friends here to help with this work. The community keeps saying “you being here is a direct answer to our prayers”!!

Cancer, Poverty, and Biological families are not something we choose to be born into, and yet in Christ when we choose to accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we are set free from the hopelessness of poverty and cancer and born into the incredible family of God. It has been my joy to meet these new extensions of my family here in Houston. When Velma came into my life twenty years ago, living on welfare in the housing developments of Dallas, I had no idea how this woman of great faith would change the course of my life. She taught me how to pray and fast and gave me an incredible picture of a living faith. When her only child was killed in a drive by shooting I saw the body of Christ love her and wipe away her tears and daily the Lord sustained her. Through this great tragedy the Lord broke my heart for the least who are daily murdered and abandoned in our cities. We must protect the unborn but also the born who are being killed every day in our streets. Velma is my family and therefore whatever she is going through is my burden or my blessing.

These past weeks the Lord has added many new family members to my life whether they are in the cancer wards or in the Third Ward of Houston. What a tremendous joy it would be if we truly saw our brothers and sisters in Christ as our families. It is where the Acts church began and where the church in America needs to return. We have become too isolated and have compartmentalized church to a few hours a week. What would happen if every believer “had church” every day in every place with everyone we met? These past 6 weeks of living in a new city, removed from the comfort of my routine, has reawakened my heart to the pattern of living daily with a Missional mindset. I challenge you to daily build new relationships and have Gospel discussions with the ordinary people encounter. There is no doubt that as long as the Lord gives me breath in my body that I will pray and fast for the lives of precious families battling cancer and poverty.

We continue to be amazed at the sovereignty of our great God. Thank You, Lord for opening this great door of opportunity that would have never happened apart from this battle with cancer. My twin, Mel who serves as our City servant with my parents in San Antonio said that while he was reading the word about how the early churches were scattered through persecution, that he felt led to call me and share that this is exactly what the Lord was doing through our battle with cancer. With that in mind I truly do count it all joy for how the Lord is expanding His Kingdom through this amazing season!

“Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” 1 Pet. 4:19

We had many amazing encounters this week with my team of brothers. It was my joy to have Mike Buster, the Executive Pastor at Prestonwood, along with Rodrick, Clifton, and Steve, all of whom work with me at H.I.S. BridgeBuilders. When we ministered in the Chemo ward this week, the most amazing thing happened. We had two patients we were ministering to, say they wanted to do Chemo Church in their hometowns. One lives in New Orleans and the other lives in the Rio Grande Valley. I was shocked as they shared their desire to go home and do for others what the Lord had done for them in their time of need. What a tremendous testimony they are to the proper response we all should have to the grace and mercy of God. I wanted you to see these testimonies in addition to a remarkable word from the daughter of a man battling cancer. He had received very bad news on the day we met. He was also under great pressure about his finances and when we gave him a book about the Lord and His promises along with some cash to help him with his needs, he began to weep and thank God for this sign of Hope on this very difficult day.

Please watch these videos about the miracles of God’s goodness to allow us to send out missionaries from Chemo Church to other cities.

