My name is Stella Ayong from Buea, Southwest Province of Cameroon. I want to bear testimony to the miraculous power of the Lord Jesus in my life.
I was born out of wedlock, in 1973. I am the third child and first daughter of my mother who later on got married, and was abandoned by her husband. When I was seven years old, my mother told me that I was already baptised as a baby. Six later, when I was thirteen years old, I became a communicant in the Presbyterian Church. By then, I used to be very stubborn and told lies. When I was fifteen years old, I had my first boyfriend. Our relationship lasted five years. I slept with him several times during that period. After some time, I fell seriously sick and was admitted in Acha Hospital in Bamenda, Northwest Province of Cameroon. I was in the hospital for three weeks. When I was in the hospital, my boyfriend did not come to see me, and I was disappointed and wondered why. Before leaving the hospital, a laboratory test was done, but the results were not given to me. They were given to my mother. When we went back home, I resolved to know what was wrong with me, so I searched for my hospital book in my mother’s room. When I opened the book, I saw that I was HIV positive. By this time, I was 19 years old. I started crying and bemoaned my life. I could now understand why my boyfriend did not come to the hospital to visit me. Since he had been my first and only boyfriend, and I was now HIV positive, it was obvious that he was the one who contaminated me. I was very bitter against him. Somebody from my village was working in that hospital and, having seen my results, went and told the people in the village. This boy also heard that I was infected, but to my greatest surprise, when I came out of the hospital, this boy came back and wanted to go to bed with me. I refused because I knew he was the one who infected me with HIV.
When I realised that I was HIV positive, I started crying and lamented over my life. Even though at that time, I did not know God or know how to pray, I tried to pray, telling God that I was very sorry for the dark life that I had lived. After a month, I went to the South West Province to live with my aunt. While there, I had another boyfriend with whom I also committed the sin of fornication. After some time, I fell seriously sick again. One of my aunts who is a nurse got another HIV test done for me and I was diagnosed to be HIV positive a second time. This was in 2001, in Ekona Hospital in the Southwest Province. I was paralyzed and could not walk or eat any food. I was being fed by others because my hands could not move; I had to be carried to go to the toilet. I suffered from cough, body pains, and hemorrhoids. I was conscious that I was HIV positive but I did not tell my aunt about my HIV positive status for about three weeks. When I felt better, I left my aunt’s house for Buea, to my uncle who had known the Lord Jesus Christ and is a member of Christian Missionary Fellowship International. The gospel was preached to me by various individuals and at some evangelistic meetings. When God opened my eyes, I saw myself like a pig. I knew that I had wasted all my life and that there was no hope for me. I started crying and my uncle who had known Christ comforted me and told me that with God, all things are possible. With God, nothing is impossible. He said that I just needed to repent of all the sins I have ever committed and ask God for forgiveness. When I repented of my sins, I received the Lord Jesus Christ in my life and my life became different. I stopped the sin of fornication, but when I thought of how I had destroyed myself and my sin partners, I wept. I begged God to have mercy on me for all the things I had done to destroy my life and the lives of others.
At first, I used to be very bitter against my first boyfriend but as I started my new life in Christ, I felt sorry for him; I forgave him and even prayed for him that he should be saved.
In 2002, while in Buea, I heard that there was a Healing Convention for HIV/AIDS patients in Damase, Yaounde, by Christian Missionary Fellowship International. I traveled to Yaounde with three leaders of the church in Buea for the Healing Convention. On the last day of the Convention, Professor Zacharias Tanee Fomum asked the HIV/AIDS patients to come to the stage to be prayed for and I moved down to the stage. The stage was so full that there was no space left even to stand. Professor Fomum called all the leaders in the church to come and pray for the sick with him. So, they came and laid hands on us and prayed. After that, we were asked to go back to our seats.
When the Convention ended, we went back to Buea. As soon as I got back to Buea, I noticed that all the symptoms of the illness had disappeared. The cough was no longer there. The fever was gone and the pile disappeared. I did not suffer from pains any longer. My uncle’s wife suggested that I should conduct a test to confirm my healing. I did not go because I knew that God had already healed me. The striking thing is that after the Healing Convention in 2002, until 2008, I have never been sick again; not even a headache. I still had not gone for a confirmation test.
In April 2008, one brother encouraged me to go for a test in order to have medical proof that God has healed me, though in my body I had more than ample proof of my healing. I, however, went to the military hospital in Buea that morning. I was the first person who came for the HIV test. I met four nurses who were working in the laboratory. I told one of them that I had been HIV positive and had given my life to Christ, who changed my lifestyle and that God has healed me. I told her that I came just to have the medical proof that God has healed me. She took my blood sample and asked me to go and sit outside. After that, four other people came for the same test. They asked me in which hospital I did the test that declared me HIV positive. I said in 1992, I did the first test in Acha Tugi Hospital in the North West Region, and in 2001, I did the second test at the Ekona hospital and both test results were positive. The nurses decided to repeat the test. When they repeated it, the result was negative again. After that, they handed me my hospital book. I fell down on my knees and started crying and thanking God for what He has done for me. One of the nurses lifted me up and told me “Ton Dieu est vraiment un Dieu de Miracles” (your God is indeed a God of miracles). She asked me to go and explain my case to the Doctor, but since I was overjoyed, I left and went directly to my uncle who was a leader in the church. I also went to Brother Roger Forteh, the pastor of Christian Missionary Fellowship International in Buea. He was happy and asked me to go on a three-day fast to thank God for what He had done for me. I did the three-day fast from the very next day. The following Sunday, I bore testimony to the entire church. Many people were moved to tears at God’s power and goodness to me and six people gave their lives to Christ on that day. I am so happy for what the Lord has done for me. I will never be grateful enough.
I also want to tell those who are reading this testimony that there is nothing good in the world. The world is full of bitterness and evil. The best part to life is in Jesus Christ.
May his holy name be forever praised!
STELLA AYONG
With glorious expectation,
The From His Lips team.