He worked without annual vacation as he wanted to visit India next summer. It was 5 years since they had been to India and seen the family and friends. So they planned to spend their 2001 summer in India. Since they had not seen Shahjahan for 11 years after he immigrated to U K, they wanted to visit him for 2 weeks on their way. God blessed them to see them, share his testimony in two churches and tour London. They visited the church at Delhi and God granted grace to testify about his grace. After touring Delhi, they traveled to Bangalore to see Omar’s brothers, Mytheen and Saleem, and their families. Mytheen took them for sight seeing at crocodile conservatory and Mysore palace. After few days, he drove them to his sister, Fathima’s home at Salem.
While they spent few days there, Omar had diarrhea like symptoms and had briani from a restaurant. Then they visited his wife’s family. The same day he started to feel week in legs in a shopping area causing difficulty to walk; C P M church minister, Pastor Chella Kumar visited him and prayed for him; and next morning his fingers were weak. Immediately he realized that it was a relapse of G B S he had in 1996. But from the onset of symptoms he felt a strong faith that he would come out of it in few weeks like the first time in 1996 by the miraculous God’s healing power. The feeling was overwhelming and unshakable. It must be given by loving Jesus through His abundant grace. Otherwise it was impossible to have that kind of assurance. Immediately he informed Mytheen as medical facilities are world class there. After Fathima and his nieces visited him briefly, with out delay they traveled to Mytheen house at Bangalore. Same night he was admitted into a large specialized hospital. Even though Omar intimated about G B S, the neurologist refused to acknowledge it as diagnosis and delayed the treatment. After one day hospitalization, the neurologist recommended another medical college hospital for plasmapharesis and so he was admitted in it after the neurologist agreed to administer plasmapharesis immediately. But the neurologist visited the next day and delayed for 1 or 2 days before giving him high dose of Red Blood Cell treatment, as they refused to accept the investigations done by previous hospital doctors and repeated the same investigations. Omar family understood clearly that this was just to get maximum money. The physiotherapist also did physically exhausting initial assessment which Omar objected as it could cause more paralysis. Certainly it did. By this time the paralysis progressed rapidly to total paralysis from neck downwards, a condition called flaccid quadriplegia. Breathing became progressively difficult due to paralysis of chest and trunk muscles; as well, developed eating difficulty; these situations could lead to pneumonia as the food could enter lungs. So he was put on nasal oxygen supply and feeding through nasal gastric tube. They finally started administering high dose of Red Blood Cell. He was trying to breathe laboriously and consciously day and night hoping to keep himself alive. Meanwhile the doctors informed the family secretly that his survival was 50/50 chance. Omar thought that perhaps he visited his homeland to complete his life journey and to be buried near his mom’s grave at Vellore where they bought another spot beside her. Finally this may be the end of his life. A strong realization came upon him that at this very moment his job, education, wealth, social life etc. were lost indefinitely and if he would die, no more family relationships like siblings, wife, others etc. This could happen at any moment. However God continued to give strong faith from this very severe attack; he hit the bottom of G B S. Along with his family, he was steadfast in prayer. Only God can give deliverance. Doctors had no words of hope. After 5 weeks of intensive care admission, he went to a semi private ward which he preferred to full private ward as there would be another patient with the family for emergency under his circumstances that he could not call for help due to his whispering feeble voice. He had many respiratory infections affecting a part of his lungs and pain 24 hours seven days in the abdomen for weeks. God wonderfully delivered him from such complications. From first day of his admission, his brother, Saleem, helped him every night for 40 days. During the day Saleem took care of his other responsibilities. His wife and children visited him almost every evening, even in the continuous rain. Omar’s wife assisted him during the day time. To relieve them from this treacherous situation, Mytheen hired two attendants for help, one during the day and another during the night. In addition during the day time Saleem and Omar’s wife spent time with him. They had to turn him in the bed frequently, especially during night time as he had lot of pain. Doctor Rose visited him frequently postponing his overseas ministry trips. Omar’s insurance company was very supportive, in liaison with the doctors. Finally the neurologist recommended that his condition was stable to travel back to home in the western country. Omar’s insurance company from the western country arranged for a nurse from Singapore to take him back to home in business class. Omar should have been transported in a bed; but due to the mistake in the neurologist’s recommendation; after 7 weeks of hospitalization, in the last week of September 2002 he had to travel in sitting position for 9 hours from Bangalore to Germany. After having few hours rest in Frankfurt, Germany, they traveled to home for another 9 hours. From the airport he was taken to local hospital in an ambulance and admitted.