Each Tuesday while I am here, I go to the inner city of Houston called the Third Ward. Jarrett Stephens and I simply prayed, and as we drove into the Third Ward we found the largest housing development and walked right into the President of the Resident Council’s office. We shared with her about H.I.S. BridgeBuilders and how we serve communities. She was thrilled, and started introducing us to her many friends and community leaders. On the way out the door, I met a young man named Claude, who is getting his GED and then wants to be trained for a job. Immediately, the Lord connected our hearts, as his story is exactly like that of Rodrick and Clifton, who are like sons to me. I placed my hand on his heart and began to tell him that nothing would change until he totally surrendered his heart to Jesus. There in the hall of the community center, he prayed a prayer, surrendering his heart to Jesus. I told him I would meet him the following Tuesday at 1:00 to talk, discuss life, and the Word of God. We have met every Tuesday for the last five weeks. Each week the Lord has added more young men to this group and this past Tuesday, some of the young men brought their Pastor to meet us. When I met Pastor Cofield, there was an immediate connection. We discovered, after just a few minutes, that he was mentored, and led to be in Houston, by my mentor in the city Dr. E.K. Bailey. Nineteen years ago E.K., who is now in heaven, was driving through this same neighborhood and felt convicted by the Holy Spirit to call Pastor Cofield to pray about being the Pastor of a church in the Third Ward. This church has grown from 150 members to almost three thousand, and is just minutes away from where we have been ministering. I want you to hear from this Pastor and these amazing men from the Third Ward, about what God is speaking to them regarding our potential to work with them. Mike Buster, who is on our Board, summed up the meeting well, by stating, “Only the Lord Himself could have orchestrated what I witnessed today.” The pieces to a Houston BridgeBuilders were miraculously revealed. The people there have been praying for many years for us to come.” Please join us in prayer for the people here and for God’s wisdom and guidance regarding this opportunity. I can only say in closing that we are humbled beyond words by how the Lord is moving in this time and that all the praise goes to our great God “who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” Ephesians 3:20

Many judge me wrongly regarding my lung cancer. They assume I smoked, although I never did. In the same way many judge the poor as having done something wrong, which caused them to deserve their current position in life. It is interesting that the Pharisees were the group that Jesus went after the most, never the sick or the poor. It is our joyous opportunity to be God’s light in the darkest places.

This week we were able to give a brand new study Bible to our first believer in Chemo Church. When she received her Bible she just beamed with joy. I had her name engraved on the front of it and told her that her name was written in the Lambs Book of Life for all eternity. She went to church Sunday and is starting to read The Gospels, and will be writing down questions as she reads. What a joy to see her desire to grow in her faith as she meditates on God’s Word daily. We then got on the bus to go to the main hospital and met a man who was very discouraged. He said that everything that could have gone wrong with his wife’s treatments had happened. As God would have it, a dear friend of ours from Prestonwood felt led of God to buy Red Sea Rules for people battling difficult times, which she had given to me. When I told my new friend this and gave him the book, I told him the Lord was with him and had placed this on a prayer warrior’s heart, to buy those books just for him and his wife. Then I watched as my 17 year old son reached across the aisle and prayed God’s blessing for him and healing for his wife. I don’t know who was crying more, him or me. He left the bus with a smile and confidence that the Lord was with him. When we entered the doctor’s office we had to wait for three hours. Every delay is allowed by God to order our day, to fulfill His mission and not our own. Quit stressing and start rejoicing. During this delay, another patient came to my door and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with him. He already believed but has been told there is nothing else medicine can do for him. We had the most amazing prayer, calling on our miracle working God together. We then went to Chemo Church with twenty books and a lot of treats from La Madeleine to give to the staff. They all know us by now and were even greeting my children in the hall and saying you must be a Fechner. We quickly got our chemo going so we could get to the halls and begin our ministry. This day there was a lady next door to us who was alone and is battling a rare form of Lymphoma. When I began to talk to her she shared how just two months ago she was in a hospital and near death, but the Lord sustained her. Her sisters are her care givers and are also going to be her stem cell donors. One of her sisters applied for a grant to enable her to come to MD Anderson. I was humbled that they are all giving so much to take care of their sister. We gathered to pray and I told her to open her hands and to clinch them, as if she were holding the garment of Jesus, like the woman in the Bible whose blood was made well. She said that her type of Lymphoma is very aggressive and I stopped her and said, “But with God all things are possible.” She quickly agreed and we practiced saying together, “we will listen to the word of God over the words of men.” When I gave her a book I was led to give her some of the money a dear friend gave us on Easter Morning to give to a person in need at Chemo Church. When I was getting ready to leave, the Lord was very clear to give her all of the money I had left to give. She and her sister were overwhelmed and began to cry. They had just been talking about how they couldn’t afford all the parking and many other expenses they had to pay and now God provided. What a joy to bring the Hope of Christ, our Healer and the hope of the church, helping to meet every need. Laura and Grace had the joy of ministering to a family from Macedonia. We were directed to many others by our friends and were able to pray and minister to many. We were stopped in the hallway by a group of people who asked for prayer and some of the people were shouting, “Hallelujah Praise God.” One lady said after the prayer that it would last her a month. We had the joy of creating baskets of blessings for all of the Children going through treatment, because of a generous gift form one of our dearest friends, to Chemo Church. The children range in age from 18 months to 15. Seeing their joy when they knew a basket of gifts was waiting for them this morning was just incredible. Grace and Laura did an amazing job putting them together. I asked my son, Jonathan to share a word about what the Lord spoke to Him this week as we ministered together.

