THE FAYE HEADRICK STORY

It only takes one major event in a person’s life to change the direction of everything you have believed for years and everything with which you are familiar. Wayne and Faye Headrick were settled in Louisiana. Wayne was the pastor of a large Baptist Church, and Faye was a registered nurse. What seems so natural, and what seems so right can all of a sudden be challenged by the statement, "I’m sorry, Rev. Headrick, your wife has only six months to live. Her cancer is terminal." It wasn’t enough to hear it from one doctor. Wayne wanted a second opinion, so he took his wife to Houston, to one of the best cancer doctors he could find. Another opinion from an expert was now coming forth, Dr. John Stehlin said, "I’m sorry but your wife is very sick and only has six months to a year to live."

Immediately, this Baptist pastor turned to God and began to ask questions. "Haven’t I always done what you have told me to do? Why all of this now at this time in our life?"

The questions were heard by God, but the answers would be given by faith -- and that faith would be required by the one whose life would be in jeopardy...Faye! This wouldn’t be a path for which these two were groomed, but it would be a narrow path of faith that releases the power of God. Wayne and Faye were from another denomination. They knew a lot about the Bible and the people that were called Baptists, but they had never had much understanding of a God that could heal, or what the word of God said about healing. They knew a God who could save an individual, but miracles were not a part of their teachings or theology. Many times as a Pastor, Headrick would pray with other families saying, if it is God’s will, their loved ones would be healed. It’s easy for you to pray the prayer of faith while someone else is in the valley, but when you’re in that valley, you will do what it takes to get to God. This was a test of faith that would leave denomination and tradition behind, and call the "great physician" forth.

Faye Headrick is a small woman. She’s only known one man all her life. From eighth grade until their senior year in high school, Wayne was always there to carry her books and make sure she was taken care of. "When I was on the high school football team and had to go out of town for a game, I would assign someone to look after Faye while I was gone. That person had better not wink his eye at her or he was in trouble," said Wayne.

Faye’s first surgery was done at the hospital in which she worked in Louisiana. The following is a personal account of Faye’s testimony: "In 1977, I was diagnosed to have metastatic carcinoma, which is simply a fancy word for cancer. When I was diagnosed, I had three surgeries within a month’s period of time. The American Cancer Society states if you have three or more malignant lymph nodes, your prognosis is poor. At the time of my first surgery, they removed eighteen malignant lymph nodes, and the doctor came back with the first word, "You have six months to one year to live!" As a registered nurse, I knew that already-- he didn’t have to explain all those details to me. These were doctors who I knew personally, and I had worked with them for years.

"My husband loaded me up and took me to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Houston. There, I was under the care of Dr. John Stehlin. They treated cancer much more aggressively there than we did at home -- but -- after all -- it was a cancer research center -- and what did we have to lose? When I got there, I had two other surgeries, and as soon as I recovered from my surgeries, and I was able to get up and get about, we started radiation treatment. They encourage you to walk right after surgery and to move about. I would walk over to the radiation department which was in an adjoining building, and I would walk back to my room. As time passed, I began to get weaker in my body. I would walk over to the radiation department, and I would ride back in the wheel chair. As strength drained from me, I was forced to ride over there -- because of the weakness -- and then ride back. I was getting weaker and weaker. When the radiation treatments were over, we began the chemo treatments. Because the location of the radiation was so near my throat, after six weeks, it became impossible for me to eat or drink. When I would try to swallow anything, I would go into esophageal spasms -- I could not eat or drink. Of course, I was on IV’s for nourishment, but I began to lose weight at a phenomenal rate. I actually lost down to under one hundred pounds. I was skin and bones."

"After six weeks of radiation -- they started the chemotherapy. They did a procedure that was new at the time. It was still in research--- it is called hyperthermia. Medical Science has determined that cancer cells are vulnerable to heat 104 degrees and above, so they would get the body temperature up above that level. To get the body temperature to 105 degrees was the goal so the cancer cells would be weakened. At that point, they would come in and introduce the chemo therapeutic drugs so the cancer cells would be attacked both from the heat and from the drugs."

The treatments that would follow in the next few days were radical as the doctors would introduce bacteria, by way of IV solution, to elevate her body temperature to kill the cancer by heat. Many times her temperature would go dangerously high. The staff would be forced to pack her in ice and alcohol, while her body rebelled with convulsions. The side affects upon Faye were draining her.

The treatments would start early in the morning. The idea of survival was beginning to be questioned by Faye. "I began to lie there and ask God, ‘I don’t understand this Father, I don’t understand this. Is this the way it’s going to be? Is this how it’s all going to end? God, this does not make any sense to me -- this is just not making any sense to me at all!’ I continued to get weak in my body to the point where I couldn’t even get up to use the bathroom. I could not sit up on the side of my bed -- and at the risk of sounding like I’m exaggerating, -- I did not have the strength to even lift my head off my pillow. My body looked like death..... I acted like death, and I smelled like death. God knows, I’ve smelled it enough, and I recognize it because I have been at the bedside of many patients who were in the same situation I was in. I have smelled death, and, once you’ve smelled it, you never forget it! I looked at my mom one day (she was with me constantly, day and night -- she never left my bedside for three long months while in the hospital) and I asked her, ‘Mamma -- what is that smell, -- is that me?’

I remember the first time I went into the radiation department, and knowing from nursing, those walls are five feet thick -- total isolation -- I was absolutely terrified! They told me, don’t even think about moving. When we place you on that table, don’t even look one way or the other. There was a massive machine over me, and fear gripped my mind. I remember the finality of the way that door sounded when they shut it. I just lay there and said, "God, it is just you and me -- it’s just you and me, God. God, you are in here with me, aren’t you?"

