BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

relationships instead and God helped me get through it." Following high school, Christina enrolled at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla. "There, I made the kind of godly friends that I'd been looking for in high school," she said. "The students were more passionate about the Church. Instead of being very secular in their thinking, they focused on things like getting into Christian media. They were fun to be around. More importantly, they respected each other and were always nice to others. "After graduating from ORU, I taught kindergarten and English as a second language for grades K-5. During those years, I developed a passion for linguistics and literacy. In 2018, I earned a second bachelor's degree in communicative disorders." Taking Back Her Land Later, Christina went back to school to earn a master's degree in speech-language pathology. During that time, COVID restrictions slowed the process. It also caused her to change schools. One day, she went for a routine eye exam. Sitting in the exam chair, she stared ahead as the doctor examined her eyes. "Have you noticed any problems with your eyes?" he asked. "No," Christina replied. "Have you had headaches, blurred vision or blind spots?" "No." "Your optic nerve appears to be swollen," the doctor explained. "I'm referring you to a neurologist to follow up." Christina pulled verses from Isaiah and 1 Peter to form her confession: "Blessed are my eyes, for they see. Blessed are my ears, for they hear. By Jesus' stripes I am healed." After a thorough exam, the neurologist said, "You have what's called idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Idiopathic means we don't know what caused it. Intracranial hypertension occurs when too much cerebrospinal fl uid from your brain and spinal cord builds up in your skull. "This puts pressure on your brain and your optic nerve. Symptoms can be headaches, ringing in your ears, blind spots, double vision and loss of peripheral vision. You could also experience neck and shoulder pain. "The symptoms mimic a brain tumor, but you don't have a tumor. Untreated, it could cause vision loss. But we caught this early, so we can treat you with medication." Because of her lifelong connection to KCM, Christina didn't have to scramble to fi gure out God's will regarding healing. "I'd known for years that I was healed by Jesus' stripes," Christina explains. "I knew how to get into God's Word and activate my faith. "I had to take strong medicine, which made me tired. But it helped regulate the fl ow of fl uid near my optic nerve. During this process, my mother, aunt and uncle all retired and moved to Fort Worth, Texas. I moved with them. "Moving to a new state required fi nding a new neurologist to continue monitoring my care. It meant learning a new city, joining a new church, making new friends—all while fi nishing my master's degree. "Today my health and vision are great. I work as a speech pathologist and sing in the choir at Eagle Mountain International Church at KCM. "I don't remember a time in my life when KCM hasn't been a part of it. To me, partnership means having a group of people who are all committed to serving God—people who pray for one another, people who work together toward a common goal of helping humanity through the gospel. "One of the scriptures that sustained me during those diŸ cult years in high school, still ministers to me today. Joshua 1:3, New King James Version, says, 'Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you.' If Joshua could take that land under the Old Covenant, we can do even more with a covenant ratifi ed by Jesus' blood." 2 0 : B V O V HOW TO USE THEIR FAITH. JOIN US IN TEACHING BELIEVERS Partner with KCM. KCM.ORG/PARTNERNOW

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