Jonathan -
“During my short stay in Houston, God taught me something great. I went into Houston with selfish desires and thinking that this ministry of Chemo Church is my dad’s and not mine. That CHANGED. Monday, while sitting around waiting for a Doctor’s appointment, it was very clear that God told me to deny myself and take up my cross. Just as it was Easter the day before, celebrating the gift of the cross that Jesus took up for us, it was my time to take up mine. After the appointment we went to the chemo ward where the treatment takes place. We went to the room of a 21 year old man and my dad prayed and gave him a book. As I was leaving, the Lord told me to stay and talk. I started the conversation with small talk: if he went to school, if he liked sports, and if he had family. To my surprise, after I asked him about his family, he told me that he had a 3 year old daughter and a wife. He then opened up and told me he is worried about them and what they are going through seeing their father and husband in bed with cancer. I then proceeded to share with him about how every day I put my hope in Christ to heal and take care of my dad and how only God can be there for us during this time of hurt and pain. After I had shared, he looked at me and said, “I have Christ in my heart, but I need that hope.” So, right then I prayed for him again, that he and his family would have their hope in Christ and that he will believe that Christ will heal him, just as He is healing my dad. He opened his eyes, said “thank you” and I left. Though, I will probably never see my brother in Christ again, I know that he now has the hope of Christ living in him as he fights this battle daily. This was a small price to pay of denying myself in order to bring the hope for the Glory of God.”

Our ministry at Chemo Church is now global and going to the next generation. Our God is an awesome God who is worthy of all of the praise. Thank you for your prayers and generosity that enable us daily to tell all we see that there is Hope in Jesus!

This week at the radiation center, Von met a mother and her young son who is battling brain cancer. As we spoke with her, this woman kept thanking God for how well the surgery went and how great her son was doing. She had an amazing attitude of praise and a true concern for the other families with young children battling similar circumstances. She expressed a deep burden for one family that didn’t speak English and wondered how scary it must be to rely on a translator to interpret what the doctor is saying.

This past Sunday my family and I were eating at a restaurant in Dallas and another family sent their young son over to our table with some funds to give away during Chemo Church. I was blessed and had it in my pocket as I began the day to minister. The Lord was very clear that their gift was to be for the mother and son battling brain cancer. I asked the mother to tell her son that the Lord is proud of him and he wants this gift to be a reminder of His love. She was very moved. I then was led to give her more resources to have her son buy gifts for two other families, allowing them to be a conduit of God’s love to the children in Chemo Church. She now had a ministry with the very people she was among and was clearly blessed. This faithful mother is a perfect example of someone allowing God to open their heart through suffering to bless others. There truly is a fellowship of suffering that tears down the walls that divide and allows us to build bridges of Christ’s love.

When we went to the main hospital we were in the large area where you give blood and the mood is typically very heavy. Today we found a family whose father was battling lung cancer as well. We huddled up in the corner for prayer in this very quiet room and began to pray. At the end of our prayer, the daughter said, “I know I am a Baptist but I feel like lifting my hands and shouting!” When we pray we are worshipping God in His presence and everything changes.

We then went to the Chemo Ward where we have made many friends with many patients, their families and the amazing hospital staff. It is amazing how they say, “Pastor Mike is here.” A few days ago I gave one of our new friends a book about God’s help in difficult times. He came up to me today and handed me the phone saying, “please talk to my daughter. I gave her that book and she really needs to come back to God.” Already the Word of God is being sent to people I have never met through this wonderful ministry.