I was lying in bed one day trying to figure out what was going on. Then I heard a buzz from the nurse’s station and a nurse said, "Faye, would you get your mom to help you get ready? X-ray wants to come and get you for some more tests." I lay there in bed that day, and I thought, "God, just more tests, more tests; and in my natural mind, I knew I would never leave that place alive!"

"And so my Mom began to help me get ready for X-ray, and about that time, the housekeeping department came in my room and brought the vacuum cleaner to begin vacuuming. She had forgotten something and said, ‘Oh, let me just leave this here, I’ll be right back. I’m going to vacuum your room.’ I was lying there waiting, and all of a sudden -- there was a knock on my door. (I was about to have my first physical encounter with an angel -- and I didn’t even know it!!) But, there it was, that unmistakable knock -- and someone called out, "Faye Headrick?" Thinking it was the X-ray department, I said, ‘Yes’ -- and again, the knock and call came louder, ‘Faye Headrick?’ and I said: ‘Yes,’ and in walked the strangest sight I have ever seen in my life. She was a tiny little lady, under five foot tall. She had dark hair, cropped off in a little square around her face. She had on a long black skirt, a white blouse, black laced up shoes, and thick white socks -- she was a sight to behold!! (God had sent a little "lady Isaiah" to my room just as He had done for Hezekiah as he lay dying!) "Hallelujah!!!"

She walked right up to my bedside, and very boldly announced, "Faye Headrick -- I have come with a word from the Lord!!" ( I would come to know later -- that announcement would change the course of our lives.)

Not understanding who or from where she had come, I looked at her and said, ‘Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to talk to you today. I wish I did, I really do, (I was trying to be polite). It was like there was so much on my mind, I really didn’t need to be bothered by this little woman. "Do you see that vacuum cleaner? Housekeeping is going to come in any minute and start vacuuming this room, and X-ray is on their way here to get me. I don’t have time for you today."

"She looked directly at me and said, ‘Oh, yes ma’am! You do have time to talk to me today!’ She said, ‘X-ray will not come in this room nor will housekeeping come into this room until I have given you the Word the Lord has sent me to give you.’ I was so captivated by this little ‘stranger,’ I couldn’t take my eyes off of her as she stood there next to my bed!

She was very bold and purposeful as she spoke. "The Lord awakened me last night -- in the middle of the night -- I know my Lord’s voice. I got down on my knees to wait to hear from Him." She said, "The Lord gave me your name -- told me where you were -- and said, ‘Go tell this woman these things I am about to show you!’ The Lord showed me a vision -- and I saw you standing on an elevated platform ministering the healing power of Jesus to literally thousands of people! Lady, I knew what you looked like before I ever walked into this room."

As she spoke my natural mind doubted and silently argued with her— considering that I was to die in three months. (I am amazed at what God will patiently work through to bring about His plan and purpose!) Anyway, the instant she finished speaking to me— the door burst open and in came X-ray with the stretcher and the housekeeper to vacuum. I looked up to see where she was, and she was gone— vanished— lost in the shuffle— and I never saw her again!

In the days that followed, my heart questioned— who was this little lady? Where had she come from? And why? I inquired of the nursing staff— no one had seen her— X-ray and housekeeping personnel had not seen her— only my mom and I saw her and heard her speak. But, neither of us saw her leave. Mom was standing at the door and vows that our ‘visitor’ didn’t exit that way! (But then, angels don’t need doors— do they?)

To this day, the strange little lady was a landmark in Faye’s life bringing her a word from God in the midst of her most tremendous struggle with death.

Faye was in the last stages of cancer. She had tubes coming out of her body everywhere. Doctors were making rounds one day, and this particular day more than 15 doctors came in the room — it was called grand rounds. The doctor walked over and sat on the side of Faye’s bed, and she asked the doctor if she could go home. The doctor told Faye, "You’re a nurse, you know you can’t go home in the shape you are in." Faye grabbed the doctor’s lapel and pulled him down near to her and said, "If you don’t let me out of this place, this time next week I will be dead." He said, "I believe you will be." "He wrote my discharge and they removed the tubes. My husband picked me up, carried me to the car, laid me in the back seat, and took me home to die.... When we got home, lots of things that had happened at the hospital I chose to forget, but one thing I did not forget was the word that little lady had given me." Unable to stand up, my husband carried me in and placed me in my bed, and that became my world.

There I was, reading the word— and waiting to die— (that’s all I knew to do at the time). Not being filled with the Holy Spirit yet, I did not realize the power and the anointing we have as His children to come against and even stop the work of the enemy. I knew in the natural I was going to die! That was the bottom line.

One day, as I was reading and praying in my bed, I remembered I had heard something— years ago— about an experience called the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. I had also heard that one is empowered by this experience. Could there possibly be anything to this?? I knew I was going to stand before the Lord, and I wanted everything God had to offer!!

At that very moment— something was birthed in my spirit— and like lightening, God supernaturally dropped an overwhelming hunger and desire in my Baptist heart to experience this ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit.’ I didn’t even know what it was— but I was consumed with the desire for it!! So, I began to pray, "Father, if you will just let me live long enough to receive this experience, I’ll be ready to die!" (WOW! Was that about to change!)

Someone asked me years later, ‘Faye, how did you know about the Baptism in the Holy Ghost?’ I realized nobody told me about it. We didn’t even associate with ‘those people’ who had this thing that talked like this. God supernaturally dropped the desire in my heart to bring about His plan and purpose! That hunger for more of God became so strong in me, I finally said to my little Baptist husband (6’4", 270 lbs.), ‘Honey, would you go down to the bookstore and get me some books on how to receive the Baptism in the Holy Ghost — the Spirit-filled life and speaking in tongues?’ He told everybody at the book store the cancer had spread to my brain. We had never talked about anything like this in our life! Because of his love for