Omar felt home as soon as they reached there as God has given this place as his home; he was comfortable in a private room with his wife and friendly good hospital service. Brethren from the church visited them soon after his admission. Employer visited regularly. They continued to look at God for full recovery. Months passed by; but the recovery was very insignificant; he required two nurses to turn him in the bed, make him to sit up and do everything for him. Due to this need for two staff, rehab department did not want to admit him until Christmas holidays. Since many in-patients went for Christmas break, Omar was temporarily admitted in the rehab; during this period, the medical team informed Omar that he should consider a wheel chair accessible house or group home on discharge as good improvement was not expected and in view of his two people dependency. This was shattering thought for Omar and his wife even though their judgment was medically understandable. They sought God’s grace and mercy for miraculous recovery. It was Christmas morning; he looked at the bright sunshine on pure white snow on the trees and lawn and buildings. It reminded him about his last t Christmas and how happily they enjoyed; and today in a bed unable to move. Sorrow welled up in his heart and like for the first time he started to break down due to his miserable condition and tears flowed like a stream from his eyes; until this day he had strong faith in God’s miraculous healing touch.
In February 2002 after debate about his eligibility to benefit from rehab he was given admission to in a provincial specialized rehab hospital. On the noon to transfer him, the ambulance people were taking him in a stretcher from the present hospital, the nurses bid farewell and Omar replied, “God will heal me and I will come back walking”. As the physio and other team members did not expect him to walk and their purpose for transfer was to help him to learn to do some of the self care skills with help, the nurse without hope replied, “Whatever wish you good luck”. He tried to hang on to his faith. In the provincial rehab centre, the physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist doctor leaned over his bed soon after hours of admission and asked, “What is your goal to achieve during your admission here?” He replied, “With or without equipments and help, I like to walk”. The doctor abruptly replied, “Not in this life. May be we can help you to learn some self help skills with someone’s assistance so that it will reduce the amount of help you will need”. Omar without defending himself continued, “I like to do personal care skills also by myself”. There seemed to be no point in discussing with the doctor about faith in Christ and God’s miraculous healing power. Next morning as he woke up, same doctor repeated to help Omar to accept his judgment, “Not even standing possible and even with three years of therapy. Better you have realistic expectation to rehab here”. On the third day wake up time also the doctor did the same, trying to change his mind. Omar knew it was part of rehab professional’s duty to help patients to have realistic goals; otherwise rehab might not be effective. However he was steadfast with his wife and the church in believing and praying for a miraculous healing from Jesus. One day with total help from a physio and her assistant, he was standing between the parallel bars momentarily. At that time, the same specialist doctor came looking for another patient and he was surprised with a shock to see Omar standing with help. He shook his head and went away without a word. His stay was supposed to be 4 weeks. They had team meeting in which the specialist commented, “It is a surprise that you are standing with help momentarily for your own satisfaction; but it is not going to be functional. So I strongly recommend a power wheel chair for you”. He meant that Omar would not be able to stand up. Omar’s colleague friend was in the meeting to support him. His stay was extended for 4 more weeks. Jesus continued to strengthen him slowly and to help him to stand up and walk with lot of help. He started to stand up from a power wheelchair holding on to a table top near a window, standing table in rehab rooms; his whole being was filled with joy and gratitude and praise for Jesus. After 9 months in the bed and power or manual wheelchair, first time he was able to see the world through the window standing upright. A Jewish school kids were playing on the play ground. They had little caps on their head. They were full o f excitement and the Jewish people were going in and out of their synagogue which was adjacent to the school; it was like coming back to life. During the 2002 Good Friday and Easter time, Pastor Stephen’s only son, who had training in hotel administration met a motorcycle accident at a railway crossing in Madurai, India after Sunday morning service and went to be with the Lord in heavenly home. It was another great tragedy. One day a nurse left Omar in the shower alone asking him to apply soap and this negligence caused him to slip down from the wheelchair almost having a fall; but Jesus saved him from such a dangerous accident.
Omar believed that Jesus would help him to go home walking and hence asked the physio and occupational therapists to propose for extension of his stay for some more time; they could not understand his faith; an assessment for electric wheelchair was done and he was transferred back to the previous hospital rehab where he was walking with lot of help between the parallel bars; this hospital specialist exclaimed, “What a pleasant surprise! You are a miracle man!”. “Well, Jesus answered prayers and enabled me to walk”. After a month stay, June 2002 he was discharged to go home. That same day morning, Omar read Acts of the Apostles chapter 3 where God miraculously healed a born lame man to leap, jump and praise God. From the hospital to his home in a minivan, he looked at the streets ad houses eagerly with bubbling emotion; 11 months ago he went this way to the airport in a cab with his wife to spend his vacation and now was coming back with a manual wheelchair and a regular walker; The minister with few Christian brethren welcomed him on his return; he could not explain his feelings as he entered his house and sat on a sofa chair and looked through the window; he felt that it was more than enough blessing to be able to sit at home and could spend the rest of his life sitting there; after some time they prayed thanking Jesus; Jesus spoke through a prophecy, “My son! My son! The beautiful gate is open and enters with leaping, jumping and praising God! I have made your muscles, bones and nerves strong” and it was repeated few times. Omar was extremely happy and shocked as none of them knew he read this same portion of the Bible that day morning in the hospital and believed for this miracle. Whey he told them this, they were also surprised. Definitely it was God’s miraculous way of prophecy.