Today we prayed with the woman who was by herself, getting chemo treatment next to me. She seemed so confidant until I started talking about Jesus and His desire to meet her every need, she began to cry. She asked me “do you always make people cry?” I said no it’s normally me who is crying. She was blessed to unload her burdens on Jesus and let Him care for her. Later in the day while we were waiting for my Doctor, Von and I simply prayed in the waiting room for about 30 minutes and had the most amazing season of prayer for the staff and all the patients we were meeting. It is only the grace of God and the prayers of the saints that could account for this miracle of God’s goodness that allows me to do the ministry I have been sent to do among these amazing people.

As we were leaving the building another lady battling lung cancer saw me and I asked how she was doing. She asked me to pray for her last time we were together because she wanted to live but could not quit smoking. Today she shared that she was loosing hope because she simply cannot quit. I asked if there was any treatment that she could try to help her, I could see how desperately she wanted to quit. She mentioned a prescription that could possibly help, but with all of her other medical bills it was too expensive for her to purchase. I asked how much it was, and she told me. When I opened my wallet it was exactly the amount of money I had left to give for the week. Jesus gave His all for me to have eternal life how could I withhold the opportunity for her to have life? She is a petite lady about my age but she hugged me so hard my ribs hurt where I had lung surgery over a year ago. Later that day she called to say how she had almost lost Hope in God and humanity but this gift had restored her Hope in God.

The greatest blessing of the week came the next morning when I had the joy of follow up with someone we had given Jon Lineburgers book to. That very same day she received a copy of the New Testament from another patient. I asked people to pray that I would have the opportunity to share the Gospel with her on Tuesday morning. The Lord opened the door for me to share and while I was telling her that God loved her and had a plan for her life I shared that she simply needed to pray a simple prayer of complete surrender to Jesus and ask Him to forgive her sins and invite Him to reign in her heart. She then pulled out a Gospel track from her purse that another patient had given her and said, “you mean a prayer like this?” I said yes a prayer like the one written right there in her hand. I asked her if she wanted to invite Jesus in her heart and she said yes. We celebrated her new life in Christ and the greatest smile I think I have ever seen, beamed across her face!

These past weeks I have seen the power in developing a pattern of presence. Going to the same places everyday not just to work, eat, or shop, or in my case get cancer treatment, but to build relationships with the opportunity allowing me to minister and share the Gospel. Every Tuesday I am discipling a young man we led to Christ in the third ward and now have a ministry with him as well as several wait staff at the same restaurants I eat at every night. The Lord himself traveled in the same small region His entire life but was always ministering everywhere He went. Pray about getting the same waiter, the same cashier, the same sales person, the same nurse, until you have the opportunity to minister to them. This is no time to transact but the greatest time to watch Christ transform lives though each of us as we build bridges of Christ love one life at a time. I am thrilled that this resurrection Sunday my new sister in Christ will be worshipping Jesus Christ her Savior! He is Risen He is Risen Indeed!

Our first stop is always the Proton radiation center where we arrive at 6:30 am for my treatments. I had the joy of praying with two new technicians Monday. They were awesome and so thankful for prayer. I then go to breakfast before beginning the long day at the main hospital for labs and chemo. This gives me the opportunity to buy muffins and snacks for the staff at the Proton center, who work very long hours, and need encouragement, as well as for other patients’ families in the waiting room. It is amazing how an 89 cent muffin can be used to open the door for the gospel. Compassion is the hinge of the door to salvation. I have been sharing with one particular staff member about the Lord and today, when I brought her some muffins, I saw a New Testament on her desk. I was thrilled. I asked if it was hers and she said a patient had given it to her today. I had been led to hand out Jon Lineberger’s book “What God did with a Mess like Me,” which he donated to our Chemo Church ministry. When I handed her the book I told her that God had a plan for her life and that it was no accident that another patient had given her the Bible on the same day. She looked at me with a tear in her eye and said she believed this as well. She is reading the Gospel of John and we will be discussing it following my treatments. Praise God!

