PALOS HEIGHTS, ILL. -- Winter has gotten very cold in Chicago but the winds off the lake haven’t cooled the move of God at Stone Street Church. Pastor Phil Epperson and Evangelist Wayne Neal have made a commitment to God to continue with revival and when you read the following testimonies you’ll understand why. The Remnant visited this revival in the Summer and after four hundered salvations the fire is still buring. One of the most amazing stories to come out of this Chicago fire was the story of Bob Collins. Well edited by Ann Francis, news editor for the church newsapaper, Stone Church Today, we thought that it would be a blessing to our readers.

Bob was abused as a child and had a difficult upbringing. He became a drug addict and an alcoholic. An injury from an auto accident caused him to lose a kidney and he had to go on dialysis. He had a heart attack and then found out he had lung cancer. Then he learned that he contracted AIDS from the blood transfusion they gave him after the auto accident.

It’s not surprising that Bob was down. He wasn’t proud of his life, but he felt he wasn’t a bad man. "What’s the answer?" he wondered. Then on Sunday morning he watched "Living Stones" and called and talked to prayer counselor Vince Fields. His heart was very open and Bob received Christ as Saviour. Vince and another person came over to Bob’s house to talk to him in person.

Bob Collins shared this testimony with the congregation on Sunday night November 2nd. He thanked the Stone Church congregation for being there for him and asked for their continued prayers.

It’s a fact that God’s hand has been on Bob’s life because Bob had an earlier contact with the Stone Church more than 17 years ago. Truth is stranger than fiction. It’s a small world. There are many such cliches that one could use in the events of Bob’s life. It is so wonderfully amazing that it boggles the mind.

Vickie Epperson testified at the revival about an incident that happened more than 17 years ago. Because she wasn’t feeling too well, Vickie asked the girls to keep an eye on two-year-old Andrew while she took a nap. When she awoke about 20 minutes later, she realized that Drew was missing. This wasn’t the first time that he had wandered off like that, so she began to search the neighborhood back yards and swing sets. After 30 minutes without success, she called the Sheriff’s office and then continued to scour the area (clad in her bathrobe!)

By this time, she was walking south toward Shepard High School on the frontage road by Ridgeland Avenue, praying all the way. A man was walking toward her and she asked him if he had seen a little toddler boy dressed in green shorts. He hadn’t.

She decided to turn around and walk north, towards the shopping center. As she neared Dominick’s food store, there was the man she had seen. "Hey, lady! Over here! I found your boy!" He had found Andrew trying to cross the four lanes of traffic and got him safely across the street and supplied him with bubble gum and candy until his mother appeared.

That night as the Eppersons returned home Andrew was sick in bed and they told him the story about how Bob was used to find him. Andrew said, "We didn’t even know it but Bob’s parents lived right around the corner from us. "

Vickie was so relieved and grateful, but in her frenzy did not think to ask the man’s name. Fast forward 17 years. The other night Vickie walked into the revival service and saw the man that had rescued the little toddler. As she looked into his eyes she realized that Bob Collins was the man who had rescued her son.

Evangelist Wayne Neal said, "We’ve got to become a salvation station, bringing the lonely, hurting and destitute to our church. Here they’ll find that God is a deliver."

This was just a beginning for Bob Collins for God was going to move even deeper into his situation. Bob is now a regular at prayer meetings. He’s been baptized in water and the first Sunday of December he received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. His family and the people that he works with have noticed the change in his life.

Divine direction runs through the congregation at Stone Church. Mary Stanley has worked with the south side chapter of a group called Love In Action, which ministers to people with AIDS. For quite some time, she has been counseling with Bob Collins and her family has been praying for him. She said he was very ill and several times was near death. She invited him to visit Stone Church many times in the past and was thrilled to hear what God was doing in his life.

The people of the Stone Church have cared and loved on people like Bob that have been sent to them through revival. God wasn’t finished with the man named Bob as Ann Francis related one of the most fantastic miracles of the entire revival. Bob used to be on kidney dialysis, but now he’s off. This is a rare thing and has amazed his doctor, because he only has one kidney (and one lung). The doctor is reluctant to use the word "miracle," but he said, "You’re a special person."Bob had AIDS, but the report shows that his blood count is perfectly normal and his T-cel count is also perfectly normal. He’s now off all medicine and is only taking vitamins to build his strength.

We salute Evangelist Wayne Neal and Pastor Phil Epperson for staying with revival at Stone Street. This testimony will be remembered as the miracle hand of God for years to come. But more than that the miracle came through the hands of the congregation that were led by the Spirit of Almighty God to touch a hurting community.