Determined However, I stood on the promises of God. I knew in the core of my being that I had not been forgotten.” Sister Arlene Peterkin was diagnosed with lupus and arthritis in 1980. Her family was living in Fort Polk Louisiana Army base, where her husband was stationed for approximately four years while she suffered with pain through her entire body.  She expressed that any activity, even as simple as holding a drinking glass was difficult.  The glass would slide right through her hands. Since she could not  hold an object as light weight as a glass.  

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Naturally she developed fear of her own young children slipping from her aching arms to hold them. In 1981, while pregnant with her third child, her doctors advised her to abort, because various medical tests results revealed that she would not be able to carry the fetus full term. However, she and her husband refused to accept their reports, and trusted God to bring them through the ordeal successfully.Their unmovable faith strengthened her to carry her daughter full term. After delivery, her miracle daughter underwent a series of tests only to reveal she did not have the disease.Although Sister Arlene was advised to never have another child, they followed the One Who knew much more as Sister Arlene gave birth to three more consecutive healthy babies. Regardless of periodic bouts of the disease going into remission, still, year after year, the pain returned and she continued to take nearly ten pain-killing pills a day per the advice of her doctors…still standing on the Word of God. She reminisces that some days were better than others, and some days she wished she were dead. In 1997, she took a turn for the worst, and was hospitalized for a week. Within that week, she lost 50 pounds, and the doctors sent her home to die.  But God said, not so! They continued to believe in God’s healing power.

     In the year 2000, she faithfully attended yet another crusade. During the service, while she worshipped, she suddenly felt a heat from the top of her head that exited through the tips of her toes. This is a common feeling she experienced from other crusades and services. Therefore, she paid no attention and continued with her daily medicinal routine. It wasn’t until the strangeness of “normal life” manifested that her husband noticed and joyfully expressed to her that she was healed. He noticed based upon her explanation of how her body was responding in ways she never experienced. One of those observances was waking up dripping in sweat from wearing multiple layers of clothes and blankets that were necessary to keep her body temperature safe for many years. She was totally unaware that she was instantly healed. Since then, she has had no recurrence of lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Arlene laughs, “Trusting God…regardless of the circumstances, no matter how hard, He will not fail you!”