On the van ride over to the main hospital, I met the most amazing couple. The husband has had a brain aneurism and now has a very rare cancer that eats your skin. His head was swollen and bandaged from the cancer and his treatments. He shared with me, after I asked how I could pray with him, that “Prayer is the greatest medicine of all.” He kept saying “I am a miracle!” He knows that God alone has saved Him and is sustaining him, and he is not complaining, but rejoicing during this very difficult trial. I am Humbled by the amazing faith of couples like this, who are teaching me how to count it all joy. His wife shared, after finding out about our inner city ministry, that she loved feeding the homeless and was very interested in doing this type of ministry when their battle with cancer is over. Several people have given me funds to give away to people I encounter in Chemo Church, and the Lord was clear that I was to bless this couple, who are in a battle for his life, and whose desire to return to their home town and help the least. When I gave them the money, I told them it was from the Lord and was a gift to feed them, so they could know that the Lord loves them and wants to encourage them in their faith, and honor their desire to feed the homeless one day. His wife just beamed with joy.

When we arrived at the Chemo ward for our three hours of treatment, the most amazing thing happened. The front desk, who all know me by now, spread the word around the entire ward that Pastor Mike was in his office in room 9. I long to encourage this amazing staff who cares for so many, so I always ask them if I can pray for them, and often give them a book that will bless them. They too have the amazing “ministry of presence” in one of the most difficult ministries on earth. Please honor these front line servants who love so effectively in our hospitals every day. This time we saw people we have seen before and one of them actually came into my room and started taking my tower of Chemo and walking out of my room with it. Obviously it’s attached to me so I had no choice but to follow. They led me to another patient that was having a very difficult time and opened the door for me to simply talk with her, and encourage her and ask if she wanted me to pray for her. She was very thankful and with tears flowing from her eyes, thanked me for coming to her room. It is amazing how the Lord is leading us daily in this amazing “ministry of presence” among some of the most amazing people of faith I have ever met.

Ask God today the name of one person that you need to go be with, and by your presence be a bright light in a very dark season of their lives. Remember that a little light goes a very long way in the darkest places, for the Glory of God.

As we were leaving we met a lady at the door of the center who was waiting for the bus to the main hospital. I asked her about her illness and she said she was there for lung cancer as well.  It is amazing how, what the enemy intends for evil, God uses for good, because of how I can identify with others suffering medically, as never before.  I asked her how I could pray for her and she immediately responded that she still battles with an addiction to cigarettes.  I shared with her that nothing is impossible for God and that we could ask God to set her free from this addiction right there in front of the cancer center. She said please pray for me because “I want to live”!  We prayed, believing in the matchless name of God, for her to be set free and to live for the Glory of God.  On the bus over to the main hospital, Roger and Scott continued talking to this same lady and her husband about Salvation and when we arrived at the hospital the bus driver said, “thanks for the revival on the bus, we need more of this”!  When we entered, there were long lines of people waiting to give blood, about 60-70 people in varying stages of Cancer…the mood changes very quickly. There is an unspoken heaviness.  As I was ushered to the back in a line, it felt very impersonal, except that the woman on staff who ushered us was joyful and encouraging.  When I finished giving my blood, I asked if I could take a picture with her and tell her manager what a great job she is doing.  She was thrilled that someone would want a picture with her and couldn’t wait to oblige.  After the picture, I had the joy of praying for this marvelous servant and she said “that prayer touched me, that prayer was better than a preacher’s prayer”.  There you have it.  Finally, after being there since 6:00 am, we are now ready to go for three hours of chemotherapy. There is a strange blessing of being able to identify with the needs of those around you, as you have those tubes coming out of your arms.  It clearly is my cross, I gladly take it up which allows me the opportunity to share the love and light of Christ.