Jesus revealed through many prophecies about his healing as God’s will. Homecare support was provided twice daily and occupational therapy once in few weeks; Church believers helped with transporting him to the church, and other forms of many help. One Saturday, he fell down in the middle of the living room as he was practicing walking; he could not sit up and his wife could not help; a believer came to help. Now they lived in the ground floor as he could not go to upstairs which was their living place before he fell sick; every time he looked at the stairs, he did not think that he could climb it as his legs were so weak; but he believed Jesus for such a miracle. July 13 2002, they had thanksgiving prayer and feast at home with his brother’s family and the church; same night the minister saw a dream in which Omar was walking fast in the ground floor, running to the upstairs without falling even though he stumbled on the stairs. After few months, the occupational therapist assisted him to climb half way through and he looked up to see the upstairs through handrails with overwhelming emotions. After about 1 year and 3 months; finally the day came, with help he reached the upstairs and sat on his sofa; he felt that he was back and had the same feeling of satisfaction about recovery and life as he had on return to home from hospital; he thought he could not ask for better things; soon he moved to the upstairs and slept in his bed for the first time with unbelievable happiness; never he realized the beauty of sleeping in his bed; it is where you belong. Months rolled by and Jesus strengthened him to walk progressively with wheeled walker, cane and without aid inside the house; in 2003, with the desire to glorify God in international convention for the miraculous healing, with wife he traveled first to visit his brother’s family; considering his feeble health, he did not attend the convention. They enjoyed the change of place and touring many places including the world’s tallest building, the widest waterfalls, etc. and returned home. In 2004, later Omar and his wife attended the international convention and glorified God for the healing as well as the miracles for his family all through the years; they also visited his wife’s brother and her relatives as well as his brother’s family. Since he developed respiratory infection requiring rest for 3 to 4 months; again it occurred twice. They thought that long travel might not be suitable for his health and decided to just stay near home. In 2005, since his wife’s parents fell very sick, she made a trip to India for 2 months. God was wonderful in helping him to stay alone. He tried volunteer work which he could do for some time only. He started to spend his time in prayer and ministry in a small way. Jesus became his victor, health, life, strength, joy and peace.
He kept in touch with the Vadugapatti Christian Church and the Christians in those regions. God marvelously blessed the early three families, Pastor Stephen, Mrs. Nazira Begum and Mrs. Deva Kirubai Ammal. Pastor Stephen’s wife, Sister Leela, went to be with the Lord around 1990. Pastor Stephen’s four daughters got married and well settled; one of them permanently settled in U S A. Another daughter immigrated temporarily to Gulf countries. Pastor Stephen was sick for few years and entered glory in January 4 2012. His funeral was honored by nearly 500 people. This showed the fruits of approximately 45 years of his ministry in Vadugapatti and surrounding cities. Perhaps he was the first fruit and first born again Pentecostal Christian and God’s minister in Vadugapatti history and surrounding villages, as well as his wedding with Sister Leela in late 1970’s was the first Christian wedding. In the midst of his Hindu family opposition and difficult to reach out Hindu city, it is certainly God’s miracle and grace and Holy Spirit power and his love for the salvation of his home town people made it possible. Sister Margaret James Baker, Canada, and Sister Radha, Madurai, also entered glory around 2008 and 2010. Just around year 2010 Pappampatti Christian Church ministers Pastor Panja Ratnam and sister Shantha entered heavenly glory while former Kodaikanal Christian Church Pastor Johnson Jacob was called to heavenly abode in 2014. Sister June Ward continues as Immanuel Christian Fellowship Church Senior’s Pastor in her age of 80’s in U S A; it is faith ministry and continues supporting ministries in India. Pastor Senior Kennington in Chicago, U S A who was early years sponsors of sisters Margarett and June, also completed his race in 2013 or 2014. Mrs. Deva Kirubai Ammal’s children were blessed to do God’s ministry marvelously and also to travel to overseas for employment. One of the believers from Kamakka patti belonging to Vadugapatti Christian Church, Robert, was blessed by God as Inspector General - I G in Tamil Nadu police service. One of the neighbor boy of Vadugapatti Christian Church who was classmate to Mytheen became famous Tamil cinema song composer, Elaya Raja. Very amazing to see how God blessed the three families of that little church in this amazing way. Mrs. Nazira Begum and her children were the first born again Pentecostal Christian believer family from Vadugapatti. Her life is like a nightingale that is sitting on a lonely tree on a single rock island, singing beautifully in a dark stormy night with thunders and lightnings all around and raging ocean.