We learned that one of the women on the medical staff is getting married.  When I talked to her about the fact that God loves to give gifts, and we simply need to receive them when He does this, she agreed.   I asked her if she was registered anywhere for her wedding gifts, and she said “not yet.”  I then had the joy of giving her some money that a friend had given me to give to anyone I wanted to in my ministry at Chemo Church.  I told her this was a gift from the Lord to affirm that He loved her and wanted to pray a blessing on her marriage.  She came back two more times to say how the prayer had changed her whole day.

The only negative to the area we were doing chemo was that everyone was in individual rooms and not out in the open.  The room was beautiful and private and a great place for me to visit with Roger and Scott about HIS BridgeBuilders, and all that the Lord was doing in our urban ministry, and the upcoming church we are prayerfully planting in the inner city.  The Lord was clear that we were to get up and get out of that room, go walk the halls and be among the people.  May we always remember that one of the greatest traps of the enemy can be a very comfortable place to worship that keeps us away from being among the lost and the hurting.  With my tower of chemo and some books I purchased written by Jack Graham titled, “God’s Promises for Doubt-Filled Days,” we began to do our ministry to the entire floor of patients.  It was beautiful.  By the end of the day we had prayed for a dozen patients and staff.  The last encounter was truly a blessing.

The man who volunteers by handing out magazines saw me walking in the halls, and remembered me and our talk about the Lord from last week.  He let me give him one of the books and I asked if I could pray for him, as he, like Jesus, serves the needs of others.  He was happy to let me pray for him and then he said these amazing words, “you look so good I don’t know why you are here”.  My heart is to pray that at the end of seven weeks he will know why I am here.  Bring salvation Lord to this precious man and many others for the Glory of God.  Blessed greatly by this new ministry the Lord is birthing in my heart.

For more information about H.I.S. BridgeBuilders, visit our website: www.hisbridgebuilders.org

Mike Fechner, Scott Brooks & Roger Sappington at MD Anderson

Today we had the joy of witnessing to a hospital volunteer that distributes magazines for those on Chemo. He said he received such joy in giving to others and got somewhat emotional about it. I shared with him, this was the love of Christ he was experiencing and God sent His son to show His great love for us and to save each one of us from our sin. I had the joy of sharing the Gospel with him and praying for him to know why he feels such joy in serving others. He was moved and blessed and prayerfully we will see him again in the coming weeks.

It was our joy to pray for several nurses, sing ‘this little light of mine’ with one of the other nurses and talk to many patients. While walking the halls, looking for people in greater need than me, I saw a staff member who looked very sad and was leaning against the wall. She is probably an aid, and is from Nigeria. I asked if I could pray for her and she said thank you because she was “just hanging on”. After I prayed the Lord led me to give her all the cash I had in my pocket. She was overwhelmed and kept saying rather loudly in the chemo ward, “God bless you”, to which I replied, “He already has.” I shared with her that someone else had given me the money for our expenses and that it was truly from the Lord, in direct answer to her prayers. After I passed her my nurse, who is from India, came back and asked me why bad things happen to good people. I had just preached this message this past Sunday and I shared with her that we can always trust our loving God, who is accomplishing His plan in ways we can’t always understand, to advance His Kingdom and Glory for our Good. She was comforted about the sudden death of a friend of hers, in India, who was killed in a car accident, after having just finished Bible College in preparation to be a Pastor. Shortly after she left, another nurse came in who is very strong in the Lord, and just wanted to visit. We eventually asked where she lived and what areas of the city were in greatest need. She was quick to tell me the third ward and that she lives near this area. She then offered to go with me any time I wanted to go and gave me her number so I could meet her in the community. We look forward to walking the streets of the city to pray and share the gospel with the least.

Lastly, while leaving, I had the opportunity to meet another patient from Oklahoma who is on chemo. His wife had seen Laura in the hall and was clearly looking for a friend. This led me to stop and pray for them. They are going to call us today, as this is all new for them. I told them that nothing is impossible with God and to keep their eyes on Jesus and not on the cancer.

I was overwhelmed with the opportunity to worship, teach the Word, pray, give an offering, and share the Gospel! May we never forget that we are the church! You may be the only church someone ever attends. Live ready, your day is coming when it will be your turn to Have Church! Thank you for your fervent prayers that are enabling us to be used by God. We give God all the Glory!!

Mike Fechner at MD Anderson

Taking Back Bonton means making it home

By DIANE JENNINGS
Staff Writer Dallas Morning News

In the South Dallas neighborhood of Bonton, trash piles up along fences, stray dogs roam the streets and clumps of men loiter outside the liquor store.

Then there are the bright spots: the pristine Turner Courts Recreation Center, dozens of nicely kept Habitat for Humanity homes — and the determination of residents like Clifton Reese and Velma Mitchell.

Reese and Mitchell are founding members of the fledgling Bonton Neighborhood Association and unlikely allies in the battle against the neglect and indifference that pervade the community. He’s a reformed drug dealer, and she’s the mother of a son killed in a drive-by shooting. But both share a passion for Bonton.

They could have moved up and out, but they chose to stay and fight, to take back their neighborhood, just south of “Dead Man’s Curve” on U.S. Highway 175.

“We’re getting there,” said Mitchell, president of the association.

The effort to reclaim Bonton began decades ago, which shows just how hard it is to do.

“It’s a work in progress,” Mitchell said.

She and Reese are joined by a handful of residents, including Regina Suttle, secretary of the neighborhood association. Suttle is a college graduate from Richardson and one of the few white residents living in Bonton.

“I want to live here,” said Mitchell, who manages the recreation center and ministers to residents through H.I.S. BridgeBuilders, a Christian nonprofit she co-founded with a member of Prestonwood Baptist Church.

Living in Bonton gives her “a great voice,” she said. “I can say … this is my ‘hood.’”

Leaving suburbia

Mitchell, 64, used to live in Lancaster, where she could listen to crickets and gaze at the stars from her backyard.

She spent her days in Bonton working with local residents. But at night, she left for suburban peace and quiet.

Mitchell often got late-night calls from those who lost had loved ones to violence. They knew her only child was the victim of a freeway shooting in 1992 at age 17.

She always answered because she knew what they felt: “I know what you’re going through. I know the questions you want to ask. I don’t have answers — but I’m here.”

Losing a child is “like a thief coming in the middle of the night and taking part of your heart away,” she said.

Finally, after a string of such calls, “The Lord let me know, ‘You need to be there. You need to be where your heart is,’” she said.

In 2006, Mitchell did what she once vowed never to do: She moved to Bonton. The first night there, she recalled saying to herself, “I’m home.”

Fighting crime

Bonton was home to Clifton Reese off and on when he was growing up. Now 29, he remembers “a lot of drugs and a lot of criminal acts,” he said.

Dallas police Sgt. Shelia Zimmerman, who oversees the neighborhood policing unit in the southeast patrol division, remembers, too.

Many South Dallas neighborhoods “have really gone through a war,” she said. “A war on drugs, a war on alcohol, a war on burglaries.”

Bonton “used to be the Wild West,” with drug dealers and police battling for control, she said. But “there’s been great progress,” she said.

In 1991, 184 major violent crimes and 204 major nonviolent offenses occurred in the reporting area south of Highway 175. Last year, only 12 major violent crimes and 22 major nonviolent offenses were reported. Drug dealing and minor crimes are down, too, but remain a problem, police say.

Two changes helped: Police adjusted their approach, Zimmerman said, and two massive housing developments, Turner Courts and Rhoads Terrace, closed.

Police began working with the community to fight crime, Zimmerman said, and some residents formed a crime-watch group. When people called with tips, police protected their identity to avoid retaliation.

In 1996, Habitat for Humanity began building homes in Bonton. Since then, the Dallas-area chapter has built about 80 homes there. After an absence of several years, the group is now building 25 more.

“The job wasn’t done,” said Habitat chief executive Bill Hall.

In recent years, the group has shifted its focus. In addition to building houses, Habitat now helps residents repair existing homes through a program called Brush with Kindness.

Rehabbing an entire block creates good will, Hall said, and “pride starts leaking into other streets.”

“There are amazing people who care about these neighborhoods,” he said. “They just don’t have the resources. … All we do is empower people.”

Neighborhood associations are key, Hall said, because they enable residents to create the community they want.

So far, only about a dozen residents have joined the neighborhood association, Mitchell said. Most are employed by BridgeBuilders, but the group is actively recruiting others.

“Some of them don’t know what a neighborhood association is,” Reese said. When told, “they want to be part of it, because they want a better community, not just for themselves but for the sake of their children.”

Children — his four in particular — are the reason Reese decided to buy a house in Bonton after turning away from drugs and, with the help of BridgeBuilders, getting his high school-equivalency degree and job training.

His wife was not thrilled about buying a house in Bonton, Reese said.

But the opportunity “to get a house in the same community where I sold drugs and ran the streets was an opportunity for me to give back to my community,” he said.

“I’m glad I’m there.”

No longer forgotten

Regina Suttle is also glad to be in Bonton — though she’d never been to South Dallas before volunteering with Habitat seven years ago. She grew up in the suburbs and graduated from Texas Tech.

“I wasn’t naive to the fact that these places existed,” she said, but it bothered her that Bonton seemed “so forgotten.”

Though the community is predominantly black and Hispanic, Suttle said she never feels out of place. She volunteered in the area for several years before being hired to run the children’s ministry for BridgeBuilders.

When the group offered her housing in Bonton, she jumped at it, though residency was not required.

“I’m here by choice,” said Suttle, 33.

Instead of being overwhelmed by the challenges, she is encouraged by the progress. For instance, the house next door is boarded up, but “there’s nobody running drugs out of it,” she said. “That is true transformation.”

Suttle, like others in the neighborhood, knows big change is coming as the city builds Buckeye Trail Commons, a low-income housing development.

The development promises to be less institutional than previous housing, and Reese and Mitchell are excited by the prospect of more neighborhood recruits.

When they drive through Bonton, they don’t see debris and despair. They see an empty lot being cleared for a community garden, a rundown building making way for a training kitchen and restaurant.

“It won’t be Lancaster,” Mitchell said with a chuckle. “It’s going to be better.”

By DIANE JENNINGS

Staff Writer

djennings@dallasnews.com

Published: 09 March 2012 11:13 PM

Click to view slideshow.
Photos courtesy of Steve Pfost
Staff Photographer for the Dallas Morning News

Michael Fechner Jr. and Clifton Reese

Today marks the last day that my son, Michael, will be on the staff of H.I.S. BridgeBuilders.  When I was diagnosed with cancer 32 months ago, the ministry was in a very precarious position, needing strong leadership.  We were on the verge of some amazing spiritual breakthroughs and needed someone to help us clearly determine the next steps that we should take.  The Lord brought Michael, my oldest son for “such a time as this.” He put his personal desires on hold in order to obediently follow the Lord and His calling.  From the beginning of his time in the ministry he has been a great gift, through the example of his love for God and others.  He and Clifton Reese’s relationship is a beautiful example of the same relationship that I have enjoyed with Velma for these many years.  It is marvelous to see the many ways that God has used Michael to establish one of the most significant components of our ministry, our mentoring ministry.  As Michael has lived this in his own life with Clifton, he has seen the change that has happened in his own heart as they have learned from each other.  Out of his obedience, the Lord has birthed a great ministry of reconciliation that is bearing much fruit.  Michael challenges me every day by his servant heart and his obedience to God. He has sharpened me and confronted me on my own pride in some of the decisions I was making in the ministry.  He has become, in Christ, my brother and friend.  What a joy to learn from my own son in this season of my life.  Please join me in giving honor to whom honor is due. Michael brought new life to our ministry in our time of great need.  Please pray for Michael as he begins his career in business and seeks to fulfill his desire to serve our nation as a public servant in the future.  Thank you Son for your love and a job well done.  You are gift from God to me and the ministry.